Ach!

After a very busy week at work, I took advantage of today's sun and went up to the pass. Partnerless, I went bouldering. Considering my history with this particular sport, it probably wasn't the best idea. In fact, I would have preferred soloing on the sopping cliffs that greeted me as I drove through Nantperis.
I had a go on the only dry-ish problem on the Utopia boulder, this being my old nemesis: Utopia Lefthand. For some reason this niggling problem has always got the better of me, and today was no exception. Grimy rock and damp air just added to my frustrations.

My mind drifted back to last weeks success, as my mossy, greased up fingers slipped off the deadpoint move for the nth time. I was in the quarry -as usual- and Ian sent me up some routes on the Never Never Land slab. A magnificent piece of wall I'd never had the pleasure of climbing on until that day. Had an onsight attempt of Scheherazade, a route I'd been wanting to do for a while. Thanks to the dire topo in the guidebook, I got sent up the wrong direction and ended up peeling off, about a metre right of the low crux move. Trying not to become too disillusioned, I set up an easy route directly to the left of us called "362", a pleasant F5+ with large sloping ledges on solid rock. Threaded the rope through Scheherezade's lower off and had a quick top rope. Got it in one so had a go on the lead. Popped off the easier moves on the first go, but got it on the second try. Well chuffed! It was nice to get back on to 6b moves and technical rockovers. Shame about the jelly leg that reared its ugly head as I was doing a 5a move (whats that all about?!). Then I went up to have a go on Watch Me Wallaby Wank Frank, another route thats been on my radar for years. Given an E4 6a grade, I was quite confident I could onsight it, despite not having tried onsighting any trad of this grade for a while. Started up it, with very easy climbing. The supposed crux is passing the first bolt, so as I passed the first and second bolts with ease, I wondered when the crux might show up. The same with the climbing after the third bolt: "Either finish direct up to the left (precarious) or follow the arete (easier)". The climbing on both parts looked straightforward, so to challenge myself, I went up the 'hard' bit. It's not often one would go up the harder bit on an E4 and I took myself by surprise! But by the end, I was wondering how the grade has stood over the years. E2/3 5b/c. Good climbing but a bit of a letdown. Still, another E4 onsight under my belt and an E7 tick from the previous month. Progression, onwards and upwards from here, I thought to myself.

Which brings me back to earlier on today. More specifically, me trudging down from Wavelength after managing to do absolutely no moves on King of Drunks. Absolutely gopping it was, with every drop of water coming from the holds and dropping down my neck quickly destroying any sanity or self control I had left. Ended up having an Ondra and throwing my shit all over the place. Sadly this embarrasing fit of rage didn't make me climb like him. I'm trying to convince myself I was only having a very rare bad day, and that the conditions were bad and this was my first bouldering outing of the year etc etc. Not taking any of my bullshit excuses. I've got to get better and stop pussyfooting around.
But I can't put into words how much I hate and despise bouldering. Mundane, short and stupid. It's not like a 15-20-30+ metre route, where you can get immersed into the climbing, and get into that state of mind that really drew me into climbing. Bouldering is just annoying, and something to do when I'm climbing steep 8a onwards. And luckily, at the rate I'm going, it won't be for some time.

So two contrasting days out, two contrasting disciplines, two very different results and plenty to mull over. One important question I have to ask myself is "What the hell am I going to do tomorrow, without a partner?". I'll go bouldering. But I won't enjoy it. Ach!