I arranged to go to LPT with Pete Robins today, and was blown away with the mans ability to crank through the hardest of moves through the steepest of terrains. I have climbed with him many times before but never seen him on hard sport since he decided to get good at it.
Whereas mortals might hope to tick a F7a or even like me pray for the day they climb F8a, this boy has been redpoint and onsighting routes in the upper sevens and 8’s for a while now, eventually redpointing Liquid Ambar F8c+.
He has always been a machine, but the way he was climbing today was incredible, narrowly missing out on a link up he is working. It was like his arms were hydraulically driven, rather than muscle that requires merely food to operate.
What the day did was get me re-psyche for Statement, and I had my first go on it today, and flailed about miserably in comparison, but then again I have lost much of my fitness through having to work, and only climbing slabs! I did manage to climb some moves that I could get near when I last tried the route some 8 years ago. By ‘not get near’, I mean basically unable to hold and unable to get to by hook, crook or aiding through. I have a few things I need to work on, my strength being one of them!
We had a great day, and despite the sea fret and humid conditions. I was happy with day 1.
