Well Bloggers it's been about a week. To be honest I think it may be because every time I sit down to write I just think of something better to be doing!
It's getting to the end of the University semester, the work is piling up. It didn't need to, but as is the student way we leave things, floating through until the last couple of weeks.
I am spending today working on my Spreadsheet Modelling Techniques assessment, tomorrow I'm coming to University on my day off! To work on my New Technology coursework, Saturday has been set aside for Research Methods! I bet you're as worried as I am about finding time to climb? Never fear. Tuesday afternoons has that spot in my heart.
I thought today I would discuss the interesting decline of my climbing ability in a purely platonic sort of way.
I started rock climbing in April 2006. I went with a couple of friends to an indoor wall in Leeds. I was hooked. I had climbed before on adventure days and Youth camps etc. But this was different. Surrounded by the smell of chalk and determination, brought into a common brotherhood, I was drawn in. So in May for my birthday I got my first pair of climbing shoes, a chalk bag and a shed load of chalk (I still have it today). My problem was simple. The people that I climbed with were... unreliable. I pride myself as being dependable, but these guys were less than that. They wouldn't ever reply to me, would easily cancel trips etc etc. This wasn't to deter me. I found a local wall signed up. I admit I was a little bit liberal with how much I knew about climbing and how long I had been doing it for. But this provided me with the place I needed. From that moment on bouldering was my sport. I bought Climber every month and I went to the wall 2-3 times a week. I know many extremist climbers will not count this as real climbing, but what else was I to do? There was no-one to go with and I worked weekends.
Needless to say I started improving and in just a couple of months I was comfortable climbing V4+ and even the odd V5, then I hit a wall. I couldn't get over it. The strength required was beyond me. I bought a finger board and mounted it above my bedroom door ( a botch job but my parents didn't know this) I used this 2 times a day and slowly started to increase in ability it wasn't just my strength, it was the continuous climbing drastically improved my technique.
When I left to go on my mission in May 2007 I was comfortable climbing V6 and was even eyeing up a few V7s but this is about the end of my story. For 2 years I wasn't allowed to climb. I came home to no car; my parents had moved and so I had no climbing wall and I started university in a town were the only wall was in the uni gym. I was stuffed. My dreams of climbing didn't fade. Last April I found a new wall opening; I went by and had a clamber about. I hated it. I was so bad. Struggling over V3s and just not feeling like a climber anymore.
This is until the last few weeks... I have been itching again and finally V gave me permission to go on a lunch time climb. It felt great. Ok still struggling with V3s but the last couple of times my strength is returning and my technique is coming in bounds and leaps. You may recall my rival from when I climbed with V. Well I went on Tuesday and I'm pleased to announce that I got a lot further along the route than before. I haven't completed it yet but I'm determined. I have also worked out the grading system as well so this problem is as I guessed about a V4-V5 so let keep fingers crossed I'll be up it in no-time. As well as climbing outside! I miss the feel of real rock!
If you're still with me you now know about my love of climbing and the problems it poses in my life... ha-ha you try focus on work when you want to be up a rock somewhere!
This is counting rocks signing out!
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