2010

Was pretty much the year of injuries!

The year started off pretty quietly with a few days out on the grit ticking some memorable problems like Bens Groove, Ju Ju Club, Matts Roof..etc and March brought a nice chilled trip to font with Mark and Michael.

I managed to break a grade boundary in font dragging my arse up a 7C in font which was a good mental breakthrough.

I then suffered multiple left arm/bicep/elbow pains through the early stages of the year and went off to Font again with low expectations only to have a great trip pathing Aerodynamite, Biceps Mou, Onde de Choc, Arabesque and the brilliant Sale Gosse.

I thought a good vein of form would be ahead but the arm pains soon returned and 1 good day at Anston Stones was the only memorable day out throughout the rest of the spring and summer.

I traded in the arm pains for a finger injury at the end of July which lingered for a month and a relaxing trip to Dartmoor seemed to help get things moving again just doing a lot of volume and visiting some great little venues such as Combeshead Tor.

The injury was still there and my finger swelled up all the time. Mark also picked up a finger injury not long after, so we changed plans from magic wood to font and it turned out to be a good shout as we got lots more done.

Despite the heat I slayed the long term nemesis of Berezina with a subtle adjustment and ticked plenty more classics such as Ange Naif, Bleaus Art, Marginal Droit, Modulor...etc

After getting back from the trip, the injuries seemed to subside and I finally started to get some problems finished off which were long overdue.

In Hell was finally realised and I had broken a grade boundary for the 4th year running even if its a pretty soft one! Cave Life went down a week later and Oppotrocity soon after. I was feeling strong but lacking a bit of fitness, so In Life evaded me falling off on Left Wall a couple of times.

I thought it was still on for the year, when I had that rather bad day out a couple of Saturdays ago, as the wobbly block was ripped from the roof of the cave and I injured my rotator cuff to write off the remainder of 2010!

I guess it has definitely been a year of ups and downs and one can only pray that 2011 features less injury and more success! I think the font 8B pipedream is a bit out of reach until I rebuild my body, get stronger, fitter and spend time on hard problems to build up some momentum and a performance pyramid.

For now the script is to keep therabanding, do some Cardio and try to not eat all the pies! I'm hoping to touch resin within the next 2 weeks if it continues to heal at the current rate. Keeping the years long term plans in mind, I'll definitely be nursing it with the utmost care as Lorenzo commented! I hope to become as big a beast on the elastic as Walter and Doris below...

I wish anyone bothering to read through this tripe has a great Christmas weekend and I'll see you all out next year (provided you are visiting the cave ;))