Well as expected the 3 west coast beasts sent routes, conditions good but a tad damp on the top of the crag.
Alan Cassidy and Rob? sending Hand Of Andromeda 8A+, Malc Smith Sending Sheild of Persious 8A and Rob Flashing this route as well. So lets hope the whether stays.
Well today the sun is shining and everyone is sport climbing at the Anvil and The Kraken. I went to the Kraken again and went on the project. The final jug was reached and I couldnt even clip the clip. So I extended it so I could do a quick clip then went of again got to the jug again, clipped then managed to pull through a wee bit to the easy climbing but once again pumped off. On a positive note though the furthest yet. So its a rest day today and back tomorow for another grapple with the slopping jug. Ian Pitcairn worked the Sheild of Persius and is close to redpointing the route and I think like me was a tad ryled that he never came away with the booty. Still next time.
Alan Cassidy, Malcom Smith and Rob ? are ther today doing Dave Macleods Hand of Andromida. Hopefully Alan will latch the last hold and manage to finish the job. No doubt the others will be cruising routes as well. One thing though it is really good to here that people are climbing at the venues.
I got to Oban early and decided to look at the beach boulder near the terminal and also scope the conglomorate overhanging crag as well. The crag I thought would be a good wee spot for some small but funky sport routes. I think a couple of routes would be worth it,specially if you lived in Oban. Funky pockets and blobs, that would be routes 6A-MID 7's.
Better though is the boulder on the beach, a conglomerate boulder that is eliminate central. The variety of problems you could do are great. Also the clean face is at a steady 15 degrees which gives you a good pump. Dont get me wrong, this is not a boulder that is worth a drive from Edinburgh but it is worth a visit if you are in Oban early and going to Mull or the Islands and you have to wait for a ferry.
The problems are all in pockets of varying sizes and also blobs.The harder ones on lots of edges and even monos.There are obvious lines that follow aretes and lips and also a good highball up the centre of it following a slight ramp, maybe 5c. Landings are perfect shingle as well. The right to left low traverse on everything is a good pump with suprisingly tricky move half way.
All in all better than the oban wall and you dont have to pay and the view is amazing. So forget the rubbish shops when waiting for the ferry, get your boots and sandwich and head to the boulder.
Ill leave directions out so you can look yourself. Its not hard honest.
Well the work on oilrigs is paying off. Im stuck in the middle of no where for two weeks, serving time but all is not lost. Decent food, gym twice a day and plenty of decent sleep and,easy work. Coming back to land is great aswell as I can concentrate on decorating the flat and also climbing midweek when and where I want, gone are the days of the wet weekend.
Coming back from my last job I was motivated to climb and it was Dumby Dave that mentioned the Kraken, where my project sits. A decent sized roof. So I headed to his pad for 2 days and went on the project. To my suprise the move I had been failing on last time was actually not my problem now and I started to get good links. The good thing with meeting for a climb with Dave is, he is like a in situ video camera that rewinds and reminds me of where my feet where or how I could reach a hold with more ease. Plus his wife Claire is a mean cook that quite frankly cooks the best food Ive tasted, apart from Mairi that is.
Today I managed to snatch 4 redpoints and am basically going for the final jug before the easy climbing kicks in, so on a positive its better than before and im starting to dare I say it, enter the final stages of "Operation Marigold".
Im scratching my head and wondering Why?, as ive not climbed at a wall in ages and hardly even fuss about getting out as much. Maybe before I was doing too much climbing indoors, who knows. Maybe its messing about with my obsession of doing frontlevers or Bruce Lees mad leg raises, who cares. The jug is in sight.
