anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: October 2011
http://anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html
Tuesday, 18 October 2011. Choss Monkeys and Champions. The MC’s excited commentary made it hard to get psyched for a trad climb up the steep and notoriously unstable walls of the quarry. Neither did the cheers of the crowd spur me on, even though a good few dozen people seemed to have gathered to watch the climbing. I ought to have felt virtuous for being on rock when others were pulling on plastic, especially on a marginal weather day. Instead it just felt bizarre. I cursed trad climbing, making one of ...
anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: May 2011
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Monday, 30 May 2011. Oh, Marlene, Marlene! Or is it Marlina? It’s never a good idea to cry out for another woman in your sleep, but that’s probably what I’ve been doing because I’m obsessed. Not that my other half is likely to worry – she knows were my guilty pleasures lie. Happily, the rock was as dry as we’d hoped. Astonishingly, not a single hold was damp on the 50 feet of climbing to the chain, and despite regular showers throughout the day, Kris and I set about besieging her. Unfortunately, the seco...
anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: Choss Monkeys and Champions
http://anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com/2011/10/choss-monkeys-and-champions.html
Tuesday, 18 October 2011. Choss Monkeys and Champions. The MC’s excited commentary made it hard to get psyched for a trad climb up the steep and notoriously unstable walls of the quarry. Neither did the cheers of the crowd spur me on, even though a good few dozen people seemed to have gathered to watch the climbing. I ought to have felt virtuous for being on rock when others were pulling on plastic, especially on a marginal weather day. Instead it just felt bizarre. I cursed trad climbing, making one of ...
anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: November 2011
http://anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html
Tuesday, 15 November 2011. Rummaging around in my parent’s garage the other day, I stumbled upon a treasuretrove of memories. A dusty bag full of books yielded the guide I used to hitch around Baja and the map of Fontainbleau I bought on my first trip to the forest. They are little more than a decade old but seemed like relics of a distant past. While he waited patiently in the pub, we three went off on an adventure up Inaccessible Gully. It was a short walk but whoever carried the rope - Baz I think...
anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: April 2011
http://anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html
Monday, 18 April 2011. Inspiration can come from strange places and wears a variety of guises. On Saturday, it turned up at Auchinstarry Quarry half cut and wearing a tracksuit to give me a much needed kick up the arse. I’d just lost my Scottish rock virginity, but as is often the case, my performance had been nothing to write home about. Auchinstarry has to be one of the least impressive places I’ve climbed, and after my first route I moped around wondering what to do next. I say layback, but seeing as ...
anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: July 2011
http://anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com/2011_07_01_archive.html
Thursday, 28 July 2011. It’s funny how proper preparation for climbing can make you taller. I don’t mean doing a lot of stretching, although that might help too. But the other day I had a banana and some cold coffee before heading out for an evenings bouldering, and then did a full warm up, and suddenly I’d gained an inch. I realised that either my legs or my arms had grown when trying a problem I’d almost given up on because I couldn’t make a reach. Suddenly it seemed within range. Anyway, it turned out...
anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: September 2011
http://anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com/2011_09_01_archive.html
Tuesday, 13 September 2011. I went climbing the other day and I loved it. Beautiful place, inspiring lines, great bunch of people. I’ll even tell you a little about it later, but first, I’m going to have a moan, as usual. Why oh why do Edinburgh climbers never talk about Fastcastle? So there you are, don’t just make pancakes once a year. They’re cheap, they’re easy and they taste good. I like mine with some fried banana, tossed in the same pan with brown sugar, butter and cinnam...Posted by Dominic Jeff.
anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: New year, same ambitions
http://anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-year-same-ambitions.html
Monday, 2 January 2012. New year, same ambitions. The year that life got in the way. That’s how I’ll be remembering 2011, in climbing terms at least. (Other terms are available, I’m told, but I’m not sure I like them.). They are: Dove Holes, a great little bouldering spot in Northumberland; climbing Five Finger Exercise and Fern Hill one after the other at Cratcliffe; the Tissington Spires in Dovedale; Fun and Frolics at London Bridge in Torbay; and Fastcastle near Edinburgh. Arran: Vanishing Point E4 6a.
anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: First Steps
http://anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com/2011/11/rummaging-around-in-my-parents-garage.html
Tuesday, 15 November 2011. Rummaging around in my parent’s garage the other day, I stumbled upon a treasuretrove of memories. A dusty bag full of books yielded the guide I used to hitch around Baja and the map of Fontainbleau I bought on my first trip to the forest. They are little more than a decade old but seemed like relics of a distant past. While he waited patiently in the pub, we three went off on an adventure up Inaccessible Gully. It was a short walk but whoever carried the rope - Baz I think...
anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com
Anti-social Climber: March 2012
http://anti-socialclimber.blogspot.com/2012_03_01_archive.html
Monday, 26 March 2012. The pinky hook; that’s got to be the last desperate recourse of a trad scoundrel. It wasn’t quite comfortable enough, though, because I would’ve had to stay there about two days to make any sort of a meaningful recovery. I know this because my ascent of Rat Race at Dunkeld was yesterday and I’m still aching now as I write this. I emptied my rack into the route when I should have poured my heart in and the punishment was physical and immediate. I didn’t want to. Who would? Instead I...
