Day 285 - Jumping Frog

Freddy

I met this little chap when out mowing the verge today, and he was kind enough to pose for a short photo session.

He's a common frog (rara temporaria for the ecology geeks (cough...Anna...cough)), and he was hiding in the long, wet grass of the verge...he was fortunate not to be mowed down (literally), as I found him hopping around where I'd just passed through with the mower...

The grass was overdue being cut, and it had rained overnight, so it was quite heavy work...but I felt better for it, after a few days of inactivity. 

I had to stop when I saw Freddy here, of course, but I was eager to get on with it, so shooed him back into the safety of the ditch...




As long as he doesn't venture onto the road, he should be ok...and the verge is nicely mowed now, so that's a good job jobbed...

It won't last, of course, but still the physical activity was helpful (if not much fun).  

Climbing tomorrow, I think!

:-)

Day 282 - Video Diaries

snippets

The problem with taking lots of video when on holiday, is that you then have to do something with them when you get home...

In Font, we took over 70GB of stills and videos, but of course they mostly contain about 30 seconds of interest surrounded by a couple of minutes of nothing much...and they're all helpfully named 20140919-123745.mp4, or similar.

It seems to me that the only way of getting these hours of media into a form that is even remotely interesting to anyone else, you need to edit (and edit some more), and cut (and cut and cut even more), in order to reduce it to something palatable and digestible...preferably, there needs to be some sort of story...and humour...and action of course...ideally some sort of drama...and appropriate music. 

If this all sounds complicated...well, it is - it takes a great deal of time and fiddly effort to produce even a short video!

The first problem, when faced with masses of media like this, is to find an engaging story...to do this requires a solid familiarity with, and understanding of, the source material.

So I like to start the whole process by taking my raw video files and cutting them up into snippets with actual content, and naming them appropriately.

The folder in the screenshot above shows a series of such snippets, each representing a single little story...in most instances here, each video is a single climb of a single boulder, but there are some contextual shots too.

We obviously didn't take many contextual shots on this particular day, which is a shame - nobody wants to see climb after climb after climb, so shots of the forest, or local flora and fauna, are very helpful for adding variety and interest.

Fortunately I have at least one story to tell of our holiday in Fontainebleau, so that will keep me busy for a couple of days - and you for about 15 minutes, if you can stomach it.

Anyway, watch this space...

;-)

Day 268 - Bertie the Bat

lunchtime is crunch time

The batphone rang for Anna today, so of course she immediately donned cape, put her pants on the outside, and dashed off to collect little Bertie here from a local school.

He'd been stuck indoors over the weekend...they think he must have flown in through a door which had been left open late on Thursday evening...this morning he was found, tired and hungry, on the floor in the sports hall.

He's a Common Pipistrelle, and the school staff that rescued him named him Bertie.

Having found him to be quite lively and animated, and apparently none the worse for wear, Anna brought him home with a plan to release him this evening.

And so Anna ran through the usual checks...inspecting his right wing for any problems...there's no sign of damage here:

wing of bat

Similarly, all is looking good for his left wing too...

other wing of bat

...although he's not too happy about the inspection!

Concluding that all was well, it was time to feed him up for release...

dinner dinner dinner dinner...

Here's a long, unedited video of Bertie having a couple of mealworm for lunch.




His appetite was strong, as you can see, and he ate 5 or 6 of these on the trot!

As dusk approached, we headed back to the school where he was found, 15 miles away, hoping to release him around 10-20 minutes after sunset, which is the time that he would naturally be emerging for his regular evening's foraging.

When Anna took him out of his box to release him under the trees just near where he was found, he seemed oddly reluctant to go.

He was a little lethargic initially, and despite shivering strongly to warm up, he didn't look as though he would fly.  Anna put him under her arm (by which I mean, up her armpit!) for 5 minutes to see if it would help, before once more holding him up to the night to see if he'd make a break for it.

For a few moments we were concerned that we'd have to take him home with us, which would leave care issues to sort out for whilst we're away...then it seemed as though he was just going to fall back to sleep...



But happily, instead off dropping off to sleep, he dropped from Anna's out-stretched fingers, spread his wings (coincidentally, his own out-stretched fingers!), and disappeared immediately into the surrounding darkness, never to be seen again. 

Another successful rescue operation for International Bat Rescue!

Be safe, little Bertie, and try not to fly into any more buildings!

:-)

Day 254 - If 6 Was 9

one

A rainy Bank Holiday trip to the climbing gym provided the perfect opportunity to test our progress on the 20 Pull-up Challenge. 

The aforementioned progress isn't spectacular, I have to say...but it is definitely measurable. 

We're three weeks into a six week schedule that promises to enable us to do 20 pull-ups at the end...we've been very sceptical of this since the beginning, and our tests today only served to reinforce this scepticism. 

That said, neither of us are remotely bothered about being able to do 20 pull-ups...but we both want our shoulders to be in good shape for our forthcoming climbing holiday, so we're determined to stick with the programme regardless!

another one

You take a test before the start of the first week, and this dictates the schedule for the next three weeks.   Then you retake the test, and the final three weeks schedule is determined by your new score. 

Anna didn't actually take the initial test because she was away, but we guesstimated that she'd be in the 3-5 pull-ups range.  I scored 6 on the first test, which put me in the next category, 6-9.

So having diligently and painfully pushed ourselves through three weeks of rigorous training, today we did a few easy warm-up climbs, then went for the test, which is basically to do as many pull-ups as you can in one go.

Here are the results:




Anna scored a personal best of 7 pull-ups, which is great going!  I gained a 50% improvement from 6 to 9, which is also a personal best. 

(Question: If 6 was 9...how many would 11 be? A question that has long bugged me in the wee small hours...)

I can't imagine there's any way either of us are going to be anywhere near 20 in three weeks time...but if we can break into double figures we'll both be pleased, I'm sure...what with me getting older, and this being an exercise significantly more suited to men, any progress for either of us is hard-won!

The main thing is, if we can climb daily in Font without niggly shoulder issues, then it will have been worth the effort!

Bring it on!

B-)

Day 232 - Superman?!

nope, still not superman

I'm currently learning photography, Tai Chi, slacklining, skateboarding, and looping, together with following my Aged 50 Challenge Series, blogging daily, brushing up on my guitar playing, and being increasingly busy at work...so I have decided it's about time to add a new challenge to the programme! 

Whilst randomly browsing yesterday, I came across the Twenty Pull-ups Challenge.   

A pull-up is where you hang from a solid bar with straight arms (and critically, palms facing away from, not towards you) and feet off the floor, then pull your body upwards until your chin is above the bar, finally lowering back to straight arms again. 

Now I don't know whether you've ever tried pull-ups, but they're very hard.   Most men can only manage around 1-2 at best, and the vast majority of women can't do any.  I read a statistic once that said that the average number of pull-ups that a 20-25 year old woman in the US Military can do is...none!  It's all about shoulder strength, which gives men a distinct advantage...although its fair to say that many men can't do any either!  

A few years ago when I started doing weights, I also started trying to do pull-ups.  It took months of trying before I could get any upward momentum at all, and only then by starting with arms half bent already.

Over the 5 years or so since then, I've done them on and off, as they're clearly good for upper body strength...obviously this is very handy when climbing!

I think the most I've ever done is about seven, and it's only been in the last year or so that I've been able to do them with any sort of decent form, using full range of motion from straight arms to chin well above the bar (or head on ceiling, as it works out with the handy fingerboard I have mounted above a doorway at home).

To give some context on the subject of how hard it is to do 20 pull-ups, consider this:

The U.S Military tests it's Marines for fitness, and rates them in several categories.  For pull-ups, the highest achievable score is 20 or more. 

So the Twenty Pull-ups Challenge provides a 6-8 week schedule of exercise that aims to enable you to do twenty pull-ups by the end of the period - it's clearly a very challenging target!  

The first thing to do is to perform an initial test, which simply comprises doing as many pull-ups in one go as you can.   The number of pull-ups you can do dictates your schedule for the first three weeks of the challenge.  If you do less than three, then you have to do a full 8 week programme. 

Otherwise you do a six week programme, with the exact schedule depending on whether you did 3-5, 6-9 or 10+ on the test. 

Here's video evidence of my starting point:



So my score was six.  I might have done one or two more, but I knew I wasn't going to get to ten, and so lost motivation following the hard sixth pull-up!

Anna can do a few pull-ups (because she's awesome), so tomorrow we will start the six week programme, which will take us neatly up to our forthcoming trip to Fontainebleau. 

We just have to spend 15 minutes each Monday, Wednesday and Friday doing sets of pull-ups according to the schedule.

Hopefully it will lead to some good strength gains, and mean that our shoulders are in good shape for a weeks bouldering in La Foret de Fontainebleau!

I'll let you know how we progress...

B-)

Day 228b - Fun Times

We had a busy and adventurous weekend, as you will have seen from previous blogposts.

On both days we took quite a few videos, which I bunged up onto Youtube, and then had a play with the simple video editing facilities.   It's not a perfect system by a long stretch, but at least it's possible to rapidly edit a few clips into one, and put some backing music on it. 

The video above took literally 10 minutes to edit the four short clips together, add some music and a bit of video post-processing, to end up with a nice little memento of our 'boarding fun.   

The clip ends somewhat abruptly (there's no fade feature!), but for 10 minutes work, I'm really happy with it.



This next video took an hour or two, but turned out equally well.   With climbing video's it's imperative that you edit out all the pre-climb faffing about, and cut really tightly to the climbing.  And of the course the addition of text, some short clips, many more transitions and several music tracks all added to the editing time. 

But in both cases, the finished clips capture something of the essence of the days adventures.

Fun Times!

B-)

Day 224 - 'Board Now

challenge complete

Today, I grabbed another significant tick from my 50th year challenge list...skateboarding!

Here I am celebrating with my main man Jezz (who is just setting out on his own long list of 40th year challenges).   He helpfully brought some skateboards (long boards, apparently) round to our house, and we set off down the lane to have a go. 

These things are so much better than when I was a kid!

And they're great fun...

getting the hang of it

First off we learnt to simply cruise on the boards.  They're quite long, wide and stable, and we had little difficulty getting going on them.

graceful as ever

Anna managed to get about half a mile on her first go without touching the ground!

Jezz, of course, was completely comfortable from the off...

nice socks

Anna bravely headed into the steepest section without hesitation, although we reached speeds where we certainly did not want to fall off!

she' s outta here...

Jezz took it casually, of course - he still can't resist posing at every opportunity...

40 going on 14

...but then I couldn't help posing a little myself!

50 going on 15

Jezz showed me a couple of tricks so we spent some time messing about trying not to break our ankles!

mid-flip

I managed a bit of tricking too, which I was pleased about!

mid-flip

I was quite pleased to do fairly well on the skateboards...I put it down to Tai Chi!

I learnt a little Tai Chi a couple of years ago, and one thing that really stayed with me was the Tai Chi Walk.  I've practised it now and then ever since, and it's taught me huge amounts about balance and controlled weight transfer. 

The improvements in my balance I took with me into climbing, where it's really helped...and further, I've now brought it into skateboarding, and it's enabled me to quickly feel relaxed and comfortable on the board.

We also tried some wheelies...

grabbing some air

I just need to do it when in motion!

bendy board

At the end of all that we were surprisingly hot and sweaty...turned out it was mostly easiest to walk back up the hill, which didn't help!

job done

All in all, I really enjoyed it...it's definitely something I'm going to have a bit of a play with! 

I have some videos which I will post in a bonus entry at some point soon!

For tonight, I'm really pleased to tick off another of my challenges...

Super-psyched, in fact!

B-)

Day 164 - Hit It!

this came in a box

My quest to corner the world's cardboard supplies via a cunning strategy of buying everything on the internet continues unabated today.

Here for your delectation and delight is my latest new toy...no, scratch that - at this point I'm going to claim that this is not a toy, it's a real musical instrument...it's a Cajon, to be precise.

The Cajon is an ingenious device.  I will try to explain how it works, although it's complicated, so please bear with me - I'll try not to use too much technical jargon, ok?

Ok, in order to play the Cajon, you have to carefully adhere to the following two stage process...(note that bypassing either stage will lead to the process failing in its entirety):

Step 1 - get a box.
Step 2 - hit the box.

Did you follow that?  I know, it's confusing, let me tell you another way...oh no, there isn't another way - just get a box, and hit it.

I looked up the word cajon, as I was concerned with its similarity to the word cojones...

Turns out cajon means box...should've probably guessed that! 

Anyway, the Cajon can provide rhythmic accompaniment to any musical endeavour, used tastefully...a common approach is to simulate a drum kit, with a kick drum sound, a snare sound, and a high slap or crack for embellishment.

Here's a brief sample from my first attempts to do something musical with it this evening, to give you an idea... 

(Note that if you listen to it on a smartphone or iPad type device, it will sound tinny and rubbish, and you probably won't be able to discern the different sounds clearly...that's my excuse anyway!)




Did you spot Jazz voting with his feet?

Hmph...after he woke me up a couple of times in the night too! Lil' bugger...

I plan to use this with my looper to provide rhythmic, drum kit style backing to live loops, in my studio as a percussion instrument on other recordings, and as a mainstay of the cooperative musical evenings I'm still planning on arranging(!)

Also, I shall play it just for fun, because, you know...it's fun!

B-)

Day 159 - Looperland

no man band

Well, it seems I have to put Roob out of his misery, and reveal what was in the box...

Apparently waiting a little while for some trivial detail of someone else's life was too much for him, and he had to vent his frustrations in the comments of yesterdays post...I bet he'll be disappointed when he eventually finds out.

It reminds me of Se7en...(yes I know, that 7 really doesn't work, does it?  Except you know what I'm talking about, don't you, so maybe it does!).

"What's in the box?"

"Don't look in the box..."

"WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!"

"DON'T LOOK IN THE BOX!!!!"

Fortunately, it's nothing so horrific...although perhaps it's not that interesting either.  I think I've built it up too much, over-hyped it, and now the weight of expectation bears heavy on me...

I might have to just leave it another day...that'd be ok, would it Roob?   ;-)

Oh, ok well I'll tell you then...it's one of the bits of kit in the photo...

Happy now?!

Oh, you want more detail?  Ok, it's a Loop Station...a loop machine, if you like...but I suppose you're still none the wiser...it's the left most one of the two big flat things on the floor, the one with a glowing red 3...now you see why I was surprised at the size of the box it came in!

What it does, simply, is enable you to record sounds or musical phrases from a variety of sources, and loop them...you can layer sounds on top of one another, and bring sounds in and out of the mix...and you can create huge pieces of music with just a guitar and voice (or either one on its own), or you can add any sounds you like...

You can use it offline to create full music productions for recording or practice, or if you're confident enough, you can use the Loop Station as a performance tool (known as Live Looping). 

In the photo, I have my guitar plugged into an effects pedal, then into the Loop Station.   I also have a microphone plugged into a vocal processor, and then into the Loop Station.

But rather than embarrass you all (and myself) by giving you one of my early forays into the world of looping, let's go straight to the professionals...here's a great demo from a guy called Rico Loop (seriously?!) working for the manufacturer at a music show...stick with it for a minute or two to see how versatile the thing can be...




I have to say a couple of things at this point - It's nowhere near as easy as this dude makes it look...and the dancing thing isn't compulsory...phew!

You can look forward to further ramblings (and perhaps some video or music) from Looperland, once I've found my way around...

It's a big place, and they speak a funny language!

In other news, Anna is off cavorting with the local wildlife (I hope that's not a euphemism!), so far including manatee, bald eagle and alligator...

And right about now, Anna should be swimming with Dolphins in the Keys...I can't wait to hear all about that!

B-)

Day 158 - Rock Star

not as wide as advertised

Well, today really didn't go as planned, as I hope is evident from today's photo.

Now, those of you who know me (and there may be as many as several of you out there), will know that I'm into neither celebrity nor selfies...and yet this photo is both (kinda).

Allow me to explain...

The plan was to get up earlyish, drive up to Jool's warehouse in Nuneaton and drop those laptops off, then head straight off for a long bouldering workout, before heading back home, where my new musical toy was due to be delivered. 

But it turned out that Jools was having a hectic and stressed morning, with only a few hours to get sorted before going on holiday for a week...I ended up working there until around 1pm, and leaving with a couple more computers that need some work doing. 

At least I'd decided to climb indoors rather than out today, as the plan would have been dead in the water at this point. 

Over the last couple of years, there have been a number of days when I've had opportunities to climb outdoors, when Anna hasn't...today, I'd considered going bouldering at The Roaches, Cratcliffe or Burbage South, but felt that would be yet more experience for me when Anna can't make it...especially after my 50@50 the other week, when I climbed 50 routes and Anna climbed none...

So I decided to treat it more as a workout, and go indoors.  Our favourite bouldering centre is in Loughborough, which is almost never convenient...however, being most of the way there already this morning, I realised it would be perfect for a few hours exercise.

But then it was was 2pm by the time I got there, I was hot and tired before I even started, and I tired quickly.  I rarely climb indoors on my own, and I clearly need to learn how to pace myself.   After an hour or so I was hot, unpleasantly sweaty, and pumped.  And I felt very tired, and very weak...yay! 

Either I'm completely out of shape, it was simply the heat exacerbating the situation, or I just climbed too hard too fast (by my puny standards, of course).  I did around 30 problems in total (and down climbed them all) in the space of an hour, and apparently that's about enough for me at the moment...

However, as a bit of a bonus, this chap was there setting some new problems (I tried one of them - couldn't get off the ground)...it was one of those curious moments where you meet someone you "know", whilst being just some weird stranger to them...

Anyway, this guy is Tom Randall, and he's a very well known and highly accomplished climber around these here parts (and beyond).  

(Climbers make the best kind of celebrity - the kind nobody has heard of!)

Tom is part owner of the bouldering centre I think, although I've never seen him there before.  
He and another climber named Pete Whittaker are known as the Wideboyz, due to their love of climbing wide cracks called offwidths.   They famously (amongst the climbing community at least) went to the States and climbed all the hardest offwidths they could find, including the hardest in the world, which was unclimbed up to that point.

The Wideboyz also produced a series of crack climbing instructional videos, which we watched with great interest, before finding that cracks are still really hard to climb!

(Anna and I have been meaning to get on top of our crack climbing this year, but it hasn't happened yet...)

Video's always seem to be popping up of Tom climbing some super hard stuff in the Peak District, and some super fun stuff too...all of it light years beyond my meagre bumbling, of course.

So I asked Tom if I could take a couple of photo's, simply meaning "whilst he worked"...but I think he assumed I wanted to be in the shot so stopped working and pulled a couple of faces with me.  

I felt bad for interrupting his work (I honestly hadn't meant to), but he was a really cool guy, very friendly and fun, as you can see, so it worked out well!

Thanks Tom!

One last note...that bit of kit I ordered...here it is, duly arrived, with Jazz kindly posing for scale.

big box

What on earth did I order, a new drum kit?!   I can't believe the size of the box!

One day I might show you what was in the box...

;-)

Day 157 - Going Forwards?!

in bloom

Both the (mad) cow parsley and the hawthorne hedgerow that borders our garden are now in full, white bloom.

Our garden is by no means all neatly kempt, but it does have a magnificent wildness about it. 

At this time of year, everything is in the middle of the years major growth surge...I think we all take advantage of the increased light and warmth, and use our renewed optimism for new life and new beginnings to motivate ourselves onwards and upwards.

I was going to say motivate ourselves forwards, but there really is no other option, is there?

The phrase going forwards (implicitly, in time) really pokes my pedantry button (and you know how sensitive that can be...).  It's an entirely redundant clause - is there an alternative direction through time in which to travel?!  I think not... 

Anyway (back off topic), despite being off work, I've been super busy...I was up until 4am this morning configuring laptops, and then up at 9 hoovering, cleaning, mowing, washing and shopping...all of which were aimed at trying to free up some time to edit my 50@50 video.  

To be honest I've been avoiding it a bit, as I seem to be missing my muse...(must be Anna!)  

I can't quite get a creative flow going, and the ideas I do have are frustrated by my distinct lack of skill at video editing.   I'm using a software package I've not used before, and I'm only just beginning to get to grips with it, which doesn't help either. 

You'd be amazed at how the smallest things can get in the way for days...for example, I need to have text on the screen at various times - titles, credits, various on screen info...

I have to decide which font to use...and what size should it be?

Which colour works best, and how should it appear on the screen?

Should it fade in, or slide in from the side, or scroll down from the top?

Whereabouts on the screen should it be, and for how long?

These questions can rattle around for ages not getting resolved, and they absolutely impede the editing process...

Anyhow I eventually settled on a working example of font, style and whatnot, which probably isn't what I want, but is probably what I'll end up with...just need to manage those expectations...

;-)

I have mixed down one scene, comprised of the first 5 climbs...it's 10 minutes long and fairly dull!  I think I need to get ruthless with my editing...take a scalpel (nay, a machete) to that thing...

I also have the wrong music on it...I mean, it's some music that's available for use, it just doesn't quite fit the mood of the day.

And how on earth do you go about finding some available music that just exactly fits the highly nuanced atmosphere of a specific day?!

Well, I may think about writing some...with my ill-gotten gains from PC shenanigans, I've treated myself to a piece of musical technology that I've been itching to try for ages...I'm hoping it's going to open up a whole new world of music making possibilities for me...

Watch this space...

B-)

Day 155 - Walk the Line

another afternoon slacking

This afternoon, having spent a couple of hours sorting through 900 photos from my 50@50, sifting the wheat from the chaff, I was ready for some outdoor action.

I've been waiting for an opportunity to try setting up the slackline I got for my birthday (thanks 'Stina and Louise!), and sometime mid afternoon I realised that today was that day!

Of course, Try Slacklining is on my list of challenges for the year...I feel as though I'm a bit behind with them...but that may be just because I'm a little behind on them.

Some I've failed on already...I'm not going to Florida now, so I won't get the chance to swim with dolphins now, (although I'm really hoping that Anna will)...

My other two blogs have fallen by the wayside, as this one has taken over my life somewhat...I haven't managed to keep up with my weekly blog, nor with my weekly Thanks You's and Presents...I'd like to say I haven't had time, but I've found time to do this blog...although in fairness, they did take up huge chunks of both time and mental capacity.

But still, I do feel a little ashamed to have let these two go.  

I must think about reviving them in some form, maybe get up to twelve posts, to round it out to  on per month...hmm there's a thought. 

Anyway today it was a beautiful early Summer's day, and I wanted to spend some time outside...and I also wanted to explore possibilities for setting up the slackline in the garden. 

With the judicious use of a few bits of climbing gear (some rigging rope and a screwgate 'biner), and a little experimentation, I eventually managed to get a functional slackline up and running. 

Slackline's are similar to tightropes, only, you know, they're slack, not tight (do you see what they did there?)...

You can progress to do all sorts of tricks (if you look on Youtube you'll find video's of people doing somersaults and all sorts on them), but initially, just getting on is challenging enough.  

After faffing around for some time trying to get the tension right, I realised my slackline is a bit too long, so I improvised with an old kitchen chair I found in the shed. 

The slackline is pretty stable near the end, but as you get towards the middle it wobbles wildly, making it very difficult to relax (which is exactly what you need to do)...



To be honest, I didn't make too much progress beyond this, and I clearly need to reconsider the chair situation...

Mostly, though, I'm now waiting for Anna to come home so I have someone to play with!

Still, another challenge completed!

B-)

Day 140 - Achievement Unlocked

nice here, innit?

Sorry to leave you hanging like that, last night...I was so tired I couldn't write more!

But as promised, I'm here to bring you a full report on how the day went. 

I was lucky enough to have a posse to support me for the day's endeavours.  Anna was on route reading and sustenance supply, Jezz was official photographer and interviewer, and Phil captured lots of scene setting and climbing video. 

With such a fantastic crew behind me, how could I fail?!

Despite not getting to bed until 2am, we were up reasonably early, and on the road shortly after 8.30.   Upon arriving at Birchen Edge, it was damp and chilly, but blissfully quiet. 

I was climbing by 11.00, and the first few climbs were typically harder than expected...

(isn't there a contradiction there?!)

The rock was damp and a little slimy, all surrounding vegetation, both on the ground and on the rock, was dripping wet, and I felt cold and stiff.  By the time I'd done five routes, I was out of breath, tired, and slightly nervous about how hard this was going to prove. 

Fortunately, the rock was drying fairly quickly, and the day brightening.  After 15 or so climbs, I was warmed up, looser, climbing more smoothly, and gaining in confidence. 

Here's a brief video interview from this time of the day.




The photo at the top was taken near the top of a typical VDiff (Very Difficult) climb...nothing too technical, but just a little bit brutish, and very tiring.  As a rough guide, around a third of the climbs I did were this level of difficulty, a third were easier, and a third harder.

Here's a video of the same climb (number 33 of 50):



The final ten climbs were increasingly tough, even though I was gradually lowering the difficulty, but it was just a matter of pushing on through the tiredness.

Jezz took some brilliant photo's of the day. 

what grade is this?!

I hauled my way up the last few climbs, and by 15.30 I found myself standing, exhausted and elated, on the top of the crag for the final time.   

I'd done it!   

50 climbs in one day, at age 50, ranging from fairly easy to quite hard, steep to slabby, safe yet cramped to bold and exposed.  Much of the climbing was hard work, but I didn't feel scared or in danger at any point.  I didn't come close to falling off, I didn't slip, and I didn't make any mistakes.  I had moments in tough positions, having to make committing moves, and on two occasions I had to ask the guys to spot me (prepare to break my fall in any way they can).

But it all went well, and so I came away from the day uninjured. 

I have to thank Jezz and Phil for all the help and support, and all the brilliant documentation. 

And mostly, I have to thank Anna for putting up with all the planning and preparation, not to mention my endless wittering about it, and for being nothing but encouraging and supportive ever since I came up with the crazy idea.  

Thanks babe, I couldn't have done it without you!

Today, I'm very tired, aching, stiff and generally uncomfortable.

As Anna wisely pointed out though, this is a measure of the level of difficulty - if I didn't feel severely beaten up, then maybe it wasn't so much of a challenge...

I can confirm - I feel like I've had the living shit kicked out of me!

I also feel that I've hit my target, reached my goal, and I'm now ready to face the rest of the years objectives...

...or at least, just as soon as I've had a good long rest!

B-)


50@50 Stats:

# of routes climbed:             50

# of routes soloed:                 50
# of routes down-climbed:    5

Time taken:                             4.30hrs

# Mods:                                   6
# Diffs:                                     9
# Hard Diffs:                           1
# VDiffs:                                  16
# Hard VDiffs:                         4
# Severes:                              11
# Hard Severes:                     3

# of photo's taken:                 829
# of video's taken:                 75

# of GB of data created:        18.1 (impressive!)

# bird poo's encountered:      Too many to count.
# gecko poo's encountered:  0

# injuries sustained:               0
# epic's survived:                     0

# good times had:                  Many

# challenges completed:     1!



One final, unrelated note, for those pedants amongst you who have noticed that there are no photo's from today...here's a poor tree that we had to euthanise today, as it was too close to the house and damaging the drains...

Sorry, little tree...we promise to find something useful and interesting to do with your remains...

:-(