The sharp end

It's hard to write about climbing without slipping into jargon and climber-speak but I'll try.
Despite a few recent forays back onto real rock and a couple of visits to the wall, there's been something missing. As much to do with a weak head as a weak body, a lack of willingness to commit - to get on the sharp end of the rope and lead*.
Fear, not so much of falling, not even of being hurt, but a fear of the loss of opportunity that another injury would, could, might bring. That's the kind of fear that's held me back.
 But, there's been a yearning. Eventually a butterfly must spread it's wings and take to the air.

Yesterday my oldest climbing partner and I had a plan - some easy Sport Climbing* somewhere sheltered. As soft a reintroduction as we could manage. The weather gods smiled kindly - and Castleberg Crag (a five minute walk from Settle town centre) was a glorious little suntrap - the fierce wind muffled by the lovely woods.
I surprised myself by tying straight on, taking the clips and setting off up the rock first without a word - one of the many benefits of an old established climbing partnership being that absolute trust in each other. And Steve would make a soft landing....
Each route felt better than the last. We did nothing hard or challenging by the faded standards of  our yesteryear, but we laughed alot, only got disco leg a couple of times and finished a couple of grades higher than we'd surmised in the cafe hours earlier. With a tip of the cap to our younger selves we even managed to climb till the sun dipped below the horizon - though the 14:00 start might have had something to do with that!

*Leading is going first trailing the rope behind you and clipping to protection points (either self placed (trad) or preplaced, drilled and cemented into the rock (sport) ) It means you don't have the security of the rope above you, that falls will be dynamic rather than loading, that your head & heart will need to be as much in the game as your body.

**Extra 2 taken by Steve, it takes a practised skill to keep hold of the rope and take a picture at the same time.

ps As much for my own amusement as anything. Steve is 6'6" and largely built. When the cafe brought our coffees over they'd written BFG on the cups :-)))