A bit of exercise...

I've just been down to Armathwaite for a quick boulder. I ticked off the usual three problems - Exorcist Start (V2), Problem 3 (V3) and Problem 4 (V4) - before tackling Problem 5 (V4). I'm not sure why I've never tried this problem before; it's a four move traverse into Problem 3, but those four extra moves, even though they are pretty straight forward, gave my left forearm a slight pump so it took a few goes before I stuck the moves off the diagonal rail, up to the big ledge and the awaiting finishing hold.

Taking in Armathwaite's Sandy Bay.

I spent the rest of the session trying to get Problem 7 (V6), which I have been trying on most of my recent visits to the Sandy Bay, but I just don't seem to have the strength (or more likely the confidence) to make the big move to the bad looking sidepull/pinch, which is just two moves from the finish. Today, my attempts were a mirror image of all my other attempts and the confidence thing was even more of an issue. If I came off, slightly out of control, I would probably have landed in the River Eden, which was fairly high and this meant that the two other problems, I can usually tick, were out over the water and were therefore out of bounds for the session.

After my bouldering I headed back to the car, swapped gear and headed off for a run around Coombs Wood. I managed 2.8 miles in 29 minutes, which isn't too bad when you consider that apart from yesterday - where I got out for 13 minutes and managed 1.64 miles - I've not been for a proper run since I left high school in 2005.

My new thing: running at night.

You may wonder why I have started running; I've decided to improve my general fitness so that I can walk into high mountain crags quicker and arrive in better shape for the climbs, but I also get to play with my new head torch if I head out at night for a run, which adds an extra element to the monotony of it all.

Good lines, stay safe and see you on the wet stuff...
Iain