The day before Cloghogue...

So the day before we went to Cloghogue, we hit Glendalough for a run around the projects we all have!

Started on Big Jim to warm up and all bitched about the clouds in the sky after what had been a sunshiney week of sitting in our respective offices (metaphorical offices for some) wishing we could be climbing!

As the day went on the weather got better though, so we couldn't stay bitter!

After warming up we went to Andy's Arete (7a+)... I was working it with Neal and Naomi and I just had a feeling that Naomi would crush the stand start (6c) that I've been projecting for far too long at this stage...

In her first 2 or 3 attempts she placed her foot more perfectly than I ever had before, very impressive... SUCH a frustrating problem for me!! However it's not just me, every climber I've been to Andy's Arete with says 'I swore I'd never come back here after I sent this years ago!'

Neal was no exception!!

We moved on to Rhythm and Stealth (7a) and after a few attempts at that, Neal worked out a new little sequence that resulted in me holding the side pull compression move for a second longer than I have been holding it in the past...

Instead of moving his feet up high to the rail, he kept them low and caught the arete, then keeping his feet on two low foot holds and compressing them together he switched his right hand from the jug to the side pull and moved his feet up...

It's cool when you get to boulder with someone new and suddenly the moves on the problems you thought you had wired, come in a different sequence...

I can't say as yet whether his sequence is right for me in the bigger picture of Rhythm and Stealth as a line, but it certainly opened my eyes to what's possible...

On to Pokery (6c) and I was just too close to it! I'm gutted! It's the most realistic project I have on the go at the moment and I just didn't have enough in the tank to finish it -

Neal took a few attempts at the opening throw/move to the crimp around the arete, but once caught he danced his way up it...

Naomi was psyched for Chillax (6c), so up we went and the opening move I spent session after session practicing came easy to her, but the heel hook on the slopers caused difficulty...

My stupid long legs get in my way on Andy's Arete (while Naomi had it wired from the word go) but are a God-send on Chillax. In the end, Naomi had a heel toe heel sequence to place the final heel hook and looked solid - it won't be long before that problem is sent!

Myself and Neal skipped Chillax and I was psyched to try Pokery one more time with the break I'd just had - I was totally out of umph though and had one good go at it but the rest of the attempts told me it was time to call it a day...

So we went to 'The Goat' (7a)

Had fun trying the moves, but as described above, I was wasted tired and so an hour after I realised I was done... I was done!

Cool day's bouldering as Glendalough always provides!

Thanks to Naomi for the pics!