I learned yesterday that the weekends are busy, that maybe they're best avoided and left for the sole preserve of the locals.
Actually, they pretty much do that by default anyway, certainly at the crag we chose today!
Neither Steve or I were especially motivated this morning so we chose to go to a classic 2 pitch climb at Canaveral sector called Dinasourio Blanco. A 7a+ first pitch for Steve to bag and a 7b+ extension for me to attempt, having already done the exquisite lower section.
When we arrived on a chilly breezy morning the lines were all taken and due to the lack of a readily available warm up we chose to wait while the 3 guys on Blanco 'warmed up' on it. I attempted to run around a bit, flapping arms and jumping about like a loon to get the blood flowing... While we waited the crowds continued to arrive, along with assorted dogs milling around and barking, plus the continuous trickle of walkers taking a stroll along the gorge, and their assorted dogs milling around and barking, adding to the canine chaos already present.
The time arrived and I eased my cold feet into my Boostiks to begin the climb, taking the easy left hand option to the first difficulties at the bulge by the third clip.... I teetered up all stiff and cold, placing my toes on a polished nubbin to reach up from a good left hand, searching for something for my right. As I fumbled my foot popped off and I whacked my right elbow on the rock as I fell, partly catching myself on my good left hand, and partly on the tight rope as Steve took a step back so I could avoid hitting the ledge below. It was one of those 'mommy daddy mommy daddy' moments when the pain in the elbow was so sore that I could barely talk. The embarrassment of coming off on the local warm up placed a distant second to the realisation that this could be game over for a while.
Those of you reading this from the climbing wall in Glasgow will know I've been nursing golfers elbow since about October..... And those from work may remember me stretching my arms on the console...? It was that elbow, on the right arm. Of all the places, of all the various falling limbs, bones, joints and tendons that I could have bashed on the rock.....Why this one?
Sod's Law.
Two dogs started to mate, a lovely soft eyed black Lab bitch that reminded me instantly of Afton (RIP) was being serviced down by the rivers edge ...... Then some other males fancied a go too......
I was angry, sore and utterly pissed off with everything and everyone, especially things with four legs running around tripping me up while I was belaying Steve and generally being A FUCKING NUISANCE!!!!!! Steve remained annoyingly mellow.... Canadians eh!
After Steve had made it to the lower off, I jumped on to see how the elbow felt, just as the sun split the sky and warmed me to the core. Lovely. Suitably heated I flowed nicely up to the chains and lowered back down to the ground. Apart from the obvious the rest of my ageing carcass felt great. It is a lovely pitch. But no, no more climbing for me today. Or tomorrow. RICE! Or as many elements of RICE as I can. I dunked my elbow in the river for some instant relief. Some guy asked if he could nip onto the route while Steve rested before his red-point. Of course we obliged only to watch the cheeky bugger carry on past the chains to attempt the extension!!!
By this point both Steve and I had had enough. I'd shouted some top-of-my-voice foul mouthed abuse at a couple of dogs running around my ankles as I ate my snacks, their owners only took notice for a
millisecond and then ignored the angry little tourist.
The crowds, the dogs, the pain, the cheeky bastard now dangling at the 7b+ crux. AGAIN.....
We packed up. I put my climbing shoes back on and solo'd up to retrieve our single clip on the first bolt, not something I would normally do while the route was occupied but by now, honestly, I had to go. I down climbed and we beat a hasty retreat....
I watched Interstellar and an episode of Breaking Bad in the van after a wander into town with the gang to see what a Chulilla fiesta looked like. I discovered that they don't really get going till after midnight, but boy do they get going.... The band was still playing at 4.30 the next morning.... Class!
Gerd, Nic, Nicole, Stephan, Per, Steve, Ciaran and Toby
So today I pottered about my little home, Steve popped in for breakfast about 1030, looking a bit worse for wear after a few beers last night. I took the bike down, oiled and lubricated the chain and took my first ride on Spanish soil after lunch. It was windy and while it pushed me along nicely going out of town, I was getting ready for the grind when I turned the corner. I put my head down and switched off, just pushing and pulling, trying not to stress the elbow and just keep the bike upright. I 'think' when I'm in cycling into wind mode... I do it when I'm running too, and even hill walking when I'm on auto-pilot... I suspect everyone has these times. Frustratingly I also do it when I go to bed and usually fail to switch my head off just when I want to sleep. The other place I think is in the shower but I'm not doing that so often as I used to haha.
Almonds
Oranges
As I cycled out of Losa the strangest, weirdest thing happened. I saw a yellow post box and suddenly remembered that my friend and work colleague Karen McCabe had asked me to send a card... So I filed the post box location and card connection into memory (no doubt to forget again), and then literally 10 seconds later I got a message. I guessed it would be Themi so I stopped to check and yep, it was Karen, saying hello, she'd read the blog, sending best wishes to Themi and asking how's things. SPOOKY!!!!!!! I'll buy a card.
Head down, steady pace. Thinking time. How do I feel? What do I feel? Why do I feel this or that? Time to admit some shortcomings and accept some home truths.
Itchy feet for one. It'll soon be time to move. Maybe I can rest the arm for a day or two while driving somewhere new? I know I haven't yet achieved what I wanted to here but does that really matter?
Is it too 'nice' here, too easy? Or is it just a lovely place? A good parking spot. A friendly cafe with wi-fi... Good weather. People I know... Hmmmmmm.
I have to go solo in the van too. I have to admit that sharing this small space is not going to work for me. If Themi was here then of course it would work, but she's not and this little box on wheels is all I have, my home for now, a fragile van delicately balancing power in and power out, waste and water, food space, living space, breathing space. All are at a premium in here and sharing it with someone who doesn't feel it, doesn't have an interest in it, hasn't had to put any effort, time and finance into it to get it working as well as it does, and for who something breaking doesn't really matter, is, for me, difficult.
I am feeling strangely embarrassed about admitting that, and thought long about expressing it in writing. But can you understand what I mean? Its like letting someone else drive JJ.... Its like that sports car you cherish, your lovely horse or anything else you get attached to, dare I say, fall in love a little bit with. Other people won't understand the way you feel about it, they may even gently mock you, but it is what it is right... Its yours. Its special to you and hey, we don't care what you think about it anyway :) One day, I hope, I think I know it will happen, and then the penny will drop.
Steve has been superb, very helpful and very very understanding. He gives me as much space as possible (I realise there are loads of jokes here....feel free :), so it's not him as such, it would be anyone. Unless it had been planned together, built together as a joint venture from the beginning, then I think sharing would be difficult with anyone but Themi or family.
Hey, you...
Yes you ya cheeky malaka!!!!!!!!
I hope you fell off the last move on your last red-point!!!!
Actually, they pretty much do that by default anyway, certainly at the crag we chose today!
Neither Steve or I were especially motivated this morning so we chose to go to a classic 2 pitch climb at Canaveral sector called Dinasourio Blanco. A 7a+ first pitch for Steve to bag and a 7b+ extension for me to attempt, having already done the exquisite lower section.
When we arrived on a chilly breezy morning the lines were all taken and due to the lack of a readily available warm up we chose to wait while the 3 guys on Blanco 'warmed up' on it. I attempted to run around a bit, flapping arms and jumping about like a loon to get the blood flowing... While we waited the crowds continued to arrive, along with assorted dogs milling around and barking, plus the continuous trickle of walkers taking a stroll along the gorge, and their assorted dogs milling around and barking, adding to the canine chaos already present.
The time arrived and I eased my cold feet into my Boostiks to begin the climb, taking the easy left hand option to the first difficulties at the bulge by the third clip.... I teetered up all stiff and cold, placing my toes on a polished nubbin to reach up from a good left hand, searching for something for my right. As I fumbled my foot popped off and I whacked my right elbow on the rock as I fell, partly catching myself on my good left hand, and partly on the tight rope as Steve took a step back so I could avoid hitting the ledge below. It was one of those 'mommy daddy mommy daddy' moments when the pain in the elbow was so sore that I could barely talk. The embarrassment of coming off on the local warm up placed a distant second to the realisation that this could be game over for a while.
Those of you reading this from the climbing wall in Glasgow will know I've been nursing golfers elbow since about October..... And those from work may remember me stretching my arms on the console...? It was that elbow, on the right arm. Of all the places, of all the various falling limbs, bones, joints and tendons that I could have bashed on the rock.....Why this one?
Sod's Law.
Two dogs started to mate, a lovely soft eyed black Lab bitch that reminded me instantly of Afton (RIP) was being serviced down by the rivers edge ...... Then some other males fancied a go too......
I was angry, sore and utterly pissed off with everything and everyone, especially things with four legs running around tripping me up while I was belaying Steve and generally being A FUCKING NUISANCE!!!!!! Steve remained annoyingly mellow.... Canadians eh!
After Steve had made it to the lower off, I jumped on to see how the elbow felt, just as the sun split the sky and warmed me to the core. Lovely. Suitably heated I flowed nicely up to the chains and lowered back down to the ground. Apart from the obvious the rest of my ageing carcass felt great. It is a lovely pitch. But no, no more climbing for me today. Or tomorrow. RICE! Or as many elements of RICE as I can. I dunked my elbow in the river for some instant relief. Some guy asked if he could nip onto the route while Steve rested before his red-point. Of course we obliged only to watch the cheeky bugger carry on past the chains to attempt the extension!!!
By this point both Steve and I had had enough. I'd shouted some top-of-my-voice foul mouthed abuse at a couple of dogs running around my ankles as I ate my snacks, their owners only took notice for a
millisecond and then ignored the angry little tourist.
The crowds, the dogs, the pain, the cheeky bastard now dangling at the 7b+ crux. AGAIN.....
We packed up. I put my climbing shoes back on and solo'd up to retrieve our single clip on the first bolt, not something I would normally do while the route was occupied but by now, honestly, I had to go. I down climbed and we beat a hasty retreat....
I watched Interstellar and an episode of Breaking Bad in the van after a wander into town with the gang to see what a Chulilla fiesta looked like. I discovered that they don't really get going till after midnight, but boy do they get going.... The band was still playing at 4.30 the next morning.... Class!
So today I pottered about my little home, Steve popped in for breakfast about 1030, looking a bit worse for wear after a few beers last night. I took the bike down, oiled and lubricated the chain and took my first ride on Spanish soil after lunch. It was windy and while it pushed me along nicely going out of town, I was getting ready for the grind when I turned the corner. I put my head down and switched off, just pushing and pulling, trying not to stress the elbow and just keep the bike upright. I 'think' when I'm in cycling into wind mode... I do it when I'm running too, and even hill walking when I'm on auto-pilot... I suspect everyone has these times. Frustratingly I also do it when I go to bed and usually fail to switch my head off just when I want to sleep. The other place I think is in the shower but I'm not doing that so often as I used to haha.
As I cycled out of Losa the strangest, weirdest thing happened. I saw a yellow post box and suddenly remembered that my friend and work colleague Karen McCabe had asked me to send a card... So I filed the post box location and card connection into memory (no doubt to forget again), and then literally 10 seconds later I got a message. I guessed it would be Themi so I stopped to check and yep, it was Karen, saying hello, she'd read the blog, sending best wishes to Themi and asking how's things. SPOOKY!!!!!!! I'll buy a card.
Head down, steady pace. Thinking time. How do I feel? What do I feel? Why do I feel this or that? Time to admit some shortcomings and accept some home truths.
Itchy feet for one. It'll soon be time to move. Maybe I can rest the arm for a day or two while driving somewhere new? I know I haven't yet achieved what I wanted to here but does that really matter?
Is it too 'nice' here, too easy? Or is it just a lovely place? A good parking spot. A friendly cafe with wi-fi... Good weather. People I know... Hmmmmmm.
I have to go solo in the van too. I have to admit that sharing this small space is not going to work for me. If Themi was here then of course it would work, but she's not and this little box on wheels is all I have, my home for now, a fragile van delicately balancing power in and power out, waste and water, food space, living space, breathing space. All are at a premium in here and sharing it with someone who doesn't feel it, doesn't have an interest in it, hasn't had to put any effort, time and finance into it to get it working as well as it does, and for who something breaking doesn't really matter, is, for me, difficult.
I am feeling strangely embarrassed about admitting that, and thought long about expressing it in writing. But can you understand what I mean? Its like letting someone else drive JJ.... Its like that sports car you cherish, your lovely horse or anything else you get attached to, dare I say, fall in love a little bit with. Other people won't understand the way you feel about it, they may even gently mock you, but it is what it is right... Its yours. Its special to you and hey, we don't care what you think about it anyway :) One day, I hope, I think I know it will happen, and then the penny will drop.
Steve has been superb, very helpful and very very understanding. He gives me as much space as possible (I realise there are loads of jokes here....feel free :), so it's not him as such, it would be anyone. Unless it had been planned together, built together as a joint venture from the beginning, then I think sharing would be difficult with anyone but Themi or family.
Hey, you...
Yes you ya cheeky malaka!!!!!!!!
I hope you fell off the last move on your last red-point!!!!
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