Erection day

From about this time last year, a crane building a crane - fantastic. Luckily there were professionals on-site that day which meant: Nobody informed me how many times they had built a crane when they were 24 (*When i was your age....). Nobody insisted on informing me as to their crane work experience (*I've been lifting steel for 40 years and.... Said, repeatedly, by a man of 46!). And generally nobody bothered me (*Tea break - didn't you have one of those yesterday?). 

That was a nice day to be at work because, like most of the other people, i did fuck all except stare into the sky and watch big pieces of machinery get lifted around by other big pieces of machinery. 

Climbing 8a Vs Looking like you Climb 8a

After a few attempts at climbing 7a I realised 8a would probably have to be saved for a later trip, or perhaps for someone else. Not wanting to be left behind, however, has led me to some other (vastly easier to achieve) conclusions…

If you look like this when you try to climb 7a:

Bolt to bolt baby

But want to feel like you can climb 8a; then follow these simple steps….

• The Spanish mullet. Not too much mullet and not kept, this mullet must be left unkempt to provide the whole look (*the 8a)

• Lots of mañana. In Spanish Mañana means: tomorrow and can be used as an excuse for (as far as I can tell) anything:

a.     “We will climb 8a mañana”

b.     “The shop will be open mañana”

c.      “Mañana my skin will be better for climbing”

d.     “The weather will be better for climbing mañana”

e.      “Mañana climbing 8a will be easier”

f.      “Mañana the holds will be bigger meaning I will get less pumped”

The Sickness

During the last week of the Euro-Tour I was visited by two old friends from asia: Sumsik Guy and Someguy Ill. What a delightful way to spend the last week; huddled over in pain unsure as to what end of me would erupt next. I had ‘the sickness’ and (in the words of the BISHOP*) ‘did not want it’. But anyway.

A night of rum and techno only compounded the issue leaving me weak. All attempts to suck the poison out had failed leaving us with very few options. During the morning I began to binge eat thinking a four egg, 3-cheese omelette would settle my stomach. The day continued with some McDonalds but the tender stomach would just not settle. I walked around on a beach somewhere in southern France, admiring their liberal attitudes towards topless sunbathing, contemplating what to do. My stomach was not digesting anything and I was starting to walk abdomen first everywhere because of the pain. My head was hurting; mostly to dehydration from last nights’ rum session, so I started into some water. 2L down, I handed her the car keys and conceded that I was perhaps sick. The 2L of water obviously topped me off to full, which quickly exited the way it went down. Perhaps drinking from the stagnant crag pond had not been a good idea. Thus began the long journey back to the UK with my new friends Sumsik Guy and Someguy Ill. Fortunately the shivering and vomit did stop and make way for some bad bottom. 

Post beach pre-vom

Bedding down in the Golf

Kooking With Kim

Everyone said: "Stu you'll run out of things to cook on a Jet Boil and this blog will become redundant!" We'll smoke on this, some good quality winter cooking without a Jet Boil. Thanks to Kim here for making a guest appearance on theJBC.com

Lots of people email in asking various sorts of questions, but mostly its: "Stu you so damn hench these days! What concoction of protein, fat, meat and carbohydrate to you feed your abs post workout?" Well its a two stage answer: 1) Rest is key; in an average week of 7 days i'd be aiming for 7 rest days 2) Butter; Always salted and with every meal, eat fat and ditch that waste of time food group also known as fruits and vegetables.  

North Ghost Ice Climbing Conditions

Here is a quick summary of a recent successful ice climbing trip into the North Ghost, Canadian Rockies. As Barry Blanchard would say: 'It doesn't matter how desperate the rest of the world is for ice... It's always happening here!'

Christmas Coffee Catch-up

The traditional early morning glass of champagne on Christmas day always goes down well. A touch of orange juice also provides 1 of your 5 recommended portions of fruit & vegetables a day – right?  Win Win!  Heaps of fridge cold salmon, gooey egg, and espresso where soon topped off with a quick beer at the neighbors. The fore rib of beef slipped into the oven leaving us with little choice as to what to do next, pub. Well lubricated, upon return, the attention turned to the table. Soft beef and sweet parsnips were aided on their way down with some magnificent vin rouge. Another glass? Don’t mind if I do.  As you might assume I woke up feeling a touch like this…

Spain trip all booked I’ve decided its time to begin the training regime, today I will think about going for a run and tomorrow I will climb indoors. This will, god willing, be topped of with some larger and meat. Nutrition is key. That is the entirety of my training plan as on the 28th (two days from now) I leave for Spain. I hope all the preparation will pay off. Stay tuned...

Stagg Chili Plug

Before coming to America if someone asked me: "Is it possible to go climbing, or in fact anywhere in life, without a Jet Boil at your side?" I'd have punched their potty mouths and reminded them of who they were talking to.

BUT - Behold, a climbing venture without Le Jet Boil. As you would expect the quality of the food was sub-standard for the entirety of the sans Jet Boil venture. Below is a short and merciless plug, an ode if you will, to Stagg Chili and tinned shit. Where would we be without you?

The Jet Boil Chef has recently been filming out of a new 'HQ' - Agnus the RV with a new member to the team soon to be announced, the Jet Boil Boy. Picture Mr Miyagi and the Karate kid, patience young one.