SUMC trip to wales!

Another trip to wales with my old uni. I met them at Ben's Bunkhouse located between Llanberis and Nant Peris. If I've not sang the praises of Ben's Bunkhouse before then I should have. All it was lacking last time was a drying room, but that's not been finished off. The bunkhouse itself is well situated, with three rooms for people to sleep in and a lounge for a sort of overflow. The kitchen forms a bit of a focal point, was a little small for our needs. As I said though, it's a pretty good place to stay.

On the way down I'd had the fun of changing a headlight on my car, which really didn't want to happen and I resorted to the good old favourite... duct tape. I had to pick Andy up at Junction 38 on the M6 which wasn't so bad seeing as I was driving from the Lake District after spending the day on a Geography Field Course with work. Having said that I was pretty tired as I'd been on the road for something silly like 7/8 hours. For some reason I volunteered to be part of the breakfast crew in the morning.

So I wok up with a headache and stumbled into the kitchen to start the fun task of cooking breakfast for 30 people. I wasn't alone though and we had a right laugh getting it all done. Then off for some climbing! I'd managed to get a group of people wanting to climb for the day through no fault of my own and headed down to Tremadog with a cliff in mind (Craig Pant Ifan, Upper Tier). As we pulled up at the classic single pitch location to my dismay there where 4 minibuses parked up. I'm not going to lie but I panicked. I'd just dragged 20 people on a 40 minute drive for no good reason. I scrambled for the guidebook and thumbed through it looking for a suitable crag. I hit on Moel y Gest. This isn't the quarry you can see on the hill that over looks Porthmadog, but the other side that faces the ocean. Back in the car and off we went.

We managed to fit all the cars in a tiny little lay by and confidently set off in the wrong direction before I realised where I was going. I also messed up the scale completely of the walk in diagram and it took a good 40 minutes uphill before we arrived, but we'd arrived at least. Then it started raining and I'd found out I'd forgotten my waterproof. What a n00b! I had to spend the rest of my day in my softshell but thankfully the rain wasn't so bad. It came over 2 or 3 times during the day and was gone as quickly as it came, overall we had a dry day.

So what did we get up so. I took a sketchy scramble to place a top-rope on a line that was somewhere between 5b route and 4c route. Immediately 3 freshers jumped on it and after some brief instruction how it all worked and a reassurance that it was all safe off they went. Tim and Andy set off leading some routes to bring groups of freshers up and Alex and Scott got people kitted out. A couple of the second/third years also grabbed the guidebook and head off up some routes. I know Ronnie spent along time on what looked like an awful VS 4c.

As the day moved on we eventually pulled the top-rope and moved it over to a rather more interesting VS 4c line on the other buttress and I managed to sneak in a couple of lead of the choice lines on the crag. The first was Oh capitan, My captain (E1 5b) which took a shallow groove to a little over lap on almost bad gear. It was a little run out but the rock was good. I was in my older, larger climbing shoes because I thought I wouldn't get any climbing don't so I didn't feel so secure  on my feet. Scott seconded me and flash it. Later in the afternoon I jumped on Shiver me timbers (E1 5b) which literally had no gear worth a damn on it till you got about 20 metres up. This wasn't so bad because I got a lot of RP's and other shoddy "confidence" gear in but none of it would have held. Instead I just didn't fall off and James and Nat seconded me up it.

I even got to teach some leading. Nat (a second year) fancied leading a VD line that was well within her climbing capability so I had to a play around on a quick ascending system (gri-gri/jumar rig) to climb up the rope with her to help her out as she climbed. She actually really appreciated it and said that it was much easier leading with someone to ask questions with as apposed to someone shouting from the ground.

The only mess up with had with the day was on the walk back in the dark we all broke up into several parties and Ronnie's party manged to miss the track back and got a little lost in the forest. We did find them. James then lost his car keys so after tearing the hut apart for them, I drove him to SPAR and they'd been handed in there. Silly James. Evening games prevailed back at the hut with Ronnie knocking up a great lemon chicken dish, a good quiz and some rough and tumble silliness late into the night.

The Sunday morning is always a mad panic to get everything cleaned, emptied and packed into the cars that we all managed without the normal fuss. Seeing as everyone wanted to climb we went back to Tremadog to attempt Craig Pant Ifan upper tier... again. We arrived with the whole club this time to the dismay of 2 minibuses and a host of cars. I wasn't impressed again but Tim said we should just go up anyway. When we did arrived there was about 30 OTC there and 15 BUMS (Bangor Uni) all with ropes set up. I genuinely was at a loss of what to do then I remembered that there was some bouldering around the back of the crag. Ronnie, Alex and Stuart took pretty much everyone off bouldering leaving the rest of us to decided on something to do.

When some of us went to see if there was any space free for a couple of top-ropes at the top of the crag I met the OTC leader who was stripping out all the routes, giving us over half the crag. What random and good luck. We quickly set up 2 tp's on the VS lines and a few of the 2nd/3rd and ex members started leading the other routes. I managed to get another couple of leads in one of Madog (VS 5a) and at the end of the day I snuck in a quick lead on Myomancy (HVS 5b). I've done both routes before and had no problems on Madog, but Myomancy was a different matter. I had a right mare the first time I did it (didn't fall off though) and though the route was really hard for the grade. After going back and having a tiny yellow cam which fits just under the roof I can see that the grades fair and it's really a wicked route. It's a little short lived, but is a strong contender for my favourite route on the upper tier.

Then came the time to repack everything, and start the grade walk back and drive home. Considering the weather report we managed to get a load of climbing in over the weekend. The committee and new members all pulled their weight and I think everyone had a great weekend. Personally even though I said to myself I wasn't going to do the whole "instructor" thing, I did. I went straight into it without realising and before I could stop I was rigging top-ropes and running around worrying about every bodies safety. I actually loved it as well because everyone there was psyched to climb. There was no moaning, whining or bitching about the climbing and people just got on with it and helped each other out. I look forward to climbing with this bunch of guys again and taking them on some multipitch adventures.

A mountaineering day out... Lliwedd.

I've wanted to climb on Lliwedd for ages and god knows why I haven't. For some reason there's always been something going against it be it inclement weather, the crag not being dry, the long walk in or a unpsyched partner. When Andy suggest it you'd have thought I would have jumped at the chance? Well I didn't and I can't remember why, but I soon found myself parking up just down the road from the Pen-y-Gwyrd. Throwing a single rack, ropes and some food into a bag donning my boot and walking off up the road with Andy for a crack at a route on Lliwedd. I should have mentions that I was threatening to rain...

Don't ever be put off by a long walk in. By Lake District standards Lliwedd probably close and by Scottish standards it's probably a roadside crag. The walk in, which looks long, uphill and tiring isn't actually that bad. In fact it pretty much a gentle stroll, with a heavy bag on. We'd packed light either way and kept muttering to each other that it would be good training for winter etc. I made a real effort to drink loads of water on the walk-in and continually fill up my water bottle. I hate that dehydrated feeling you get near the end of the day after a long climb.

Our route of choice was supposed to be Paradise/Black Arete (HS 4a) but when we geared up the route was actually soaked and we hit a few other snaggs. The first being the weather that started to rain, then stopped forcing us to decided whether it was worth pushing on and the other was Andy's misinterpretation of me when I said pack "light". When I said pack light I meant tack out all the stuff that end up in the sack from cragging (tape, superglue, beertowel, extra gloves etc) and only take what you need. This is why we had 1 large rack with us. Andy had manged to no bring his waterproof! All the way I had noted his bag looked rather small and light. Well waterproof or not waterproof we decided to push on. Instead of our original route we went for the mountaineering classic of Horned Crag Route (VD).

Gradually we made our way up the crag, pitching it as it was a little damp until Andy hit what proved to be a crux pitch. It was an overhang which Andy couldn't surmount and instead of us turning round I had a go. I managed it, barely. It was simply one of the hardest moves I think I've pulled off. I was still in my big boots and wearing a rucksack but I don't think it was more than 4c. With rock boots on I'd have struggled. I was smiling from ear to ear when I topped out. I belayed close enough to see Andy on the crux so I could give him should he have needed it, as it turned out he didn't.

The weather was properly threatening us now. It had been looking like rain all day, but we figured we got some luck on our side, but things seemed to be stacking up against us. It was rapidly getting dark and we still had at least 100 metres of scramble diff terrain to cover before summitting, without even thinking about getting down and Andy had not waterproof. If this where a film, the music would be starting to build ready for an epic. That epic never came, not in the really sense. I took the lead and we decided to move together or I'd choose where we needed belays for and keep enough runners between us. At one point I pulled in 2 untied strands of rope due to miscommunication in the strong wind and a massive tangle Andy had untied from. I know I slowly down a lot after that and made sure we did everything simply and safely.

The last 100 metre (it was about nearer 200 from the crux) was proper nice scrambling terrain, which I moved through with no trouble. However it was dark but we both already how our head torches on our helmets. I topped out into a howling gail and was blown around a bit before I hunkered down and started waist belaying Andy for the final section. He arrived slowly, a dim beam off in the distance before we were together, smiling and congratulating ourselves on our first route on Lliwedd! We'd done it, but as the old mountaineering adage goes, getting to the top is only half way there. After a quick throwing of all the gear into bags, zipping up of waterproofs and the addition of gloves, off we went.

The wind properly hit us. Whatever luck was watching over us while we were climbing making sure that the weather didn't break soon ran out. And run out it did in great welsh autumn fashion. We got pelted with hail and rain in 60mph winds and he headed down the side of Lliwedd to the little col, before going back up looking for the path. Andy by this point was just letting me get on with finding the way down, but I was getting worried. I couldn't find the path at all and I'd never been here before.

With no few landmarks through the hail, and eventually the far far off lights of the Pen-y-Gywrd I located a path, which turned into THE PATH I was aiming for. By this time we where both tired, soaked through (well not my top half) but home was insight! We scrambled, slipped, fell, walked, jogged and tumbled down the path that had turned into a waterfall landscape. Eventually we reached a point I recognised and thank god the rain stopped. In fact it didn't rain again till we got to Pen-y-Pass which saw us running for some shelter. As the rain showed not sign of abating Andy opted we run to the Pen-y-Gywrd. We'd earned a pint and we were having one it seemed so off we ran, I actually stopped at one point but when I realised how slow I was going that was it, it was double time to catch up with Andy and then faster to the pub.

We must have done that run in about 10 minutes.

I was sweaty, hot, tired but it didn't matter because the pub was all we wanted. Cool purple moose brewery ale, a large fire to dry our kit and a new pub. Our only problem now was where to stay for the night?

Carnedd Y Filliast

An interesting start to what was almost a bad day. The weather looked a little bone to say the least. After throwing around a million and one different ideas we braved the bad weather to go climb Sub Cneifon Rib and then maybe Cneifon Arete to boot! This plan was going great until I got a screw through my tire. Instead of going climbing me and Andy set off to Bangor to find me a new tire and Rob, Soames and Tom went off into the mountains.

I wasn't exactly best pleased and having to shell out for 2 new tires, but they would have have to have been replaced eventually and seeing as it was only about 12 o'clock Me and Andy decided to have a crack at a couple of routes on Carnedd Y Filliast (Crag of the greyhound bitch). These slabs are at the first or last cwm in the Ogwen valley and a high up. It's a deceptively long walk to them as it's a good 40 minute up hill jaunt. A friend of ours had called up to warn us of apparent 90mph winds that day so we bore this in mind as we plodded in.



posing with a new beer towel in the wind



The crag, if you've not stood beneath it, is actually quite big. I couldn't ever really get the scale of the thing from the guidebook, not properly. We'd planned to do a HS 4a called Savannah on the Red Slab then do Left Edge (VD) on the White slab above. I had a right laugh when the guidebook noted that you would need smears from hands and feet on the climb, no sh*t Sherlock, it was a slab climb. I really didn't know what I was in for, but with a full rack and a brave look on my face I stepped on the face.



To say it was windy is an understatement, to say it was simply the strongest wind I've climbed in much better. I've never been almost blown off a slab before but this time I almost was. There was also about 5 runners all the way up to a crap belay, however the climbing was fantastic. I swear if chalkstorm had this much friction it would be E2 5b!. The belay was a little lacking, 2 small cams that were hardly in and nothing to really brace off because well... it was on a slab. I figured they'd hold and took in before yelling "ooooooon beeeelaaay" into the wind.

Andy climbed it pretty quick, but he, just like me almost got blown across the slab he arrived at the belay and I yelled to him that I'd lead us out. The next (and final) pitch looked ok, but it was seriously threatening to rain. We where shouting to each other the wind was so strong. Quickly reflaking the ropes and swapping the gear off I set, battling into the wind.

This was an awesome pitch mainly because the wind was so strong and I could lean back into it and walk with my feet flat on the slab. This went well till I topped out and the wind threw me over and I tumbled into the rocks. I couldn't help but laugh. I belayed off a braced stance and a back up nut, yelling again that I was safe and Andy could start climbing. There was snot getting dragged out of my nose by the wind. Andy topped out and went to get out of the wind behind a boulder, and thus ended the climb but not our day out.



I stumbled behind his boulder to see that it provided as much wind protection as a crisp packet. I ran off yelling something about finding somewhere better and dropped over the ridge. It was marginally better, good enough for us to sit down and de-kit. "Don't fancy the VD then?" I asked. All I got was laughter in return. I knew the day was over and we'd start descending. We'd snatched a great day out despite a flat tyre, threatening rain and seriously strong wind and we ended up going car to car in under 4 hours. It doesn't get much better than that.

Rudy Tuesday (E2 5b)

So I went to the Roaches... again! I only managed one route because I spent some of the day boudlering on Joe's Arete and Cooper's Traverse (I managed the Arete, one handed! I didn't manage the traverse) The route I did was Ruby Tuesday, something that I've looked at before but never really considered I'd be able to do. For some reason I thought today was that day and I enlisted Ronnie to belay me up what was to be a great journey in the vertical. It's actually a 3 pitch route, but only because it wanders around the cliff a little taking an interesting line.

So pitch one fell to me as it was the first 5b pitch. The initial section is slightly undercut making the first few moves annoyingly hard. Annoying because I was risking falling off until the floor and the grass was wet and slippery and slightly sloping. I would rather have had the pad underneath me, but it was occupied keeping my kit dry at the time and I was already tied in. The first few moves like I said were a little bold, till I got a good cam in. Then I was under the roof. I immediatly saw why this was E2. The good handhold was a loose block which I manged to wedge into position then fix in place with some nuts. In the end I had 6 pieces of gear under the roof before I built up the courage to make the lip move.

What a move. When Ronnie did it he called it the best move he'd ever done on grit. I'd don't know whether I agree but it was pretty awesome. You made a long reach for the lip then smeared your feet across to match both hands. Then a pull up over the lip, garb the crimp and get a heel hook on the lip. The rock over! There was underpull on the back wall to grab and that was it. It was such a smooth sequence once I'd committed to it. The next move had even worse gear to protect it (4 microwires) but was just and gnarly lock off to slap up for the final hold, and pitch one was done.

Apart from the reachy start, Ronnie flashed it. I was well impressed because the move under the roof was almost full stretch for me at 6'5 and Ronnie is only about 5'. Instead of making a big move he did it on a series on tiny crimps.

Ronnie declined the lead of the next pitch, which was ok as it turned out to be a particularly nasty traverse across some green rock and wet footholds. I think the crux was probably trying to keep your feet dry. Then the final pitch, also 5b, that took a crack then a traverse then a slightly overhanging arete. Well the guidebook never said it would be easy! The crack was alright to start, just cold and a little damp but I got some high gear in and set off across the traverse. This gradually got harder and harder as my arms got more and more pumped. I reached the arete thinking that I didn't want to fall off. It would have been a pretty long swing. Instead I just pulled on my arms and pushed through the final holds. These it turns out were all pretty good. I still clambered over the top panting. Ronnie just flew up the crack with easy.

So one route all day? Was I annoyed that I didn't get more done... hell no. It was an awesome route. It was also great to do a different route on a crag I've felt like I've exhausted, I'm pretty psyched for some more new routes to come!

Half Term...

When I started back at work after the summer holiday, I couldn't wait till half term. Since it arrived I've been struggling to find time to actually take a proper day off during it. Thankfully it rained halting climbing for at least one day. I've done no blogging, zero video editing and generally nothing up run away from the weather, drink tea and lug my rack & ropes around the country. Still I supposed thats not such a bad thing is it?

It's also been ages since I've been able to sit down and write up anything on here. My personal laptop has gone fubar and needs flattening which means I'll loose a load of video footage (very annoying) but hopefully not to many photos. I'm trying to get everything I've done over the past week, but it's taking some time!