The Devil Box

...is the name a climbing friend and former work colleague gives television. He's on a programme tonight about "most tight-fisted" people in the uk. He's certainly the only phd chemist that I know with a decent job that lives in a small van :¬)
Way to go Trampy!

programme listing

For those with a twisted sense of humour...

I saw this film years ago on TV and nearly wet myself watching it- I hope it makes you laugh as much :¬)
(it's in German, but honestly- it needs no translation)

My 1st video post?

Let's try this thing..... Climbing at Harrisons Rocks last month when down South for Mark J's 30th birthday. An absolute classic route- brilliant varied climbing packed into a single short pitch. I have soloed this route in my youth: when I was unaware of my mortality- these days I use a rope :¬)

Holiday in the South West

Late organisation didn't hamper what's been a great little holiday for me. 1st the weekend in Portland sport-climbing with the cracking Spanish crew: Ricard, David and his girlfriend Olga- great fun to be around. can't wait to get out with the gang again :¬)
My main objective was to lead Buoys will be Buoys- and I flashed it! So everything else was a bonus really.

Portland, Dorset, David leads Buoys will be Buoys 6b+

Flashing Buoys will be Buoys 6b+

No man is an Island 6c

Olga on I Dream of white Porsches

Portland, end of the days climbing, looking toward Cornwall

And on to Cornwall with Mark. Climbing was at a relaxed pace, with emphasis on quality rather than quantity. I reveled in the new area, being my 1st time in Cornwall, enjoying some of the best climbing I've ever done in the most magnificent positions- thanks to Mark & Rachel (congratulations on your engagement :¬), Bruce and family (especially to Beth ;¬), and of course to Ali and Phil- I look forward to climbing again with you guys soon.

Old Cornish Tin mine- typical of the area

Camping outside the Counthouse, Bosigran.

Rock pools at the base of Saskia HVS 5a

Belaying Bruce on Saskia, if Bruce falls off: we're both going swimming....

Mark ropes up to lead Madonna of the waves E2 5c

Belaying Mark on Madonna of the waves

Climbing over, it's time to chill out on the beach. And yes; this is still in the UK- about 5 mins walk from where we were climbing- I haven't just stuck a photo from Greece in or something. Though I wish the water temperature were just a little bit warmer....

Bruces daughter- the irrepressible Beth (Surf babe ;¬)

My other office

I've just started a gardening job for one our hoof trimming clients (yes that's my 3rd job now). She's a rather great boss, and I look forward to working for her in what is a rather spectacular location . The peace, quiet and solitude of the environment is the perfect compliment to my otherwise hectic and social life. Thank you L. for taking me on :¬)

http://www.trevorhall.com/

to be continued.......

Today Lee picked up his new mobile ozone hole generator. As an environmentalist I should detest this car. Looked at positively though, at least it's effect on the environment will do it's part to help you tan better. But I don't detest it, far from it, for fortunately I'm also a carfreak, and as such, more than 400bhp and a V8 engine that'll rev to 8500 rpm sounds like heaven. One down side though- it has to go 2000km at no more than 6000 rpm to run the engine in. What could be more frustrating than getting a really fast brand new car and having to drive it really slowly - that's like putting a plate full of delicious chips in front of a starving man and telling him he can only have two!!!
Anyway, here's some car porn:

The proud owner, demonstrating his car's versatility; not only is it as quick as a Ferrari,
but you can stick 4 peaople & piles of climbing gear in and still go fast!! :¬)

The front grill is reminiscent of the auto union race cars of the 1930s (badge will look familiar)- Porsche developed cars (just as the original 1994 Audi RS2 was ). In fact Lee's new car pays homage to the original RS2- being blue, and an estate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Union

http://www.audilinks.co.uk/info/rs2_1.asp

To be continued; after the run-in period is finished......

eight and a half thousand RPM.......mmmmmm

Photos from this week

Great Clouds today

Obligatory climbing shot of Lee on a 7b at Pinfold crag today

Day Lilly

Peacock close-up

And finally a Peacock butterfly

Climbing last night, links today

The heat here (more than 35 degrees) has driven us into "the pit" as Lee calls Devil's Gorge. Down there it is cold and dank; not normally attractive- but will do nicely in these conditions.
Sadly the crag is not blessed with many solid or good routes- about two in fact, both of which Lee and Paul have completed, so Lee spent an hour and a half in the heat cleaning and re-bolting a route which turned out to be "an unclimable chossy death trap".

This has so put the boys off the pit, that they're actually contemplating, sharp intake of breath, "an evening on easy climbs tomorrow".

Lee on "the worst route I've been on all year"

I on the other hand had a fantastic climb, and after some perseverance, made all the moves on a steep 7b (one of the two good ones)- definitely the hardest combination of steep and technical climbing that I've ever accomplished. To say I'm chuffed is a bit of an understatement really :¬)

Below are two links sent to me by Blair- 1st is intriguing, and the other is very funny- Thanks Blair.

http://www.derelictlondon.com/derelict_london_com.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_6efOxaF88

Chernobyl: best health spa in Europe?

I just saw a stunning BBC documentary about the effects on humans of radiation exposure. Time to re-think our old ideas: low levels of radiation appear to be good for you! Don't believe me, listen to the scientists: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5173310.stm During the programme they showed a map of cancer hotspots in the US, and a map of almost exactly the opposite balance of high background radioactivity- a clear suggestion being that the radioactivity had the effect of reducing the incidence of cancer. Totally stunning stuff. Add that to an increasing number of environmentalists calling for nuclear power, and I'm convinced.

We’re all doomed, so to hell with wind farms

Off to a Greenpeace rally via the bottle bank in your eco-car, converted to run on organic carrot juice? Don’t bother. Instead, go for a burn-up in a Ferrari, crank up the heating and wait for the end of the world. This seems to be the message of James Lovelock, celebrated scientist and creator of the Gaia theory that taught us to think of the planet as a living organism. He declares it is too late to save civilisation as we know it, so save yourself. Find a mountain, perhaps on the island of Cornwall, before the floods arrive — London, he tells me, could be under the North Sea within 50 years.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-2024911_1,00.html

And to balance the debate a little:

http://www.warmwell.com/06mar12zaclovelock.html

The Spaniard

Today I was very happy to climb with The Spaniard.

I met him in the shop in the spring, and then again later at the climbing wall in Liverpool. We hit it off right away (his brother too). Since then it's been rather difficult to hook up, events have conspired against us, but things have just taken a turn for the better; with him getting a new job in Chester: at last we'll be able to get together to climb a bit more. So this was a day of touring the area; we got a couple of good routes in at Craig Arthur before the sun got too hot, and a visit to Devil's Gorge (piccie below), finishing with a bit of hard top-roping on Maeshafn crag; Calculus, Mathematical Workout and Alex's Crack.

Checking out Devil's Gorge

Thanks to the Spaniard for a really excellent day.

Another day in the office..

It's taken me a while, but at last, it's time to share the world of barefoot trimming with you... If you can't work out the appeal from the photo above, then there's something wrong with you, and you need help!

To those familiar with weather in the UK, you'll be wondering what country these shots were taken in: actually; North Wales today :¬)



Here I'm busy de-shoeing a horse- a new barefooter is born! "I'm freeeee!" I do normally wear a shirt: but it was just too nice out not to take advantage and burn my fair skin.



And finally; best place for a horse shoe: anywhere but nailed to a hoof!

More climbing...

Tuesday night:

A rare action shot: Lee get's in position with camera as friend Mark approaches the crux of a Craig Arthur climb (that I'm sure John will help me with the name of), tricky move this, will he / won't he......

Ooops, time to do Superman impressions!

Devil's Gorge

Me climbing at Devil's Gorge, 5 mins drive from my house, 5 mins walk from my parent's. It's a very steep quarried wall. The photos are a bit small on the slide show, but you can expand them...

Davenham Ball

I'm a bit surprised to find that I've reached 32 years old, and until Saturday night, had never worn a dinner suit. I'm much more a shorts and sandals person, so maybe I shouldn't be that surprised. Anyway, proof that I can scrub up, at least a little:

Still able to make intelligent conversation

Still able to stand

Out of shot, sleeping in a field: Thank you guys for inviting me, and then ensuring the last 3 hours or so that I don't remember were safe, and ended with me tucked in bed in your lovely new house.
I had a ball.
Love ya both :¬)


Go Doug! I'm looking Soooo dynamic there (did feel like James Bond)
Honestly: I'll do stupid poses like that before I'm even drunk, so don't judge me....

The usual suspects

Great weekend- caught up with my brother and family at my parents house Saturday night (missed the bike ride earlier due to work :¬( Friends of my brothers were over too on a mass biking expedition. Not everyone's bikes made it round the trails intact.....

(on the balcony I helped construct at my folks, my brother Erik is bottom right- Hello Erik!)

A good boozy social night was enjoyed by all, terminating in watching a cool Japanese chop 'em up called Zatoichi- great fun.

Rather than kip the night in a stuffy room, I went for the open-air option, and slept on the lawn in the back garden under the stars. Really refreshing- woke up well rested with no hangover, despite my usual mass consumption of booze..

Sunday saw me teaming back up with Lee, I would've gone biking with my brother, but I've done so little climbing in the last couple of weeks, I felt that was my priority.
Good decision.

That looks hot to me, does it look hot to you? About 30 degrees today with really high humidity, thunderstorms about 10 miles away.

I worked "These Foolish things"- climbing it almost on-sight; so chuffed, as that is THE hardest thing that I've tried to climb- 7a+!!! My fitness let me down 3m from the top of the 30m climb: my right hand had nothing left at all (couldn't have held a spoon, let alone my body weight), so I'll be back to keep trying until I get the power I need :¬)

Rare shots of me, on These Foolish Things

Lee on California Highway Patrol

I headed back for a siesta (night before had finally caught up :¬),

and then teamed back up with Lee for an hour long blast up the local hill Moel Famau on the mountain bikes- feeling great!

Now it's time to kick back with a nice glass of white, and maybe watch my gran's new DVD: Dogville. :¬)