dagibbs | Another wonderful day of climbing

Went out climbing with K8 and scubajim today. The weather was just awesome, sunny, a bit of a breeze (to help keep the bugs off), and around 18-20C. We went to Spindrift wall in the Western Cwm, since it has several long (25m) but easy (5.3-5.5) sport climbs. Unfortunately, there was a fair bit of water running down the cliff, so the first couple climbs we did were a bit trickier than they might normally have been due to dodging water. Another group came by and were doing the adjacent wall (Cave Wall) which is trad only, but there is a nice crack climb (called Neruda) up it, that I like, K8 has been eyeing as long as we've been coming to Spindrift, and Jim also likes. They kindly agreed to haul our rope up and set a top-rope for us, so we could climb it after they were done. So, we all got to do Neruda as well.

Lately, I've found that my climbing seems to have stagnated a bit in the gym, I don't feel like I've made much/any progress for most of the last year. But, getting back on a couple climbs this weekend that I last climbed last summer was quite illustrative. One of the routes I led yesterday I wasn't able to lead last time, though I completed it on top-rope. And last time I tried Neruda, I fell off several times, and took the bypass at the top making the finish easier, but this time I climbed it quite cleanly (no falls) and didn't bypass the finish, either. And, I don't think it is because I "know" the climb, like working a climb in the gym. It was long enough ago, that I don't think that had any influence. I think, though, I have been getting very slowly better over the last while, rather than the big jumps in ability that I saw in my first year.