Success at Ayton's Cave!!

It lashed rain as I ran through town with my boulder pad on my back towards Pearse Street Dart Station. I had left work 4.30pm and was racing out to Ayton's Cave in Howth for an evening bouldering session.

I managed to get to the dart station in just half an hour, I was delighted!

Drenched, I sent texts to Chris and Tim o see if they were still heading out and keeping the faith!

Everyone was keen and I told them I was at the Dart station and ready to get on the train...

Unfortunately Dublin's public transport system was hell bent on destroying my evening and made me wait a further half hour before any train turned up... it then took a half an hour or so to get out to Sutton Dart Station...

SO ANGRY!!

The universe must have taken pity on me though, because on my way I got a call from Simon who was headed out to the cave but had no idea where it was...

He offered to pick me up from Sutton if I could show him how to get to the cave -

DEAL!

We parked the car at the Martello Tower (Simon's car has 'Back to the Future' doors on it!) and set off for the cave. Such was my utter frustration at being delayed for so long on the Dart, I speed-walked my way there, breaking into a jog at some points and by the time I arrived at the cave I was in much better form!

Simon and I met Chris, James, Kev and John there and as we looked back on rainy dublin and the Wicklow mountains, the skies were blue above us.

The evening was brilliant craic! As I put my shoes on, I watched John move through 'Man Eater' (7b) - I hadn't paid a huge amount of attention to the guys when they were working it last Saturday - but watching John and Chris work the moves last night - it looks like another cool problem and I can't wait to get started on it after I finish my other projects there.

It took only 4 attempts on Caroline's Traverse (6b) to finish it. Two of those attempts were just working the end, so I was pretty chuffed with that.

I believe my success on it had something to do with the motivation that sprung from the arrival of Tim who hadn't climbed outdoors in a very long time, but put the traverse away on his first go with little or no idea of the sequence...

Time to send, I thought!! and I did!

Played around on parts of Loco Total (7a) and the start is definitely the hardest part for me at the moment, though once I have those moves nailed (they feel really awkward for me) and am working the full sequence, there are harder moves and when I'm pumped they may shut me down!

Kev and Tim came really close to finishing it - but it's a really long problem and the final moves were too much of an ask.

I managed to put the problem together in 3 over lapping sections and was really chuffed to nail down a tricky little drop move with my right hand onto a juggy side pull.

The move in the middle of Loco Total, that see's you torque around to catch a left hand hold before cutting loose and turning 180 degrees to re establish your right foot in a toe hook is the best and coolest move I've done on an outdoor bouldering problem.

So much fun.

As the tide came in we climbed up out of the cave and set off back to the cars, at what felt like about 8pm.

Chris drove me home and when he turned on the car engine and the time came up, we realised it was 9.30pm!!

Time flies when you're having fun!

Brilliant evening!