epiphany x 2

Still no work so it was back to Hasty Bank and Raven's Scar/Wainstones today. I nearly died walking up to the top path on hasty bank with my mighty top-rope rigging bergen on - must get a new inhaler from the quack so I can actually breathe under such circumstances....
Anyway, on arrival at the top of Raven Scar, I got to work unpacking the bergen whilst Guy and my dad and dog ploughed on to the wainstones. I had an abortive effort at working my project on a shunt finding it too steep, meandering, hard, cold, etc. etc.

So trotted over to the Wainstones, bouldered around a good bit and got generally well warmed up. Once he'd notched up a couple of the classic routes, Guy headed back with me to Raven's.

Initially, I was just after working the first crux of my project. I'd done these moves before last year but the hardest move in the sequence I only ever managed to do once and I'd subsequently broken a hold, making it a little harder.

After 10 minutes or so of trying and failing, I was starting to get worried, especially as this section will be fairly bold. Getting desperate, I spurned my burly basic method and decided to try some unlikely faggottry and it paid off - epiphany moment #1. The move's still pretty tough but is much more reliable and feels way nicer to climb. Awesome, phase 1 complete and back over to the Wainstones.

Guy knocked out West Sphinx Direct as his first E3, nice one my matey! Both of us riding high, back to Raven's.

And I got to work on the second half of my project. My aim was to link from the 'half-way jug' to the top thus landing me squarely in 'in two halves' town. It was perfect weather today, crisp and cold. Conditions felt the best they have so far on the project. I think it was this as much as anything which inspired me to start to tweak my sequence for the second half a little, trying a slightly more direct approach. Guy threw out some useful and interesting thoughts whilst belaying too. The upshot of all this is that I went through a really rewarding little creative process which has yielded a better sequence, an improved line and even more independant climbing - epiphany moment #2.

I wasn't quite 100% happy with the line I was taking before so am stoked to have found the new improved and more independent solution today. The epiphany moments felt really great; I can't wait to feel what topping out on this beast will be like.