Changing Times - Charlie

It was John Lennon who said "Life's that thing that happens to you whilst you're making other plans". An aphorism indeed. In early February the bottom fell out of mine and Gilly's world and climbing stopped altogether.

Its been an intensely painful few months of late, but climbing is now back on the agenda with a bang.

In spite of not climbing inside or outside at all, i had been messing about with a finger board and keeping the muscles ticking over.

In April i had a stolen day out at Swanage dodging the torrential showers with Dave Pickford & Gav Symmonds. We all ticked the classic 8a Solid State Logic which undercuts its way under a 30 foot horizontal roof. Good times indeed and great to be out on the rock again with friends.

Since then i have had a few trips down to Anstey's Cove. Reclimbing the classics and trying something harder. No cigar yet but hopefully its in the post.

Gilly and i are now on a 3 week trip to France in the van. We're at Orpierre and have been in full onsight mode. Gilly is climbing exceptionally well considering she gave birth just over 3 months ago. I have onsighted some astonishingly good routes such as Meme Pas Mal 7c, Reste Avec Moi 7c, and Trop Pure 7c+.

Some of the routes here are pretty long and the 80m Sterling Nano has come into its own. Trop Pure is 40m long with the crux at the top and the rope weight was hardly noticeable.

Gav on Solid State Logic 8a

Dave on Solid State Logic 8a