Too glorious for the usual Tuesday winter lunchtime wall session: 5C but sunny and still, though I didn’t manage to persuade anyone else that outside climbing was on the cards. Burbage North could have been designed for exactly this situation: south facing, short, near the road and friendly – the perfect spot for a winter bouldering fix.

I took our tiny mat; more to keep my shoes clean rather than any expectation of its capacity to absorb a fall, as it’s about 3ft square and 3″ thick. Gentle soloing was probably a better description than bouldering. A couple of dozen amenable routes were a great way to enjoy the day.

Quite a few other hardy souls with the same idea.

Walking back, a bloke asked me why everyone seemed to be carrying a giant suitcase along the crag (ignoring the briefcase-sized piece of foam I had in my hand). I explained and made a mental note that it might be time to splash out on a pad upgrade!