Thursday, February 25, 2010

Font

So thats it. We knocked it on the head and left font a week earlier than expected. The weather wasn't great throughout, we had a lot of rain and a week of snow. In total we had 3 perfect climbing days (blue skies, cold weather and everything dry) and i climbed on 16 out of 35 days. Most of these involved some drying or removal of snow from the problems before they were climbable!

Photo Dave MacFarlane

Because the weather was so unpredictable i only allowed myself one session on anything. I didn't want to waste a rare dry day going back to a problem when i could be trying something new. Although this meant i didn't do anything really hard, it did mean that i got quite a lot done, and often these were world class problems.

I promised a ticklist when i got back so here it is. I really dont understand grades (as anyone who knows me will agree) and climbing in font left me more confused than normal. Rather than listing the problems in grade order, they are in order of how hard i found them. Bear in mind conditions were not always ideal. As you can see, grading can seem pretty rediculous.
[probably best to take this with a pinch (or 2) of salt]

[W]= Wet
[D]= Damp
[S]= Snowy

L'Apparemment
Control Technique
Partenaire Particular[W](bottom half was wet, hard to keep feet dry for micro edges)
Karma[S]
L'aplain du Gain[W](The wettest thing we climbed all trip - not fun but everything else was unclimbable)
Gecko
Michel-Ange[D](so hard, especially when top sloper is wet!)
Le Batard(Between Big Golden and Atresie, in my opinion its a better (and harder) problem. If it was on its own boulder/climbed before the others it would be a 5 star classic)
Tigre et Dragon[D](Damp top added to the spice)
Partage[S](3rd go in the snow. Top out was death)
Atresie
Le Mandarin(eliminate but amazing - the power palm is a wonderful move)
Big Dragon[S]
Coeur d'Alien[W](very wet top, felt desperate)
T-rex assis(Don't think this is as good as people say, ok, but not amazing)
Surplomb de la Mee[D]
Direct du Surplomb[D](2nd go. Dropped lip on the flash)
Big Golden[D]
Synapses
La Mandarine
La Gaul[D]
Hypothese
Antithese
Appartenance assis(adds lovely section to the start - very worthwhile)
Megalithe
Supplement d'armes assis
Apotheose(1st go, but had been on it very briefly in 2007)
Tristesse
Big Boss
Misericorde[S](2nd go, but i had been on it brefly in 2008 when Dan did it)
Flagrand Desir[W](Damp and dark! see pic)
Vandale[W](flash)
Irreversible[W](top out soaked - jugs = puddles!)
Dosage
Conrol A