disobey_gravity | Friday glee could do with splashing into water right about now

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disobey_gravity

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.

N.B. Please feel free to post your glee on any day of the week; the Friday glee is just to get the ball rolling.

To enhance this week's glee: Hazel Findlay and Alex Honnold go deep water solo-ing in Oman.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

emperor

I have arranged some trad trips for later in the summer :-)

From:

wpadmirer

I am ENVIOUS! Have a wonderful time!

From:

rydra_wong

\o/

Also, TELL ME ALL ABOUT THEM. Where are you going?

After my five days' trad course in Llanberis, I'm desperate to get out; I've only got one friend with serious trad experience, and she's super-busy right now. And I really don't feel like I'm ready to be the person with the most trad experience on a trip.

So, got to work out how to find more partners, and/or nag her into climbing with me. *g* Any advice welcome!

(On the plus side, I did get a week's bouldering in the Lake District, and have a week's bouldering in Font coming up. So I'm not too deprived.)

From:

emperor

North Wales, both times, for a weekend.

First weekend, 4 of us are going, and the plan is to do some single-pitch stuff, since 2 of us haven't done any trad before, the third is a bit out of practice. Not sure exactly where, I'm just going to turn up and do what I'm told :)

Second weekend, I'm taking someone else, and we're going for more multi-pitch, but not absurdly long. So maybe Clogwyn yr Oen.

I'm hoping to manage another trip in late September/early October, though obviously the weather's less predictable then.

From:

wpadmirer

Sounds wonderful. I've never tried to do a multi-pitch climb. I send you massive good vibes for it all.

From:

rydra_wong

Ooh, I got to go to Clogwyn yr Oen for one day on the course -- very nice.

And if the weather craps out, you can always go on the giant underground trampoline in Blaenau Ffestiniog ...

From:

emperor

Yeah, I've been climbing there before (as a kid, then on my weekend-with-instructor, then without an instructor), but there are plenty of unclimbed routes still :)

I think it's already fully booked :-/ Our last wet-weather thing was Go Below, which is a bit like Go Ape, but in a mine. Great fun, apart from the evil rope ladder :)

From:

emperor

I've not found persuading other climbers that they should try some trad to be too hard a sell :)

From:

rydra_wong

I have assorted other friends who are interested -- the trouble is that they all have even less experience than me.

And I don't feel I can say "With my grand total of five days experience, let me lead the way and show you all how it's done!" I feel like I need to get in more time first with someone who can tell me if my gear placements are all terrible and my clove hitches are actually Munter hitches.

From:

emperor

Are you on ukclimbing? They have a partners wanted forum; though I'd rather climb indoors with someone I'd not met first! Apropos of which, you're probably close enough to Harlow to meet the people I climb with if you like.

From:

rydra_wong

I lurk silently on ukc, but haven't been bold enough to post yet. Trying to psyche myself up to post a "hey, anyone want a n00b with a nut key?" post ...

(Also checking out the various London mountaineering clubs.)

Apropos of which, you're probably close enough to Harlow to meet the people I climb with if you like.

Looks like it's fairly easy to get to by train, if you think they might not mind a n00b with a nut key! I'm equally happy to be a tour guide to London climbing walls if they ever visit this neck of the woods.

From:

wpadmirer

I climbed my first 5.10 this week. I've climbed a number of 5.9s, but 5.10s have eluded me. I finally found one that I could do! YAY!

Though I've given up on a 5.8+ in my gym. I saw a video of the route setter doing the climb, and one move requires (NO LIE!) putting your left foot to shoulder height and standing up to reach the next handhold.

60 year old bodies just don't do that.