Alps training!

Getting in sunday night I was surprised to find out that my brother is leaving for Germany on monday. Not that this would usually be a problem, but I'm away in the alps the week after then when I get back, my parents are away for three weeks or something. I'm not going see him for a month (or my parents for that matter), if I miss them on Saturday. Just came as a little shock is all.

Getting in Sunday night suggests that I've been out for the weekend, which is true. I've been planning heavily this weekend for the alps. Me and Dan are heading out the to Ecrins and have a few routes in mind. Admittedly we've probably left doing some training a little late, that said we've done quite a bit of climbing together (and walking) especially over the past few weeks. I think we know each others strenghts and weaknesses quite well. We went this weekend to practise moving together, biving, eating and using our "alps rack". We've planned for a day on a glacier practising some crevasse rescue, but hopefully we'll not have to use it.

We packed up on friday night and set of on a late start on saturday. Other than giving us a lie in, it also (in theory) meant we would get caught out by darkness and would be forced to bivi down somewhere. Like I said in theory. We headed over the wales (where else) and firstly to V12 as Dan needed some new rock boots. We started to gear up at ogwen cottage in the early afternoon.

I think we must have looked quite a sight. Because of the risk of rain, we opted to go in thermals and waterproof trousers. This is all good, except for we started just in skin tight thermals. We got a few funny looks to say the least. At least we didn't start roped up as if we were on a glacier! We walked in pretty quick, realising on the way in that we'd fogotten the guide book (it was too heavy anyway). We headed over to the glyder facet to begin with.

We roped up and Dan just picked a line up the broken ground along the NW edge. I wasn't really hard climbing/scrmbling, but had a few difficult sections. I have to say Dan was off like a rocket and I felt like I was struggling to keep up. Trying to keep the rope taught, but not too tight and take gear out. Everytime I was on a difficult section, seem like Dan had reached an easy section and he gunned ahead. Eventually we established some better communication. We topped out and moved to the base of the Sub Cneifon Arete [VD].

It was my turn to take the lead this time. I started up, wacked a sling over this massive flake then pulled up on it. The thing damn near came away from the face and ended up on Dan. I pushed it back, removed my sling and found a chock instead. That was a narrow escape to say the least. We headed up ok this time. Seemed a bit different with me leading and Dan seconding, then again it was a little harder than some broken ground. Couple of points required some quick belays but it all went well. We dropped our rope and took a break at the top whilst watching the weather. It seemed to be building and trying to break but not quite managing it.

So we headed to Idwal slabs with the intention of doing Hope [VD] and make a decision about a harder route on the next wall. Seeing as we seemed quicker with Dan leading headed off first. We moved with about 10/15 metres of rope between us. I shouted instructions as to where the route went from below. We moved up with few problems, overtaking one party. I did almost come off, but manageed to gecko myself on the wall. Thankfully Dan clocked this and hung onto a large spike at that point. Arriving at the top of Idwal we opted for Javlin Buttress [VS 4c] (as there was someone on Lazarus).

For this pitch I took the lead. Last time I did Javline buttress I was in my rock boots and wearing a rucksack. I had to leave my sack below the crux and haul it up after, I also had a full trad rack. This time I've come equipped a tiny rack and I'm in my big boots! Self doubt had started to eat away already, then I dropped a cam! I've no idea how, but it slipped off my harness. Instead of falling to the base of Idwal, it hung on a runner (clearly a myrical?!). I quickly put in a belay and Dan rescued this cam, thankfully. This allowed me to keep climbing. At the crux I puzzelled for a while about how to do it. I rememeber it being really awkward last time, but I must have been doing it all wrong. I nipped through it and belayed above. Annoyingly I cut my thumb and bleed everywhere.

I brought Dan up and we snacked before the final pitch, Ashel. At S 4a it wasn't the hardest route on our list, but not the easiest either. It had started to rain as well and Dan um and ar'd over the start. Eventually I made the call to bin it, it was rain. Theres not point getting wet for the sake of getting wet at the end of the day. Only fools practise suffering. We would later check the guidebook (which we forgot to bring) and would read about the "desperate start" to Ashel. Something we thankfully avoided. We headed down from Idwal in double quick time. Not wanting to miss out on the fact we carried enough gear to bivi and because we had nothing else to do, be had tea tucked away under the roof in the Ogwen carpark. This was Freezer bag soodley noup. A concoction of cheep noodles, cuppa soup all made inside a freezer bag (which doesn't melt with the addition of boiling water). You then put them in your hat so you don't burn your hand and hey presto! instant noodles, with no washing up.

With nothing much else to do, and no tent as we forced ourselves to bivi we headed to find some beer. The Brenin saturday night lecture (and bar) seemed like a good idea. Its a shame that the lecture was on "paddling around the world". I mean it could have been interesting, but me and Dan were pretty fired up over climbing so. We still enjoyed a nice pint of Brenin ale, before heading out to find a bed for the night. We ended up in the slate quarries in a blast shelter in the slate quarries. As a place to doss for the night it was great and could easily fit about 6 people in there. It also had a good view over Llanberis. We sat in Vivian enjoying after a hard day out, till we heard a large rockfall someway off and decided to head to bed.

Sunday rolled around (as it always does) to rain. Alot of rain. Again no point getting wet for the sake of getting wet, and still knackered from the day before, we headed to Pete's from breakfast and home.

As a weekend of half a rack, bivi gear and moving together, I think we did really well, pushing ourselves to move quicker and making sound decisions. I think we'll be alright in the alps, and I can't wait.