Do I have tae push this elephant up the stairs?!

Pushing an elephant up the stairs is harder than I thought. After finishing the Scottish Tooling Series in a surprising place, I thought this will be a good time tae head back oot tae the worlds. Lets get two in, Italy and Romania.

Italy. With the time off I had I couldn't book a flight early enough tae get me there on time. That was frustrating. However the competition in Daone was cancelled anyway, and I really didn't feel in good shape.

Lets train. Where? No where. That's tricky. After the sad end tae Extreme Dream in Aviemore, so was the close climbing community and my training. Glenmore Lodge is a good training venue when your keen and not training for a world cup competition. After training as much as my soul could take, I was off tae Romania.

Romania, due tae high winds, flight was cancelled and connecting flight was also not going tae get me in time for registration. £300 pound for a two days in Edinburgh was not ideal.

So what noo. Pissed off isn't the word. Giving up? Not completely. But this big ass elephant is really starting tae get tae me.

Wednesday 23rd. My sponsors Schmoolz have organised a trip tae Rjukan. I am looking forward tae this, but I can say that I am feeling not the strongest, and with two days on the mountain, I'm not exactly hill fit.

I'm sure that I'll be at the top of the stairs with this elephant when I touch doon in Norway, pay for a £10 pint, and get on some ice that will be nothing less than amazing,

The Fast and The Furious

So it has came tae the time that I think I should get's this route done. The Fast and The Furious is a very good test piece, and tae be working it feel awesome.

I went doon tae Dunkeld last week where I bumped in tae Grieg Boswell, who was working the route again. He's climbed the route before and so he kindly gave me some very useful beta and encouragement. On my shot I got a little over halfway. At that point the next holes were blown, and so tae get past the big reachy move was tae make a very very big move. After resting the move was do-able, however, making that monster est move in a clean sweep from the start is a very different matter.

Yesterday I went doon tae Dunkeld with some friends. Feel confident that a few tries, I could have this route in the bag. But I was mistaken! They don't call it a test piece for nothing.

However I did have a good look around, and sorted oot what was needed tae complete the route. It turn's oot that this big move is the real problem. I'm in thinking that I don't want tae re-drill the hole. I'm liking that it is harder, an I'm going tae have tae make an effort tae complete it.

So what next? Today, rest/chill. This week, some more training (stamina) and with a good night's sleep before, and I will make another journey tae Dunkled.

Time tae TRAIN!!!!!!!!!

I am noo a man with a car! she's fixed! and so with that, training will start today!! I'm going tae heid tae the lodge later today, gym then wall (with schmoolz) and start the pain. I've not got a lot of time tae get back in tae shape after such a long time oot, but you better believe that I am going tae try.

First comp at the worlds is the 15th of January I think, it's in Italy.

Condition as you might well have guess...snow. Not huge amounts but enough tae make climbing harder work and skiing nae bad. High winds a the tops, so there will be a lot of drifting.

Stay safe.

Gloves and Weather Up-date

So the Black Diamond Guides have been, so far, very good. However the temperature has risen since I bought them. But I can feel the quality tae the usual pish I buy. As for the Specialist's I've not been climbing, so I can't say. My car is ill at the moment as the bearing collapsed and I got two flats! My snow tyres came today so my little beauty should spinning aroond anytime soon.

As for the weather, the wind has picked considerably and the temperature is what you would class as tropical! Jumper weather, hats, gloves and jackets can stay at home! Hopefully this thaw doesn't strip all the snow, cause a good base at this time of year would be brillant. It is due tae get very cold again next week. Climbing should be in good condition.

As the car will be better soon, I can start training for the world cup. Hopefully going tae Italy and Romania. Training at this time of year is hard for me as it's time tae be festive and fat, also my local climbing wall is no longer, so I will have tae train at Glenmore Lodge. This isn't ideal, as Glemore doesn't have a 13 meter roof! In fact there isn't alot at all.

Anyhoo, we will see what happens. Stay safe.

COLD HANDS!!!!

Right. Are you ready? Are you for a rant? Alright, here it's comes!
Gloves. Bloody expensive, ill fitting, useless pecies of clothen! Do you we need them? In winter? AYE! AYE WE DAE!! but can I really remortgage ma hoose tae pay for a pair, oh wait two because skiing and climbing gloves are totally different! And yes I know people might read and think, 'dude just get this gloves you can feel sooo much through them'. That's true, but not if yer circulation is as shite as mine.

So I did it. I went against every fiber of ma scint climber bones, and handed over the green (well it was a credit card). I bought a pair of Black Diamond Guides and, yes bloody expensive and, a pair of Black Diamond Specialist.

I have always spent the very little on gloves, why, cause I didn't have the money (not even plastic form), and I knew, all be it from what climbers told me from the beginning, that they will fall apart in a season or two. Now watch this space. Cause if ma hand get cold....I mean white, god dam that's going tae turn black and drop off cold. Your going tae hear aboot it, and if I drop ma in tire rack this season cause they're clumsily biffa gloves that wont cut it either.

Apart from that the climbing in the gorms are still oot, but the skiing is definatley in!

Stay safe.

Busy Busy Busy Bee

So.....where tae being.....? I've managed, with a hangover (not recomended) tae finish the STS. I've then managed, sober, tae get all my climbing and skiing gear up tae my new hoose in Aviemore.

So jobs, digs the dam car oot, and get it tae the garage, unpack my gear and sort in tae normal manic manner! But with no car, training for the world cup has resorted tae walking tae tesco's and filling a bag full of heavy food item's, and playing in the snow with the lass.

Tomorrow, up on the hill for a ski tour as climbing in well and truly oot.

Sweaty Betty!

So I've been in Edinburgh noo for aboot couple of weeks, and already I feel fat and useless! So a sesh at Alien Rock 1 was spontaneously plan this morning for after work.

So Martin and myself physic oor self's up, and talked aboot the 'pump' that oor untrained, frail bodies were going tae have tae take.

Alien Rock isn't a bad venue, I thought that grades were a wee bit soft, but the biggest problem was the heat! Never in my nelly puff have I climbed in such heat. I wasn't getting that pumped, it was more the slippy sliding of my hands.

We endured aboot 2 hoors of the heat before heiding hame for some scran and a pint.

I'm looking forward tae Extreme Dream opening for the winter! Let the training being!!!!! I'll be back up in the 'More' at the end of October.

Climb safe!