The Fun Scale

With time against us today a quick fast hit was called for - Blencathra above Keswick is perfect for this. With cloud base at 500m (summit height 868m) and 40-50mph winds forcast we opted to skip the usual Sharp Edge & chill out on the more amenable Halls Fell Ridge. Sadly warm rain overnight had washed away nearly all the snow - but the cloud & wind left the rocky parts of the ridge feeling very greasy - which gave our ascent some "moments of focus".
Clearly - as can be seen in the extra - this was Type 1 fun with subtle shades of Type 2 - phrases firmly in the vocabulary of all the climbers I know - but perhaps worth recording for posterity;

Type 1 Fun
It's fun - right now, it gives immediate enjoyment - you'll love doing it & want to do it again - good food, good movies, a walk in the sun, the crunch of crampons in fresh crisp snow - you get the idea I'm sure.

Type 2 Fun
& we'll start to get a little subjective here....
Not fun at the time - exciting maybe - but the sort of moment when you find yourself saying "just why am I doing this?" - but afterwards - when you're safe & well - when you've been 'out there' but come back - grinning from ear to ear - that moment when you pull over the top of the climb , gripped, muscles aching, adrenaline pumping - but your breathe slows, you're really really  alive - the views amazing, you've achieved. I like type 2 fun A LOT (oh - and for those of you already familiar with this scale - if you comment to your mate "well this is type 2 isn't it?" whilst grinning and/or laughing - nope its not - you've shifted your boundaries!)
For me? - climbing high above my last protection, not at my limit - but knowing the consequences aren't even close to acceptable - there's no reason for it to go wrong - it simply just can't and I'm the difference betwixt the two.

Type 3 Fun
Not fun at all - not even when you look back on it. When you look back on it you'll physically shudder & think " oh you idiot, what was that all about?" In fact you'll call your friends and tell them to slap you if you ever suggest it again. So definitely NOT fun - but it is where the fire is hottest, where the real you is forged. If you never walked up to the edge - well you'd never know for sure now would you....
& possibly, just possibly - there's a little fun to be had in the telling of type 3 tales ;)