Well, it's been a crazy few months and has included some pretty big and very exciting developments. Unfortunately, most of them have not been related to climbing or bouldering. So, firstly I took a month off to try to rest some long term niggles, namely, a badly swollen knuckle on my middle finger and some elbow tendinitis that has been flaring up quite regularly. Apparently happens when one climbs five days a week. Sounds a bit crazy to me... Also, I have been preparing to open a restaurant with my brother and another mate quite a distance from the grampians. It has been pretty full on and has left very little time for climbing outdoors. Especially since I have started really getting back into martial arts. Even so, I have snuck in a few days here and there and have been able to start training properly, something that I haven't done in years. So, even though I have been limited by time, I have actually been making some gains on the campus and fingerboard. Added to which, I have been able to train with some of my good friends and really push myself a bit. I have had a few days on the rock here and there and have managed a couple of FA's, including a cool compression problem, Giant Squid, that comes in around 7c+ and will be at least another 2 grades from the sitter...  

  I also completed a trad route up a beautiful piece of rock that I had eyed up for years and years. It wasn't the line that I originally envisaged, but climbed an absolute treat. Starting up an old school crack with some proper jams, it gave me a bit of stick, before you traverse left along a good break. Drop in a couple of reassuring cams and then run it out to the top on slopey, delicate and insecure moves. The are two distinct cruxes, a fall from the second would put you pretty close to the floor from a decent height too,thankfully I only took the ride once and that was from the lower crux, only resulting in a bit of flight time, pulling up a couple of meters above the deck, though I must admit my heart was in my mouth for a moment... The result, the last grasp, E6/7 6b... Stay tuned for the video, though I apologis for the low res...