UKC

As per the title, really.

One of my big goals for this year (as for every other year) was to get on more big long easy mountaineering routes - which isn't that easy when you live in East Anglia. We've just had a month or so of near perfect conditions for big long easy mountaineering routes, during which time I've had a couple of pre-planned trips to the peak (which were a bit of a waste of time given that we can climb on grit all winter and now it's bordering being on too hot to be much fun), a couple of weekends when I've been on holiday abroad, and a couple of weekends when I've had Other Stuff To Do. While everyone else has been ticking off classics on Lliwedd and Cloggy and Scafell and Dinas Mot and Great Gable, the most I've got to show for it is a couple of days exploring some moorland grit. We're finally getting to North Wales the weekend after next, and the long term forecast is suggesting that we'll be just in time for the current Awesome weather system to be replaced by a more standard Piss-Miserable one.

*grumbles*

Anyone else in the same boat and want a bit of a moan?

In reply to Ramblin dave:

I've moaned enough on here recently, but certainly share your frustration. I hope you get good weather for Wales. Long term forecasts are pretty inaccurate

Cat

In reply to Ramblin dave: Yes...

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Yep, divorce, house sale, finding a house to rent, holiday with the kids etc etc have all conspired to help me miss out on this cracking summer weather. Might get a little bit of climbing done at Haytor or Baggy next week with a bit of luck.

In reply to Ramblin dave:
>

great, I'll finally get some proper nights sleep ;-D

In reply to Ramblin dave: 2 months ago, I was climbing the best I've ever climbed. Comfortably leading E1 and I couldn't place a poor jam, even if I tried (well, that's how it felt) and believed that the E2 and E3 cracks would be ticked off during the summer. Then A levels hit... a month off climbing and I'm back to square one.

Plus, I suffer badly from hayfever which means this weather just causes me grief. It's very humid as well, so all the cracks are greasy and no jam feels solid. Furthermore, I work weekends, and my climbing parnters work during the week so we only have evenings which gives us time to only get to the local grit crags. Covered in vegetation (and therefore pollen) and greasy conditions lead to a less than ideal situation. Currently climbing mostly indoors at the pollen free bouldering wall with the big fans at the moment. In my mind, this is the thing I would least like to do in this weather, but it's the only way I really get "out" at the moment. Bring on the cooler, but still dry conditions!!

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Too hot for me although what i would have given to have had the last two weeks in north Scotland. Ive got next weekend booked for a trip somewhere so i hope it doesnt completely crap out but just go to a nice, mildy breezy warm and light cloudy sort of weather.

In reply to teflonpete:
Might get a little bit of climbing done at Haytor or Baggy next week with a bit of luck.>

How about Haytor or Baggy this weekend, am looking for a partner.

What are the best weather conditions to put rock (gritstone) in good condition? I understand that cold weather = better friction and warm weather = worse friction, but it terms of moss/lichen/greenness what are the weather conditions that cause them and what are the weather conditions which decrease their occurrence?

In reply to Ramblin dave: How nice to have the opportunity to moan! Read a book called "Born to Run" about ultra runners and a tribe of Mexican Indians, the Tarahumara,who run long distances barefoot and don't seem to suffer from the usual Western runners problems. "That's worth a try" I thought, and went barefoot running on the beach on the first day of this brilliant spell of weather. Result? Pulled my Achilles tendon, which is v.painful, and now just limping around feeling sorry for myself. Just when the Indian Face has dried out too!

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Wife about to have baby no 2. At least you can get a route or two in first I hear you say? Oh I could if I hadn't shafted my shoulder/back/neck holding baby no 1 out of the wind watching the Red Arrows at Weston a few weeks back. Yes I am bitter.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Yep, currently finishing off and writing up my masters project - when that's done I'm going to have to move house so I can start my new job. Then I wait a month for my first pay packet so I have some cash to spend on petrol, and then I get to climb, assuming the weather isn't too piss-miserable by then.

I'm sure it will be worth it in the long run.

On the bright side, although I haven't been out much recently, I have been indoors more than usual, so I'm feeling relatively strong for when I do finally make it out

In reply to Ramblin dave: Oh yes! With a 16 day climbing trip beginning on Sun, I am sitting at home with a back injury hoping that three sessions with the back cracker will get me fit enough for at least the second week.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Cool, it's somehow nice to know that other people are in the same situation (if not worse - at least I've failed to get on any mountain routes yet again because I've been doing other fun stuff...).

I mean, not in an "I'm glad you can't go climbing way", but it's nice to feel that you aren't the only one who's getting pissed off.