Inner demons...

It's been a bit of a wierd weekend, not just for climbing. I've done 1 full route this weekend and that was after a day of restig up and sleeping on various bouldering mats at the roaches. In fact I've done quite a bit of bouldering this weekend and I managed to stick Joe's Arete on the upper tier (ubder classic problem) with just 1 hand. It was a pretty scary and commiting move to make.

So my trad route for the weekend. I had just walked down from the upper tier to have another play on Three Pocket Slab with Toaf and Rach wanted to head up to a problem below a climb called Ascent of Man. I'd not heard of this route before and probably just glossed over it in the guide book. It's 11 metres long and graded E3 6a***. That's pretty much the height of my grade as a few of the other 6a's I've done outdoor have either been "soft" or just downgraded in the next guidebook.

Ascent. takes a difficult starting move to gain a crack and some gear, then you lauch out over a steep slab until you feel ready to mantle over onto the top-out, and thats it. Simple you'd have thought. Me and Toaf bouldered the start a couple of times until we reached the crack. I studied the gear and fumbled around deciding whether to lead. It would be a pretty cool lead across what looked like a blank but ameinable slab. I sussed the gear out from the ground as I could pretty much see it and head a peak as I lead up to it. It didn't really tell me anything that I didn't know from the ground and I still took the same gear as I would have anyway.

I then some how found myself telling Toaf to gear up while I was putting my harness on. What was I thinking? E3 6a on a roasting hot day? There'll be terrible friction? But I carried on anyway regardless of the protest that was going on in my head.

With a harness, rope and about 12 pieces of gear on I couldn't stick the first move. It was really hard and it just went to show how much difference a little added weight can make. I actually thought about doing it without any gear and getting it lobbed up to me. I was feeling under alot of pressure as well. I'd decided to lead it and didn't want to back down at all, but I couldn't stick the damn first move. I must have tried half a dozen times but then I got it. Here I filled the crack with some gear, then up a little more before placing my last few pieces. I re-aranged everything to be on the shortest extenders (or none at all) relying on Toaf belaying to reduce rope drag. It such a good things having someone you trust as much as I trust toaf when belaying on something hard, it takes so much worry out of the system.

Now we'd planned what to do it I fell off. The gear is pretty bomb-proof, but I'm quite heavy and the fall is pretty close to the ground so Toaf was ready to start running when the time came to it. This is the kind of mad suggestion that a year ago I would have considered stupid (and most still will) but now think is just part of the game.

Pieces placed and the rest of the gear tossed off my harness so there was nothing left to do but send it. Now came the point of trusting my boots and friction and prayin' that it wasn't to warm. I must have been at that point for half an hour, unable to commit with Toaf yelling up encouragement, lock stock quotes and singing badly and Nat giving me a "good talking to" (telling off for not believing I could do it). I still just couldn't move.

From somewhere I commmited to the move, afriad that I wouldn't be able to reverse it or that it wouldn't get any easier. Standing on a pebble I moved up to another foothold which was better than the first, but just not good enough. I realised that my final moved would be the mantle onto the easier slab above. It had all looked so easy from the ground and now I was risking decking out because of what? Just a nice line? a good route? What was it all for? I half committed to the mantle but couldn't quite do it. I knew I couldn't reverse back and I couldn't afford to fall off. It was so hot, my hands were greasy and my chalkbag emptying fast. I could feel my feet, sweaty and hot, sliding around in my stickies. I thought a foot would slip off at any second. Un-beknown to me Toaf has sent Rach down to grab the spare rope to rescue me, and he was braced and ready to run if I slipped off.

I remember muttering to myself "go big or go home" and commmitting...

I didn't fall off and my sweaty hands stuck on the slopers I'd got them on till I grabbed a crimp. With a good foot up I mantled up and ran up the slab above almost faster than Toaf could pay out. I was shaking, smiling and dry in the mouth. All I could think about was getting down and getting some water, and some gear for the belay.

Toaf seconded me, after some indecision about whether to lead it himself, and flew up it without a thought.

So I set out without a route or problem in mind for another day up the Roaches. Considering I was complaining about not being psyched or having any drive to do anything other than sleep on a bouldering mat, I have no idea where that came from. I love technical slabs and now I'm pretty stoked to get on and try Smear Test next time I'm up that way.(The photo Rachel shot while running back for the rescue rope. She figured she better take a picture incase I did fall off)

Sport climbing, slate & bolts that unclip?

We'd picked a new spot under the boulders this time due to the wind direction and Tim thinking he might get cold. I assured him he wouldn't and that we'd also stay dry. I did actually rain in the night as I couldn't sleep at all. I always enjoy listening to the rain while I'm snuggled up in my sleeping bag. We didn't make our early start because it was a bitterly cold morning, but we went to Pete's Eats as none of us had the forsight to bring any breakfast (I think we just used it as an excuse to go to Pete's).

I've recently found it so hard to get psyched to go slate climbing. It's because I spent last summer hitting the slate really hard and haven't really paced myself. I feel like I've run out of the routes at my grade. We found ourselves at bus stop quarry as Toaf fancied leading Gnat Attack (E1 5b). As we where there I jumped on Massambula (E2 5b) a route that Uncle Rob had said I should lead. I'll tell you that last time I was on this slab I failed miserably seconding Gnat Attack, vowing to myself that I'd never return. Instead I found myself avoiding my old nemesis and attempting the next route on my tick list.

There was apparently no gear, at least from my view on the ground just 2 bolts and lower off. The thing is is that Mass. is 25 metres long and the first bolt is 11 metres up. Not to worry as it's only about 4c+ at the start, until you get below the bolt, but out of reach to clip it. What you can't see from the ground is a bomber couple of piece of gear... which I'd leaft behind because you can't see them from the ground. A quick throw later and I was off. The climb was awesome and runout enough that I was scared to climb to the lower off.

Then Toaf did Gnat Attack with no problems what so ever. He only used the 2 bolts on the route and flew up it in good style. I wish I had more to say but it was just good climbing. He stripped out the route on the lower off and suggested I lead it too. This oddly had not occured to me as I was just going to second it by I racked up with my 2 'draws and set off. After clipping the first bolt I moved left and past it only to hear Toaf yelling at me to get the next bolt clipped! I could hear a good deal of fear in his voice and I looked down and saw that the flippin quickdraw had unclipped itself. Being 12 metre up on a 5b crux was not wear I wanted to be. Adrenaline fueled I nipped up to the next bolt clipped it and yelled a thanks to Toaf for pointing it out. I hammered up the route as quick as I could so I could get off it.

Tim needed to head off so we all walked out. As we left Toaf jumped on a F6c sport route we found and I couldnt not have a go after he fell off the final move. It just so happened that we got talking to a couple of local old boys who informed us of a load of really awesome sport climbs within our grade. Im actually pretty psyched to go check them out actually so it looks like the single rope and the rack of draws will have to be dug out so a days slatey-sport routing!

Mountain routes, squeezes & hangovers

I got my car back for this weekend and the mechanic said I should take it out for a drive. I did check that he meant a 400 mile round trip to stoke, wales and chester so I was ok. It's still looking like I'll have to get a new car though.

My haul bag arrived in the mail as well last week. Why do I now own a haul bag? well I do plan on going big walling with as soon as I can get my act together and find a psyched partner. I also don't have a big kit bag to tab everything around in, I figured this'll do. When I brought it off UKC the guy didn't know how many litres it was and I couldn't tell from the photo. I now own a 140 litre (at a guess) haul bag. It'll talk all the kit I need and more, and I can sleep in it if I want to. It doesn't carry to bag either. I packed it up this weekend just because I could. I already love the damn thing.

And Toaf, Tim and I headed out to Wales this weekend. Like normal we aimed for an early start on the Saturday morning and didn't exactly make it. I think this probably had something to do with the large amounts of alcohol and worms armageddon we stayed up till 0530 playing. Having said all that we made it wo wales for about 1030 in the morning with aplan to head to Idwal.

Now I find it pretty hard to get inspired to go to go to Idwal most of the time. There are a few reason for this but I think that main one is that there are alot of low grade routes there. I'm not being elitist or arrogant but I don't really like getting stuck behind parties who are much slower, especially ones that have people learning to do multipitch climbs. I'm completely not against people learning here and moving at thier own pace, but I feel very rude over taking people or putting pressure on them by climbing behind them. I cut my teeth multipitch climbing here. I try to be very polite with al the people I meet there.

We did actually head straight to Idwal. Tim had a little challenge for us first... a squeeze. For anyone unfamilar to the term "squeeze" it's pretty much what it sounds like, a gap you have to squeeze through. I'm scared of the dark and not a fan of small spaces, and Tim knows this full well, I think he also knows how competitive I am when he suggested it. This particular boulder squeeze I awesome but definatly type 2 fun. I got to a point there I had to express all the air from my lungs, move upward a little and them breath in... only I couldn't re-expand my lungs. Needless to say I freaked out constantly and couldn't do it. But I'll be back.

Toaf the managed it without even touching the sides pretty much.

Squeeze over we geared up and walked in. It was pretty late, maybe 1200 buy the time we reached Idwal. I'd formulated a plan for the day to do Javelin Direct (E1 5b) and Continuation Crack (HVS 5b) which if you know Idwal start about half way up. As a started we took the line of Tennis shoe direct (HVS 4c) for the first 2 pitches to try and avoid the crowds. We pretty much didn't have any other choice of what line to take as every other seemed to be taken up by someone. I lead the first 2 pitches and used the guide plate to run Toaf and Tim up, then we took a direct line the large block and just moved together to get to the big ledge. I explained to Tim that the climbing was easy enough and we'd be fine on it and he was cool with it. At the ledge our speedy ascent (we'd over taken about more than one other team) was halted by someone on Javelin Buttress so we where forced to sit, wait and break into a measly supply of food we'd brought for the day. At least we where in position for out next climb.

Actually being able to have a break was awesome. We talked loudly, snoozed and sorted all our gear out for the next route. I'm pretty sure we gave the impression of 3 youths who where bumbling up idwal, rather quickly. Most of the people just laughed at our conversations but it seem like some of the "old boys" (normally sporting white beards, large rucksacks and full mountaineering kit, moving going slow & steady) who where there looked down on us with our fast & light approach and our happy attitude. This all changed when we started off on Javelin Blade as Toaf too up the mantle of belayer, we lightened my sack to have virtually nothing so I could lead with it and Tim moved to he could keep communication with me and Toaf (Toaf an I couldn't see each other).

Javelin Blade is a pretty awesome route. The Rhyolite up on the cliff above idwal isn't polished but sharp with great friction (and comsequently eats finger skin). The route takes the line of Javelin Buttress before breaking out left to a semi-hangin groove. This bit in itself is pretty runout and only once I was in the groove did I manage to sneak in a single wire. From here I puzzeled for ages about how to progress eventually settling on a semi-layback of the arete, to bridge the groove and then pull around the other arete of the groove. It was quite scary as your so high up at that point, with the rope running to only 1 visible piece of gear. The climbing eases quickly, which is good as there minimal gear (a bad spike) until you belay.

No guide plate for this route and I brought up Tim first who had no problems with the crux but was exstatic about the route. Tim actually smiled! Toaf won't mind me putting this but he messed it up and couldn't work out how to do it. Eventually he got it after struggling like mad and made it to the top! We had only one route to go now so we got striaght to it. It was Continuation Crack which is a pretty good slabby route. There is loads of gear on it, but the start is pretty hard with some decking potential unless you've got a good belayer. Plus there is an awesome little thread to take adventage to protect the crux.

Needless to say that Tim and Toaf loved this route. They thought it was the best pitch of the day but I didn't. I felt that the exposed and runout Javelin Direct was, probably because it was a route I've been wanting to do for ages. I now need to find another route to get a buzz for at Idwal... maybe Homocide wall (E3 5b)?

Being honest we probably could have carried on climbing at this point and done another HVS on Glyer fawr's cliff but the drive just wasn't there. With the hangovers, lack of food & sleep we figured we should just bug out while we where feeling fresh and get some food... then maybe an evenings slate climbing or bouldering in. As it happened we sat by Padarn lake, skimming rocks and eating fish and chips before some bouldering at the Cromlech Boulders. I spotted and shot photos for them. I'll put the best of them up on another bouldering photo-essay. We bouldered till late evening whilst scoping out bivi spots before descending on the pub. I thought we'd be in for a long evening of drinking but that wasn't to be the case. We flaked pretty much after the first pint, me especially, so headed up to our boulder for the night...

Alpkit Gourdon 25l... first impression

Ok, so I'll admit it. I probably don't need another sack. I've already got 2 as it is (both Lowe Alpine sack that seem pretty bombproof), but the chance came up to aquire one of this little drybag-come-ultralight sack jobbies I thought I'd go for it. My first impression is that it's very well made. The previous owner hasn't treated it badly, or looked after it overly so it's had general use. I don't think the thing is completly water tight anymore, but who cares? I'm not not going swimming with it!

I've managed to pack out a cragging sack with a whole rack, harness, water, food, waterproof jacket, belay jacket, first aid kit and then the helmet and ropes on the outside of the bag. I was suprised that I managed to get it in all, but I did some careful packing. As a cragging sack for somewhere where you only need a small rack then this would be perfect. It would make a pretty good day sack for a fast and light day out in the british mountains if you've got a good weather report for the day.

To be honest I've been after one of these sacks for ages. It's a small and light pod shaped sack that seems pretty much perfect for carrying on mountain routes where you need food, water, shoes and pretty much nothing else. I'll see how it goes over the next month and see how hard wearing it is... but I've got high hopes!

Cratcliffe Bouldering Photo-Essay

So I ended up bouldering after doing one route at Cratcliffe. I'm starting to come around the this whole bouldering thing, especially when you've got a group of mate who are just psyched to try loads of problems in the weirdest and most wonderful kind of ways. I spent the majority of the time with my camera just shooting off as many picture as I could, so here's the best of them...

Me peeling off a arete

Ronnie just falling out of view

Only head and feet are allowed!

Andy gunning for a nasty sloper

Ronnie almost sticking a sloper dyno!

Stu dynoing for the same sloper

Toaf matching it, good effort!

Prescott happiness after completing a problem

Check out Ronnie's arm?

Cratcliff...

I didn't think I'd get any climbing outdoors in this weekend, infact I think I've spent much more time playing on worms armageddon rather than climbing. We spent saturday climbing indoors at Awesome Walls Stoke. They've finally got around the changing all the routes (although changing them all in one go does mean that they'll all get old at the same time?). There was some pretty good problems, especially on the slabby walls but I find it hard to get proper psyched for indoor climbing.

We managed to get out sunday after a massive bbq saturday night, which sadly we left early from because we where so tired. Sunday morning I woke up on Tim's sofa. I'm sure sometimes I'm better off kipping on a ledge on Idwal Slabs rather than some of the sofa's I've crashed on. Staring out of the window I was blinded by the sunshine, good. Sunshine was a good thing as I was going a little stir crazy about not climbing outdoors. We all gathered at Prescott's house and headed off. A quick break in Leek to pick up some oatcakes for breakfast and pikes to eat later for lunch and off we set.

Cratcliff is near Matlock area, so heading to Leek wasn't the most direct route, but it did make for a nice scenic drive across the Peak District. I'd brought an Alpkit Gouron 25L, brought second hand off a friend for the grand sum of £10 (best deal ever). I'd managed to cram my rack, harness, food, clothes, shoes and water into this tiny sack, with helmet and ropes carried on top of the sack. I must say that I was impressed at how much you could fit in with careful packing and how well it carried. I think this thing will be a firm favourite to be carried up mountain routes and for cragging in the future. I'm going to be a little careful about hauling the poor thing though.

The weather was fantastic and the walk in simple so we arrived at the crag 'bout 11 and started to make our way to the main face. I took me a while to get my head around where everything was at the crag. Most of our group seemed to be content with some bouldering so I left them too it and headed to my aim for the day, Suicide Wall (HVS 5a). Suicide wall is a pretty long route for grit at 30 metres, you can do it in 2 pitches. Apparently it's tradition to do it like that? Either way I figured it would go in 1 pitch.

Prescott was belaying me, which was good. I've had a tonne of people belay me over the years and you know how it is, there are guys & gals who give you that little bit more confidence when belaying, well Prescott is one of those guys. Plus he's plucked me out of the air before to stop me decking out, quite literally. I set off up what seems like a nails start. It was 5a from the word go as I tried to gain the tree you start off. Grabbing a tree thats got no friction was also a pretty hard thing to accomplish. Either way I thrutched onto it and dropped a sling over it.

Now I only had a tree stump to land on if I fell off, great right? more gear was ploughed in and I started up the jamming crack to the stance. I was starting to rethink my "all in one pitch plan", infact I was starting to think about bailing off the route. I was pretty scared to be honest. It was a hot day and my hands where sweating up every three seconds, I though I'd end up blowing a jam and slipping out. I was also paranoid 'bout hitting that tree.

So a normal person would go down right? Either way I carried on up, fighting to make every jame count. My hands where slightly too big and each one felt like I was cutting to the bone just to stay in. Somehow I didn't fall out and made it to the bower stance for a rest. I did think about building a belay then and there, but hell to that it was only 15 metres to go. I rested for a long while and nipped out the get a piece of gear in the large break just above me then reversed back down for a rest.

Rested I went for it. 15 metres to go, just keep moving. Stop, whack in a piece of protection, clip it and go. My arms started to pump out as I got under the last section and I knew I couldn't do it. I hauled myself into a groove in the rock and snuck a hands off rest balanced precariously on my feet with my calves cramping up. I spied the final crack and cringed. I'd used up all my big cams and I've even left the size 4 on the ground. Why'd I do that? I always carry the size 4 on grit! Dammit. Then I remember the torque nuts sitting quietly on the back of my harness. In goes the red one, quick rest and I've gone for it up this fantastic layback flake. With no large gear I slip a tiny wire and my smallest cam, clip it, release my cheeky knee jam and head up for the top holds.

They're jugs thank god! And jugged enough that I can just pull over and stand breathing hard at the top, grinning from ear to ear. It's not often you find a route that just really seems to take all you have to do it! It wasn't the top of my grade, it wasn't the hardest moves but it was just the best climbing. I yelled I was safe and sat down to rest for a minute.

Well, your no Nelson...

Cornwall and sea-cliffs for the may bank holiday weekend. It seems like I end up sea cliff climbing alot right now, not that it bothers me. I enjoy the fact that it's much more commiting then just single pitching in say, the Peak. I headed down on the friday night in Stewie's van and we camped in luxury all weekend. Seriously we had a tent you could have parked my old car inside, full camping stoves and frying pans, hell we even had chairs!

The weather reports for the weekend did not look good. Not good at all. Rain showers where pretty much predicted all weekend, with monday being our best day. Sadly I knew we'd be heading off a little earlier on the mondayso wouldn't be able tog et a full day in anyway. Still we come to brave the weather and we went to chairladder on the Saturday. In fact we had chairladder all to ourselves.

Thinking we'd got the tides spot on we left the abseil rope behind and headed for Detergent Wall on the main face. This would have proved a good plan, except that the tide wasn't quite low enough for us so I tried to traverse across the wall from ash can gully to the chimney/groove of D.wall. This wasn't possible so back I climbed. Instead we tried to walk to the bottom and after a 4 metre abseil to jump the sea we realised that reaching the start of D.wall just wasn't going to happen, at least not for another hour or so. Instead we made our way across the rocks to do Mine Climb (HVS 5a). After watching me run squeaking from the sea, Stewie looked at me and just muttered "Well, your no nelson are you". No I'm not, I'm afraid of the sea, it eats gear, gets you wet and has a habit of drowning you if you fall in it.

Mine climb takes a groove to below a roof, then over the roof and up across the slab to finish. It was agreed I'd tackle the 5a roof pitch, although deep down I was actually dreading it. I was afriad I'd pump out trying to get over it and fall off. After a initial scrambly start to gain a guano covered ledge Stewie set off up the groove/wall to the first belay. I joined him, swapped the gear and then headed up to the roof. It looked pretty big but I could reach the lip. After a little reach around I found a good hold and just committed to it. The hold seemed to carry on along the cliff and formed a massive jug, thankfully. I pulled over the roof and set off up the wall above. This was pretty easy and Stewie lead the final pitch off.

At the bags Stewie convinced me that we should lead Bishop's Rib (E1 5b). I was pretty hesitant as I wasn't so sure about this granite stuff yet, but Stewie's enthusiasm andthe picture in the book inspired me so off we scrambled. This time down a different gully bringing us to the starting pitch. It looked necky, like really necky. Either way I'd committed myself to it now and with some encrouagement from Stu I headed off. I managed to fit a single wire in to protect the first move and prayed I wouldn't have to test it. Then off up the slab. There was a good ledge to rest on which mean I could arrange a nest of protection for the next bit, mostly small wires (sub 4kn). I knew I'd have to commit fully to the next move and went for it. It gave me access to an awesome cam placement (thankfully I had spotted it and had it pre-rigged on my harness). In went the cam and off I went on a crimpy layback crux to surmount an overhang. God it was excellent! Stewie took the second pitch which dissapointed him. After an initially scary start it eased off greatly. However he was out of earshot almost immediatly and the weather had decided to start moving in. I wasn't looking forward to to prospect of climbing 5a in the rain. After what seemed like forever (it wasn't) I got a tug and set off, praying the rain wouldn't start. We bugged out with a plan to head back after that.

...but the rain never came. As we where driving through Sennen we decided to stop off for a pasty and see if the other Wrekin people where still about. They where and we were pursuaded to do Africa Route (VS 5a). Apart for a suqency start which would result in a ground fall if you messed it up, it was a excellent route. I felt VS 5a was good grade for it as it had everything from jamming, laybacking and some pseudo-chimneying. We bugged out as our car parking was coming up.

That night we headed to The Queen's Head and got Doom Barred. This for anyone who doesn't know means we got very drunk on a Beer called "Doom Bar" (an excellent brew I must add). The night carried on with talk of climbing, ethics, bolting, and cold fusion & e=mc2. You can imagine what kind of night it was and how we felt in the morning. The gods had blesses us with a little rain in the morning, meaning we could stay in bed till the late time of 0830. We took it easy and headed back to Chairladder (again!) as that was where the group was going. Today it was much busier so we headed far away from the crowd to do a route called Pirouette (HVS 5a). The guidebook description and topo didn't seem to link up together so we went with what seemed about that grade and I think it paid off (well I didn't die so). It was good route on a nice quiet part of the cliff. Having said that I should mention the rock was a little crumblier, probably the reason it was so quiet?

We then headed for Detergent Wall (HVS 5a) so it was back down Ash Can Gully but instead of bumbling around scrambling and abseiling we nipped down some roped left by a Navy Mountaineering club. Detergent wall didnt exactly turn out to be the nice simple HVS we'd hoped. The first pitch, whilst only 4b apparently was a horrible move with an ankle snapping landing. The next pitch however was the good pitch. It was definatly runout as the guidebook stated but had enough goo protection to make me feel happy. Stewie thoiught it was a good pitch too. The only downside was the low flying sea gulls which didn't take too kindly to us. The third pitch proved a massive problem due to the orange/green lichen that covered the final holds. Instead Stewie escaped up Pendulum Chimeny's finaly pitch. Our forth and final pitch had me diving to the floor when a seagull went for me, and then avoiding the vomit! I've never seen us climb so quickly just to avoid something as trivial as a 3kg bird. Eventually we where safe at last.

With an incoming tide but abseil ropes pre-rigged (thanks navy boys). We skirted around suicide pool and climbed to the ledge below our final route of the weekend, The Surfboard (HVS 5b). I took the first pitch as it looked excellent. Little did I know how scared I'd be. My little peenut seemed like my own good piece of gear I had in. I seriously didn't want to fall into the offwidth beneath me! I did mange the final moves to the cave stance, and took a minute to compose myself. Stewie flew up it. The difference between the fear of falling and how well you can climb without that seems great.

Stewie took the second pitch and made it out to the overhang he was meant to be going over. The backed up his gear, and went for it... before rapidly retreating. Stewie complained that it was too much and he nipped up Diocese (VS 5a) instead. When I seconded it I realised that it was overhang off the first route we did (Mine Climb), it was just that Stewie had come from a different direction. Either way he did an awesome pitch. I took the final 4b pitch which was stiff as hell for some reason.

It was 1840 now so we headed back for some more Doom Bar and a quieter night. Sunday rolled around and we packed up. One downside of having a massive tent and luxury items is that it takes forever to actually pack everything away again, I think if anything I prefere my smaller tent. Instead of climbing in cornwall we started off early with a plan to do a route in Avon Gorge on the way back. We got to Avon for early afternoon (we did set off late) and ended up at main wall, sponging a guidebook off some nice people and started up Clarion (VS 4c). It was an awesome route and I hopefully will get back to Avon Gorge alot more in future. We managed to dogde the rain, barely and get on the road again to head back.

Cornwalls a pretty cool place. The jumbling granite blocks arn't quite like the limestone cliffs of Pembroke or the quartzite walls of Gogarth. The ability to scramble to the bottom of most of the cliffs makes it a much more accessable venue. As for the granite itself having a big rack paid off. On some routes or pitches I placed nothing but cams so having a full rack of them paid off. I like granite, bit it doesn't half tear you to shreds.