Today's Menue: Doughnuts, Fried Chicken and Pump

Right now I'm in the Red River Gorge. This is somewhere I've been dreaming of going since seeing the video of the Petzl RocTrip there a few years ago, and the footage from the endless rampage of Ondra, Megos, Lachat et al last year didn't exactly diminish the psyche. With France having a wet year and worries of my intended trip to Loup being a wash out, plans were quickly changed and America was on! I'm playing blog catch up at the moment - here's a quick roundup of pre-America goings on, more on this trip to come, but suffice to say I LOVE ROCK CLIMBING, and RRG is 'not shit'.

Since Kaabah and True North I've not really blogged as things have just been ticking over. Anyway, highlights from the last couple of months include:

A good day down Chee Dale Cornice doing Bob's 8b+ Techno Prisoners (nice name, pity about the first ascentionist) and flashing the classic 8a of the crag, Powerplant. Techno Prisoners is pretty steep and funky for a British route - if roofs and bicycles are your bag then it comes highly recommended.

Flashing Crucifixion (8a) at the tor. I've been saving everything on the left side of the tor for ever and ever, worried about blowing the flash. Turns out the slabbing isn't as bad as you might think and the upper sections are every bit as good as might hope. Tip-top.

Dalliance, 8b+, Kilnsey. Whilst I always thought this didn't look like much from the floor, the climbing is actually superb and the top boulder problem is no push over.

Dalliance Photo: Tim Lowe

Resting before the top crux. Photo: Tim Lowe

 A day of good nick at Pigeon's Cave. Sea cliffs are damn cool, why can't they be in good condition more often?!

Shit gets real on the Orme

James busting out of the steepness at Pigeon's