After getting back from the clubs freshers weekend away to the Lakes I have come to the conclusion I don't like multi pitch! Controversial I know, but hey it's my climbing, I'll enjoy what the hell I like! Reasons for not liking multi pitch-
1) The walk in is nearly always up a big hill miles from the car park, if I liked walking I'd go on walks, I don't. nuff said!
2) You have to carry all your kit on said walk in! I only have short legs so trying to keep up with all the lanky men damn near killed me!
3) The route may be 80m long, but actually contains 5 or 6m of real quality climbing. So you can spend 3 hours for 2 minutes good climbing!
4) Other peoples ineptitude, catching someone up part way through a route and then being stuck behind them is just bloody annoying and cold!
5) Mountain routes are nearly always a pile of crumbling stuff, small chunks I can cope with, after all I wear a helmet, but blocks bigger than my head, er no thanks!
6) Absolute arseholes who seem determined to moan about everything. I wasn't there but on Sunday someone actually had the cheek to email the union safety officer about us "chucking rocks down the crag". We only let people go climbing on weekends who can lead and second multi pitch, so in theory could go by themselves. The crag was loose, no one chucked any rocks anywhere, someone dislodged some stuff as they led a route, It's a hazard of multi pitch. If I ever find the person who decided to cause such a huge amount of hassle for our committee then I will take huge pleasure in inserting my largest hex where the sun doesn't shine, after I have shoved a large cam in his mouth to muffle the screaming.
Anyway lesson learnt, I will be avoiding multi pitch stuff unless it's road side! At least it gave me a break from work, only 1 more weekend till I can go away again!
the photo btw is of me at the top, finally at 6.15, it was 7.40 by the time we got back to the minibus, and yes we did have the keys, yes everyone else had been down for ages (sorry guys!), and yes it was very very dark!
