A mixed bag of Pembroke

James and I just had a weekend in Pembroke - possibly my favourite area for climbing, but it wasn't an overwhelming success.

Friday went well enough and I led Dreamboat Annie, a great classic, but Saturday starting very slowly.  We were fully geared up when we were warned off a climb by a chap from the RSPB (that was near the edge of bird ban proper).  Moving further along the cliffs we chose a second crag only for me to ab in to find a load of gull chicks on the ledges (a bird not rare enough to warrant a ban) so that idea was binned too.  It wouldn't have been nice for them or us.  Eventually we got climbing and I led a couple of great HVSs.  After showing some promise on Friday, the less said about James' leading on Saturday the better!

We then drank some beer.  

Beach-side musings with beer in hand

Drunken Arete (Mod) a great new line straight off the beach
(which we spent too long on and nearly got cut off by the tide)

My head was not in the right place come Sunday morning and I ended up flapping around on and dogging my way up another HVS.  Point to note - avoid routes that following horrid diagonal cracks.

Psyche!

So - before our next trip, I really need to do some training.

St Govan's Chapel

What happens in Ibiza...

...stays in Ibiza.  So naturally, I cannot regale you with stories of my week of hard-core clubbing and debauchery.

Ibiza Town

What I can tell you is that we had a surprisingly pleasant week in the Sun.  In fact, despite it being very clubby (getting hassled to buy tickets each way you turn), it was a lot more family oriented than I expected - albeit very 'package holiday' type families.  We even had a 'rep'.  How common.

We mostly lazed around but did get a boat out to another beach (very crowded but with a deserted expensive beach-side restaurant, quite odd) and to Ibiza town.  I seemed to adopt Mediterranean eating and, for me, didn't eat a lot - if only it could continue.  I will try.

I exercised a pleasing amount, clocking up five runs of about eight miles each and doing five Insanity core workouts.  For one run, I got the bus to St Josep and ran up the highest mountain in all of Ibiza.  It was only 475m and took 25mins to 'summit', I then got lost and had to run halfway up it again to get back.  For the rest I ran along the coast, and discovered something of a love for quick-stepping trail running over really rocky terrain. I tried the 'Back to Core' one from The Asylum.  Looks easy. Isn't.

So all in all, most relaxing and made a pleasant change - especially before the world of baby screaming and crapping and puking (the former of which dominated the flight on the way there and back) that awaits us.

As has become my new and lazy way of blogging, here is the photo dump:

The water taxi to a slightly nice beach.  And Holly.  I don't mean Holly is a taxi.

Sunset at Cafe del Mar (second best sunset in the world, our rep told us, trying to flog us an excursion)

Seafood paella sounded a good idea, but I don't do well with shellfish in their shells

Bradley Cooper hair

Mega yacht.  Russian billionaire I imagine.

The trail beckons

My coastal run which I did four times - 2hrs the first time due to getting lost, reducing to 1hr14.  Really really nice run.  But why is Jesus in the reflection of my sunnies? I was alone...

You should see me do this in da club

The Return of the Jedi

After a year and a half layoff from climbing actual rock, we finally got out to Gogarth this weekend.

Despite being relatively fit in general terms, fit for rock I am definitely not.  We managed three HVSs over the weekend (a bit lazy, but baby steps) and I needed to rest on one - the second sustained pitch of Central Park.  So I can't complain too much.  Once pumped, the pump seemed to stick around - I have poor recovery ability.  Also, after such a long layoff, and a lot of running last year, my feet are no longer rock-shoe-shaped - jeez they hurt.  Think I may have to revert to beginner shoes for a bit!

To be honest, Saturday was marred with a sense of unease - weak arms, probable dehydration, Gogarth psyche-out and not much sleep all added up to give me a stressful day.  Sunday was much better though and I could actually enjoy the climbing (probably cos it was easier).  Still, I know what I need to do - climb more.

We found a cracking campsite right near South Stack which even served brekky.  Of course, the weather always biases ones view of a place and it was hot, damned hot.

Not quite Yoda yet, more of a crying Luke Skywalker.

A room with a view

Sorted for the day - 8am and t-shirt weather

Sense of impending psyche-out

We had to queue for Scavenger, but hey, can't complain when it's this nice

Calves courtesy of Insanity

Crux bridging of Scavenger - 5m off the deck and I am already wasted

Icarus takes the smaller shadow near the centre of the pic - you can see a chap in the corner

James sat in shit

A more pleasant Wales

I am pleased to report that this weekend's trip to Wales with the cadets was much more pleasant than the last.  We walked up Cadir Idris on Saturday - when its clear this may be the most useless route on the planet to practice navigation as you can see the entire thing, still, pleasant enough.  On Sunday we set them off on their own and Mike and I went for a wee eight mile run.

Lee sent me these photos.  He likes cute horses you see.  Note, they were taken on an iPhone.

I win

Horse

The weather is due to hold, so fingers crossed for possibly the first rock climbing on rock for over 18 months this weekend!  I wonder what its like.

The Loft

Here is a quick photo dump of the loft boarding that took place this weekend.  Massive thanks to Gav who ruined his sunny bank holiday and spent it in a dark, hot and itchy loft.  He is just about the only person to read this anyway.

The crap with extracted from the loft

The new materials arriving.  I offered to move the car...

Installing cross battens and relaying the second layer of insulation

Tough guy

Fully boarded and membrane stapled in place (to keep dust out and light in)

Infinite storage. Until it's full.

Thanks also to Lee for lending me his tools again.

If you can't climb...

Why not try furniture make-overs?  Oh, Lord, what has become of me.

This should tide you dear readers over until I blog on the man-skillz of building the Boudoir and boarding the loft.

There might be some climbing soon, honest.

Before

After

It's a...

The big news of the last week is that we had our second scan and found out we are having a girl.  This is no surprise to me at all I had no doubt that I will forever be surrounded by women.  I can’t say I minded one way or the other – boy or girl, they are still destined to be a climbing super athlete.  Of far, far greater importance is that all measurements etc came out within the normal range. So that’s a small measure of stress removed.

If anyone asks, this photo does not exist (more fool the nice lady for leaving us alone for long enough to snap this)

She definitely has an eye (the small circle is her lens!)

Work has been progressing on ‘The Boudoir’, Holly’s walk in closet and dressing room, which will make our three bedroom house into a two bedroom house, but as I have a climbing wall, I can’t really complain.  Plus, I am enjoying building the thing.  This will get its own post in due course, which will probably be quite boring.  Oh, and our reseeded lawn is growing, as are our tomatoes and chillies and strawberries – I am so middleclass suburban!

I just returned from a weekend in Wales, taking cadets to get walking days logged before they do their Silver and Gold DofE Expeds.  I can’t say I enjoyed it, it was hard work and they were a bunch of pissy teenagers.  I won’t go into to details, but three complaints by two Wing Commanders, a lot of swearing, a lot of whinging about not wanting to do the very thing they went there to do and one seriously inappropriate comment later and we have two demotions, two blocked promotions that were imminent and one cadet being told he can’t do his Gold this summer (plus me speaking to his parents).  At least I get paid I suppose.  I think the fallout will make the next trip go a bit more smoothly.

We managed to fit in a couple of short runs – here is Mike running over the disused slate quarries. My knees are becoming a problem.

The Nantlle Ridge is a very pleasant walk (even more so without cadets in tow I imagine)

And finally, here are some tiny horses