Onward & Upward

A fairly rubbish photo in the end for a fairly momentous day, I declined my climbing partners offer to use one of his pictures (of me) in favour of sticking with my own shots whatever their lack of merit.
Seven weeks after the knee surgery I climbed outdoors again today for the first time. Nothing difficult or spectacular - a simple visit to clip some bolts at Robin Proctor Scar* - but carrying a light (thanks Matt for taking the rope) rucksack and heading up the hill I was, to be honest, a little apprehensive.
As I say the climbing was easy - but I took on the leading - aware that I was protecting my right side from threats that really should be within my own control - the usual jumping and smearing was absent from my climbing as I wanted to make absolutely certain that there were no falls or bumps. Five routes later we decided to err on the side of caution and go for coffee & cake at Inglesport - all in all a grand day out.

*we met a steward on a local race at the foot of the crag who told us that the cliff got it's name after a local farmer who had a habit of riding his horse home drunk from the local tavern. The canny old horse knew the way & many a day he'd wake up in the farmyard, delivered safe by the horse. Sadly (or not) one stormy evening (they always are aren't they...) after one too many the farmer took the wrong horse from the taverns stables and without his trusty companion to guide him home he rode straight over the edge of the cliff (its about 25m high) to both their deaths.  It's worn his name ever since.