font day 2: a punter's paradise

Ok so it's day 2 of our Font trip. Today we actually got to climb! Yay!
The plan was to try to do a complete circuit somewhere, so we went to Canche aux Merciers to try to do the entire Orange circuit. No problem. Ok so we started late and it rained half way through but we did it, along with a couple of other interesting problems along the way - the hardest of which was a rather nice overhung, juggy 5c.
I felt good, fine, full of energy and having no problems right the way through the circuit until around about problem 35/36ish (out of 44 total, plus others), at which point it all became hard, scary and rather lacking in technique. Still, we finished and all is good.

Had a rather nice meal and am now sitting watching climbing DVDs with the others. The shower is awesome.

Plan for tomorrow is a mammoth shopping trip to get [hopefully] everything for the week. Then we go to 95.2 and just try stuff we like the look of. We may start out on the blue circuit or something, just as a means of getting moving. I'm looking forward to it :)

font day 1: the journey and sink disasters

Ok so right now I'm sat at the dining table in our Gite in Font. Fantastic. We've just eaten a rather nice chilli con carne (I made it so it had to be good!) and had a slice of strawberry tart for dessert. A nice glass of red wine on the side has made for a really nice evening. Everything was going so well...

Ok so everything has been fine today, journey was ok, nothing special but no major problems. Phil did a valiant job in driving the whole way (thanks Phil!). We've eaten copious amounts of junk food - crisps, sausage rolls, chocolate, more chocolate etc and now had a nice wholesome meal.
Absolutely all was good, that is, until Jen decided to wash up. Now the sink is blocked. Lovely. Imagine a blocked sink with pieces of manky food and ancient sludge from the pipes floating around in it, yummy! We're hoping it will drain overnight - not sure what we're going to do about washing up after breakfast if it does though!

Anyway, tomorrow we're planning on having quite an easy day. Not sure what the weather's going to do but we're planning to go to Canche aux Merciers to try to do the whole of the orange circuit - should be fun! Hopefully this will help us get used to the rock and general style of climbing so we can get on and try some harder stuff later on in the week.

rain

It's raining. Again.
It's been raining all morning and is forecast to get heavier but then possibly stop late afternoon/early evening. Not that I'm obsessing over the weather at all - I just really want to fly today. Sigh.

On a more positive note everyone is gathering at ours tonight in preparation for tomorrow's epic journey over to Font. I may just be a teeny bit excited underneath all the stress of packing (I wish I wasn't so disorganised and didn't have so much ironing to do...)
Phil is planning a scallop risotto - sounds intriguing and yummy.

fontainebleau!!!!!

Saturday. 6am start for a 10am ferry crossing. I'm excited, not by the early start - I prefer to stay in bed, but by the fact that we're going to Font again for a whole week - woo!!

ups and downs...

Right. Last night was a bit up and down to say the least. My flying lesson was cancelled due to a strong crosswind (meaning flying just wasn't possible). Bummer. On the plus side though it did mean that I could get to the climbing wall without rushing around like a headless chicken, getting stressed and then climbing like something akin to a walrus in heat...

Session at the wall was passably good. Lots of good people to boulder with despite most of my regular partners being unable to make it. Saw lots of guys I haven't seen in a while, had some nice converstations and may even have gained a keen new trad partner - yay!
Shame the problems still haven't been changed - it's been a few months now and I'm a bit bored of just cruising around on the same old v4s and still being unable to touch the misgraded v3s (stupid lanky problem setters - I will not dyno for a tiny crimp and pop another pulley!!)

Phil cooked a lovely chicken satay stir fry (after a bit of a row about scallops - don't ask) before I went, shame we'd rushed it a bit because of my lesson. My instructor is hassling me to get my Air Law exam done (more hassle, ok so I really do need to get my finger out).
Incidentally I have now gotten onto chapter 7 of 15 that I need to read and understand and the last 5 are really short, and one's just a terminology glossary. Ok so there's still quite a bit to go.

My intention is to finish reading the book. Re-read the important chapters and the ones that aren't really sinking in and make notes, lots of notes. I also want to get hold of a copy of the PPL Confuser that has [equivalents of] all the exam questions in it, along with some nicely explained answers, read through that and then just have a go at the exam! If I fail, I fail and have to do it again, no big deal (apart from the exam fee).