Three in a day!

After picking up some supplies yesterday morning, I jumped in the car and headed off to meet Steph at the airport. Her flight had been delayed a bit, which gave me just enough time to make it round the Boulevard Peripherique and up to Charles de Gaulle after missing the right turn off.
I’ve been to some of Europe’s major airports before, but my god, CDG is a city in its own right! Maybe I should’ve checked which terminal she was flying into, coz the place is MASSIVE. After a few rushed texts and phone calls, I finally found her (at the departures drop-off point), and we headed back in time for a quick session at Gorge au Chat, as Steph wanted to hit rock asap and check out the beta on Sa Pelle au Logis.
Fair’s fair, so after I showed her how to get out of the cave, she pointed out a much easier and less powerful way to do the last move, and by the time dark set in we were both pretty psyched to go back in the morning and get it ‘done’.
After a steak dinner, a few beers, and a one armer demo from Mr P, (see the gallery), we hit the sack with an early start in mind – eek!

Given that Steph’s a fan of the ‘Dave Birkett warm-up’ we were straight back to Gorge au Chat and after some fine-tuning, into redpoint mode. Steph’s first go saw her agonisingly close to topping it out, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be today. She’s got it wired though, and it’s purely a matter of time before she sends it now.
After a few false starts myself, I surprised myself by getting to the finishing holds without once feeling fully in control. ‘Tis just the way it seems – sends either feel like a walk in the park, or desperate all the way... and this one was definitely one of the latter! I topped it out though and was well chuffed with my second proper tick of the trip so far. Amazing what a difference it makes having someone to work a problem with.




I’d noticed on Bleau.info the other day that there’s another problem on this block, where you traverse in from the right and take the same finish as Sa Pelle au Logis, ‘Variaspal’. So, after a spending a while figuring the start out, I followed up with the second tick of the day. Awesome!

We were both feeling a bit bushed by now, so we decided to take a stroll up to Rocher Fin, for Steph to have a crack at Memoire d’Outre Tombe, and for me to have another go at the problem opposite – ‘le Nain Vert Sait’.
Steph did really well on Memoire... a problem that felt a little out of reach for her last year, finding that little extra stretch, and getting all the other moves sussed too.



She’ll be back to get this one linked in April for sure (she sends her apologies BTW for sporting the climbing boots and socks look! It's an ankle –scraper, so kinda necessary. Function over fashion, for reeal ayyight).
Mr P had a real good crack too, but he nearly had his chips as he attempted the slopey top out!
After a halting start on le Nain Vert Sait, finding it impossible to get off the ground on the problem that had felt so do-able the other day, I suddenly cracked it, and found myself desperately slapping at the finishing holds and topping it out with all the style of a beached whale. Still, a tick is a tick is a tick. And today i’ve managed to bag myself three Font 7a’s! My most successful day’s climbing ever I reckon, and it’s really cool that I got to share it with Steph, i’m not sure any of ‘em would’ve gone down without her constant encouragement.

I’ve only got her for one more day unfortunately, but we’ll be making the most of it again for sure, and I reckon i’ll be taking a well earned rest day come Monday!