Snow in wales...

...shame I had no-one to climb with.

At the end of the day, it was probably a good thing. I was knackered from last week and football on monday then bleep test on thursday (scored 17.6, so I'm happy). I also had almost no drive to try and get out to wales so instead I went to a beach party. Yeah a beach themed party, in the middle of winter. This saw us normal bunch of sensible climbers rocking out in beach towels, snorkel masks, flip flops and swim shorts in the cold febuary weather. All in all it made for a really fun night out.

So after a 7am start when was was awakened by being sat on (not a good wake up when feeling hungover) I took my friend to work as she can't drive. I actaully got to see some of the people from Stanley Head OEC (where I spend a summer living and working after uni) which was pretty cool. I didn fell slightly a fool as I was dressed in the same gear from the night before (hawiian shorts, beach top, but no snorkel). Least this got me going early on in the day. I had loosely arranged to see a couple of friends at Stanage for some light bouldering and earlier on in the week I was proper psyched for it. This psyche had diminished alot since I had a hangover, so in went the trad rack, with Prescott and Laura and off we headed to breakfast at Outside.

Considering I got an early start we didn't make it to Stanage till almost 12 ish, after breakfast. I met John and Charles and ended up heading for some trad climbing instead out bouldering. Infact the bouldering mat did come in useful as the snow was banked up at the start of the routes, it made for a great flat starting pad!

I'd not come with any intention or doing anything, but John pursuaded me that Right Unconquerable is a right of passage that I needed to get done. This is another classic climb, at HVS 5a it had a mean reputation. I know Stewie had pitched off it earlier on in his career, and I'd known Dan had told me it was hard. All the advice just said don't stop climbing, place a piece of gear and forget it and more on. I really didn't feel up to it...

...but sometime later I found myself 3 thirds of the way up, taking a rest. All the advice echoed in my head "don't stop, you'll just pump out and come off, don't waste time placing too much gear etc etc". Like hell I wasn't going to place gear! I'd got myself freaked out the the whole thing would snap off if I fell on some gear, and I'd ran out of runners. So stopped, bridged'n'jammed a decent rest and asked for a few other pieces to be thrown up. Once I'd built my nest of protection, then I went for it. After all my worrying and resting and the advice, I was pleasently surprised that I didn't really find it too hard. I didn't pump out, or feel like I was going to and the mantle to finish went easily. Thankfully another classic completed that I didn't fall off!

Now Prescott joined me, well after my belay jacket had been sent up of course. Now Prescott climbed the route really well, but I've honestly never laughed so much when it came to his top-out. The last move is a mantle shelf off 2 decent crimps. Decent crimps for warm warm hand that can fell them. Not for cold hands, so cue Prescott bend double balancing on his stomach with his feet on nothing and his hands scrabbling for purchase on anything. I've never laughed so hard but it just made the climb more memorable in the end. It actually hurt to laugh. John nipped up after and climbed it like a pro, annoyingly turning the mantle shelf with ease.

So we now headed for another climb, after a hilarious descent in the snow. We looked at Telli because the friction was so good. It's E3 6a which would be the hardest route of the year for me. In fact it'll be one of the hardest route's I'd ever done if I could manage it. After we'd trodden out a good couple of ledges in the snow to start from I set off up this beautifel slab. The only gear in the route was at about half height in the break. The same break which required the 6a moved to establish your feet into. Anyway I got the break with my hands, and wandered to the centre of the slab balancing my feet on pebbles. I was so afraid to tread on them as I thought I might break them off. I cammed up the crack good, placing 4 pieces of gear. This in retrospect was probably over kill as each piece was bomber, but it made me feel better. Then came the hard move. With a high smear and a sort of pulling the break apart with my hands move I managed to get a toe in the break. I wiggled it in deep and then set about pushing off the crack with my trailing hand and standing up on it. I flapped my hands across the blank wall above trying in vain the fine something for purchase, in the end I just stood up on my left foot and got my right into the break. sketchy.

All that was left now was to make the final move, pulling off a marble sized pebble and a little crimp and slap up for the top. For my feet there was smearing, and I searched for the most aggressive area of grit to smear my foot on. I cranked up on the pebble and crimp, smeared hard with my feet and slapped up. I was up grinning like a manic after onsighting 6a. What a day! Laura seconded up the arete because it was clear the climb was a little heightest (and Laura is pretty short, so an unfair disadventage). Prescott took it straight up and pulled it off with relative ease. He's slightly taller than me, and I'm not taking away from him, but you could see how he could reach things I couldn't and he made some moved much easier than me. We had the chance to sit and watch to sun go down and the crag was bathed in a orange light.

We got back to the car to find the plantation car park closes at 1730. It was 1800, but the park warden had come to check there was no-one stuck in the car park thankfully. It was a lucky break.