Wednesday 3 September 2008

Dave the birthday boy!

Friday 29th Aug 2008:

Sport sport sport.

As a treat to our long suffering climbing mate Dave P, we agreed to head out sport climbing on friday to Kirriemuir. For regulars of this blog, you will know how i feel about sport, so Dave was lucky to drag Ellis, Phil and me to a sport venue, but he has been good enough to indulge our addiction for all things trad this summer, so i suppose it was time to return the favour.

I got stuck in traffic on the forfar road junction of the kingsway, so it was well after 6 before i made an appearance. Before long, we were all climbing, getting used to the unique rock at kirrie. Phil and i were about to start our route when he nudged me and guided my view towards Ellis who has just begun the route to our left. Something looked wrong but i couldn't for the life of me figure it out.

Only when he reached the bolt and moved to find a quickdraw on his harness, did we realise. Phil had all of Ellis's quickdraws from the last climb, and Ellis took a second to realise what was wrong, much to Phil's amusement.

Pushing on, both ropes started to step up the grades, working through two overhanging routes, then Phil and I moved left to finish on a high note, attacking a 6a+ (the name escapes me) with a squirmy and delicate initial move to an interesting overhang.

Ellis and Dave moved out right, cracking both of the harder routes that take the diverging lines up the prominent arete on the right hand edge of the mound.

After that, it was off to the pub in Forfar for celebratory drinks for Dave P's birthday. All in all a brilliant night, and i'm not afraid to admit it, but it was great to get back onto a sport route again, just concentrating on technique rather than the whole trad game. Don't get me wrong though, i won't be getting rid of my beard and wooly jumper any time soon!!!

2 comments:

Dave P said...

You've no idea how grateful i was to the tradtastic three to indulge my silly sport fetish ... and thanks for my birthday treat to all who contributed. By the way Adam if you want to attract some lady clients change the pic on your blog profile, i like the luminous ears one taken by Ellis at Dunkeld

Adam said...

I'm working on some manly mountain action shots for my client media ;o)