#4

Aaaaah!

Tommorow is interview day up in Fort Bill. I'm getting the sickeningly early train at 4.50 and won't get back 'til 00.50, but its cheaper than paying for accomadation. It's for a graduate placemant with Lochaber Native Woodlands, a forestry consultancy based near Spean Bridge. Fingers crossed. I've spent the last year and a half looking for and applying for jobs and PhDs, and am yet to get anywhere. I've been shortlisted and had a few interviews, but its pretty disheartening when you seem to be spending all your time waiting to hear back about positions and never getting them. Then you start looking once more and the cycle continues.

I guess thats the problem with wanting to be involved in conservation or ecological work. There's no shortage of people fighting for positions and only a few knocking around. Most people have to do years of voluntary work to gain experience. But with no money how can you support yourself while volunteering? I've done a bit, but not as much as many out there. Mind you, this is a graduate placement so I presume there will be training and less expectation of vast experience. Hmmmm....

I'm planning to take my bike and when the interview is done I'll ride down Glen Nevis and do some bouldering and maybe some solos. Fingers crossed for no rain or midges. I'm super psyched for climbing at the moment. I've been down to the County so much recently I can't wait to get on some bigger routes elsewhere. Hopefully the classic County sandbag grading will stand me in good stead. Bowden VS = somewhere else's HVS? Certainly not all the time, and not everywhere, but there are a few line in the County that might not be graded that way elsewhere. I've done loads of climbing in the suspect Limestone quarries of Somerset (ah, home) and there are some serious soft touches knocking around. I guess thats the beauty and beast of grading.

Soft rock, soft grades: This photo is of me on Premiere (E2 5b) at Sandford Quarry, Somerset. It's a proper shit hole but being only 10 minutes from my house I'm not complaining.

Last night Chris and I ended up down at Agazi's Rock in Blackford Glen because it started to rain before we hit the road to the Limekilns. Managed to get a good pump on so mustn't grumble.

So, wish me luck for tomorrow.