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| Crocuses flowering beneath a tree in Harrogate |
Over the last few days I have seen more and more bulbs flowering, probably due to the unseasonably warm temperatures the UK has seen over the last week.
Besides clumps of snow drops, with their monochrome flowers that bring to mind the passing winter more than coming spring, there are large patches of colourful crocuses, like those in the above photo, and even a few daffodils tentatively starting to flower.
I admire the optimism of these plants, and I hope that they herald the arrival of spring for one reason: it is the perfect time to get out and rock climb on the gritstone crags found around Leeds and the nearby Peak District. Then I will be ready for more adventurous climbing on mountains and sea cliffs just as the warmth and long days of summer arrive.
Indeed, enthusiasm got the better of me this weekend and I visited Froggatt in the Peak District to try and kick start my rock climbing season. Although my climbing partner and I managed a couple of great routes (including the notorious Three Pebble Slab), the temperature had fallen from the mid-week high, and, combined with a bitter wind, made the experience of placing hands on cold rock an unpleasant one. By lunchtime we admitted defeat and were back on the road home.
Come soon spring!
