Orange

So post names can sometime be hard to think of so I chose a colour which sums up my climbing recently. Its been sunny and warm, I've climbed on a lot of sandstone and feldspars in dolerite can look a bit orange at times.
I haven't posted since my return from Pabbay and Mingulay but don't think that I haven't been climbing. I have climbed in Yorkshire (Caley Crag, Caley Roadside and Shipley Glen), Northumberland (Rothley, Simonside, Kyloe In, Bowden and Shaftoe) and in the Central Belt (Dumbarton, Auchinstarry and Limekilns). I have mostly climbed by myself but I have been partnered by Oli Read, David Mayes, Greg Brown, Chris Williams and Karen Munro on occasions.
Describing each of my days out would he hard (there have been 12 of them) so here is a quick summary.
I had a nice run of form managing to climb font 7a on 6 consecutive climbing days. This all started at Shipley Glen on the 29th June where I climbed Parker, a nice little 1 move wonder undercut arete. On the 30th I stopped at Rothely crag where I climbed 2 font 7a's. These were Reclaimed, which is very soft, and Numbian, which is very hard to grade.
A couple of days later I returned to Rothely and despite spending most of the day working a 7a called Gloom, and failing to link it, I managed to climb another called In The Corner. I had tried this on my previous visit but I didn't get it. It went down pretty easy in the end though.
On the 5th July I went to Simonside and managed to flash a 7a called La Proue. I feel I must have done something wrong as it felt very easy and I did it in about 3 moves. It was mostly compression moves on slopers, and Im climbing pretty well on those particular holds at the moment so maybe it just suited me. I also almost ticked a 7a mantle called Baps but I kept on falling off with my hand in the finishing juggy pocket.
On the 7th I headed to Kyloe In were I managed to tick Jocks and Geordies sit start (font 7a). I had previously climbed it from standing but on my first attempt I couldn't remember the sequence at the top and fell off. I managed it on my next go though.
On the 10th I made my way to Bowden and spent lots of time falling off things, but I did managed to tick Y front direct, which really is a little more indirect when you look at the line, which gets 7a. This was my final 7a in my run of bouldering form.
In the last few days I have been getting out in the central belt. On the 15th I headed to Dumbarton for a day of polished bouldering. I spent lots of time working hard things before getting on a route called Physical Graffiti. PG gets E5 in the guide but I think high ball font 6b is more reasonable. This was only my second E5, although I don't really feel it is one. I have been on the shunt in the last 2 days at Auchinstarry and Limekilns. I went to Auchinstarry to work a route called Nijinksi (E5). This route takes a slabby arete next to the car park, and due to it situation and that it has bolts at the top it gets top roped a lot leading to it being quite polished in places. My initial attempt was quite poor as I worked out the moves but I managed to climb it clean on my second go. I wasn't really feeling the solo so I went home. I returned the next day and shunted it clean twice more before jumping on the solo. I managed to climb up to the crux (8m?) but I didn't want to commit to the moves around the arete. Luckily I could reach my ropes so I descended. Maybe this is one I will have to lead. On my way home I went to Limekilns were I attempted to shunt Slow Handclap (E7), but I didn't finish it as it's very hard!
I have bought the Scottish sport guide so hopefully I will get out on some sport routes soon. Sorry for the long post and no pictures!