To Do List - Pancakes

 ·         Plan adventures

It’s all coming together, albeit slowly. At the moment I’m trying to match up people, places and crags like a giant game of snap. But I can plan safely in the knowledge that wherever I decide to go it’ll rain.

No van as yet, but there are a few local candidates to check out during the week.

·         Pancakes

The perfect breakfast food! I’m not very good at breakfast; mornings are far too early for eating, apart from chocolate obviously. I can eat chocolate at any time of the day or night, it’s like a superpower.

The only solution to the breakfast conundrum is pancakes... or nutella... or both. Sorted!

·         Climb...

It’s not raining, I have a belayer, life is good. Anstey’s is the crag of choice today and Devonshire Cream is the route; 16m of exquisite climbing with the first bolt at 8m, just after the 6a crux. It’s considered to be bolted by a manic or genius depending on your outlook on life.

·         Warm up

A lap or two of the traverse to get the blood flowing...


·         Reacquaint myself with the moves

Forgot the clipstick but remembered the boyfriend so got the first bolt clipped. I had a feeling I was going to find the crux hard... I try it and it feels easy... I try it again thinking it will be easy... it’s hard. I strip the clips (‘effics’) and sit down for a long hard think.

My thought process goes along the lines of:

“I quite like my legs, don’t really want to break them”

“Easy solution to that, don’t fall off”

“But what happens if I freak out? Agh I’m scared!”

“Man up! Anyway you can downclimb from right before

the crux and once you’ve done the crux it’s all over”

“Umm... I still don’t want to do this but I’ve run out of arguments”

“Perfect, let’s do it!”

·         Crunch time

The tricky part is always the decision making; after that it’s just the follow-through...

It goes without a hitch, no broken legs, no emergency bails into the thorn bush, no panicking, no gibbering. And the best bit...? Knowing I never have to do it again...

...until Sole Fusion

...and Cream Topping

...bugger.