Image 1 - Jo Hedger getting a little breath after ascent into the Masters tree.
Image 2 - Scott Forrest installing his anchor point
Image 3 - Jon Turnbull working the extreme rope angles
Image 4 - The Masters Challenge tree from ground level
Image 5 - Jon Turnbull, Ross Kite, Philippa Allen, Scott Forrest, Jo Hedger, Rhys Brace & Mark Fraser. A great effort by all, congratulations & well done.
I was kindly asked by Alex Laver (TCC chairman) if I'd be keen to set up the masters challenge tree late on Friday afternoon. It has been a few years since I was last asked (for various reasons) & I jumped at the chance to give the finalists a run for their money. I basically feel that if a climber is good enough to reach the masters then the climb must ask more of the individual than just how good a climber they are. If the climb is finished too soon their resolve & decision making abilities don't even come into play so with this in mind myself & Ben Connon went to work. It was after 7pm before we came out of the spreading oak pleased with the task we'd set for the following day. Sadly for myself I was not going to be there on the Saturday to see & hear how it was, but regular text messages kept me updated.
Only one climber finished the job having reached all four stations & removed all equipment before the time was up, 25minutes. This for me was enough to know that the task was difficult but not too difficult to manage in the time allowed. The final placings were Scott Forrest, Rhys Brace, Ross Kite, Mark Fraser & John Turnbull in the mens event; Jo Hedger & Philippa Allen in the womens event. If my understanding is correct, this means that Scott has earnt himself a place on the UK & I team for the European championship to be held in Malmo, Sweden in June 2009.
The final word goes to Scott, who with the winning climb under his belt said, " That was the most challenging & best Masters event tree that I've ever climbed in!".
So, as far as I'm concerned the job asked of me was okay & if there is a next time I'll look upon the task with the same view of how high the bar can go without being too high.
Cheers for now & well done to everyone who spent many hours organising, setting up & generally making the event happen.
G'luck
Nod
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