Al Millar Donna, Rodney and Myself headed for the Burren with Marty, Frazer, Jude and John joining us on Friday evening. On Thursday morning Donna had a wain to mind and a sore foot after her adventures at Lough Barra the previous Saturday.

Rodney led Ground Control VS 4c and I did Skywalker E3 5c. Unaware that Marchanded Crack had been upgraded to E2 5b in the new guide due to the bold start, Rodney tried it and decked out landing in the foetal position between two boulders after his gear popped, and enough of that.

I then did Moments of Inertia E3 6a a route I had tried to lead a decade and a half ago and seconded a decade ago. After two O Clock, the sun shone down on the main face and we were fried doing Great Balls of Fire HVS and learned the lesson to do all the climbing in the morning and poor Rodney complained of heat stroke as the number one haircut back-fired on him and he went about demanding moisturiser and sun block with a head like a stewed tomato for the rest of the weekend.

I did not all of Salt Rope E4 6a thinking it was Salt Rope E1 5b of the old guide. We went to the pub and drank greedily to recover from the heat as two faces appeared at the window, Marty and Frazer had arrived. Marty drank greedily to recover from the journey as Frazer sat pleasantly with his Ballygowans and piece of cracker bread. Donna went home with the sleeping wain.

Later Marty and I sailed around the beautiful starry night sky on moving spinning funfair thing hanging high in the air for a second out over Galway bay as Rodney and Frazer lay nonchalantly on the grass watching us.

Next morning Jude and John had arrived and John the crazy cyclist went off around Clare on his bicycle. Frazer led Ground Control followed by Jude and Marty. Donna was still injured and watched baby as she crawled about near hot stoves shoving bottle tops and fag butts into her mouth as Daddy Marty led Lisdoonfarout. Both parents were seen distributing the baby food among themselves when Amy wasn't looking.

Meanwhile Rodney led Bunnion Bui VS and I satisfied a long held ambition and flashed Kleptomaniac E3 6a and was so pumped at the top that I could not push open crag gates. Frazer placed all the gear on Atomic Rooster E1 5b then kindly allowed a German party to ascend the route in his place and had downgraded the climb by one grade as well. A reformed character!

Rodney grunted his way bravely up Nutrocker HVS 5a and was still claiming to be enjoying himself when we called siesta and crawled under boulders and behind stone walls till the sun died. Crazy John arrived back less perturbed at his seventy mile cycle than I was just thinking about it. Myself and Donna almost didn't do Doolin Rouge E1 5a because no one remembered to bring ropes down the abseil with us. One of us was obviously a ****** idiot. Trusty Rodney then appeared at the cliff top in his cape to rescue us. Frazer closed the day with a siege of Bunnion Bui, followed by Jude and Marty.

Sunday was quieter with Marty, Jude and Frazer going over to do Box of Chocs only to discover that there was a big hole in the middle of the climb and it was now Chocs Away HVS 5a. I did Lucy E2 5c and various things were top roped or soloed and everyone seemed to have had enough by that stage. On a strange subtext to the weekend Frankie's van appeared on Thursday, though there was no sign of Frankie. Rumour had it that he was in there with his secret woodworking class. Whatever the truth of it the lights were on in his van till the wee small hours, obviously still woodworking away making tables and stools for local pubs and hotels. He stopped in for a visit after the carpenters left on Sunday afternoon drank a few cups of tea and headed for the crag with little explanation. Finally, the others had to endure a thirty-five mile detour so that I could be delivered to my cousin's wedding near Birr and much thanks are extended for that.