So.....

It would appear the ankle is good and fucked. Giant biscuits of arse. Two physios have now looked at it, and the soft tissue damage is healing up reasonably well. The thing still hurts like buggery when I stand a certain way though (or so I imagine. never went to boarding school). Current thinking is something got dislocated or broken in The Fall, and is only surfacing now that the swelling has gone down. Trying to figure out the best way to go about getting it x-rayed, etc....

So thats gone and buggered up the plans to go back to the Fishers in the Autumn. Sad Paul is angry and sad, and sad, and angry and disappointed (and a tiny bit relieved cos its scary there) all at the same time. Pretty much writing this year off from a climbing point of view, just want to fix the ankle. Its currently about 60% functional, but I need more. There are plans afoot that need a foot you see.

Getting some severe wall withdrawal at the moment as I stupidly put my El Cap topo poster back up on the wall. I was worried I'd lose the mojo and the psych if I spent too long in Ireland, but the opposite seems to be the case. The smell of aid gear. The feeling that "normal" life is somehow inconsequential. Reading the report. Topos. Gear lists. Waking up at night terrified I'm not clipped in....fuck its torturous. Anyway, I know I shite on about it incessantly, and I haven't been on an aid route in over 6 months, so I'll keep the trap shut. After....



No, seriously, I'll shut up about it now.

Its not all doom and gloom though, cycling everywhere for the last month means I'm almost as fit as I was last summer, and the one-armers are coming on nicely. Work is going ok. I'm surprisingly employable apparently. Must keep the farce going...  There also appears to be a strong possibility of moving to scotland in a few months, which would be lovely.

Climbing wise, I can still boulder a little bit. Dave showed me a cool problem he found in the boulders under Luggala. Steep board style climbing on great rock with cool moves and a good landing. Yours for the taking if you're strong, willing to walk in there with pads, and (more importantly) willing to suffer the slog back out. I reckon it goes at around 7b. Heres some eye candy. And photos of me.

Cool roof problem with a Dave for scale

Giving it a clean

Giving it a go

Dave soloing a nice little wall

The Cool Thing (avec moi)

Burly undercut move

Making the move

Nice move to a sloper

And again.

So.... I'm a feeling a bit negative about the whole ankle situation, but things aren't too bad really. Works ok. Life is generally good except dealing with a crazy landlord. I'm keen to get needlessly strong during the enforced convalescence, so trying for a 1-5-9 and some solid one armers by the end of summer (man needs a mission...). And earn/save as much cash as I can for future trips without going soft in the process. Still jealous as fuck of everyone who gets to go wall climbing, but theres always next year. Pakistan 2016 anyone? I'll bring the beaks....

Peace out

p.s. The french do some fucking cool things....

I swear to god, allah, and buddah, no more aid climbing talk from me. Really. I swear. Really do. Pinky promise......