don't believe the hype

Well it was about 2 months since we went up to Buffalo, the weather is really nice right now so it was a great day for it. Also we had the brand new guide to help us (the new guide is absolutely fantastic).
Started out at the Mothballs which is a small area just north of the Horn. First I led The Biggest Thing Here (16) which was delightful. The first move is a bit committing, you basically wedge your torso in a corner and use your legs to inch your way up and over a bulge. After that it's slabbing of the best sort, with plenty of bolts (I even missed one because they're unusually close together by Buffalo standards!!). After Andrew seconded it, we toproped Waiting For A Princess (20). This climb is really really good, it only gets one star but if it was in a better position (i.e. more exposure) it would certainly get two. The climbing is top-notch with edges for your feet that seem small but are in fact really nice. The first half is 18 and then the second half is sustained 20. Andrew managed to onsight it and I only fell off once when I placed a foot wrong after the crux. Did I mention you have almost nothing for your hands ?? (i.e. fingertips only).
Anyway, after lunch we decided to head to Tatra Rocks, this was disappointing, although we probably should have looked around to see what the starred climbs were like.
We finished up with Thin Wall Special Pineapple Delight (17) on the south side of the gorge which we toproped. I found it pretty difficult and very painful.
Hoping to head out again soon!!!

Well, after a busy two weeks in the UK I'm back. It was pretty cold over there but not intolerable, you just have to get used to dressing for the weather. Days are very short there at the moment, but apparently in the summer it's light until 10pm so you can spend heaps of time outside. Bought a whole lot of records and books - if you click on the "My Record Collection" link on the side you can see the whole lot. The new ones are the ones without a rating. I went to Reading the day after I got there (driving is quite stressful if you're not sure where you're going) and looked around the shopping centre. HMV even sells drum'n'bass records! During the evenings I would unwind by going down to the lounge in the hotel and have a pint while reading my book. The hotel had a pub around the back as well which could charge meals to your room, so I either ate there or at the restaurant which was very nice. The hotel was also extremely close to work which meant I didn't have to get up ultra-early in the morning. On the weekend, I went to London on the Saturday and shopped, and had dinner with Rich (a guy who used to work in the office in Wodonga and has just got a job at our office in Winnersh which is where I was... he also spent a few nights at the same hotel while doing interviews). On Sunday I went into Reading again for lunch and then just chilled out in my room all afternoon.
The second week was mostly training. I managed to get a lot of discussion and meetings done while I was over there and also got to know my colleagues a bit better which helps a hell of a lot. On the plane from London to Singapore I was sitting next to a guy who worked for an oil company and his team have meetings every quarter somewhere around the world, somewhat similar to my boss. All in all an enjoyable and productive trip but I'm sure glad to be back home!
Oh, and Singapore Airlines kicks ass.