Iv'e been a total dry 'TOOL"

[neil mcgeachy]

I know there is another section for this, but more people read this page.  Ive only gone and been a total SPIV and left my axes at Birnam last week.  I now am on the verge of being killed my missus after begging her to dip in to our savings so I can buy replacements before the winter action begins proper.

 Before any of the ratho crew starts making wide remarks about me being a light weight winter climber.  I know I only go out once a year, walk in to the Ben, then throw a tantrum and put my axes away swearing never to use them again. But hey it has become a yearly habit and I would like to have the option of pretending to myself that someday I will be man enuff to become a scottish winter warrior. Having a set of axes under ma bed keeps that dream alive. 

Any way back to the point, if you found a set of Black diamond Reactors at Birnam please be a legend and get in touch and save my bollucks.  I am the short midget with glasses and stupid hair, that works at Ratho. I will be forever grateful and will buy you a king size snickers in return.

[Mark Mosgrove]

Sent you an email.

Cheers,
Mark

[neil mcgeachy]

Cheers Mark, u r a star dude!  I might actually get off the couch and back into ma bedroom tonight!

[samuel]

Nice to see that even people with the strangest habits have morals too

[neil mcgeachy]

Samuel, when you gonna get round to chopping those clips on the bookal?  The strangest things I noticed at birnam were the knuckle deep 'finger pockets' on that slate sport climb 'Hurly Burly'.  Quite realistic I thought! There are weirder things than dry tooling going on in that quarry, like trying to force rock climbs out of bits of rock that dont have climbs on them!

[buzby]

..........or top-roping trad routes! Ok ok I know, I should really learn to keep my mouth shut! 

[samuel]

Ah, the sins of our fathers before us.. f**k all to do with me.  I'll crop them if you lead them, how's that?  You'd probably be the safest...
Buzby!  As Dave Birkett said, top-roping's just bouldering on a rope.  Saves the grass...

[buzby]

..........or top-roping trad routes!

Just thought i'd add that one whilst on the topic of strange behavior. It's a particularly peculiar activity if you ask me, a lot more damaging to British traditional climbing than the bolt issue dont you think? 

[neil mcgeachy]

I know its feck all to do with u dude, and if I am to be totally honest I would love to tick Hurly Burl, it looks awesome!  The point I was trying to make, was how hypocritical our climbing scene is in Scotland.  Its mental to want to train for mixed climbing by climbing up drill holes in an un-climbable slate quarry, but its cool to train for sport climbing by drilling inch deep pockets into rock that never has pockets on it!  Its climbing, as long as people don't start bolting mountain crags like tunnel walls and steal hut crag then who gives a feck.  With regards to leading the roots on the bookal, Might give it a miss as I know how strong Frodo was when he lead them on trad!   

[Pitcairn]

It was I who equipped Hurley Burley with bolts and holds, and Im proud of it - its a quality route  . 

I dont think there is anything hypocritical about Birnam.  The place is a man made hole in the ground - most things seem to be accepted on a first come first served basis.  By that I mean the routes first climbed were trad and should be left that way.  The next set of development was creating stuff like Hurley Burley and I think they should be climbed in the style they were created (ie not dry tooled).  Gone in 60 seconds is trad and quite rightly respected in that style so why not Hurley Burley? After that it was the dry tool routes - the place is a great resource for mixed training and it should remain that way.

So personally I dont see a problem - the place is what it is but the original style of ascent should be preserved.

You should get yourself on Hurley Burley Neil (chalk, not axes) - its classic 

[neil mcgeachy]

I agree Ian, it does look awsome. And it is on my tick list! Just need to do a few more bicep curls first!  I wasn't trying to say that Birnam as a venue is a hypocritical.  More the way that scottish climbing in general, is so quick to judge others ethics and motivatations.  I was blown away by how much fun I had a Birnam last week when I visited and I am quite syked to go back and have more fun.  Looks like there is good trad lines, good dry tooling lines and a good sport line.  Dunkeld in general is somewhere you end up regularly when you live in the central belt and its awesome! I kind of thought i had exhausted the area.  Now I have found there is actually still quite a few fun filled days to be had, even when its wet!  Plus it gives an excuse to visit that legendary bakers a few more times! Hows life any way dude?  You became a crack miester yet? 

Keep it real dude and have good christmas. 

P.s. dont suppose you climed any of the trad routes on the big slab in the way to the tube dude?  Looks like a pretty cool bit of rock!