Wales, a wet day...

... So knackered from the Lakes I woke up at 0500, made coffee and jumped in my car to head to Soames house for a welsh day trip. We picked up Rob and Tom before heading to our usually stop off, the Rhug Estate for breakfast. I was advise anyone driving up from B'ham area or along the A5 to stop off here for breakfast. So filled up with breakfast and a refill of tea (10% off if you give them your own cup!) we where off, again. I forgot to mention the best thing about the Rhug... they farm bison! No-one believed me for months but them farm bison.

Then it rained.

Even if you don't climb you an probably imagine how much rain hampers climbing. It hampers it alot but that didn't stop us. Instead we travel all over looking for some dry rock. Soames purchased the A55 sport climbing guide and we tried thier but to no avail. Instead we found quite alot of cool rock to climb on but it was wet, then we went round the orme, as I'd not been there. I saw parasella's cave, and was thoroughly dissapointed then the weather cleared up. Sitting in Pete's we needed short routes, on a fast drying rock... stat!

And like magic we ended up on the Slate heading for a couple of routes I'd not done before on Yellow Wall but above Serengeti. My fun for the day started on the scree slope up to the climbs when I managed to not only bring down a load of slate, but also the rather large piece I was currently standing on. Thus ensued a crazy slate surfing experience before I dived off into the scree and sat there watching my slate surf-board explode as it hit the floor. I even got a round of applause but it did little to stop me shaking.

We managed 2 routes on the slate that day. The first was Slippery People (E2 5c) which I thought was aptly named after my recent slide. There was a small point of contention about where the lie went between us based on the bolts in the wall and the differences between the 2 topo's we had with us. In the end I went for the line I could do, which turned out to be the correct one. It's a nice route, with 2 bolts to a lower off. Infact there is an awesome move  just after the first bolt. 

Then I did the Great Curve of the same grade but a far superiour route (in my opinion). It takes a rising curve line, with only 2 spaced bolts on the original line. I started up being spotted by Soames as Rob belayed because although the initial section is ameanable, the first clip is quite high. Then the curve began and I loved it. It was pure slatey climbing (obvious I know but). The line was nice, the holds we spaced and you had to think. I actually bypassed a bolt from another line which you can clip, but I just couldn't clip it. The original route doesn't use it, so I wasn't. Then came a difficult move for the 2nd clip, which I made as there is alomost decking potential if you mess it up! Then the final groove which still had some awesome climbing. I managed to get freaked a few feet below the lower off and placed few piece to protect the final move. I was stll worried until Soames yelled up to try a size 6 wire, that he'd given me. Low and behold it fitted perfectly and I sent the final move with a nervous smile. What a kick as route.


So for a rainy day in wales I'd conclude that it was an awesome time, hell I even got to go surfing! It's nice when you know that people have your back, even if you've run it out 6 metre's above a nice shiny bolt.


ciao

SUMC Lakes trip

Bit if a while ago this one, and there wasn't really may photograph's of our first day out. I joined my old university mountaineering club (for the last time I think) on thier club trip to the lakes. Considering I don't go to the lakes enough then this was a good chance to climb on some lakes mountain rock.

The Saturday was spent climbing on Dow Crag, which for all it's might is actually no bigger than some of the crags in Llanberis Pass. I'm always a little dissapointed because as you walk in the crag rears up infront of you, seeming to go on to the summit, but most of the routes peater out around half way (unless of course you're on A buttress). This time I was climbing with Stu and we concentrated on B Buttress, with an eye to get 3 routes done in the day. Our first was an HVS 5a called Leopards Crawl. It was a nice route, a little run out for HVS considering the groundfall potential on the first pitch, but the climbing soon eased. Stu lead the second pitch, a burly crack line before it broke up to easy ground.

Then we did Tarkus, a bold little E1 5b which went to the same belay as Leopard's and finish up that route. The route itself was reasonable well protected but as soon as I started I knew I'd have to continue. The first few moves seemed irriversable and a little too commiting. Then again I did have a rather large hangover so maybe I was just being a scardy-cat. All in all it was fine with good rock all the way.

Our final route was Murray's Direct (VS 4c) and by now my hangover had kicked in proper. I'd also ran out of food and seeing as I'd forgotten to fill up my water bottle before we left I'd resorted to collecting water from a tiny drip at the base of the crag. Stu lead the first pitch which turned out to be a nasty awkward traverse with little gear. Thankfully it soon eased and he belayed above. It was a good lead from Stu. I took P2 which basically took a pitch of loose flakes that all sounded hollow and I didn't really want to fall on anything... lest it exploded off the face! The climb however was easy and I belayed setting Stu off up the last pitch. This was the difficult slightly overhanging layback corner, with a little polish to boot. Stu had an awesome lead up this, while I belayed trying to to throw up on the party beneath me. I think I gave up drinking ever again after that (lies! all lies!).

Then we went back to the hut as the darkness crept in along the valley and we finished out night by head torch. Not bad for a day with a hangover I thought.

The was a little bit of a C/F. We'd agreed that everyone should stay together, but finding a multipitching/single pitching venue that would suit everyone proved pretty hard, especially with easter holidays in the Lakes. There was literally no-where we could park so instead we settled in Hodge Close quarry as it's got sport climbing, swimming and plenty of stuff to play on. I managed a 45 metre abseil into Parrock Quarry but the other lad's couldn't actually abseil into hodge close and drop into the water like they'd hoped (too short a rope). Instead I set about rigging some of the F5+ and F6a's for people to top-rope on before heading off to attempt a 2 pitch sport route. I don't actually knwo what grade the route get's or what it's name is. It takes a line of 10 bolts up a shallow groove to a double bolt belay then a groove above to belay off some trees. It's a pretty nice line with nice safe spacing between the bolts and a good belay. Sadly there is a little loose rock on it and I managed to pull off a sizeable chunk which I avoided dropping on my belayer! There was a seriously large piece of loose flake that you need to mantle onto as well for the first pitch. Either way it's an awesome route.

And that was pretty much my climbing done so after de-rigging all the top-ropes I bugged out and headed home knowing I was supposed to be meeting Soames for a trip to wales the day after...

Leopard's crawl
Tarkus
Murray's Direct

long time...

It seems like ages since I've actually been on the interwebs, let alone post something on my blog. Apparently during my holiday it somehow works out I have less time to sit around on the net. This might have something to do with the fact that I'm normally climbing more and therefore... sleeping more too. I'll get a few photo's up and little trip reports up from over the easter periods sometime this week. In the mean time I'll leave you with a picture of Soames: