Climate Changed

Yesterday, I passed a somewhat sad milestone, and with a quick trip to Rollarit have now rock climbed in Finland during every month of the year. Had you told me this even three years ago, I wouldn't have believed it. Even last winter, although the winter was the shortest anyone remembers, still on this weekend last year, late February traditionally the depths of the winter, the weather was like this. I particularly remember that weekend because my legs got so cold I went out and bought some Goretex sallopettes in the end of season sale at a local outdoors shop. Then of course having made that investment, the next weekend everything warmed up and started melting and I never used them. This winter I've only worn them once so far (Marmot Randonee and they work great if anyone cares) but despite getting them at 50% off, so far they haven't been a great investment in the amount of usage I got out them!

Your's truly approaching the rather stylish crux of "Lanttumaakari", F5c

This route has a delicate step-through that makes a desperate move feel easy if done right. When you do it, it feels so nice. I had forgotten how much fun rock climbing can be.

Tony on the tricky 6a "Liidi Master".

My achievement of the day was finding a weakboy-cheeky-Egyptian method of doing the crux of this route static, allowing me to do the move without resorting to the somewhat alarming dyno-lunge-lurch method that Tony used. But then he's stronger than me so probably goes with Ben Moon's famous quote of "technique is no alternative to power"! Oddly, I can think of two other 6as that are harder than this one in Southern Finland, and one 6b that is easier.

Tony cruise the horribly undergraded "Rullaportaat" 5- (VS 4c)

And again.

Sunset over Keha III (Ring Road III) - some civil engineering that somewhat spoils the outlook from the crag.

The temperature was about 5 oC and out of the wind and in the sun, it felt really quite civilised. It is actually snowing outside now, although somewhat half-heartedly, so at least the weather is trying to look wintery, but they say that is going to melt this afternoon...