An update of sorts

I haven't touched rock in over two months. Summer is like that, the heat certainly affects me more than your average Spaniard and when you find yourself sweating on the way back from the supermarket, climbing seems impossible. Also, real life has cruelly intervened. My old car, a sturdy Ibiza with a heart of gold, finally died on me. Considering the insane amount of mileage it had done and the fact that it is only a year younger than I am, I couldn't really complain when it  finally gave up the ghost.

The car in happier times...

My new car, a peugeot 405 with no air conditioning and dodgy electrics, managed to completely obliterate my savings, So I hit the summer camp circuit, hard. Going to a summer camp is a bit like a tour of Iraq. Constant work, living in the camp, institutional food and zero free time to go climbing  A camp north of Madrid followed a camp in the south of Spain. On Sunday my contract ended in the first and by Monday afternoon I had started working in the second with a six hour drive in between.

Temporary training solution

Now the job trail has gone cold and I find myself with twenty days of unemployment before my flight back to England. A little money, no job, no flat, just a car and a crashpad. The only problem is the weather. Temperatures in southern Spain are pushing forty degrees, and my normal climbing zones are almost definitely impossible. The only sanctuary is the north. Normally I'd throw myself at Origami for a few weeks, but haven't trained at all lately.(not that it seemed to do me any good when I did)

Hoya Moros, located in the mountains south of Salamanca seems to be the best option. This zone has become increasingly fashionable of late thanks to numerous visits by pros. Because of its high altitude (the walk in is two and a half hours up a mountain) its still cool enough to climb in summer and due to its proximity to Madrid, I'm sure to meet a bunch of people. Also, there are a handful of lower areas in the valley without the walk in, Hoya is the famous one but maybe I won't feel like the hike. 

It also looks as though I'll be relocating to Madrid at the start of this academic year. When I studied there I was just starting to go climbing outdoors and hadn't really started to  boulder. This year will be different. Also, Santa. Gadea and Albarracin are three hours from Madrid: no more six hour drives only not to send for this guy! This year I'll be hanging off the board and ready to go as soon as temperatures start to drop.

Moby Dick 7B in Escorial from earlier this year. About 45 minutes from Madrid!