I'm feeling really good, despite not doing much outdoor climbing. We have been climbing indoors lots, mostly at Art Bloc in Nice (we prefer Art Bloc because the blocs closely resemble outdoor climbing). We've also had a wonderful week skiing in Tignes, where there was loads of snow and great conditions. However it was busy and expensive. It brought back happy memories from my first visit with fellow students from I M Marsh, way back in 1988. At that time Dunc, Jamesy and I called ourselves Team Pervert-Ski and we'd shout "Je t'adore" to all the pretty French ladies. Hardyman had us skiing backwards whilst pretending that our ski poles were machine guns and, on another occasion, he had us skiing without skis and the clips on our boots undone. It also sadly reminded me of the horrific off piste accident Dunc and I witnessed, whilst skiing down one of the gullies that Hardyman had already taken us down earlier on the Grande Motte. I often wonder what happened to that poor lady? We thought that she was dead when we got to her, but you never know.... Nowadays Elaine and I are happy to just ski on the pistes, and we both wear helmets too.
Remember I had toothache just before Christmas? After the operation I had in 2012 (to put right a mistake by my previous dentist during routine root canal treatment) I vowed that I'd never have another root canal. I'd had a massive filling in a molar, since it broke (I distinctly remember John Gaskins was round on our board in St Helens some time around 1993). This was the tooth that was causing the toothache and it needed to have a root canal or be taken out, as the filling was too big to replace. My new dentist is about 100 metres from our house, perfectly located for the number of visits neccessary. He persuaded me to go for another and it proved to be a piece of cake, with no problems.
Having taken early retirement is proving to be wonderful. I really enjoy the leisurely start to each day, the routine of making proper coffee and eating a fresh croissant from the excellent local boulangerie (Le Moulin d'Honore). I'm especially not missing the early commute to school, sitting in mind-numbing queues of traffic along the inadequate road systems that lead to Sophia Antipolis. We had to go and have a blood test last Thursday, which involves getting up early and not eating any breakfast. It was a real shock to me how much traffic there was on the road at 7h30. I'd forgotten how mad it was on the roads at that time of day. Luckily it was only a one off for me, though it was business as usual for Elaine again this morning. Haha!
A couple of great days outside last week: Tuesday Mich from Nantes and I did "La Cerise sur le Gateau" at Aiglun. It was the first multipitch route I've done for over twenty years! Needless to say it was an amazing day on a very impressive crag tucked away in a seemingly wild place in the arriere pays. Thursday Seb (from Atout Roc) and I went to sector Jacob at La Turbie. He has been trying the excellent "Couenne pour Graou" (8a) and was really keen to try again, despite the crag being in the shade and the fact that it was foggy, cold and damp! Conditions on the crag were minging and Seb's route proved to be too wet. However I managed to fight my way up a very good route I hadn't done before called "Elephant Man" (7c). I thought that I was about to fall off every move and was really knackered at the top, but very happy indeed. Mind you I was already happy after still being able to manage one of the hardest warm-ups in the world ("Monte Queue", given 6c+/7a but feels more like 7a+/7b!!).
Next week Rodellar with Steady Eddie. I hope the excellent weather will hold......
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