Centurion

Scotland can be a tough place to be a climber in the summer time. The
weather is often indistinguishable form that of an English winter,
with the rock often dripping wet and unclimbable. And then when the
rain and wind stop, out come Culicoides halophilus - the Highland
Midge.

Millions of these minute vampires swarm around the Highlands with no
respect for your personal space, trying their best to drain you with
blood. If you've never experienced these evil little bastards then
you may well think that I'm whining about nothing, but they are an
utter menace, and would test the goodwill of even the most Zen monk.

But then there are some days that will make you forget about all of
those times you've had to hide under a boulder from the rainclouds or
endure a zillion minute insects all trying to invade your nose, and
Saturday was one of them.

It was the first time I'd been to Ben Nevis in the summer, and the
weather had given us blue skies and brilliant sunshine. The cold,
dark slog I was used to taking up the Ben was replaced with something
far more bright and sunny (still a bit of a slog, though).

Today's objective was the classic rock-climb 'Centurion'. Taking a
steep line through some impressive rock, even looking at it from the
ground was awe-inspiring. Jo and I had been wanting to do this route
for quite some time, and I felt a bit intimidated as it loomed above
me.

The climbing itself was perfect. For over 200 metres the route never
once relented, each pitch exciting enough to be considered a classic
in its own right. Once you're on the route there's no easy escape,
adding more to the excitement and making the whole undertaking more
serious. Each movement required thought and finesse, every moment a
joy.

All those days couped up inside watching the sky collapse fade were
worth the wait, and every midge bite no more than a passing nuisance.
Days like that are what keeps us coming back, but unlike the drug
addict trying to re-capture that first perfect high, we come across
those days again and again, and never grow weary of them.

Yeah. Scotland's great.