By James Lawson (Kip)

The Journey

Due to ultra efficiency from Johan and the shopping crew the bus was ready to go at 18:05, unfortunately no one was actually here at this point, mainly due to coursework and lectures. Departure occurred some 20 minutes later. Most importantly Outdoor Club (S&G) where still putting bags on their roof as we burnt away from the union. The journey was uneventful apart from a slight deviation from the planned route around stoke. Eliot’s car and the bus arrived at the campsite within a few minutes of each other due to the car stopping for ice cream.

Day 1

Fresher and I went to Jamtastic Ramshaw Rocks while everyone else went to the Roaches. I lead Phallic Crack (S) and Battle of Bulge (VS). On Battle of the Bulge I entertainingly kicked out my first gear as I moved past it and proceeded to place very suspect runners to the top. I then proceeded to be a little silly and fail to start the crank, I will return. Fresher the lead a severe crack, finding it pleasant and jammy. At the Roaches lots of teaching and fun climbing/bouldering went on.

Day 2

The start was heavily delayed by faff and destination selection but eventually we ended up at the slightly damp Roaches. Lizze lead the crazy run out VS that Johan had lead the day before. Quite a few people got stuck into a jamming roof crack boulder problem that Fresher had found, loosing alot of skin in the process. Top knots were declared the best hair style for jamming. Murray did the hard move on ‘The Boss’ (f6c) only to fall off the easier upper moves, it was that kind of day.

The Race

We stopped for take away in Stoke. The food varied from cheap and mostly disgusting (Ali’s) to quite good pizza with a middling price. At Ali’s a one of the local tramps decided that it was time to tell everyone which bits of London he had been too (Peckham, Wandsworth and Knightsbridge apparently). Further down the motorway we stopped for a toilet break at Harvester only to see Fellwander’s bus in the car park. Some aggressive driving and loud Tokyo Drift latter they knew that it was on. We allowed them the start and they continued to pull away from us due to an estimated 0.5Mph speed advantage on their speed limiter. However roadwork’s with average speed check and some crazy weaving and shortest path taking put us back ahead. Fellwander’s presumably knowing that we would just defeat them in London if they managed to get ahead using their speed limiter advantage bailed onto the M1 and its inevitable congestion. At the union the entertainment was provided by the door to stores been broken and therefore gear was left for the night in the bus. Even after all this faff the Fellwanders had still not got back, presumably they enjoy traffic jams.