At least I managed to get out and do some climbing this past weekend, even if we did drive 2 hours to get a crag 20 minutes away. We were fully planning on a good day of climbing and new route development at Devil's Gap on Sunday. The morning was looking a little grey, but blue sky was visible, so I chose to ignore the 'rain radar' from the Met Service and the fact that it was showing showers on the Banks Peninsula.
Left at 10, stopped for some V at the bakery, and away we went.
45 minutes later....rain.
It had looked pretty bad from a distance, but that is often the case in the hills, even though the rock stays dry. When we got up the road it was real rain though. So, turn around and back to Castle Rock we went.
Got there around noon, and it was cold and windy at the carpark. A few suggested heading indoors for the day, but the 2 drivers silently decided since we had just driven 2 hours, we were going to climb. Thankfully, down below it was a bit warmer and and we were out of the wind, so we were on for some climbing!
I really wanted to get Rowan up Hangman, but we had to get there somehow. So, as a warmup on a cold day, I got to do Expedition Crack...again. It went better this time, but I am still one rest short of the redpoint. Needless to say, Rowan made Hangman look pretty effortless, even after all the insecurity before hand. The Sword in the Stone/Uncomprimising Vulture combination finished off the day, and it was beer time.
Headed to the Speight's Ale House at Tower Junction, and it turns out they have just released their winter beer, a chocolate ale. Not a bad initial taste, really like chocolate, but after a while it starts to taste like the Old Dark. I am fairly sure it is the same beer, they just added chocolate.
Continuing on a beer note, I tried a few bottles of my honey wheat this past weekend. It still tastes quite 'green'. I think it may need at least another 3-4 weeks to mature. Freshly poured out of the bottle, it has a very strong yeast aroma, and the hops taste kinda sticks out on its own. If I leave the glass out for about an hour though and the beer gets warm and goes flat, the honey taste comes back and hops start to blend in. So, I am hoping as it matures the yeast flavour will settle and the others will blend well. Side note: this is the second beer so far that has a sediment that stays on the bottom, none in the glass.
