The year so far has been mostly about saying 'yes'. For a while it has felt like bouldering (and training for) is the only thing that occupies my free time. It sucks you in. You strive to be better, stronger, work higher grades and it is easy to get tunnel vision. As much as I love going out bouldering, I wouldn't like to turn 40, or 30 for that matter, and feel like I've missed out on other opportunities or tried other ways of filling my weekends. In an obscure way I think that I will probably achieve more in bouldering by trying less; catching myself off-guard rather than the obsessive war of attrition that I am used to.

I have forced some things to happen this summer:

1) I have a new car. It is a Skoda and it is diesel. This is good.

2) This weekend I am riding the C2C with some friends. There are 10 cafes/pubs between St. Bees and Keswick alone. It may take a while...

3) The weekend after I have booked a surf lesson in Saltburn with a bunch of mates. If all I have been told is true, this could potentially end my bouldering career. I am looking forward to this a lot. Even if the weather/surf is rubbish, it'll be a lovely Sunday Social.

4) I have been to the driving range a few times (!!!!). Golf is definitely for benders, but is also only sport I've ever tried which seems more technical than climbing. It is HARD. I am going to play a proper course with the boys sometime. Hopefully someone will lend me beige slacks and a sun visor. Psyched. I can now understand why it is so popular with the retired folk- the possibilities for improving your game by ridiculously minor adjustments are astronomical.

All of this nicely coincides with a highly frustrating pulley injury on my middle finger. It's hard to grip around a bad middle finger. That aside, I met up with Toby in the Lakes and had a really good day out. We hunted out Mark's Boulder at Gillercombe and I even dragged myself up a very good 7b+ bloc. Toby is living proof that the best training for climbing is climbing, especially if this includes more than one session at the Bowderstone per week! He has obviously made the most of his stint living in the Lakes and looks strrrrong, managing to tick all of Mark's Boulder while I sieged The Cloud Chamber. Not content with that, he did a new little link up which looked tres bons...



We then go on to the Bowderstone. Toby tries Grand Opera, looks good but doesn't do it. I try Impropa Opera, do alright considering the hold is wet, but don't do it. We both do the direct finish to Picnic Sarcastic, which is better than the original. Controversial! I had so much fun that between then and now I have done some training. Outrageous!