Yay!

Another cracking visit to the wall this evening. Got up the 4+ that I came off twice last time - and couldn't really see why it had been an issue. Got up a new 5 that I'm really chuffed with: it felt so impossible to start with. The holds were overhanging and out of reach. Turned out the solution was flagging as I stood up but having only one hand and one foot in place each time felt very weak. Repeatedly recently I've noticed there are some moves that look way more intimidating from just below than they actually feel once you've got the balance etc right to make them.

On the other hand, this didn't happen with the 3+ which has been bugging me for weeks. I got about halfway up it today. The simple truth is you need strong hands and you need to move quickly. I'll get the rest of it soon.

I watched the girl I spoke to on Monday night again. She's like a much better version of me, in how she moves - definitely something I can aspire to.

There's a particular move I'm beginning to get the feel of. It's turning sideways, holding myself in against the wall, and getting weight over a leg bent up high under me. It's getting better.

Also I notice that if my feet slip completely off the wall now, I can hold myself long enough to get them back on. I couldn't do that until recently.

K and I talked about our aims for this year. I said that mine had been to climb 6A by the end of it, but I'm hoping I might be able to bring that forward a bit. He's hoping to get up 6b's by the end and frankly I'm sure he'll do that sooner - he's done one already.

I read about a talk in London that I'd love to go to in early Feb by Dave MacLeod. Don't think the piggy bank will stretch to it though because I stupidly spent money on [non-climbing] clothes yesterday. (I was just so chuffed to fit into size 10 trousers!)

A guy I encountered on the net has offered to climb with me in the Peak district. He's way better than I am; I explained this but he seems ok about it. We'll see - for both people it's always rather a shot in the dark to meet on the net for something outdoors and rather distant. But if I do the sandstone stuff locally with D, and then possibly go to the Peak... this is starting to look rather good. If C does come good on things in the long run, then it will look very good indeed :)