A bit of a mixed month this month. My main objective was to red-point Le Lapine but I was also keen to start doing some strength training for our trip in November. I arrived at Kilnsey feeling good but found someone already on Le Lapine so I decided to have another look at Complete Control F8a, a link-up between WYSIWYG and They Brush Me. I'd had a brief look at the top half in August when the start was wet and thought it suited me, being more vertical and crimpy. I wasn't wrong. I nipped up and put the draws in and climbed the finish a couple of times, then came back down. After a brief rest I went for the red-point and was soon clipping the belay – success.

I then decided to have a go on Le Lapine anyway and was very close on a couple of attempts but didn't quite nail the final dead-point. Still I felt it was almost a formality and that next time at the crag it would go. Unfortunately not, off at the same point another few times! My last day on the route was a nightmare. I was feeling fairly worn down as I'd been bouldering a lot plus the rain was blowing in and the finish got wet, so altogether a disaster. The crag then got soaked and it seemed the Kilnsey season was at an end. A fortnight later we headed to a very hot Malham but once it clouded over conditions were good so I jumped on Conehead, a very fingery F8a+ on the upper tire. It came together well and I was quite psyched but again the weather was against us and Malham was a right-off. So instead I've been doing quite a bit of bouldering both inside and out and I'm starting to feel the benefit, it's been a nice change.