My first week back in the office worked in well for when my car was booked in to have some work done. Yes I am still trying to have my overheating problem fixed. The works needed specific tools, a bit like technology manufacturers designing special fittings to make you go to them. This meant going to the main dealer and while the work should have taken a day, they somehow managed to take three. With three months of limited use of the car, my patience to find a solution is wearing a little thin and this latest escapade didn’t help:
They tested the car with a reasonable drive, so things were looking promising. Sadly the warning light came on during my drive home, but only instantaneously so being positive I put it down to being a glitch. There was only one way to check it out and that was to head out. No one was available to join so I headed out relatively early, when the temperatures were cool. Arriving at my destination an hour later, with the sun creeping above the horizon and the car seemingly having worked just fine. It was however a bit of a nervous drive, waiting for the bing bing noise and a flashing red light to come up:
My focus however was soon directed on the present and what I was going to do next. What looked like smoke hung above the horizon out to sea, but the sky above and behind me was clear and blue. I’d come with both my climbing and snorkel gear, as there was a slim chance that it might be good enough for a dip. To start with, out came the climbing gear. I had brought the bright orange 11mm static rope that Craig had managed to get me. Ash, Howsie and I only used it once at West Cape Howe some months, because they were not impressed with it:
Most climbing gear works best with 10mm or smaller ropes. So while this beast matches my helmet just fine, it feels pretty stiff and difficult to use. It just about fitted in my ascender as I was top roping, but every time I had to pop it through my belay device to abseil back down it was a bit of a battle. Once set up I could then completely let go of the rope and the friction held me there. With a narrower rope if I did this, it would run freely through the device and I would fall. Being by myself this was the best image I could manage, and I should include a disclaimer saying “don’t try this yourself”! :
I battled the rope into my belay device for my first three lines, but gave up after that. Walking down for the next three routes. In truth it also gave my arms a bit of a rest between the climbs. This week I have been in the shed three times, twice to do my shoulder exercises and once to have a boulder on my wall. This resulted in me feeling it a bit more than usual, as I packed in twelve back to back laps on climbs that were liberally coated with chalk. Suggesting this place has seen a bit of action recently, but today at this early hour I was alone:
Despite it feeling pretty humid, to the point sweat dripped down my face, my chalk bag stayed in my rucksack. I may have been getting hot in part due to moving fairly fast, and was wrapped up in less than two hours. The whole time I was watched the swell, at times it looked fine and then a set would come in making me wonder. Checking my phone Lisa had sent me a few pictures of our local beach, saying it was complete clear and would be great for snorkelling today. Decision made and I left, as the temperatures were reaching the mid twenties. Just a few kilometres from home the bing bing noise and a little red light came on. Damn:
Sandbagged 