Another year throttled

So while the kids are in bed, and less exhausted people are out befuddling their brains in celebration of another year survived, I thought I'd take a look back on 2015 and try to work out what the heck happened.

January

Kicked this off with a proud tick up at Marchlyn, not without some significant tumbling. It wasn't until much later in the year that this was viable as a one pad venue, so a few scrapes had to be taken on the chin..

Also around here was a trip to the lleyn with new mate Fatneck, where I learn't my grading wasn't too far out, and many people are better than me.

February

Snow meant snowballing! The cube became a more viable proposition for 5 days of the year, and we found out that child number four was on her way unaccompanied by another twin, and arriving slap bang in sendtember.

Oh yes and my patio efforts in Neverneverland finally bore fruit.

March

Patio number two was underway, and much other assorted and unproductive faffing.

April

A proper month this. Cae Dafydd, a sortie to Tosheroon, and some serious scooter exploration at Llugwy reservoir.

May

May brought a peak of sorts. I was still too unfit to take any serious scalps, however, enthusiasm and trying hard won out. The Baron was realised, abet in a sanitised form. I gave the Tosheroon a proper go, and was probably only a metre off success (a couple of miles in offwidth terms), making a year highlight, in retrospect.

I also found my happy place once more in Dyffryn Mymbyr, this disparate collection of stones have given me pleasure for 8 years or more, and I hope to meet more of you there in the future.

June, July & August

With the summer holidays descending and Sam now rather full of baby, opportunities started to dry up. However, Mymbyr continued to make me happy on the odd solitary day. Also, I started my quixotic quest to scare the poo clear out my bowels with some Lleyn DWS action.
July also allowed me to stop getting cross with the state of ethics in Twll Mawr, and  help in a small way to usher in the back walls hardest route.

September

Seren

The Rest

Family and a little exploring, but generally getting happy, but out of shape, content with my awesome family, but aware of my bodies deep failings.


Next year

Get my body sorted, get Tosheroon done, have some happiness up at Marchlyn and Mymbyr, and enjoy the Family.

Happy New Year!

Brewing next year's psyche 2015

Christmas eve,

The rain stopped once again, and it was time to be proactive in achieving my goals. Last time I brewed up, it was my highest viewed post. It was also the build up to The Beast in Me, and at the time I had 6 month old twins and was plagued by a list of niggles and injuries. Well, 2015 and the monkeys of chaos are 5, I have a 3 month old girl, and I'm plagued by a list of niggles and injuries. Certainly seems like its time to brew up again....

Where have I grown?
My understanding of my injuries firstly, The meeting with Eirian was extremely helpful. It has helped me understand how my past adventures in poor training and hitting the ground, coupled with my slight hyper-mobility has knocked every thing out of place. The links up the chain of balance from my feet upwards, even to my elbows(damn gravity), has given me fresh perspective, and hope that it can be corrected.

Where have I regressed?
Quite simply motivation. If ever there was a need for a montage, its now.

In an effort to kick start this years brew, I  had started watching old fail tapes of myself up at Marchlyn. Although my body definitely felt too creaky to climb, I was keen to get back up there so that I didn't build up any blockage about the walk in. I thought I could get some new shots, look at some new positions, and celebrate the patio I built up there.

Made it up here in under 40 mins, its going to be a while before I start threatening the 30 minute mark again. From here you can see the tide line cutting across the midline of the main boulder. Fortunately the water is so eutrophic the grot build up is very low.

The steepness. Exhibiting the starting flake hold, my 10" brush, and an overly scrubbed patch of starting "non" footholds (still clean Owen).

The main boulder with its glorious patio. This means its a one pad venue, two at the most. It also has made the few addition holds in the steepness accessible from a sit.This means more things to work on, rather than banging my head against the same problem.

The starting position. Left hand on flake. The premise of the project was to go from here into the finish of Tumbleweed. Previously I'd tried to link through with the beautiful blunt arete. However my thoughts from this visit were that this was just way too hard if not impossible, and also eliminate...

Full stretch off the starting flake gains a rail on Erodeo/Tumbleweed(face squashed into the rock). Any moves from this position wrap you around the arete until you gain the Tumbleweed  standing start.

A cool toe hook makes the transitions possible. I think this project is now a little less perfect, but a lot more attainable. I have T-rex arms, so its going to be the most obvious sequence for normal people. All in all, this brings this goal more in reach, somewhere between long and short term...

All things are possible, given the right amount of work

back on the scooter too! much fear and braking until i get used to it again. new rear wheel too I think.

Merry Christmas!

Coming Up For Air

I haven't posted for what seems like ages. I've missed it, but life and meteorology have got in the way.

So Friday was the first dry moment without work, family or husbandly commitments since the last post. November was pretty much a write off, the only point of note was visiting Dangleberries with pads to find it wet, hardish, and needing a spotter to prevent headplanting. Friday, however, I went for a quick walk above our house to walk round a scree cone I hadn't navigated before.

Ponds! must remember these come the frogspawn season (for the kids obviously)

Cool Junk. The cone is pretty old so the composition is a little unstable and exciting with some cool lichens and plants.

random pretty rock, nothing to boot up for though.

Damn good wall.

Although Seren continues to be a fairly easy going baby, Ethan and Dylan are getting into their stride as 5yr old twin boys, hereby known as the Chaos Munkeys. The Chaos Munkeys have stopped destroying their school, and started to slow down on the destruction of the family home, but they're not going to bed like little darlings at the moment. Ho Hum.

Last week I also visited Sunny Carlisle. This was for a NIBAS course for the delivery of the meaty stuff; levels 4&5. Good coaching content, with a chance to practice on ourselves. With all the upheaval in my life at the moment it was good to set some Goals:

Short Term

Get myself back into regular training with good form and all niggles managed

I have been increasingly frustrated with my bodies failures of late. a lack of regular climbing combined with some long term injuries / sources of pain have made it a bit of a dark time (fortunately lit up by Seren). Borrowed this book for the Train Journey to Carlisle

The opportunities of delayed trains meant it all got read. The gist of it is that this is complicated; find the best people to advise you, work hard and adapt to keep enjoying it, eccentrics are good, sort technique and bio mechanics. So this week I have a date with a Dance, Pilates, and Fitness instructor Eirian Roberts for a full MOT, and I'll try to fit some (very) light conditioning in too, rather than be a boy and jump on the pretty hard things.

Medium Goal

Get the Tosheroon done

Need to be fit, aerobically and core, for this, and for it to be warm. one for the spring.

Long Term Goal

Climb this:

By Next Winter I need to be solid of core, injury free, in full four wheel drive, and have muscles on my muscles.

The first step is to lap a few 5b's