Ralph’s Place

On a day when we’d already ticked Wrinkled Wall (VS 4c), I though the climbing couldn’t get much better. I was wrong. Quien Sabe? (VS 4c) takes the awkward start to Browns Crack before moving left to good flakes, and finishing up a crack through a bulge. The rock’s perfect, the top crack committing and on the sunny day we had, it couldn’t get much better

If you’re good at jamming you’ll find the start fine. Unfortunately I’m not, so I found it awkward and hard! Once you move across though, there’s no more awkward… just a bit more hard and in an awesome position!

Go do it! I don’t know if it’s better than Browns Crack (HS - top 50), but it’s definitely worth the outing, and possibly the best VS on the crag?

Road rage is a real thing. So is bike rage. As someone who cycles to work reasonably regularly, I know all too well what it’s like to ride on the busy roads of London. How scary it is to have a car or bus pass you too closely or intimidating for them to be sat right behind you at traffic lights revving their engine.

Having said from the start that I wouldn’t be one of those cyclist that broke the law and jumped red lights, I quickly changed my mind. When it’s a question of the 4×4 that’s 6″ behind you ready to speed away, or getting a bit ahead at the expense of a red light, the choice is easy.

One idea that could have helped is this introduction of cycle only areas at traffic lights. The idea here being that a few meters by the lights are reserved for cyclists, while cars have to stop a bit further back. This gives a cyclist the space and time they need to pull away and get settled before the Porche Cayene behind them is nipping at their heels.

The reason I say this “could have helped”, is because 90% of drivers just ignore them and pull right forward into the cycle area anyway. Naturally, the 10% that actually stop back where they’re supposed to, tend to drive the least intimidating cars and generally give cyclists proper consideration on the roads anyway. So, in my second action as “world fixer”, I would introduce a cross breed of red light and bus lane cameras to catch drivers who stop in the cycle area at traffic lights. The penalty would be the same as for jumping a red light, 3 points and a £60 fine.

One day maybe something like this will appear… in the meantime, I’ll have to stick to gesturing at drivers in disbelief, before moving forward yet further to get the headstart I need.

Introducing the first of what may be a few ‘Series’ of short posts on the same theme. Fixing The World is dedicated to the little things that I would do to make the England, or the world a nicer place for us to live in. Of course, many or all of these may be completely unfeasible and utterly impractical, but what do I care, it’s just for fun

So to get us kicked off… as I watched 3 commuters finish off the last of their cigarettes and drop them on the floor outside the tube station doors, I couldn’t help but think that a good earner for the council would be to post some PCSOs outside all tube stations during the rush hour, who would just hand out £50 on the spot fines for littering. It might even help keep the area cleaner!