Good for me.
Great 6.30pm at Oakwood it is @hughmerritt & @Mark_W. @dabarlow & I will meet you there. My mobile number is 07398718422, Mark can you give me yours?
Hello all, is it too late to join in?! Any spare spots left at the campsite? I’m hoping to drive down from Angel late tomorrow, if anyone wants a lift… Though I am still trying to convince @Kate_Davis to join!
Morning. My younger son Jules is ill with fever and my wife Caroline and I are worried about him. I am going to pull out of this climbing trip to stay home and look after Jules this weekend. @Miguel_Aguirre and @Max_A you will need to find a lift. Sorry to let you down at short notice.
Toby
Very sorry to hear that Toby. I really hope he’s better soon for you.
@Tim, you’re timing is spot on so not too late to join. Can you take @Miguel_Aguirre and @Max_A?
Imelda and I are leaving at 10am to meet my parents, who will also be staying with us: hooray! But we’ll not be coming directly back to London so can’t help with the return. JT and Laura are in a similar situation. Does anyone else have spare spaces?
Who wants a prize?
Check out my post from last night: Belaying Safely. The Petzl page has a belaying no-no on it. There’s a free prize, to be awarded this weekend, to the first person to spot the error.
Wishing Jules a speedy recovery, and sorry you’re missing out Toby. Let’s see that lifts materialise.
Tim - what time would you be looking to get away please?
OK - I’ll play. that lass in the black t-shirt is using her thumb to hold down the cam.
Is that wrong? Anyway, it wasn’t what I spotted and that’s how you get the prize! Correct to be looking at the pictures though. 
Break hand right up against the device. Naughty naughty!
Sorry to hear that Toby - hope he gets well soon!
Cheers
Matt
Hi Everyone - looking forward to the weekend. I have just confirmed final details with the campsite. A few house keeping things:
- please bring cash to pay for camping on arrival. This will help immensely, given the late arrival time!
- please, please, please try to keep the noise down as much as possible on arrival (campsite are a little concerned that nearly 30 people are rocking up at midnight!!!)
- we’re in the middle of the non-electric field - sounds magnetic! I have no additional details than this …
- always … wear sunscreen
See you later/tomorrow
Cheers
Matt
Not sure how well the dead rope is being held…
https://m.petzl.com/sfc/servlet.shepherd/version/download/068w0000005uwlgAAA
Approved technique is brake rope in the dead hand and thumb down on the cam, there is a sort of lip on the top/side of it to lever against while you use the other hand to give rope through the device.
The old school and totally uncool method (which I think she is doing) is thumb on top, fingers underneath to hold the cam down - letting go of the brake rope in the process- and yarding out slack.
Ta Matt. Just so we get it right, how much cash please? I notice it’s a camping and caravan site, which means things like flowers in the bogs and spare toilet roll covers. very nice!
They do have funny rules about where you can put your tent within the designated pitch, but hopefully we’ve got an arrangement and have been chucked in the group field.
M
Maybe she’s an E9 crusher and is relying on her phenomenal pinkie grip strength?
Can’t help thinking Petzl could do a better job on these!
Hi Max - £10 per night per person - don’t forget your pocket money!
We’re in the ‘non-electric’ field, which is the first one you come to. We are all in a group, camp anywhere you like in the middle of this field!
Cheers
Matt
any problems - my number is 07879 475833
The really uncool (but, let’s not forget, still likely to hold >99.9% of the time) way to do it is to let go of the dead rope completely. Grigri in one hand, thumb on cam, other hand pulls rope out.
Having the dead rope pinned between hand and device I thought was always one of the approved methods. Whisper it, but that’s what I’ve done and I’m sure it’s shown in some instruction books.
I’ve even had someone fall off when I’ve had the cam open to pay out slack, which provided an ideal demonstration of how my pinch strength isn’t enough to hold a grigri closed against the force of a falling climber.
