A Proud Delivery

My day job - editing a magazine, can be a strange one. You pour your heart into an issue, fret over tiny details, have heated discussion with your fellow editor, scrutinize it again and again for mistakes - then wave it good bye and move on to the next one. Occasionally you might come across the odd comment on internet forums - most reliably when the inevitable error gets noticed. But there's usually silence on the content. Friends pipe up a bit more often - all overwhelmingly positive, but they are your friends after all.

All I really have to go on is the gut feeling each month on how good each issue really is. Well this last month (actually 3 months) labour has produced our first ever photo issue of Climb - and the gut says good, very good. It will be interesting to see if there is any response from our readers and hopefully previously non-readers. We've made a big effort to make it more than just a token extended gallery. We've also tried to offer more than just images, with mini story length captions for many of the shots. The result is something that if you've got out of the habit of buying mags, perhaps with the free content available on the web you might even see magazines as pointless, then give this issue a good look - I strongly feel it does things the web can never match.

The dreams ahead

Yeah! Even though I'm sitting typing this with a swollen knee that has kept me up most of the night, it's a big relief to have had my knee finally operated on. A further relief (as illustrated in the surgeons pics above) is that there was no arthritis and it was a simple meniscus cartilage tear. Obviously the recuperation required after operating is a big knock-down in terms of fitness but at least I can now get stuck into the process of building back up towards my climbing dreams.

Talking of which, like most climbers I always have dream/fantasy routes in the back of my mind, most of which of course I never end up going anywhere near. For the last few months I've found it too frustrating to think much about climbing but now with the imagination unleashed my latest obsession is a short little route on the other side of the globe.

Photo by Wiktor Skupinski/ http://www.latitudephotography.com/

Victoria's Secret Deviation was the shortest of the five new routes or variations Raphael Slawinski established on the Stanley Headwall in Canada in the winter of 07/08. He graded it M7++, although I think the story goes that the second ascensionist felt M9 closer to the mark. Or perhaps being entirely trad protected Scottish X might be more appropriate? Whatever, the photo above and write up at the time really burnt into the memory, and whether I get a chance to head out to Canada or not this route will be my motivation over the next few months of physio and rehab. (Here's a report on Raphael's adventures at that time http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web07-08w/newswire-slawinski-stanley-headwall )

The other big excitement at the moment is my new job as Associate Editor of Climb Magazine alongside Dave Pickford the new Chief Editor. This has been my first official week in the post but Dave and I have been grafting away over the past month or so putting in the background work. This shot of a "skyped" business meeting while Dave was in Spain (redpointing some amazing sounding 8b+s) is a nice little vignette I think, with Dave's mad hair summing up the creative side that makes him such an inspirational person to work with.

We've got massive plans for the magazine with many changes and a long term ideal where we hope to make each month's Climb as anticipated as much as each issue of Mountain was or Alpinist is today.

Moments

It's been an interesting past few weeks, something of an emotional bungee jump. As I described a couple of posts ago my trips up to Scotland yielded only one successful ascent. That's not to say that the trip wasn't a success; visiting new places, gradually unlocking the secrets of some really special new lines and spending time with friends in the hills. But there were times when I could feel my mental energies dropping into the red zone. One of those moments was battling with the crux of a potential new winter route, when after some pretty nervous thrashing above poor gear I discovered a bolt next to my head. Not something you often come across in the Scottish mountains. Despite being an ancient relic it gave me a little more confidence to try again. I managed a few seconds further thrashing with my axes before the 1cm bubble of ice that formed my crucial footholds crumbled. It was then I found out how ancient the bolt was as it put up zero resistance to my fall. It was time to go home.

Sport climbing protection Scottish 1970s style. 3mm diameter bolts drilled 7mm deep!

Just under a week later I was due to make the most of the amazing conditions North Wales has been having, but had to cancel as my baby daughter was feeling a little under the weather. She's doing fine really, and for me every change in circumstances is another potential opportunity. Holding your little one in your arms as she drops off to peaceful sleep, now that's a special moment.

The other little pleasure this weekend was reading the first draft of a piece Andy Popp has written for Climb Mag. Its for the Stomping Ground series and covers Andy's local patch for the last decade of Cheshire; Helsby, Pex and Frodsham. These are all quiet crags that I've often driven past on the way to the bigger names of North Wales. Andy's piece perfectly summed up how important, essential even these local places can become. I won't say anymore - its a very personal piece - well worth checking out when it comes out in a couple of months. Reading Andy's piece reminded me that adventure needn't be about the grandest far flung places but can be right on your doorstep.
The view from the top of the Notch at Helsby

"All the world, seemingly, lies beneath your feet. Industry and landscape and habitation.... And there to the west is Wales; the promised land. The sense of place is tangible." Andy Popp