Monday 13 April 2015

Down to Business

Driving South, System playing loud.
The sky is torn in pieces.
Flying free.

Plantation car park 10:15 just me and a mountain biker.
Pads on, up the path Sunshine playing on my cheek, warm.

The wind is hard swirling, vortices of ripped ferns winnow the hillside.

10:30 Sunday morning Stanage Plantation Boulders.... Empty

Weighting mats down off we go, pull on to a few warm ups, the rock is just right.

Finger dragging friction without frostbite.
A few problems in the guys arrive from Leeds.. A marathon journey

Its good to meet with easy friends, lost time of no consequence.

We are here to climb.

The Business boulder is good, we sing the Flash Gordon Theme, the grit gets in our eyes, time is blown away.

The Hourglass next, Nice Aretes, small pockets to entice us upwards.

The washing machine wind moves on to spin cycle.

The Pebble follows we meet a few other hopeless addicts lining up to chance it.

The guys drinking beer on the mat provide good humour.

Later in the Fox House Inn over a pint of Peroni..

I realise that in the microsecond between launching up from the sidepull and slapping a hands breadth away from the finishing jug I was content.

Result!