Just Right!

James on Blind Stick (6c)

Feel a bit like Goldilocks these days... The weather in Wicklow has to be cold to boulder... but not too cold, breezy but not too windy...

Today was just right, and it was great.

Definitely cold and breezy but nothing like a couple of weeks ago when I nearly keeled over from what I'm sure was a dose of hypothermia!! ;)

As Shane and I drove towards the carpark we picked up Juan and Duggy who were ambling along about 20 minutes walk away from the start of the walk in!!

We jammed them in the back seat and stuffed their boulder pads in on top of them.

Warming up in The Ruins area, we easily sent the aretes and quickly moved on to Big Jane across the river.

Juan topping out in the Ruins

Shane was psyched to try 'The Groove'. I had flashed the stand start a couple of weeks ago and should have listened to the good advice James once gave me...

If you flash a problem, never go back to it!

I couldn't do the first move.

After a few attempts, I remembered James' advice and went to try Andy's Arete (7a+)

Shane gradually pieced together the stand start to The Groove (6c?) and send it. It's definitely a striking line, and though I'd love to eventually try the sit start (7c), the moves look desperate.

We were joined on the Big Jane boulder by Duggy, Juan, Tim, Ricky, Shane, James and Joe. Chris dropped over for a while but soon set off to try some other problems leaving the rest of us projecting the Arete, but as the wind picked up it got very cold and it made us not want to be there anymore!

We headed back over the river and things were far calmer indeed. James, Joe, Shane and I headed up to Chuppa Chop. I'd never been on it before (except once when I started bouldering and Sean wanted to see if I could step onto the first move... I could but was too afraid to go any further)

With all the pads and the guys spotting, the line seemed far from intimidating today and I loved it. Joe came agonisingly close to sending it... As in, he was at the top, reaching for the last hold and his foot slipped. It should have been his.

Shane O Donovan sent it and gave out about how off balance and weird the moves were as he made them!! Very funny.

He then moved on to the arete beside it (6b+) and made the moves look so cool we all had to have a go!

James on the climb beside Chuppa Chop - noted in the guide as Problem 2 (6b+)

Shane had worked out the sequence and so it was a little easier for the rest of us and I nearly flashed it... was a bit gutted not to have hit the slap to the big hold on the arete, but made the hard moves next go before dabbing the spotter and then the block beside me as I topped out.

Not to worry...

Shane on Blind Stick (6c)

We all rocked over to Blind Stick (6c) and Ricky sent it first, I have the thing wired and though I nearly got it today on my first go, it was about 5 or 6 attempts later that I hit the top of the block, as my feet exploded off the wall and I quickly matched hands and swung about the place. James pointed out foot holds as I tried to reestablish calm and I mantled the thing out.

Tom followed and admitted after to feeling a bit competitive about wanting to send the thing after seeing me do it!!

The lads left me and Tom at the top of the block for a while, slagging us that they were off to lunch and would be back later... One needs a pad to get down from it, and when the guys finally put a mat on the ground for us, I was quite nervous jumping off... but again, the lads (gentleman as they are!) spotted me as I fell from the boulder onto the mat below!

Shane O Donovan topping out on Black Art (6c)

We moved on to Black Art (6c) and James and Joe headed off home. It was really exposed up there and the wind made it feel very cold. Shane and Ricky both had big pad dab sends of the line before Shane Mitchell got on it and made it look easy. His powerful style of climbing, well suited to the line.

Getting down from Black Art is a work out in itself and Shane O Donovan was quick to figure out that if he launched his pad down to the path he wouldn't have to carry it as he scrambled down through the scree. I ambled down the way as I always do, but slow and steady is always good in those sort of ankle turning situations.

We ended up down by the path again and I wanted a quick go on Superstars of BMX (7a+). I knew I probably didn't have enough in the tank for it, but that wasn't the point. I just wanted a few attempts to remind my muscles what they were to do.

Progress was made though and I stood up on the opening foot to hand move as my body scrunched into the contorted position it needs to hit before unfurling itself while always remaining tensed to stand up. The progress was made on my final go and my sides were in bits afterwards.

That's what it's going to take though!

Amazing day's bouldering in perfect conditions. Shane and I agreed on the drive home that it would be cool to head somewhere different next time though!