My post last week got my 'big fish, small pond' brain going and I thought I'd make a list of things I might have the FFA (First Female Ascent) on, around Wicklow and Dublin.
Glendalough:
Nu Rails
Rhythm & Stealth
The Groove SS
White Stick
Tim's Mantle
Pokery
Beachball
Glendalough (maybe but I doubt it)
Chillax
Chillax Left
Mall Hill
Living the Dream
Cloghogue
Robots
The Scalp
Dark Angle
The Scalp (maybe but I doubt it)
Gully's Problem
Gen Tilly
Aytons Cave
Loco Total
Man Eater
Solstice
Afterthought
I care. It's a mark I've worked pretty hard for. I'd really be interested to hear if there's girls about who've done any of the problems Ive listed prior to my ascents. For instance, I imagine Chillax went waaaaaaay before I did it and there are a few others in there that I think might be a little hopeful...
I might find some time tomorrow to add dates to these ascents...
Friday, June 19, 2015
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Who's line is it anyway?
closed projects - it really comes down to opinion - and here's mine;
As a boulderer, I'd really love to climb a first ascent. Not just some rubbish 'for the sake of it' problem, but something really great. If I ever got the chance, I'd want the reaction to be...
How did she ever find it? How long did it take to work out that sequence, and Isn't this a brilliant piece of rock (ideally I'd send a beautiful overhang or an amazing arête)
I have a full time job and so my weekends are not spent trudging through the unexplored Wicklow countryside. My weekends are spent in popular and documented bouldering areas. I have not got the time or the energy to seek out new life and new civilisations and to boldly go where no one has gone before.... My weekday evenings are mostly spent either at The Wall training or at home resting.
It is this lack of time and energy that makes me very greatful for the likes of Dave Flanagan, Michael Duffy, Ricky Bell, Pierre Fuentes, Barry O Dwyer, Al Sarahan to name A FEW!!! They discover and I hopefully follow.
I think I've had quite a few of the first female ascents, or maybe first Irish Female Ascents (where do you stop when narrowing it down) of the boulders around Wicklow.
I love the idea that I might be the first girl to climb problems like Rhythm and Stealth, The Groove SS, Robots, Living the Dream, The Nu Rails and everything in Aytons Cave that I've done so far (aside from Caroline's traverse for obvious reasons!!!!)
The point is that the idea of an FA really is important to me. And no I don't have a problem narrowing my field to produce my own breed of FA. First girl... Happy days!!!!
That is my opinion.
The problem starts when you pour your effort into something and it gets sent by someone stronger than you who doesn't share that opinion.
It's a bit of rock - it's out there and should someone want to climb it, you can't put tape around the Boulder and deny access.
So what do I think?
I think I really like Ricky Bells blog about his ascent of the Gentlemens Agreement. That post really sums it up for me. And I ended up really liking the whole story around the name of the Boulder and Ricky's acknowledgment that the race was on!!! The story makes his FA really special.
So in my opinion:
If it means something to the person working it, then hands off til you've asked, or come to an agreement!!!
As a boulderer, I'd really love to climb a first ascent. Not just some rubbish 'for the sake of it' problem, but something really great. If I ever got the chance, I'd want the reaction to be...
How did she ever find it? How long did it take to work out that sequence, and Isn't this a brilliant piece of rock (ideally I'd send a beautiful overhang or an amazing arête)
I have a full time job and so my weekends are not spent trudging through the unexplored Wicklow countryside. My weekends are spent in popular and documented bouldering areas. I have not got the time or the energy to seek out new life and new civilisations and to boldly go where no one has gone before.... My weekday evenings are mostly spent either at The Wall training or at home resting.
It is this lack of time and energy that makes me very greatful for the likes of Dave Flanagan, Michael Duffy, Ricky Bell, Pierre Fuentes, Barry O Dwyer, Al Sarahan to name A FEW!!! They discover and I hopefully follow.
I think I've had quite a few of the first female ascents, or maybe first Irish Female Ascents (where do you stop when narrowing it down) of the boulders around Wicklow.
I love the idea that I might be the first girl to climb problems like Rhythm and Stealth, The Groove SS, Robots, Living the Dream, The Nu Rails and everything in Aytons Cave that I've done so far (aside from Caroline's traverse for obvious reasons!!!!)
The point is that the idea of an FA really is important to me. And no I don't have a problem narrowing my field to produce my own breed of FA. First girl... Happy days!!!!
That is my opinion.
The problem starts when you pour your effort into something and it gets sent by someone stronger than you who doesn't share that opinion.
It's a bit of rock - it's out there and should someone want to climb it, you can't put tape around the Boulder and deny access.
So what do I think?
I think I really like Ricky Bells blog about his ascent of the Gentlemens Agreement. That post really sums it up for me. And I ended up really liking the whole story around the name of the Boulder and Ricky's acknowledgment that the race was on!!! The story makes his FA really special.
So in my opinion:
If it means something to the person working it, then hands off til you've asked, or come to an agreement!!!
Friday, June 12, 2015
Rocklands - 1.5 weeks
From Daniel Woods' InstagramAccount.
Daniel Woods, Dave Mason and the who's who of the bouldering super strong have been posting photos of Rocklands SA over the past while. I've been so excited to watch their videos and see their posts because in a week and half I will travel to Capetown, drive 2.5 hours north and (I think) be one of the first from Ireland to Boulder in South Africa's Rocklands.
I am so excited that I've started packing already.
My posts will not contain 8A onsights or new hard FAs, but I look forward to posting about the trip - and I promise one thing for sure...
I'll be trying my very best on every last block I get to.
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