Collateral Ligament Injury
Yep .. reckon I’ve sprained the ligaments on the middle fingers on both hands (maybe the ring finger on my right hand and the index on both hands too).
Details of the injury and possible treatments can be found at:
April 24, 2009
April 22, 2009
Climbing Update - Leading is going well so far for the year.
Looking at my profile in UKC I can see that although my average climbing standard isn’t so different from previous years my leading is .. it’s well and truely consolidated at trad VS/Sport 6a+
TBH the leads have all felt pretty cool (apart from Secret Identity VS 4c where I thought a lot of the gear was marginal till teh overhang).
Reckon I should start looking at more HVS and 6B routes to do .. just gotta make sure I don’t overstep the mark too far 
So far, this year I’ve led:
Grobbler VS 4c (Symonds Yat)
Black Slab VS 4b * (Burbage North)
Wall Corner The Direct Finish VS 4c * (Burbage North)
Ash Tree Wall HVD ** (Burbage North)
Can’t ‘Member HVS 5a (Wyndcliffe Quarry)
Empire and Revolution F6a+ (Wyndcliffe Quarry)
Same Old Story F6a (Wyndcliffe Quarry)
One Tooth Short of a Smile F6a+ (Wyndcliffe Quarry)
Dirty Harry HS 4b (Shorn Cliff)
Secret Identity VS 4c * (Shorn Cliff)
Indecisive Victory HS 4b (Shorn Cliff)
Thread Security VS 5a (Shorn Cliff)
April 14, 2009
Climbing Update
Went climbing up in the Peaks on Friday/Saturday with Rhys. We drove up there on Friday morning but due to rain spent the afternoon walking around Stanage Edge.
Met up with the WCC in the evening at The Moon Inn (Stoney Middleton).
Saturday morning and it’s dry so went mad @ Burbage North .. climbing from 8:30am in the morning till I wore out Rhys sometime in the afternoon.
Ash Tree Variations VS 5b * Lead dnf - fell off loads of times (I now trust cam placements on grit), cut my hands up, bled all over the place.
Black Slab VS 4b * Lead O/S - One bit of gear in 8m .. nice!
Wall Corner The Direct Finish VS 4c * Lead O/S - Fun finish with a mini roof (think tiny Flying Buttress Direct)
Ash Tree Wall HVD ** Lead O/S
Ash Tree Crack VD * 2nd O/S
Bilberry Crack VD * 2nd O/S
Bilberry Face VD 2nd O/S
Route 2 S 4a Solo O/S
Route 3 HVD 4a * Solo O/S
Route 1 S 4b Solo O/S - best route of the day!
I think Rhys was a bit out of sorts .. a bit knackered from all of his other non climbing activities. Probably didn’t help with me running around like a hyper active pup wanting to climb everything in sight
Finished with 3 solos - great feeling to do them all with no hiccups. The very last solo (Route 1 S 4b) was probably my best climbing experience for quite some time as:
1. I wanted to do it becuase I liked the look of the route,
2. I did it even though I knew it was not just a simple jugfest, and
3. I was able to unlock the crux and totally visualise the moves before I even started.
.. and I kept the fear totally locked down even though some of the moves where quite technical (for a solo by me).
Seems like I’m having a great start to my outdoor season .. training indoors @ the Link in Swindon during the winter, on top of last years trad climbing is paying dividends.