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Jacky Godoffe spares a few minutes between route setting and ice creams at the European Championships in Lecco.
Organised by the Ragni di Lecco, the European Championships were held under clear sunny skies (most of the time), and brought together the disciplines of speed climbing, bouldering and difficulty to the central piazza of Lecco in a memorable week of sports climbing.

What is a typical day for JG?

I really enjoy being with my family. I have a big family with 4 children, normally I wake up very early and take the children to school before going to work. I work for the French Climbing Federation spending most of my time collaborating with journalists, television and the organizers of competitions. The final part of my job is preparing the French bouldering team. When I am not working I spend time with my family, the children are 20, 17, 4 and 2 years old. They do a little bit of climbing but not so much. They play a lot of sport, but they choose and do exactly what they want. I am firstly a musician and they also enjoy to play music.

So when do you get to climb?

Normally just after midday with friends who have the same free time as me. Generally I climb 5 times each week, it depends on the weather; when it is bad I run a lot. I choose to work from home because some times it is a little bit difficult with the children and all. It is not easy to organize, but like this I can spend time with my children. I like it so much, I don’t want to have a job and be one day the other side of the planet.

I really enjoy to set routes. It is part of my job with the French Federation, and I work on the French championships. When I come to places like Lecco it is because I enjoy to be with friends. It is well paid, which is a plus, and the last thing is I like introducing new ideas into competitions. If my level drops I will stop but if I manage to keep my own climbing level high I like to set problems. I feel I can propose something cool, fun and at a high level.

Have you ever had to choose between climbing and another life?

I spent two years without working when my first children were born. I lived in the south of France at this moment and I felt that I went to climb in the same way that I went to work. I was not at my strongest and I didn’t like it so much. Before this I had been teaching for 10 years. I chose to take 2 years out to climb, to see how things went and to do nothing. It was a good time to be with my young children. After this I returned to teaching before preparing to join the French Climbing Federation. I prefer work. For me there are 3 things; work, being with my family and climbing. I can’t do only one thing because if I see my family all the time and do nothing else it is impossible, working full time for money is impossible and climbing full time is impossible for me. I have to have a mix. Now when I go to climb I know exactly what I want. I am not as strong as when I was young, but I can do harder things. I don’t know why but it is like that.

Daniel Dulac competes at the highest level in all facets of the sport. Are people specialising or diversifying?

First of all Daniel is a very close friend, I know him very well. Two years ago he was mixing routes, bouldering and alpinism, but this year he has chosen one thing – bouldering. In competition I don’t think it is possible to mix disciplines because of the level, which especially in routes is really really impressive. It is the first year that Daniel has had very important results, he has won the European Championship. It is because he has chosen to be strong. He is a guy who is balanced. He likes the spirit of the mountains, (he is an alpine guide) he really likes to do dangerous and exposed things sometimes, he likes bouldering he likes climbing routes. He’s like that. He enjoys all kinds of movement. He is a nice guy, serious but cool.

Rock. Why do people feel the need to chip it?

I think it is impossible to say that the hardest routes are possible without chipping holds. All the difficult routes around the world, except one or two are with chipped or arranged holds. For bouldering it is a little bit different. Historically in the 50’s the first climbs in Fontainebleau were chipped. It was the way to go. Now I think the way to find new problems is without touching the rock. It is a good way and it is the general way, all the climbers are agreed to go in this direction. Some times there is some shame but generally when you propose something hard you follow the rock. I think it will be 10 years before routing is like bouldering now. It was a long way for bouldering and for routes it will be the same. If you chip one hold you choose your move, you choose the position, it is not a progression it is only an adaptation of your personal qualities. When you have the rock propose something you might not be able to do it. I have chipped some boulders in the past, and I can’t say now that it is wrong, but it is not one of the best things that I have done.

Could you do those chipped routes now (sans-chips)?

You never know. It is a good reason not to do it. 10 years ago more or less all climbers chipped holds. I don’t know any climber who has not arranged, cleaned or chipped one hold. Now I know when you chip you close a problem for future generations. It is not good for the future of bouldering, if you want to be better you have to except to wait. Sometimes a route or a problem is possible for one guy and then someone else chips the route. This has been the problem with a lot of problems especially in Switzerland, Dreamtime for example. That is really a shame, when you chip one hold and you know that it is possible for other guys that is a real shame. You are not in a good balance with your conscience.

Have areas like Fontainebleau got a finite life?

I am not sure because each week we find some new areas. Font is 50km by 40km and still has incredible possibilities. 10 days ago I went to a new area and it was incredible. I think whilst we have places like that there is not a problem. All the climbers go to the most popular areas, but in fact in these areas it’s not a problem. There are problems that are 20 years old and not so polished.

Where is your favourite climbing spot?

Probably Cuvier Rempart because it’s a nice place..

..and outside of France?

ahh, outside of France, apart from Font? hmm urr… no it’s Font. It’s just because of the rock. There are other fantastic places, for example Bishop in the United States but I don’t like so much the rock, I prefer the feeling of sandstone. Perhaps also Meschia, I have never been in this area but I know Mauro (Calibani) very well and it could be the best place for bouldering in the world. The rock is perfect, the place is perfect and overhanging. Probably the sandstone is a little bit better than in Font. But I have never been there, so for the moment it is Font for me.

Do spectators appreciate bouldering?

Bouldering is a game. The spectators like to see explosive moves but they don’t understand exactly what happens. Routes are different, they like to see something impressive and big falls are very impressive. I personally think the spectators enjoy the routes more. They don’t understand what happens technically but they understand that the route is long and one goes higher and higher. Bouldering is small, you have big jumps but the spectator can’t really appreciate the difficulty of the moves. I think the format is a shit one because the spectator doesn’t understand anything about what happens. At the end he sees 6 climbers climbing together but who is the winner?, it’s impossible to say. The way forward for bouldering is the system we are proposing at Arco; it is the knock out system. 6 climbers compete on five problems on which they have had a chance to work. After each problem one climber goes out. On the last problem you are left with only the best two. It is very clear, you are very sure and it is very explosive. In this way it is possible for spectators to understand something, and I think it is better for climbers because they can push the limits higher than in a general bouldering competition.

With those rules Gabriele Moroni would have been knocked out on the first problem?

For me this guy was magic. It is a long time since I have seen a climber so incredible. I understand what he did in some of the moves and what he did is incredible. Even after work not many climbers can do what he did first try. This competition was not really steep. It was like natural bouldering in fact; 15-25 degree maximum, but still difficult moves to do. Generally bouldering competitions are steeper, so in a normal competition I do not think he would have a chance.. yet, but I think in the future he will be taking bouldering forward.

Are you nervous before setting a competition?

It depends, generally I am nervous only that the spectators will appreciate the show. For the technical level of the problems I am not so anxious because I am very close to the level of the competitors. I train with them and I also climb with them on rock a lot of time. I think I know very well what one climber can do and what they can’t. It is easy to make some hard moves but if you want that it works you must propose some things different than simple climbing. For example the competition yesterday, well it worked, it was very nice for the spectators. For me there were 2 or 3 things wrong, especially in the men’s final. When someone uses a different foot hold or finds a different method it’s a shame, it’s not a perfect job. It worked for the organisation and spectators but I know that it could have been better. For me the men’s final was a little bit to easy.

Arco last year; no one got near the womens final problem?

I was pushing the limits trying to propose something really new and it didn’t work. I tried but I wasn’t angry because this last problem (the super-final) wasn’t necessary to make the classification, it was only to make a little plus. It didn’t work but I will try and be better the next time. I like to push the limit, to get the girls to jump with two hands, they never used to do that. Now I know by experience, but at the start you try to set a problem with small holds but the women have smaller fingers and its a very good pocket for her, for me it is shit. You think its hard but in fact it isn’t!. You have to understand how they climb to propose something. It is so exciting to set because you don’t know what will happen, ever. My problem is to get every one to say wow, it was a good show.

Why is the French team so good?

It is the history, French climbing has a very old history and very strong climbers. Sport climbing is very popular beginning in the 80’s very close to France. At the beginning a lot of young climbers can live and climb, they can train more. The French Federation is really present with the climbers, they give them money to train, and have the best conditions of all the nations. Now you can see other nations like Austria, Slovenia and Italy doing a very good job, but not at the same level as in France because we began before.
I think bouldering is very important in the UK. There are so many great British climbers who are strong. It is probably more important in the UK than in France. They push the limit really really high. In bouldering it is possible for an outsider to be in the top 5 but not in routes, it’s impossible. It involves to much training. In bouldering if it is your day and you are lucky with the problems some can do really hard things.

Any projects on the go?

Oh yes, I have a pretty long problem, a big roof of 20 moves. I have been trying it for 1 year now. It is in 2 parts, I have done the first part at 8b+. The second part is a big roof 8b+ and I have fallen 2 or 3 times from the last moves. I have tried with a lot of climbers. If someone can do it before me it is not a problem. I like so much this style, it’s one of the most incredible problems I have seen.

Where does your energy come from?

For me the important things are to be curious and to have fun. When climbers are very young they should see a lot of things with the maximum of pleasure. Except your limits, learn from other climbers and exchange these qualities. If you keep the pleasure at the same level you can except more and more training for competition and routes on rock. If you enjoy climbing you can train and try new things. For competition it is a good way to progress. On natural rock I think you can push your limit in your natural style. This is why I can do a 8b/8c boulder in one style, but I can’t do a 7c slab for example. I only climb on plastic when I have to set problems. If you propose a natural problem the competitors don’t understand anything, it doesn’t work. I now climb as little as possible on plastic. Resin is more injury inducing than natural rock, especially when you are competing for the on-sight, and secondly when you train all the time on walls. I think I have been quite lucky.

Can the girls compete with the boys?

Nobody can say never, for example girls can make problems or routes that men are not able to do, I am sure of that. They are very light, they don’t have the same body, the same fingers. Generally when you push the limits the holds are far from each other, the moves are very atheletic. When you mix all the qualities you need in bouldering or routes it’s not possible. In one style of route yes probably. In most cases no.

I propose to the women the same problems as the men 5/8 years ago, and it works. The progress in bouldering for men has been really high, for the women it has not been so much because they are not practising bouldering so much.

You enjoy the social side of climbing?

Climbing is an individual sport but it is impossible to be alone and push your limit. To have more pleasure you must be with others and exchange with them. You are not in competition but you want to be the best. It’s a deal and you are obliged, if you want to propose some new things to be with friends. And sometimes if you want to push the limit to say; I will be better than you, but you are my friend so it’s ok.. We come together I want to be better than you on this problem, but if your are better it is ok, cool! It is the way to be better. You need the spirit of competition but you except it’s a joke. In fact it is only a joke, life is difficult generally.

The name could be a play on words meaning ‘short circuit’ in English but whatever, it has a nice ring to it. The Korto Circuito is a annually recurring circuit of 4 bouldering events, each one held in a different Italian city. It had first captured my imagination a year or so ago when I noticed it on the Pareti website. At the time I had neither my own transport or knew anyone else who wanted to give it a go. I was also nervous having entered a competition in Preston many moons ago and immediately disqualified for lifting both feet in the air to get a better starting position!. But this year was different, I had at least my own wheels so I signed myself up.

The first leg was held in Genoa at the Sciorba climbing gym. Hidden underneath an athletics track it is a somewhat unlikely place to attract the best of Italian bouldering, but there it was. I drove down from Milan with Adam who would be doubling up as my personal trainer and John Dunne look a like for the day.

To cope with the high number of entries each leg is split into a morning and afternoon session. Each session lasts 3 hours with 25-30 problems to complete. Each change in difficulty is signalled by different coloured labels. ‘Real’ chalk was banned in favour of ‘liquid’ chalk, a weird substance that I hope I never have to use again. Having arrived early for the afternoon session we could take it easy, memories of Preston faded when I saw that it was a fairly informal affair; there were climbers of all ages and abilities, self regulation and a kicking sound track. I signed in and initiated some warm ups.

The greater number of problems are found in the lower grades, think of a triangle with the easiest climbs making the base and the most difficult the tip and you will have an idea of how the routes are distributed. There can be a wide degree of overlap between grades so you might find that there is one white (easiest) that you can’t do, but you may do 2 blues (the next hardest), it all depends on your own climbing style.

3 hours is a long time to keep climbing at your limit, so it is important to pace yourself. WARM UP, go for a run or do some stretching. This is THE most important thing I can advise. Even if you have only come for the social it is all to easy to get sandbagged into some contorted position. Get over your embarrassment and don’t cut corners, tendons snap quickly and take months to repair. Warm up facilities are not ideal so it is an idea to take some finger exercisers and a foam mat. It is also worth taking water and some light snacks, it relaxes the stomach and therefore the mind.

The start of the session provokes 80 normal looking people to throw themselves at the wall. Most go for the easiest climbs, the stronger a yellow or a blue. Don’t panic, take your time, things settle down. My preparation had not been focussed but I had at least been doing a little stretching and I think this was valuable. I managed to complete the whites, all but one green and three yellows. The reds were out of bounds for me requiring a considerable step up in performance, but I was very pleased finishing 37 out of 96. A great day out, and since it was nearly christmas; ending with a slice of Panatone.

A nice thing about these events is that you start to recognise people. They are very social occasions, and you get to meet both serious players and punters all hanging out with their own groups of friends. Anyone can enter the circuit but you will enjoy it more if you have a basic level of competence (5+). I can climb French 7A and over the circuit averaged mid table. Enjoying yourself is what it is about, watching people who are better than you, and working out how to get your body where you want it to go despite gravity and small holds.

I think it is fair to say you will always find one problem that you know you can do but it defies you, teases you, a cats whisker out of reach. I experienced one of these black sheep in every round, they draw you in at the expense of other ‘harder’ problems, but persistance pays off and the satisfaction gained can be immense.

The final leg at Arco was one I had been looking forward to. I was even more delighted to find out it was actually taking place in the open air on the famous Rockmaster structure. It was not a warm day so after a quick visit to Red Point to pick up a pair of trendy bouldering trousers I was ready. Now that I was an old hand I started coyly, taking my time to tie up my boots and avoid the mad rush. I moved slowly, not really pushing myself to great heights. I was generally pleased with the day but no fireworks. The best thing about being outside is that you don’t have to use liquid chalk or breath in chalk dust.

Since this was the last event in the series we were treated to the North Face Highball Challenge. Two routes were set on the leading wall reaching a height of 6 metres (actually not much higher than the men’s semi final). The winners of the previous rounds were invited to take part (although curiously not the winners of this round). Unfortunately it did not live up to it’s hype; the finalists failed to get past the first moves to mid height. Despite the pasta the crowd was restless and the climbers were given a break whilst a couple of holds were added. This time things went better, Paolo Leoncini topped out, only to injure his ankle on re-entry!

One of the things that must put off a lot of people from entering these events is thinking they are not good enough, and that they will be stuffy serious affairs. From my experience I can say that you will only compete against yourself. I think everyone soon finds their own level and adjust their expectations accordingly. You can then forget all the blacks and blues and concentrate on what you can achieve, you will know instinctively by the end of the session if you have achieved what you are capable of. In summary a great experience and one to be repeated.

Simple pleasures are best and few match that of showering with Norah Jones. Sweaty and aching after a hard run up a steep hill, Norah soothes and relaxes the muscles so that you are ready to repeat it all the following day.

The run itself was not the real issue, it was structuring the day, every day. Working from home and trying to do many things at once was and is a mess. Making a sustainable lifestyle is not easy when you have to fit in with other people, and having chosen to live somewhere for its environment working the nine to five seemed like a waste of an opportunity.

You know what is good for you, but you can’t always do it. I do mornings, but coffee and breakfast are my thing. I need time to ease into the day. I am relaxed in my own company but avoid contact with others. Lunch time is a good time for exercise, a good break in the day with the promise of food after. This works well on short winter days, but the summer is hot. Summer is the only time I get near mornings. It is a time I find difficult to tolerate physical exercise. On the few occasions I have managed to pull on my cross trainers I have enjoyed it, leaving home comforts is the hardest of challenges. An unscientific but reasonable analysis of the year demonstrates that there are optimum seasons in which one can run, climb, cycle, ski, drink or eat. Each is overshadowed by the desire for the next, and so the cycle continues.

When I am out there I feel strong. I have the world beneath my feet, I am master of my clock. I am better than everyone else still sleeping, wasting the day. The houses that fall away on the hillside are quiet for now. It’s all mine, all of it. Like water I flow into unoccupied areas. Have you seen how much of it is around? No, perhaps you are looking at the wrong times. Time and place, place and time, they change each other. My place or your place, my time or your time, how big is this world anyway?

So I come back to my apartment and take Norah into the shower. Norah occupies number 2 in my play list, I must shower a lot, which must mean I exercise a lot or I am very hygienic. Either way it’s a good thing. My shower is small, there is just enough space for Norah and myself, our time together is brief but it is the end of my time, yes you heard me right. I have tried to organise my freedom but looking around I wonder what other people are up to. They all have their own stuff to sort out, none more important than the squirrel gathering nuts for a cold winter.

It was cold and we were in Mello. We had been looking for easy ice in the neighbouring Val dei Bagni but a recent snow fall had hidden all traces of our line. We were in Mello, but with little hope of finding something at our grade. We had at least full sacks and were determined to enjoy a walk in the snow, and how can you fail to enjoy such surroundings. The shear rock faces silent under a dusting of fresh snow. Smooth and bright in summer, now dark and cold. As we expected ice was not easy to find, reaching rifugio Luna Nascente we got our first glimpse; a long thin line dividing a vast granite slab. Steep and precarious was not really what we were after, so we continued forging our own tracks along the valley floor; quite fatiguing with full packs I must admit.

Reaching the head of the valley a distant ice fall penetrated it’s rocky confines, but to far and too difficult for us, better left in the imagination. We instead turned towards rifugio Allievi. Even through the trees the snow was deep and collapsed under our weight as we ascended, progress constantly slow. As the ground steepened we drew our axes, entering a funnel the soft snow slipped over the older harder layer. Spin-drift blew down on us adding weight to the already deep crust. It was starting to feel more serious now but as the slope relented difficulties eased.

We had decided we were not going to reach the rifugio, we had shown willing and could retreat gracefully. A glimpse of an Ibex doing its thing darting about the trees rewarded us for our efforts.

Right here in the heart of the Alps is a granite lined paradise. Off the beaten track but truly accessible, it has to be one of the best (least known) destinations in the Alps, at least to us outsiders. Rising to prominence amongst climbers in the 70’s it has earned the grand title of the Italian Yosemite. But it’s not only climbers who have profited from it’s ambience. Picnickers, excursionists and trekkers alike gather in Bar Monica before hiking up (or conveniently use the bus) and under the imposing Precipizio degli Asteroidi. You are entering Val di Mello. Some are content to lie and dream in it’s meadows, some cannot resist scaling it’s walls whilst others pass respectively through, on their way to the higher valleys of Ferro, Zocca, Torrone and Cameraccio.

The waters that drain into Mello and render its floor rich and green have attracted ‘unwelcome’ attention from hydroelectric geeks. A new scheme proposes to exploit these water courses and to widen the track that traverses the valley floor. The proposals have been ‘damned’ by locals and valley advocates alike as being short sighted and of having little potential to generate any useful power. The valley, which has found a way to share its peace and nature with tourism has a new foe.

For more information on the scheme and to support the fight against it you can sign the online petition. Be a friend to Mello and help preserve its beauty.

We were travelling light and fast. It was text book stuff and we could have been front page material for any magazine. We had caught up with the party in front but the arete was thin and there was no way of passing them. We waited but the weather was not so patient. At first it was just cloud fooling around, fingering the ridge and making swirly shapes. The fooling stopped as cotton wool turned to slushy rain. With just a fleece for protection perhaps we were travelling just a little too light.

The sharp fin of rock leading up to the summit of Piz Cengalo had already defeated Paul twice. On both occasions bad weather had forced him on a wet retreat to the valley without having even touched the rock. Alpine climbing is like this, it helps to have a Robert the Bruce attitude. Paul had been vacationing in the south of France and the promise of good Italian weather was just too much for him too bare. He was well up for it. On hearing of his presence I had done my best to get out of it, but not even a week in Germany followed by a week in the UK was evasion enough, he was still around! That’s teachers holidays for you, they have flexibility. I still had a card up my sleeve and I saved it until Paul and Marianne arrived at my house. It was perhaps a reckless approach but the storm was impressive. It seemed to be working too, the rock was getting wet and it was forecast to continue for the next few days. Only problem was Robert the Bruce wasn’t having any of it.

Sunshine warmed the roof of the Gianetti hut, signalling the path open for our ascent. Wanting to travel with the minimum of fuss we dumped our coats, approach shoes and sacks at the foot of the climb. Moving solo over easy ground we emerged from the shadows onto the sunny ridge. Breathing in the history we got geared up. We had a light rack; a few nuts, medium sized friends, slings and double 50m ropes. Paul was soon occupied with an off-width crack, strange.. the guidebook didn’t mention this. Nor did it happen to mention the five 50 metre pitches that were to follow. Something was happening and we didn’t know what it was.

By the time the ridge had steepened we had caught up with an Italian couple. They were quiet but seemed to be enjoying the day. Since we hadn’t seen them on the earlier pitches we decided that they must have approached the ridge by an alternative route. Unable to pass them without physically climbing over them, we sat back and watched them approach the crux pitch; la Schiena di Mulo or the Mules Back. Without doubt it is the most photogenic pitch and although it seems stupid to say it, was just as I had seen in the photos. After the early scrambling we were relishing the opportunity to get into some real climbing.

The honours fell to Paul, after all he had driven many kilometres to get here. I had known Paul for some years but had never had the opportunity to climb with him. I knew he was into this kind of thing, you know long routes in the mountains, it is his thing. His class was revealed as he made light work of that old mule, and looking down he seemed disappointed that the difficulties had ended all too quickly. There remained just a couple of pitches until the summit, but the weather was breaking. The clouds had gathered weight, it was like they were up to something and I wished they would just cut it out quick. It wasn’t long before the inevitable drops of cold slush fell. Our exit was still blocked by the Italians but I quickly climbed half a pitch to make as much ground as possible, hoping to find shelter under a small overhang. The prospect of a descent down the length of the ridge was encouragement enough to force progress upward. Hanging from a peg I brought Paul up. The rain had increased and my little overhang had turned into an effective waterfall. Paul climbed through. I was finding it difficult to follow his progress so god knows how he could see where he was going. Climbing through the Italian party he was going virtually solo since the pegs were already claimed. I didn’t know this, I was getting cold, my fleece was little more than a sponge and I retreated as best as I could under my helmet.

We were soon stood side by side with the Italians at the abseil station. Our teeth clattered as we rigged the ropes and I wondered if they had expected all this. It seemed crazy, the morning had been so clear. Paul had two Mars bars in his pocket but he hadn’t told me this. I guess they were for emergencies. The abseil was easy, a straight line down clean slabs and the rain had eased off. The ropes however were sodden, and every abseil just served to squeeze more cold water out of its fibres onto us. By the next abseil it would again be fully charged, we were now colder than when it was raining! The abseil could not go quickly enough and I just kept thinking that we had so nearly got away with it.

We stood ruefully beside our stashed rucksacks, our dry shoes were filled (rather unfairly) with water. There was a chill in the air so we put on our dry waterproofs. We had carried them up here so we were damn well going to use them.

Notes:
First climbed by E. Bernasconi, P. Riva and A. Vinci in 1939 the Via Vinci is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful classic routes in the Central Alps. Although frequently repeated it is no where near as busy as the equally famed but longer Spigolo Nord on the nearby Badile.
For a description of the route see: Go-Mountain, much better than the guide we had as I now know that we did the lower part of the ridge as well which explains the first five 50 metre pitches!

Starting to climb during the early nineties growing up in Cambridge, now that’s a pretty flat place. It’s not easy you know, climbing when there’s no rock for miles. It takes commitment to make the trip away at weekends, especially when first learning. Moving up through school, sourcing ways of keeping up the training that would make time away from the rock seem less arduous until we had the means to travel.

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like we really liked to train, as such, but what we did want to do is meet up and have fun, improve when we could, feel the movement, feel our fingers and forearms burning and spark the passion that gave us energy.

Cambridge does have a wall and a very important one at the time, playing a vital role in bringing friends together, learning to create inspired sequences of hard and at times bizarre climbing.

It provided a ground for building stamina and, due to its nature, taught good technique and gave you iron fingers (or at least made you feel like you needed them), but unfortunately, in my case at least, also the first taste of finger injury.

Then we wanted to gain more power, have more immeadiate access to train. So began the experiments into home build. A bedroom might not seem the most ideal place to try and build one, but due to the size of house and understanding parents, a bedroom it was.

Instructions

• one length scaffold pole (suspended across room)
• t-nuts and accompanying bolts
• 2 sheets 8’x4′ 25mm marine ply cut to size, one piece for 50° angle, one for foot board, one for roof section
• 4 quickdraws and short length of rope (to practice those fumble clips)
• 1 fingerboard on side of roof section

wow! what a set up it was… then find somewhere for the bed and wardrobes.

Despite this wonderful, but small, resource it was outside that we truly wanted to be. Relief came in the form of the dirty, seedy, finger ripping, tendon snapping bridges of the dismantled railways at Long Road and Fen Ditton.

Both severely tested your technical footwork and the physical conditions of the fingers in particular. The mortar is chipped out to certain degrees. Sometimes enough for maybe the first two digits, sometimes just the very tips. Sometimes enough for three fingers, sometimes just the one.

Long Road bridge is fairly open, the roof iron, with routes working up to it along both sides, spilling out onto the four slabier corner sections. Fen Ditton much more compact and enclosed, with its location adding a feeling of isolation. Here the brickwork forms the roof as well, within which a route works out into the middle of the curve, at points whole bricks chipped away to provide adequate holds.

Recently returning to these locations I realise that both are far from idylic places to be climbing, so why climb there when you’ve got the wall at Kelsey Kerridge you may ask? Well there was an atmosphere to them. Graffiti covered, dirty and secluded, not so great by yourself, but it formed as a meeting ground, felt good to be with a group of mates, outdoors, chalk dust and encouragements flying in the breeze. None of the feelings of safety you get down at the wall, almost an adventure in these flatlands.