Derwent Water - English Lake District

Not a very good photo at all I'm afraid but the best I could whilst in a rush to get back to do some work! Down in Keswick/Penrith for week three of my forestry course. It's the first time I've been down at a time of year that lends itself to evening climbing sessions and the weather has been pretty beautiful on a couple of days so it would've been rude not to get out climbing I guess!

Managed to squeeze in a couple of sessions at the Bowderstone in between attending lectures and doing "work work". The Bowderstone seems to be just far enough up Borrowdale that it escapes the worst of the tourist masses and it really is an idyllic spot to pass a few hours climbing.

The Bowderstone has a really steep face that lends itself to indoor climbers with limited technique (i.e. me) and I even managed a cool climb graded Font 7b+ called Hot Air which was a nice surprise. It's funny really, the older I get, the less training I do and the more I have to work/deal with other life pressures, the better I seem to be getting at climbing (that's the second 7b+ I've managed to climb in a session). I think it's probabaly down to gradual increases in finger strength over time and better technique but it's a funny one for sure - long may it last though!