I'm a woman

I'm a woman
Photos copyright Laurence Gouault
No reproduction on other media without the photographer's permission.

Sunday 28 December 2014

Balls to Xmas, climbing is better. by Stevie Haston.

Do you have a love hate relationship with humanity? Maybe? It's that time of year, when for a week people sometimes smile at each other, give gifts, and go yo ho ho. Its all daft cos the rest of the year everybody is not that nice. 


  So here's a truth, it's my gift for Xmas, everybody knows it, but since we are all ego based and crass human beings we ignore it when it suits us. Climbing grades don't make any sense, but sometimes, or often, they are really nonsense, the whole basis on which we judge difficulty is based on make believe, and it is now proved time and time again by people with small fingers. You may well say yes but the little blighters can't reach holds, and this is true, but hey we don't judge them by what they can't do, we just judge them by what the head lines tell us they crush.


So bowling balls know all about difference in size, but climbing magazine editors clearly don't have any balls and never will. Small holds as well as  pockets are easier to pull on if you fit them. Holds below 6mm are really hard for people with fat meaty fingers. 


If you are heavy and have big feet, rubber will rip and tear easier, even if the boots are really well designed.


 This carabiner is a year old! I just took it off one of my routes, its a very good binner by a very good manufacturer, beware.
Anyway none of this matters if you like climbing, today like Xmas day I was climbing with friends and it was great, trying a route that is 50 meter and over hangs about 40 or 45 meters, it's a gift. 
There you go it's my gift to you all, its called Pleasant Pheasant Plucker.