As ever my weekend was taken up with working, as is way of the freelancer. However I have managed to squeeze the life out of this weekend. Since i last posted, I spent Friday morning Babysitting two sub 3 year old kids. Fortunately I had some support from the Wilson’s in the form of their trampoline. I thought it interesting on the TV a few weeks back that something like 80% of accidents on trampolines are caused by combining them with adults and alcohol. I have to say that I respect any mum or child minder, even well behaved kids kept running loops round me.
A brief rest in the afternoon, and I meet Martin Chester, straight off his live thread on UKClimbing. Llion was meant to come along with us, but his centre was four instructors down, so had to sack off the climbing till later in the evening. So Martin and I head to the slate quarries and climbed the first few pitches to the Sun Chaser Wall link in Vivian, before climbing Last Tango in Paris and then Comes the Dervish. I was a lovely even as the sun came out. (More photos of sun chaser wall link up)
Martin Lead the Turkey Chant pitch and was blown away that he hadn’t climbed this classic E2 pitch before. Similarly having not lead the Dervish for at least two months. I got to run up it. I absolutely love this climb, easily one of my favourites. I think it is not only the climb but the position. I love watching the sun set from the belay, looking back across lyyn Padarn and down onto Llanberis. Occasionally you can make out friends on the route from the village. In this way I think there is an added sense of a potential for narcissistic enhancement, a kind of showing off the the crowd.
Llion met us just before we climbed the Dervish, and we quickly decided, or the outbreak of the daily midge cloud decided for us, that it was pub o’clock. So we went to the pub, where I remember that the youths that I had pretty much barged in front of were actually Ryan pasquill and Katie Whittaker, who had been trying to red point Time Bandit a hideous E3 6c, they Katy later went on and climbed Bathtime, which was an amazing effort, although I guess she is a world apart from most climbers you get hanging out on slate!
Three beers was enough considering I forgot to eat before I went cragging!
The weekend was spent teaching climbing to the Christian Rock and Mountaineering Club with Andy Newton. We got wet on the Saturday teaching intro leading on Tryfan Bach and then we did a wall session on the Sunday.
The Saturday night was a hoot, as some friends cooked a Birthday meal for me and a few friends. Which until they asked me what I was doing on Saturday night on the Thursday, I had no idea that it was under a week till my birthday. I had been so busy doing stuff. So if your about on Thursday night I am going to the GYG for PnP.