Offsets and tri-cams...

I wrote a post a while back about DMM alloy offset nuts and whether or not I was missing out. In the weeks since I've borrowed my partners set of 5 offsets and made a real effort to look for placements and place them. For the short period they stayed on my rack (before they had to be returned) I tried to turn to them first and found myself using them all up on most of the pitches of mountain rock I climbed.

I figured that I better report back as to my conclusions at this moment in time. Before I had a set of offset nuts, I never really found myself wanting and needing to place them. I know there are some devout (some would consider almost zealous) followers of offset nut's who'll tell you that you need them on your rack and that for every parallel sided placement there'll be an million offset placements but thats simply not true. I will accept that there are tonnes of offset placements out there, but (and this is the crucial point) if you don't carry offset nuts (or normally carry them) , or are used to parrellel sided nuts you and you're good climber who is used to using thier own rack, you'll simply bypass offset placements in favour of one that you're rack will fit.

Now this would seem obvious. If you don't use a piece of gear, then how are you supposed to get (or at least understand) the benefits that piece can bring. When I returned said offsets I did for a while keep looking for offset placements and then had to bypass them in favour of one that my rack would fit so there hasn't really been a loss in this experiment. But there has been one significant gain, a change in my opinion.

About 4 years ago I read about tri-cams for winter climbing. I then aquired a set and took them out during my first season. Needless to say I was unimpressed. I found them fiddly and awkward to place and they never turned out to be my first choice piece of gear. I've got a couple more winter seasons under my belt now, and I find myself missing out on the cam placements I bypass in winter alot. Coming into winter from a rock climbing back ground means that I do really miss out when I'm carrying a smaller rack. I'm just used to so much more gear. Carrying cams is something I really miss out on in winter, but I just can't justify the weight of them and time needed to place them.

There is of course an obvious solution. Actually there are several obvious solutions, the first being to stop whining. There were people climbing the routes I've done with nowt but a single alpenstock and homemade crampons, so what am I complaining for. The other solution is to find a camming device that is light weight and supposedly better in iced up cracks... tri-cams.

So I've been carrying them on my rack for the past few weeks doing the esotertic routes with Rachel and took them with us this weekend to wales. It takes a real effort to force myself to actually place them because I'm just so unused to using them but I can say that they've been a astounding success so far. I've been using them both passively and cammed in an effort to sort of intergrate them into my rack and I hope they'll get alot more use this winter too.

Peak District Alpine experience...really?

Britain has a host of fantastic climbing from sea cliffs to mountain routes, to gritstone in the Peak district to unique places like the Slate quarries in wales and the lakes. Scottish winter climbing is world renowned and hopefully the winter scene will pick up in wales and the lakes too. But sadly, as a few of my french friends seems to (always) want to point out, in the grand scheme of things we don't have proper mountains.

Well sod you, we have better ethics.

Having finished my small rant about why Britain is the best place for climbing in the world I'll proceed to further my point. My and Rach managed a route of alpine grander in the peak district, and there's another one to do just up the road!

Elbow Ridge probably isn't the most well known of Britains epic ridge routes, but then again the Peak district isn't exactly the home of alpine climbing. The route discription is hidden away inside "On Peak Rock" in the Esoterica section, something that I can only assume more normal people would by-pass. Sadly the Esoterica section contains many classic routes, that if they were say in North Wales, they just be part and parcel of the climbing there. Mam Tor gully is as loose as anything on the Lleyn Penisular, Elbow ridge and Matter Horn Ridge and as thin as Crib Goch (but with less of a walk in). The Raven Stones stomach traverse is probably about as much fun and trampling through the bushes mid summer to finds the base of a route at Tremadog and Chocolate Blamange gully is clearly as dangerous and as fun as climbing over the wet slate scree slopes of the lower oil drum glacier (though probably less life threatening). On Sunday Rachel and I roped up in the best alpine style we could and headed off to tackle Elbow Ridge...

The original plan was to do both ridges, but this would have required 2 things. More time is the first and better weather being the second. Actually I would rather have just has more time. The weather was pretty cool and turned what would have been a complete walk in dry summer conditions into a proper interesting and fun experience. The fog was so thick that after 30 metres of rope I couldn't actually see Rach, which was alright because I had not brought any think more than a 30 metre rope. The wind was also blowing across the ridge so it turned sections that could normally easily walked across into something that it was potentially easy to get blown off.

Our plan was to get up early to do the ridges then get to Northfield to get tattoos done in support of prostate cancer as part of Movember. We didn't exactly get up as early as we'd planned but when has that ever stopped someone from getting out and going climbing. It would just mean we'd have to be a little quicker instead, so we adopted an approach that any aspiring British student alpinist would be proud of and any french alpinist would probably sneer at and packed a small rack (read: medium sized rack) harnesses, helmets and a bottle of water and set off into the peak.

Now I don't really know how to describe the route other than it was awesome. There was a semi-hanging belay, some waist belaying, heavy use of tri-cams, moving together, slipping on wet grass, loose rock, cold hands and finally some epic topping out only to almost slip and fall off. The best part is probably that we filmed it all so I'll try and put a video up asap.

Roaches Saturday, Castle Naze Sunday

I think we all know how I feel about the Roaches. It isn't that I can't see their appeal (fantastic slab climbing, excellent overhangs, good face routes, bouldering, multipitching and good grade range) but you can have a little too much of that appeal. In this instance I got suckered in by a partners promise of getting a load of routes done in one day. This went from him being "psyched to climb" on the thursday, to "psyched to socialise" on the friday. Eventually I got 1 route done with him on the saturday. It can't hold him responsible for my lack of climbing as the weather was pretty damp anyway. All the rock seemed to be covered in a fantastic green slime that seems to absorb water like a sponge. Cool to look at but with the frictional properties of a wet fish.


I did get some climbing done though, which is more than some people might have managed so I shouldn't really complain. I picked a HVS 5a called Diamond Wednesday as it was the driest route on the upper tier, and one I've not done before. It started with a little obstacle to negotiate, namely a holly bush before breaking up a head wall with a series of high rockovers. All in all it was a good route, only let down by the really easy finish (which is a bit of a jug fest to be honest). Then came the bumbling around and socialising. This lasted long enough for it to get slightly warmer and allow me time to catch up with a few people I've not seen in a while. I saw Stu who managed to damage his back in a little bit (here). It was nice to catch up with him and see how he's recovering from injury. It looks like it'll be a few months before he's back out climbing again, but that hasn't stopped him being really psyched.


It took a while but I tracked down someone willing to belay me for another route and off me and Tim Nixon set to find something that was dry. The route we picked was Humdinger (E1 5b). It's been soemthing I've actually looked at every time I've been up the Roaches for the past few months. It tackle a pretty big overhang, pretty much head on, pulling straight through the a jug on the lip. I think that maybe the hardest actual move was getting off the deck and maintaining dry shoes. From here it was an odd little slab climb up to some good gear in a bad flake before a host of more good gear in loose/hollow sounding flakes. I got something in more decent below the actual roof which cheered me up. Then it started, the long and slow process of making head way up the wall (and conversly pushing the boundries of what could be considered an onsight attempt). I placed my gear and then made a few moves up the wall, took a good look around then retreated to my good rest spot (note: not weighting the gear, but down climbing the whole while). Then I was back up, placing some more gear & down climbing. Eventually I made it to the lip and had a crack at the crux move. It is literally a single really hard long reach from a bomber jug. I'd got good gear in below me (an DMM dragon cam Edd had kindly lent me) but I didn't make it first time. Instead I pulled back at the last moment and down climbed again. My ethical autism dictates that I can't weight the gear, lest I have to pull the ropes and try it ground up so instead I'll reverse the moves. This does make my climbing very stop start when I'm on hard routes as I don't have a "let go for it" attitude.


To cut a long story (of up climbing &down climbing) short, I made the move after about 4 attempts. I then found myself in a odd position, feeling like I was space walking while being pumped out. I pulled up onto the next ledge to be confronted with the bones and rotten meat smell of the old peregrin nest, I quickly moved off from here. The climbing above was probably still about 5a so I was trying pretty hard not to blow it. Of course I made it to the top and belayed up Edd and Tim as the sun was setting. It had been worth waiting till this time of day to do with route.


As this was the last route of the day I bugged out and met Rachel from work. We then decided to spend bonfire evening playing with sparklers and wathcing the fireworks over the city of B'ham from the hillside near Frankly Beeches. Here are some pictures we took:

Castle Naze sunday started off like a train wreck. I hightailed it up to Stoke in the morning to Tim's house to find not Tim but a living full of hungover bodies. I did the only thing I could... put the kettle on and made everyone some tea. This magically got Edd moving and within the hour the house and garden had been cleaned up from the wreckage of the party the night before. The weather today was much better to say the least, it was cold and dry with some weak winter sunshine to brighten the mood. Castle Naze looke awesome when we pulled up as the sun was just slowly moving round. Some of the rocks were still in darkness.

I kicked started the day with a VS 4c called Nozag, which is probably one of the longets routes at castle naze. It's a pretty cool route and I'm glad I did it with Tim. The start is like a traditional VS grit route, jamming but then it lend itself to some pretty cool face climbing. I bet if you where a VS leader then the final top section might put the willies up you. I then moved off with a route called Morroc'n'Roll (E1 5b) down in the quarred area to the far right of the crag. I like this area a little more than the more solid rock above. It's a little crumbly and loose and there is a whole "aire of collapse" about the place. Most of these routes start off with a hard move to avoid a large section of really chossy grit just ablve the base of the cliff. It make the routes feel a little more serious right from the word go. Either way I tottered up this route feeling off balance the whole time but manage to get it sorted without any problems. I then continued up a beautifel arete that sort of punches out of the rubble at the top of the crag to belay off a stake and a bad nut. I'll belay lower next time round I guess.

My final lead for the day (though not my final climb) was a route called Stoke the Engine (E1 5b). This is a route I did with Edd belaying me. It was right round on the far right of the quarried face. It was originally a choice between two different E1 5b routes but I settled on Stoke... because it had less gear but was slabby, and therefore would be a little easier (based on my preference for slab routes). So I started up the first bit and had a hard move before I managed to gain the hanging slab. Here I was already a little run out from my gear and it reminded me alot of Brown's Eliminate at Froggat. I managed tog et a tiny size 2 Peenut into a crack but it didn't really fill me with much confidence. Then after chalking up excessively I actually commited to the move and made it. It was literally a big of a single move wonder but the seriousness of the route made it worth while. Sadly belaying was a little awkward as there seems to be so much loose rock in the wall above.

At this point I sort of ran out of partners, or at least people willing belay me. Atfer about 30 minutes of sitting round enjoying the sunshine I realised I should make the most of my day out. With no real bouldering to play on I started soloing routes on the main face that looked pretty easy. I did't solo anything over 5a but I also stayed away from the really easy stuff. In the end I managed to solo about 6 routes on the cliff, quietly without causing a fuss and without getting in anyone way. It was a pretty liberating experience as I only had my chalkbag, my shoes and a rag to clean my feet off. My little route list consisited of:

Muscle Crack Vs 4c
The Fifth Horseman HVS 5a
Niche Arete VS 4c
Scoop Direct VS 4c
Zigzag Crack VS 4c
Flake Crack HS 4a

Wet days in Wales...

(This probably summed up our trip. You have got the love the expression on his face)

I went to Wales with Soames and well... it rained. To say that this was annoying was beside the point. It was very annoying. It wasn't like we didn't try. We spent the Wednesday chasing any chance of good weather all over north wales. We started off at the Lleyn Peninsular, intending to go new routing in the Quarries but the weather came in hard there. We actually had driving hail at one point and this stopped any thoughts of new routing as the slabs and micro-granite get pretty slippy when wet. We then tried out luck heading over to Gogarth but this proved to be a pointless activity. Well almost pointless because it looked dry over the Slate Quarries so we headed straight there. Arriving at the slate we first went to look at Opening Gambit (MXS) which is a route that I've been looking for a partner for since I can remember. The route has changed in line a couple of times since it's original FA, mainly because of some very larger rockfalls which have affected several routes in the area. The rockfalls have left a lasting impression in the form of several isolated tottering scree slopes on the ledges that you need to climb onto or across. We took a really good look at it and came to the conclusion that Soames has got children (and therefore some responsibility) and that I didn't want to die. I guess this'll have to wait a little while or until I find a partner with less sense. 

We then took a look at the never never land slab, with a view to me completing Khubla Khan but alas it had a big wet streak running down it. In the end another plan was hatched. This one involved squirming through the blocked up entrance that leads to the "tunnel of love". It is literally pitch black down there as the slate seems to absorb all the light but from there it leads to the bottom of Australia. We then walked and scrambled across the tottering piles of scree to the Rognon, situated in the middle of the lower oil drum glacier (you've simply got to love the names they give things in the slate quarries). He we set about actually doing some climbing, but low and behold as soon as we'd roped up, the weather broke. We forced ourselves into a tiny little cave in the scree that we christened "the Captain Oats Cave" after a comment from Soames ("I'm just going outside for the lemon vodka, I might be a while").When the weather relented we managed to make our way up the scree, after trundling off a few large boulders (for fun) to the salt-pans level. This is another bizarre place, like many of the little micro-environments that seem to have developed in the quarries. 


In the summer it dries and looks like a traditional salt pan, but when it rains whatever it is that's spilled all over the floor seems to absorb all the moisture and expand. This then becomes spongy, wet and soft. It's just so bizarre. From here we managed to make it onto the upper oil drum glaciers which then leads onto the other levels, passing some amazingly well rusted old quarry machinery. I really should have stopped to take some more pictures. I did rain on us again as we tried to make our way out of the quarries, but there was plenty of places to shelter in the form of blast shelters and quarrymans huts along the was so me mostly stayed dry. With bad weather looming overnight, we decided that staying at Eric's bunkhouse would be better than camping in a soaking wet nant peris (even though it has a pub). Soames has cooked, like usual, and we feasted on something that had duck, chorizo and vegetables in it. We found the lemon vodka in the end too.

(view from the Captain Oats cave)

With good weather in the morning and a new plan we breakfasted (on what I can only describe as breakfast stew, baked beans with black pudding and precooked sausage mixed in). As the weather on the Lleyn was damp it was straight back to the fastest drying rock in wales. Our plan for the day was to try one of the "grand days out" as described in the new slate guide. We walked in, talking the earliest path off up the scree slopes as this is slightly easier than walking up the inclines and dumped all our kit on the Siding's level. I'd actually got a little pack that me and Rachel found somewhere that would do for carrying up some food, water & the guidebook for the day. This little pack basically soldiered on all day, dispite the fact that it was slowly disintergrating as we gained height. It has opened my eyes to the use of a seriously lightweight pack, just for carrying shoes etc up routes. Previously I've used an alpkit gordan which is a little large but works pretty well. 


We started with Looning the Tube (HVS 5b) which neither of us wanted to really lead (sadly we both think it's a poor route) and it was seeping a little. I led it, uninspired and blasted on up to the top to belay before bringing up Soames. He then selected a nice long F6a+ who's named escapes me for the next pitch. It was quite a nice route, spoilt by a large ledge at one thirds height. I think the high rockovers from the top section more than made up for it. Next up was M.I.L Arete (E1 5b) as I'd rather do a trad climb that I've not done before. This was a pretty nice routes and clearly something I should have done long before I did it and it felt a little easy for the grade. Still there was only 3 pieces of gear in the whole climb (actually there was 4 but I missed one out, cuz I'm 'ard, ennit?). We then puzzled around on the next level looking for a route that caught our inspiration. Zippies First Acid Trip (E1 5c) straight away caught my eye but it was Soames lead and he picked the line of [insert climb name when I find the damn guidebook] at E2 6a. Soames gave it a bloody good go and almost nailed the crux move on his second attempt but the difficulties didn't seem to end for a while so he reversed it all and sent me up Zippies... instead.


This arguably took longer than it would have took Soames to finish his route but I think he might have seen me looking longingly at the lovely left edge of Zippies.I started up this we ease, seeing as it was a hard 5b move to make the ledge at one thirds height. From here it was a series of harder moves to gain the first (any only) bolt before the difficulties really started. I took me ages of going up and down and trying this move and that to make some head way. Eventually I tried a really high step on a hold that I had convinced myself would either a) explode off the face (unlikely) or b) let my foot slide off it, sending me crashing down the wrong side of a sharp and pointy-ish arete. What actually happened was c) nothing, I just made the move albeit a little shakily. This gained some good holds and more importantly some good gear. I happily topped out and stared in horror at the pile of talus that I would need to construct a safe belay out off. Long slings, blocks, some rusted metal work and a braced stance later I yelled I was safe and Soames followed up. 


We were now approaching the deadline. Apparently at 1513 it would rain, according to the weather report we'd seen in the morning. Now not that I normally put that much faith in the weather report but we'd not got any waterproof jackets or anything so we'd be a little exposed if the weather did hit. We this is mind Soames still chose Plastic Soldier (F6a+) as the final route. It was quite fitting as it was 40 metres long (131.233596 feet for those who prefer an antiquated series of measurment). Soames climbed in well considering the reachy difficult climbing and small amount of loose material that was on route. It was about this time that we must have noticed a guy who was attempting to solo a route on the back wall of australia call Big Thursday (XS 5c ABO). For people who don't know XS stands for eXtremely Suicidal (or something of that nature) and the ABO is an alpine grade for something more serious than ED4. Basically this was a big loose and serious route... and this guy was going for it solo. I have to say I was pretty impressed by this attempt but I was also a little worried. By the time Soames had topped out and brought me up the soloer had been stood on the same ledge 2 pitches up for about half an hour. Soames seemed to think something was up as the guy kept whistling and making enough noise to gain our attention. In the end Soames asked if he was alright, the reply we got was "errr... I could do with a rope?"


I'd like to say that we sprung into action like a well trained rescue team and quickly ran over to him, but we didn't. I think that it was commonly accepted that as he'd (rather politely) waited until we finished and had not actually asked for rescue until we called him that the ledge he was standing on was alright and he was in no immediate danger. So instead we counted the levels we needed to climb up and coiled the ropes up properly so we'd have no problems getting to him. Then we walked over and discussed that he's was getting the old "sling round the waist" harness. Needless to say it was pretty serious terrain we encountered getting to him. In the end Soames sat at the top and belayed me down the massive scree slope above where I set up some secondary anchors to get a rope down to him. The whole rescue must have taken less that 30 minutes and he was very grateful.


It turned out he had kids and worked at the beacon climbing wall, and as a way of saying thank you offered us some free climbing if we turned up there tomorrow. Sadly it was our last day but we thanked him none-the-less. He told us that he's had a dream to onsight solo all the XS routes in the quarries. I guess this was less of a dream and more of a nightmare, but it made him happy. We never did get his name though but we did make it down with the rain breaking on us!


What will I take away from this experience? For one thing I'll be getting a decent but lightweight sack for carrying things up routes with me. Doing link ups is a lot of fun because instead of focusing on what routes this sort of gets put on the back burner as completing the overall link up is more important. Another is that it's nice that we rescued that guy. Now I'd like to think that we rescued him for the good of rescuing him, but when it boils down to it I think we rescued him because we hope that if either of us got stuck in the same situation then someone would rescue us. At the end of the day I don't think rescue for the sake of the hopeful future rescue is a bad thing. We did the right thing at the end of the day. Soloing is soloing until it goes wrong, then it just seems to go back to normal climbing whereby you rely on those people are you.