Saturday 22nd April 2000
Jason Frazer (Frasier), Stuart Hamilton (Stu), Donna Ryan, Billie Wilkinson and I (Rodney Moore) went to Fairhead. The day was spent on the Prow where the sun was shining and routes were ascended in between sunbathing! Frasier led the classics, The Black Thief VS 4b and The Fence VS 4c and, on the insistence of Donna, Emmanuelle VS 4b,4a.
I also led The Black Thief and onsighted the fantastic 3 star Fireball E1 5b,one of the best routes I have ever done [alleged to have taken 3 hours - Ed.; for further reports of "frozen belayer syndrome" see Culdaft].
I then however led one of the worst routes I have done this year, Contractions VS 4c,4a,which I did in one pitch.This route is loose, awkward and poorly protected, but hey, don't take my word for it, try it for yourselves! On Easter Sunday, Stu, Frasier and I went to Dunmore Head, Culdaff. Frasier led his first HVS, Shining Cossacks HVS 5a and Stu did a clean ascent of Master of Puppets HVS 5b. I also led Master of Puppets but took a fall from the crux.
Rodder's Riposte
"In the log book for 22nd April, it has been suggested that I took 3 hours on Fireball and that a certain Mr Hamilton might have suffered from "FBS". In fact I did not take anywhere near that long and Stu did not suffer from "frozen belayer syndrome" as it was a scorching day and he spent the whole day on his arse sunbathing anyway. And if Stuart is making fun of my climbing speed it is worth adding to the report that he failed to make it past the 1st three moves on a top rope before lowering off.
I may be slow but at least I do the routes. Rodders."