Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The Scalp

At the moment I'm trying to use The Scalp as my personal outdoor training area. I'm not the only one getting out there judging by all the chalk. My current goal is Gen Tilley. I have a good sequence from the stand start but getting there from the sitter is a different story. More work to do.

In one of many guide discussion with Diarmuid - he was my main sounding board, so kudoes to him - he said that the contents (I think we where talking about the Glendo circuits) of the guide would become definitive. It's was an intimidating concept and something I shrugged off.

In between burns on Gen Tilley, I wondered what grade was ie. what I had put in the guide. So I took it out of my bag and had a look 6b+ apparently. Ouch. What washed around my mind then was this funny feeling that that was the grade. For better or worse it was set in stone - pardon the pun. Since I got the book I have looked through it very little, after all I poured over every little detail for a year. The guy who wrote it is gone (I won't say dead that just sounds too dramatic) and in his place is this punter who uses the guide just like everyone else.

Beta on Gen Tilley welcome.

5 comments:

  1. According to the French sociologist - and climber - Olivier Aubel, guidebooks are often perceived as the written truth. This is a consequence of the spreading 'sportization', that people are not really aware of - guidebooks tend to become the recognised law among the climbing community. But I find hard to believe that you did not expect this.

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  2. Its not that I didn't expect it. But that I didn't expect it to happen to me.

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  3. What time do you usually head out there dave? I expect to be spending a fair few evenings there over the next few months as its essentially on my drive home from work now. Might see you about.

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  4. Often head out later afternoon. I will send you a text next time I'm going out.

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