First glee of the year!

[rydra_wong]

The Friday post of glee is where you get to tell us about your climbing-related happiness this week.

It can be a new achievement or adventure, or just that you climbed and had fun; it can be that your favourite climbing wall is expanding or that you bought new rock shoes or that you found a cool ice-climbing vid on YouTube. No glee is too small -- or too big.

Members are encouraged to cheer each other on and share the squee.

To enhance this week's glee: Kev Shields solos Firestone (E7), a slab described in the guidebook as "devoid of holds and protection."

N.B. Feel free to post your glee in the comm on any day of the week. The Friday post is just to get the ball rolling.

Comments

[astridv]

You always find the best vids! Wow, I can't believe he climbed that thing unbelayed. o.O

[rydra_wong]

British hard trad climbing is ... kind of a scary tradition sometimes.

Basically, there are some areas of the country where it's considered unethical to place any bolts at all, and so whether there's protection or not depends on whether the rock naturally provides any opportunities for placing removable pro.

So some of the more "bold" routes have sections which are basically solos anyway.

My glee

[rydra_wong]

There is a new V5 at the Arch which is calling my name, oh yes.

[emperor]

Did you see the 5 climbs, 5 islands thing on the TV late last year? Two guys (Dave MacLeod and Tim Emmett) put up 5 new upper-E-grade routes, one of each of 5 different Scottish Islands, in 5 days. It was all pretty hardcore, but I remember a huge roof section, on rock that was far from solid. Mad! But awesome!

Re: My glee

[emperor]

your V5 minutes of fame, then? :-)

[emperor]

Did you read the linked blog-posts, with the pictures of someone else falling down almost the entire pitch after losing it on the crux move?

[emperor]

I had a bit of a meh session yesterday, TBH. I seem unable to lead 5+s, even though I can toprope a few grades higher. But, my climbing partner did their first 6a, which is pretty damn cool :)

Re: My glee

[rydra_wong]

If I get it. *g* But oh, it's so much my style.

*makes clutchy fingers of want*

[rydra_wong]

Yes! Loved it! It's out on DVD now:

http://www.davemacleod.com/shop/triple5.html

Btw, I commend to your attention davemacleod_feed -- he has some fantastic advice on training and improving one's climbing.

[emperor]

Ooh, I'll look at that, thanks :)

[rydra_wong]

My theory is that sometimes you just have to accept that it's One Of Those Days and not expect to achieve anything, just keep working and playing and wait for the stars or the weather or whatever it is to change.

6a yay!

[astridv]

No, I totally missed that. Guardian angel working overtime...