Fore!

I’ve again found myself fall foul of my own enthusiasm.  Pushing things that bit too far, such that my body is giving me warning signs to ease up.  The niggles of golfers elbow developing in both arms.  More than likely as a result of the weights session rather than the climbing, but to be safe I’m putting the brakes on most forms of exercise.  Hence the golfing title of fore, which has made me dig into where this term originates.  It seems it is a debated phrase, and may in fact come from an artillery term as opposed to a pure golfing term:

Either way it has been described as a phrase to warn people in front of what is happening, which may sound strange in terms of being an artillery term.  And maybe for this reason the modern historians feel this use cannot be proven or is unlikely.  It is also unlikely, that despite the threat of injuries that I will stop climbing.  Ease up yes, but to not get out at all is not in my nature unless I’m completely physically incapacitated.  And where better to go when you want a low grade fun day out, but Moses Rocks:

Josh was keen and it so happens our last trip out was here, but he didn’t mind that.  It wasn’t an early start by any means, and in front of us there was another party of four climbers.  In the near two decades of climbing here this has been unheard of.  I’ve met people hear by arrangement, and seen signs of other climbers having been about, but have never seen anyone else climb while I’ve been here.  As we passed them at the norther end, we had a quick meet and greet and then left them to it, as we continued to Hands Up Wall:

Today was going to be a busy day at the crag, so Josh and I went ahead of Howsie’s crew to get a couple of lines in before they turned up.  This included a warm up on a pretty wet crack on the main wall, before I suggested that we could try the above route.  A line that I doubt anyone else has ever climbed since I put it up.  The conditions were perfect for it today.  Boiling white water below, crashing sound bouncing off the walls, and the occasional larger waves to encourage you to not dilly-dally at the base for too long:

I might add that when I led it Josh was belaying high and dry, as I climbed down a corner as far as I dared before stepping right to start heading back up the middle of the wall.  As he followed me up loving the experience and really enjoying the climbing to, the Howsie mob turned up.  Howsie, Nadia, Fergus, Frank, as well as Marnie who I haven’t caught up with for years.  I didn’t realise it but this was Howsie birthday outing, although to start with he didn’t cram too much climbing in.  Instead being belayed by, and then belaying Fergus:

I ran up a few of the easier lines with Josh and Marnie in tow, as Howsie kept the boys going.  Fergus was more keen to climb than Frank, but they both had a go.  Frank was soon climbed out, which didn’t take too long and he sat with Nadia.  Out came the sketch books, and I was a bit remiss when I didn’t get to have a peak at their artistry of the walls and us climbing them.  Eventually Fergus had also had his fill but not before taking on a tricky corner, especially for someone of his size.  Howsie was not surprisingly still keen to climb:

So with people pottering about exploring, drawing, and taking photos I threw the rope down.  It conveniently hung down in a place where Howsie could play on two lines.  It was a case of warming his fingers up before me moved to a smaller wall, which I knew he was keen to get to.  The route below was not the one I had climbed, keeping my sensible head on I had tackled the easier crack to its left.  But with climbing easy is a relative term, last time Josh really struggled on it this time however he made much better work of it:

It was however not Marnie’s style.  She got up it but it took a fair amount of effort.  Being encouraged from below by the entourage.  To wrap up the morning we headed to Red Wall, a short crag with a couple of punchy lines.  I headed up the easier crack, which this time did not prove easy for Josh who had a real battle.  Howsie played on a line to our left, one he’s been keen to try for some time.  It wasn’t the best conditions, the was rock glistening, but he managed all the moves and is now looking forward to our next trip here when he hopes to bag it: