Nice Weekend

Jamie On Barry's Problem 6C+

We got a couple of sweet quick sessions in Glendo this weekend.  Straight after the lads got back from school on Friday I stuffed them with pasta and threw them in the Yaris and Adam, Jamie and I hit the road  climbing with the dwindling sun light and the cool temps of the evening until darkness descended all about us and the roars of the stags bellowing bounced back and forth off the walls of the valley as we strolled back to the car.

Adam On Barry's Problem 6C+

Jamie had a great couple of days, we quickly warmed up at the path area and hopped across the stones in the river so he could get on Barry's Problem 6c+ and give it a lash.  He had worked out the moves in spitting rain and grotty conditions last sunday and on this day he quicky dispatched the problem on his second go, he beasted the crux move which is a dyno from a finger lock and small crimp backwards to another decent crimp, he stabbed his left foot back on the wall and slapped up the arete to the jug and easy top out, delighted he was and he thought that the problem was a little gem :) Adam gave it the beans too, his first efforts at climbing a Glendo 6C and he did all the moves easily bar the crux which he was very close to getting, won't be long going for him too ...

J-Mo Trying Hard On Pokery 6C

... when the boys were finished on Barry's Problem it was my turn to get warmed up and climb. A biting wind whipped up and it turned nice and chilly, for the first time this season the skin on my fingers turned cold and hard and I had the magic sticky rubber skin ... the friction was mint !! We had a siege on Pokery and I made some good progress sticking the holds on the arete, getting my left foot up and finally being able to make the throw to the jug, but I couldn't keep my foot on and hold the tension, so it wouldn't go for me but it was a fun battle and I am getting closer.  The lads were doing well on it too but couldn't make the throw to the jug, it's a tricky little divil. All of a sudden as the lights went out the wind just stopped and the bothersome, vampirous pests, the bastard midge arrived on the scene and began to gnaw at us so we made a quick escape keen to get back the next morning ...

Me On Black Art 6C

.. the next morning was a sweet days climbing. Me an J had until about lunchtime free so we hit the road at 8 bells for the early morning session. It was damp on the Blessington side of the mountains and the peaks were shroud in low lying cloud so we didn't know what to expect, but as soon as we crossed the gap and reached the east side of the hills everthing was bone dry and it was a lovely morning squeezing some granite juice for breakfast. We warmed up at the path area again and wound our way up the scree to Black Art 6C,  a nice steep arete with powerful moves between slopey holds and good edges. I tried it last week but it was way too hot, this time the friction was decent and we figured out a cool sequence together and beasted it, the last hard move is a cool floater dyno from two slopers and a heel hook to a jug and you need to tuck your knees up to your chest to hold the swing, it's a class move and a really enjoyable problem. We finished off the day by trying Pokery again but we were tired and it grew hot so we gave up and hit the trail home. On the way home we got stuck behind a huge road cycling race all the way over the gap and me bleedin' head was melted with them !! Fun weekend was had and double send days for Jamie :) Happy Climbing Folks !!

Jamie On Black Art 6C