Unfortunately every time I drive round Paris a thunder storm seems to materialise from nowhere, which for some reason really excites the French making them drive closer and faster than usual, so we arrived in a very wet font a little shell shocked. I don’t thi
nk I’ve ever been to Font in good conditions though so I proceeded to run around trying various projects over the following couple of weeks in conditions that ranged from hot, wet and humid to hot, dry and sweaty. Needless to say that although I stuck my finger in a fair few pies and lost a lot of skin I didn't have a massive ticked list when we left.
I don’t really mind too much as I was looking at Font as a warm up introduction to pulling on real rock after a few months of being locked inside. Anyway I'm a try-er and enjoy the trying so the poor conditions meant I got to try that bit harder. I did manage to pull a few things out the bag which I'm quite chuffed with.
Neverland (8a), because I'd always wanted to try it and when it went it was 22 degrees, humid, and the problem was actually wet. I love a bad conditions tick, me. There's something very satisfy about pulling it out the bag despite the odds. The other thing I was quite chuffed with was a 7C+ plus high-ball. Mainly because its a cool line but also because its a high-ball and 1. I’m a massive fairy when it comes to high stuff and 2. I’m quite good at falling off the top of things. Part of me admits the only reason I did it (after my girlfriend made me get up early to get the slightly less worse conditions) is that she danced up it first and the male pride kicked in. Needless to say I spent the afternoon in a small coma recovering from my early morning, near death experience.
Apart from that and another V10 Font passed in a blur of camp fires, good friends, red wine, wet rock, sweaty rock and sore skin. It also gave me an opportunity to witness the wonder that is Barney in action. I wish I could ,move on the rock like him. A truly natural climber who managed to pull two 7c's out the bag on the last day of his trip. Not bad for a ginger ;)
Next on the list is Switzerland. Much more my kind of style and better conditions. The rock actually has holds in Switzerland. We have been here a couple of days and have two months here. I have a very long and ambitious tick list, which I’m sure will inevitably lead to disappointment. Still, aim for the stars, hit the moon. Or something along those lines. Anyway the trip has started off well with a surprisingly quick dispatch of one of the 8a's on the list and a promising first session on another line. Time to step and get shut down I guess. As Mr Katz once said to me, “you've got to enjoy the process”.
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