Raining and Pouring and Moaning and Groaning...

I've been to Glendalough on days where conditions have been infinitely better than today's weather offering and haven't seen half the number of boulderers that were there today...

Blind optimism is the only thing that could have driven the 20 or so climbers towards the valley!!

We set off for Lough Bray - I couldn't wait to get on to 'Away from the Numbers' again - alas, as the sheets of rain fell, we sat for a few minutes in the car looking over at the Lough Bray boulders and conceded defeat...

None of us were in the mood for a boring Sunday sitting at home though so we decided to see what Glendalough had in store, as it often has a weather system all of it's own... one can never tell what the weather's going to do there!

Today however, it might have been pretty easy to guess!!

The rain fell in misty sheets and though it spared us our warm up problems (the usual) - by the time we got on to anything more difficult, it was a struggle for me to stay motivated as the rock went from damp to wet to dripping wet...

The rain was no match for Dec however - he laughed in the face of the sopping wet holds and sent 'F@*k All Left' (7a) 'Pokery' (6c) and had a fairly convincing attempt at the sit start to 'Pascals' (7b), before the foot holds became too wet and he slipped off...

Dec on The Cherry (7a)

The rampage through Glendalough didn't finish there for Dec though - We think he put up a new line about 5m back from the Jiggery Pokery boulder - it's a really nice problem starting off with a bomber left hand on the arete, and a searingly painful crimp for the right which got marginally bigger as bits flaked off it during our attempts...

Still sore though!

Heel hook with the left foot up by the opening left hold and throw for a generous crimp out right - it's all good from there and Dec reckoned it went at about 6a+

The new problem (6a+?)

I had a pretty lethargic attempts on all of the boulder problems - I spent most of the day moaning about the rain and my sore hands and finding little hovels to shelter in -

Claire on Pascals (6c)

We met Kev, Eamon and Jack later and made some good progress on 'The Cherry' (7a) - I was probably the most motivated on that problem - though it didn't take long for the rain to pick up and extinguish any enthusiasm I had!!

I look forward to getting back to 'The Cherry' sometime when it's not so wet!!

But for now, I think I'm done with Glendalough...

I've ticked what I wanted there this year (with the exception of Andy's Arete (7a+) and I've been told by reliable sources that I will just magically send that line when I least expect it!)

The prospect of heading to Lough Bray, or the Scalp, or Ayton's Cave or discovering new areas excites me more than heading to Glendalough...

Which is a surprising turn my mind has taken, seeing as 2 or 3 months ago I'd have done anything to get there every weekend - I think I need to leave it alone for a while and let absence make my heart grow fonder!