Climbing yesterday (but the only photos were taken by someone else and she's not sent them to me yet) and climbing today... what could be better!  Today was the result of a referral by the Pinnacle Club, mostly based on age, but with the potential for another climbing partner I followed up the forwarded email. 

We'd arranged to meet at Windgather Rocks, a venue not quite halfway between us and with plenty of low grade routes, J needing easy leads after a long gap in her climbing only broken by a brief return (and leader fall) at Stanage.  We only did one lead climb each because of the fog and cold - what a change from yesterday - but J was pleased to have done it, and done it well.  I was glad I could encourage and hopefully we'll climb together again soon.

Normally, with the rubbish weather forecast that was given for today, I wouldn't have driven for 1.5 hours to climb, but I felt that it was important for J and I to actually meet... and we could have just gone for a coffee and chat in Buxton if it had been too wet to climb.

I'd noticed this area of trees over the road on my way out of Buxton, and managed to find somewhere to park on the way back.  It doesn't come over in the photo, plus extra, but it was a place of lovely, dark and deep :-)


Whose woods these are I think I know.   
His house is in the village though;   
He will not see me stopping here   
To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   
To stop without a farmhouse near   
Between the woods and frozen lake   
The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   
To ask if there is some mistake.   
The only other sound’s the sweep   
Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   
But I have promises to keep,   
And miles to go before I sleep,   
And miles to go before I sleep.

~ Robert Frost