Quality Day :)

Gorgeous Glendalough

 Great day out in Glendalough yesterday. Blue sky, warm sunshine and a light breeze to ensure the friction wasn't too bad. Jamie, Hari and myself had ourselves a fun time moving over good stone and enjoying the nature. The heather is blooming adding a lovely dash of colour to the landscape. Hari is from Austria and visiting Ireland until September, he was mighty impressed with Glendalough's beauty and problems and I have to say I was more impressed than usual with Glendo and feel as if I have been taking it for granted recently, I felt like I was on holiday in an awesome bouldering area, it's nearly the season for hard bouldering here and Jamie and I have a project list as long as our arms to get through this winter and we got a good early start on the season, it feels like its gonna be a good one !

Jamie on a sweet 5+

We kicked things off by pottering up some slabs at the path area before doing the classic 5+ The Rails, what a little gem I hadn't climbed it for years. Then opposite The Rails we found a lovely vertical wall with small crimps and a nice deadpoint, I'd never climbed it before, it was cool and served as a good warm up. After this we negociated our way through the rubble jumble to White Arrow 6B another Glendo classic, big moves to decent holds, I know it off by heart and got it on me first go and Hari flashed it using tall man beta, he completely skipped the last crimp and locked it off jug to jug ... cyborg !!

Hari Flashing White Arrow 6B

After this we settled into a scrap with Quality Control 6C, a problem I really wanted to do and have tried many times with no success. It's four small but powerful moves, short stabbing shouldery deadpoints with bad footholds, previously I had never been able to do all the moves even individually. This day we all mucked in and came up with a sweet sequence, all the moves were done ...psyched ! Jamie was having a lot of trouble with the first two moves, out of nowhere he made it too the last move but couldn't hold on. I was making steady progress and with a post lunch sugar buzz I beasted me way up and topped out,  It was a vicious fight and I had to throw me arms aggresively for each move, I was delighted with getting it. Jamie got close again but it didn't go for him today as he expended too much energy trying to figure out the sequence earlier in the session.

Me on Quality Control 6C

We ended the day on Big Jim, I was too tired but J and Hari did some scurrying on the steep side. It was a sweet days bouldering and Glendo season has begun early for me this year, gonna climb there loads this winter and hopefully get through all the projects I have my eye on, thanks to Hari for the photos, happy climbing folks :)