UKC

Mine has been awesome. Due to personal reason last weekend was the end of it, despite winter being still in full force.
Over the years, I have been doing increasingly less routes but to my eyes of higher quality: either because they were more unknown routes (few ascents), or because they were known to be excellent (consensus) or simply because they were well out of the way. Obviously, company remains a priority. I'd rather not climb than climb a great route with a person I don't like.

I'm still hungry for more but work and family commitment mean that I am unlikely to do more than say 10 routes a winter for the next 2/4 years. Yet I am content.

So how do you judge you winter to be a good one? What are your criteria?

In reply to French Erick:

Do 3 and 4 star routes that are testing for me. If I get 10 routes like that in, I am happy. This winter I have not, I am not yet happy! I could skip the days of doing 1 star routes on random crags...

In reply to French Erick:
I can tell if you know if you've had a bad one - ankle / shoulder injuries from a non fault road bike accident pre winter are still not healed

In reply to French Erick:

If I have not made it outside Somerset by the 2nd of March its probably not going to be a classic season.

In reply to French Erick:

Usually if I'm looking forward to the trad season coming and am glad to put the winter rack away?

Certainly the best climbs are when having an adventure, so distance in, something I really want, while pushing it are high on the list?

I want to get back to carn eachachan as it was great last time, and have high hopes for Ben ice when freeze thaw starts...

In reply to French Erick:

Like Jonnie3430, when I really can't bare the thought of standing in the cold any more, and can hear the sea cliffs calling, I know I've done enough. Not quite there yet, thought I was on the last route I did but I've got the itch again. Addict I know! Still though, if I don't make it up again I'll be happy. My goals for this season were to venture further afield, climb on new crags and in new corries, and climb routes on two crags in particular, all of which I acheived. So can't moan

In reply to French Erick:

A good season for me starts 2nd week in October, lasts until late April and you complete 20 routes.

In between that, reliable partners, you feel comfortable on vertical ice, repeat some obscure, rarely in thing and 1 or 2 VII's. Climbing a new line is special, a grade V or VI in S Highlands, I haven't already done, would top my list!

Stuart

Ps. Are you bringing your stuff down over Easter, just in case??

In reply to French Erick:

Hi Erick,

I know it's been a good winter season when it feels like it's ended too soon....

Barbeg

In reply to French Erick:

Looking at your logbook, I'd consider that a fantastic season also! Nice one. Quality over quantity if you ask me. My season has definitely been quantity however. Hopefully sort that out this weekend in the North West (if conditions play ball).

In reply to Martin McKenna - Rockfax:

I've been lucky in recent years that I have had a lot of time off to do lots of routes. Now I'm finally involved in gainful employment its very much quality over quantity. KPIs (sorry) for a good season? - Quality routes in good conditions, routes that have been on the wishlist for a while, remote or esoteric climbs, route at a crag I've not climbed in winter before, throw in a new route and personally climb a grade VI. Injury avoidance a good indicator too, I'm currently nursing a sore calf muscle at a critical part of the season!

In reply to French Erick:

If you've got to Slioch or Fuar Tholl you've definitely had a good season!

In reply to French Erick:

When I have not had to resort to the northern corries

In reply to 3leggeddog:


This. I'm a total route snob these days.

In reply to 3leggeddog:

When I finally get up the Seam!

In reply to DaveHK:

Last day's climbing from last winter in a nearly empty coire an Lochain on War and Peace...that was a good day, was it not?
But I agree with the general idea.

I think I've become a grade snob...which is worrying as there are so many quality IV/Vs that I need to do!

In reply to French Erick:

It is a simple ratio of height climbed in relation to cost of travel to get to the ice.
This season it's 5.
The question every season is: do I have to go to Norway/Cogne etc, or can I just nip over the moor to the Downfall?

In reply to French Erick:

Shhhhhh.

Despite only starting in January and probably ending now (as I need to start running for up coming events) I think this has been my best season for quality and finishing the routes I started.

Bow Peep on Druim Shionnach
Taliballan
2 routes on Bucket Buttress on Quinag
Something like Fishmonger on Foinaven
Super Sleuth on Fuar Tholl
Haystack on an Teallach
Gully of the Gods
The Ayatollah on Fuar Tholl.

Good routes in great places. Shame about the company but you can't have it all.

In reply to French Erick:



Save them for your dotage.

In reply to French Erick:
Hey!

I have just finished two weeks in Scotland and feeling quite content as well, I aim to get out again soon but due to work commitments as well I think I would struggle.

I think a good way to look at it is it more about the quality of the routes rather than the quantity! This winter hasn't been exactly a 'vintage winter' and you seem to have got some really good routes out of it It's good that your striving for more unknown routes as discovery adds to the excitement of climbing! It will take more time to discover these types of routes than the obvious ones that everyone does, so don't be so hard on yourself!

Michael

In reply to Michael Morrell:

I am not nearly hard enough on myself as I should be... believe me! I am actually very happy with my season knowing my current limitations (this could be a thread of its own but in no order and non exhaustively):
1. lazy
2. lazy
3. weak.
4. lazy.
5. fatherhood (but I still sort of like my children...sometimes)
6. work tired (my job seems to fry my head more than it used to)

on the plus side I:
1. have amazing and knowledgeable partners.
2. have a very understanding wife.
3. have kids who sleep at night.
4. Live in an amazing place.
5. can use modern equipment and technology to cover up for my weaknesses.
6. enjoy my UKC persona very much (however I think it is perceived).

I am currently procrastinating... listening to recordings of students destroying my language. I understand how you all feel when i try to speak English

In reply to French Erick:

It depends what you consider success?

Driving all the way to Scotland and back from my home in North Yorkshire I consider it successful, if I've managed to avoid a speeding ticket on the trip to or back from Scotland!!

I used to enjoy these trips. Now I find the drive more stressful as I wait for the post to arrive in the following days. I'll know whether my recent trip was a failure/success only by next week!!

In reply to DaveHK:

Supersleuth was a personal highlight for me this season. Never been to Fuarr Tholl or Sgorr Ruadh before, so that was cool, and the moon was so bright when we topped out that we didn't need headtorches all the way down to the road. Even saw the northern lights when we were packing our bags, magic! Pretty good climbing too, that crux crack was something else!

In reply to French Erick:

I have 3 things to consider...

1) Have I got some climbs done (Yes)?
2) Have a done some new ones (omit this, unless you live in southern Finland) (Yes)?
3) Are you in "working order" (Nope)?

So for me, that's a negative... But I'm happy that I did manage to go out and climb something... and even climbed a few new lines.

In reply to French Erick:
Like it says on my profile page... so far this winter I've been out five times and climbed five routes, four of them new routes, two of them involving tech-7. On the second of these I didn't fall off the crux. So I get to say I can now second tech-7

By my lowly standards, that's already my best season ever--great routes with really great partners. Not bad given I spent most of January in NZ.

Brilliant for quality. Could do with more quantity, for sure. And I'd like to do some stuff in the west (the furthest west I've climbed this season is Coire Garbhlach!). Also, I'm desperate to do some ski-touring. But my diary is a bit less hectic in March and April than it was from November to February. So it's looking good...

I'd like to climb with you one of these days, Erick. Let me know if you're up for it

In reply to Sophie G.:

Why not, you could try to educate me and enlighten me in the way of philosophy and logic. My thought processes are seriously flawed...I think a winter day is great and fun. It'll have to wait for next season as now I'm about to move house. I'll re-emerge from that when it's time for rock climbing (not too keen on late ice on Ben this year to avoid morbid discoveries).

In reply to French Erick:


Descending order of importance for me:
1. Still alive
2. Undamaged
3. Relationships with partners (climbing and home) strengthened (or at least undamaged)
4. Had some good fun
5. At least some of the good fun was type I
6. Got some exercise in the fresh air
7. Proved to myself that I still can
8. Did routes I hadn't done before, which were in good condition
9. Some of which were classics
10. Some of which I found taxing
11. Didn't lose or break anything really expensive

In reply to French Erick:

If I have done more days climbing than I have WW open canoe paddling then it was a good season [for climbing: bad season for paddling.......I'm never happy!]

[Tenboats / Top Cat]

In reply to top cat:

I've not been in my Prelude in nearly 2 years! It's biding its time though... once my kids are a bit older. I have not lost the Faith Tony!

In reply to French Erick:

I had four all-time dream routes in mind at the start if the season, and I've done three of them. That's definitely a success in my book.

In reply to French Erick:

A friend suggested counting grade points and working towards 100. The initial rules are, take the greater of the 2 grades, descents can be included, a route counts only once per season(including descents). Spending your time deliberately point collecting, ie loads of routes in the NC, AM or similar will lead to disqualification.

I am currently at 78, so no bad so far. If I reach 100. I will refine the rules.

A fair measure of a good season, another target could be 100 stars

In reply to Neil Adams:

That is pretty successful, but I bet you still have the same number of all time dream routes to do.

It's a number that never goes down.

In reply to French Erick:


Mine too

Happy house-move. Get in touch in November!

In reply to 3leggeddog:

The way we've been doing it this yesr is taking overall route grade as per guidebook + stars, so a 3* VI, 7 is worth 9 points. Fun system. Uisdean I talked about adding additional points if theres photos in the guidebook and mega points for guidebook cover photo. Making fingers ridge a point heavy tick

In reply to 3leggeddog:

Not a bad idea. I would probably just go for the overall grade rather than the higher of overall and tech though

In reply to Michael Gordon:

From this years data, tech and overall tend to balance out.

I may develop a handicap system to make scoring more inclusive.

Next season, I think I will incentivise the scoring to encourage exploration; new route or in the northwest, double bubble. Route well within your capabilities on anoch mor, northern corries, half points. Chose to queue, minus 2.

In reply to 3leggeddog:

>

Good idea!

In reply to 3leggeddog:
I suggest adding 1 extra point for every 100 miles of driving to the crag.

In reply to French Erick:

.... you knows its been a good season when you can barely remember what your first route of the season was. Hmmm or is that down to too many blows to the head!

In reply to 3leggeddog:

wow, clearly you thought a lot about this! Kudos for marking down for queues: dangerous, needless and clearly not fun!

In reply to French Erick:

I'm a very lowly winter climber. Started to late in life and not very brave. If I climb 10 or more routes of any grade I'm content. This year I went on a guided holiday in the North West of Scotland and climbed Right End Buttress on Fuar Tholl, George and The Resurrection. All grade III's so not difficult but all a good challenge for me and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

As I live close to Manchester I count routes in North Wales and the Lakes too. I climbed my 10th route this winter two days ago on Sunday in the Lakes. Only grade II but the sun was shining, there was little cloud and little wind and I could see all the way to South West Scotland and to top it all we walked down in a setting sun. For me and my 23 year old son that was a good day.

One more trip to Scotland at the beginning of April so might make one or two more routes yet. So that will be a good year for me.

In reply to bonebag:

Don't be so self-deprecating! You climb what you're comfortable with, you don't let bullshitters push you into climbing outside your envelope, you have a great time: sorted.

Too many climbers forget it's supposed to be fun

In reply to bonebag:

Bonebag, that sounds like a perfect day Happy memories for you and your son. We went up to the lakes on Monday and it was glorious.

In reply to Kirill:
We should be climbing in a sustainable manner, I suggest deducting 1 point for every 100 miles driving to the crag!

In reply to bonebag:
Good effort for getting up to the northwest. These routes are worth 10 hidden chimneys, runnels or invernookies no matter what the grade

In reply to Captain Solo:

Then I am well into the negative score. Dammit!

In reply to Captain Solo:


I like how you follow that with "good effort for getting up to the northwest"

In reply to Michael Gordon:

Well to be fair its a twice annual pilgrimage and he did get 3 routes in first trip, he might have cycled up!

In reply to Captain Solo:


Now that would definitely get extra points!