YTD

Well, it's pretty much the end of 2011 and with little or no classes left to teach I thought I might have a splash at giving peeps a review of the year and not the financial one. I have established a set of Golden Crashpad awards, just for my own enjoyment really, so if you disagree or would like to comment, don't bother. Ha ha.

So here we go:

The Belligerent Bastard Award:

This one was hotly contested between a couple of Big Guns. Big props to the Raven for trying Iceberg, the razor sharp, B grade problem located at the amazingly unspectacular Titanic boulder, for the best part of two years and still being luckless, however, as Christopher Lambert said in Highlander, "There can be only one" and the clear winner here is Big Dave. 3 trips from the Blue Mountains to the Grampians over a year, diets, no drinking, running, big falls and success. Congratulations big fella for a great ascent of El Westwood.

The Raven, seated under his nemesis, Iceberg.

The Trad Guy Appearance Award:

This one is a bit of a no brainer really. There aren't too many other guys who have pulled off the beard stroker look quite as well as Stu Partridge has over the past 12 months, especially whilst holding down his real world bank job... Nice one Stu.

Best Discovery of an Area only to Have Some Douche Steal All the FAs Award:

Again, there was only ever one guy in the running for this prestigious award and that is the one and only, Melton Phil. After discovering and frothing over Mt Zero, he graciously took this author out for a bit of a reccie only to have the same bastard do pretty much all of the plum lines and then shamelessly post pics of himself all over the web crushing his lines. Sorry man, but congrats nonetheless.

The author, FAing one of Phil's lines

Phil, Looking pleased, but not for long...

Epic Fail Award, Awarded for best injury outside of climbing:

There have been some big names over the years who would have been shoe ins for this award, if it had have existed. Frothing Gary Phillips for tripping over and driving a stick through his leg would have been a worthy winner, but this year I have bestowed this one on myself... My one and a half game return to football had some amazing highlights and then two distinct low points. I tore a tendon from the bone in the ring finger of my right hand and then ruptured my ACL, ensuring an operation, but more importantly that I would be the most expensive recruit in the long and illustrious history of the Moyston football club...

And Finally:

The Selfish Bastard Award:

Ross Taylor take a bow. This fine fellow decided to quit his job as the Editor of Rock Magazine, so he could follow his dreams and all that fluffy stuff, rather than continue to print useless news and shameless self serving pics of me that I had forwarded to him, under the threat of violence if he didn't print them.
PS. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors Rossco...

Well, that's it really, just thought everyone could enjoy some of my musings on a Monday morning. I hope y'all had a fun weekend and got something fun done. I stopped off in sunny Natimuk for the weekend and managed to squeeze in a new problem around the Bushranger's bluff area. The Vortex, V10ish was the result. Is a cool fridge lifling problem. If you're in the area, get Big Al to give you the tour. Anyways, two weeks till I'm off to Europe for six weeks, so I'll keep you posted as to what's happening up North. Out...

The Vortex, V10