Scotland - the new Australia

When did it last rain? I honestly don't think I could say. The weather has been almost as good as my procrastination has been long. I have finally sent off my application for teacher training so fingers crossed that I will get accepted and be able to start in September. Trying to write a personal statement is probably the most unpleasant and lengthy task I've had for a while!

Well, I did manage to rise to the occasion at Glen Clova and on-sighted an E4 called Wildebeast, did several other climbs in the E2 to E3 range and had a good look at Cinderella from the ground... I'm glad all I did was look because while Gary Sandbag Latter thinks it is E5 and "adaquately protected", everyone else seems to think its more certain-hospitalisation-E6 territory.

Also had a superb 4 day trip around the east side of Scotland but substituted "on-sighted" for "fell off" a number of routes up to E4, including, to my eternal embarrassment, an "HVS" called Fingerwrecker. If anyone is considering trying it; don't. There is nothing to recommend this route to anyone except perhaps an aid climber.

I'm going away this weekend to the Shelterstone... I know what you are thinking, "Shelterstone in _April_??" but apparently the mild spring has dried the wall out about 2 months early so here's hoping the weather holds long enough to get a couple of the classics done up there. Rumor has it that Slime Wall is also dry (though I'm doubtful because if the sun had gone supernova, I'm sure I would have noticed) and if this is true it is an opportunity that should not be missed and I will have to see if I can clock up Lechers Superstition and maybe even dare to venture onto New Testament to make aquaintance with the slime factory itself.

I have arranged to observe some school chemistry classes next week but I think concentrating on children being taught chemistry indoors is going to sorely test my limits of self control when there is wall to wall sunshine, no midges and I know every crag in the kingdom is dry. I might try sacrificing the neighbours cat to mother nature in return for the good weather lasting another week.

The faff that is life

Coming back from a life of itinerancy to the land of get-you-life-sorted-! has been a a bit of a shock to the system. Actually having to deal with tax, insurance, job/study and everything else that entails makes me want to just turn into a hippie or a hermit and live in a cave.

After due consideration, I have decided to embark on a career (yeah yeah, enough of the sarcastic comments) and by process of elimination, it appears that with my qualifications, abilities, lifestyle, etc. It would be best for me to become a [drumroll] secondary school teacher of chemistry.

...Now I know that in the past I have greeted suggestion of this career in what might optimistically be called a lukewarm manner but it turns out on objective consideration to be the best option. Fortunately there are a still some institutions accepting applications for this years course, unfortunately none of them are in Edinburgh.

The money one has to pour into a car seems unending these days so I have done my first home made car repair in an effort to staunch the flood of cash leaving my wallet! It turns out that clamping a baked bean can round a snapped exhaust pipe is actually quite easy, cheap and effective.... and by the end of the weekend, I should know if I can add the adjective 'long lasting' to that list.

So, on to climbing, or lack thereof! Since returning from the golden land of eternal sunshine I have failed pathetically on a number of hard routes while seconding and led absolutely nothing of any degree of difficulty. Writing this is actually making me depressed so I will say no more, except that I am going to Glen Clova tomorrow and if I return without at least having tried an E4, anyone who reads this can berate me in public for being a pansy-assed weakling.