climbing Lothlorien in Middle Earth

of For the Wednesday. afafternoon break of the Bayesian week at CIRM, a few of us enquired about the possibility of going climbing together and thanks to the good will of local Bayesian climbers ended effectively climbing on a nice type of rock with tiny finger holes! The set of routes was called Middle Earth (located near the notorious jail of Les Beaumettes and on the road to the Calanque de Morgiou) and the routes named after places in the Lord of the Rings. This was my first outdoor climb since the Cascades and while I was not in any way properly trained, I enjoyed this afternoon tremendously, no less for climbing a route called Lothlorien! (There are also Rohan and Gondor if you are partial to those other places…) But also for having a great time with old and new friends, in very mild weather and away from the blistery mistral wind. And for this residual tingling feeling at the end of my fingers…