So what happened to come to this then? well after crashing out completly on sunday last weekend I needed a week of exercise to make myself feel better. Football on a Monday then redpoint straight after work on the Tuesday. Now redpoint was packed, not that I'm going to complain, but it was pack with people climbing routes, and not bouldering. I wasn't feeling too socially minded so I hunkered down in the bouldering sections to tackle a few problems I'd been working on from the week before. This left me feeling tired after a good 2 hour session but with no skill left on my fingers tips. Wednesday equalled running, Thursday SUMC (more climbing for my poor fingers) and then Friday, a night off climbing at least).
Toaf was actually coming away this weekend. Considering 2 years ago we'd be away without fail each weekend and clocked up hundreds of routes together I haven't actually climbed properly with him in about 4 months. I think life has just been getting in the way of his climbing right now, but I was glad he was coming away. It was just like old times picking him up again:
me [after calling his mobile outside his house] "Dude, let me in?"
Toaf "what? why? I thought we where meeting at 6?"
me [quick check of the watch] "it is 6!"
Toaf "...groan..."
'Bout 5 minutes later he stumbled down stairs, proudly diplaying his already packed kit.
"Dude, where's the pad?"
"errr...it's in the loft".
So much for a quiet getaway! We met Laura in Llangollen as he Dad was giving her a lift across from Stoke and all piled into the car aiming for North Wales. I'm not sure where we were heading, but I plummed for Tremadog, as there should have been good weather. We'd stopped off at Joe Brown's in Capel for a few supplies (ie, a survival bag for me). Toaf wanted some ice axes and wanted to check at Joe Brown's in Llanberis. As luck would have it this was an awesome decision (which I attribute to Toaf) as we dropped over Pen-y-Pass the weather was gorgeous. I figured why go anywhere else, we may as well climb in Llanberis pass if the weather is this good.
Wales seemed so quiet. I've been there over winter and it's been packed as obviously it's been the best winter in years. But this weekend, without significant winter conditions (expect for the hardened few) it seemed really quiet. It was 11 o'clock by the time we parked in Llanberis pass and there was still spaces. We headed up the scree's to Dinas Cromlech. Laura opened a can of worms when she asked what "scree" was exactly, so cue my geography degree knowledge to come out! Toaf complained all the way up. He vowed never to return to Cromlech after we did Cenotaph corner two years ago. I think his scars have healed.We looked for an ameanably graded route. Laura's seconded 5b (and i found out climbs well at 5a) but on a mountain route carrying approach shoes. We aimed for Dives/Better things at HS4b. I took both pitches because Toaf wasn't feeling into leading straight away. The first pitch took a groove with loads of spikes (winter has opened up my eyes to the opptunities of spikes for protection) then a short traverse across what I thought was damp but bacl rock. As I got to it it turned out to be black with slime and wet, flowing a little in some places. I whacked in loads of gear for the little traverse trying to leave as much protection for Toaf and Laura. I pretty much emptied my rack into 1 pitch of HS 4a! "The Forest" as the ledge is called in the topo was a great ledge system with loads of belay points. You could have had a party up there! I brought up Toaf and Laura together, attempting to save time using my reverso in guideplate made. I think it's negligable if I saved anytime at all, but it wasn't like we where in a rush anyway.
Toaf's expression after the first pitch was great. I wish I'd had the sense to catch it on camera! he said "it felt like I was learning to climb all over again!". Laura took a completly different line to the one me and Toaf took crossing the traverse. I think this reflects the difference in height between us (about 10 inches at least) and it was something I noticed across the rest of the weekend. The next pitch took a scrambly start into a groove. then the groove soared upwards leaving my wondering if Laura would manage it. I had a right struggle up it, probably because I saw a crack at the back of it and focused on that. I should habve gone with bridging and the massive face holds on the right wall. Again slinging spikes seemed the order of the day. I topped out after this glorious pitch and belayed as close to the edge as possible. I brought Laura up first, probably leaving Toaf to sleep on the belay ledge. After my worrying she climbed it fine, but like before quite differently to me (probably because of her height).
After some yelling and then rapid taking in, Toaf topped out too. He said he felt much better about climbing now as he was beginnning to trust his hands and feet much more on the holds. He looked better and was actually smiling. I'm going to hate to admmit it, but I've actually missed sitting on the top of a climb while he rolls and smokes a fag. I guess it's because it forces me to relax and sit for a minute, or maybe its just because it's what we've always done, I don't know.
A brief discussion about how to get down entailed, eventually with us agreeing to walk round. I was so glad I'd climbed up with my approach shoes. At the base of the crag I think motivation died. By motivation I mean I fell as sleep because we couldn't decided on anything and Toaf and Laura de-harnessed. I think we where actually just happy to nip up for one climb and then take it easy. So back down the screes we went and aimed for the Cromlech Boulders for a spot of bouldering?
Yep we got out the pad, ditched the rack'n'ropes and headed towards Brown's Crack a classic V1. I've not idea about bouldering grades (though I've been reading up since) but it seemed ameanable. I've tried it over and over before and never actually completed it, so this time I was going for it. The Rhyolite on the Cromlech Boulders is pretty aggressive, which isn't a bad thing at all, just makes for skin loss as I was to find out. Both me and Toaf sent this and then started looking in the guidebook for what to aim for next. I picked a V4 that ran from the start of Brown's Crack out onto the hanging arete.This turned out the be just what I was looking for. I couldn't actually do the problem, but it took me and Toaf ages to work out how to do each little move till we had the right body posistions, hooking our heels in the correct places and resting for a couple of seconds when appropriate. I've never really been on a boulder problem where everyones advice and idea's came together to produce something that almost worked. It didn't matter that I didn't do the problem, because it'll be there for next time, which is something I'm looking forward too. Needless to say it did shred the skin from my fingers...
Pub! well it was the obvious choice for the next port of call wasn't it? I mean we'd climbed, bouldered and now clearly deserved a pint of XB and a couple of rounds of pool. Where we were sleeping that night was still to be decided. We'd toyed with the idea of biving under the Cromlech Boulders themselves, but we could also stay in the pub and camp. Finally we had an offer of a bed at the Tyn Lon with the Ceunant MC. Laura finally settled our decision for us. She was the main force behind biving, and I'd spotted a likely looking spot earlier so back up the pass we headed!
Turned out our spot with hold 3 people quite well, and probably 4 people at a push! Me and Laura didn't bother with Bivi bags, but had them on hand. Toaf, afriad of the cold as always, tucked into his 4 season sleeping bag and bivi bag. surprisingly enough it wasn't cold. I thought we'd get a little chilly but it turned out to be another triumph for my dual sleeping bag system. Laura was of course warm. She looked like a head poking out of a mass of sleeping bags. She'd brought 2 winter weight synthetic bags! The night passed quietly enough, there was no moon but the stars were so bright it didn't matter. We woke up to the sun rising and light streaming down Llanberis pass, pouring light into our little bivi. The ground was frozen underfoot, so I guess it was a little cold over night. Old Rosie came and asked for her customary £1 as we where cooking up sausages for breakfast. All in all it was an amazing night out.
So where did we head on the sunday! well seeing as we had not been the Tree-mud-rock the day before I felt a trip was in order. It's quite close to where Tom lives so he could meet us there and it has a range of grade so everybody would be able to find something to lead. The weather was glorious and as we walked towards Merlin (one of the best HVS climbs I've ever done) I ranted and raved about Grim wall (one of the best VS's). As we passed it and it seemed free we scrambled up to it. Laura and Toaf teamed up to do Grim Wall with Laura taking the first pitch, whilst me and Tom set about tackling Grim Wall Direct (E1 5b). I've often looked at Grim Wall direct as it takes such a nice looking slab, but I never thought I'd be leading it. As me and Tom thought back the last route we'd done together was infact Grim Wall, in which I'd made a route finding error and had to back off part of Grim Wall Direct. Still, I was climbing hard so we wend for it anyway.
The first pitch was a little runout. I could have placed a few more microwires or something, but the climbing wasn't that hard on the runout section and the pro was there where you need it. I bunged Tom on belay and brought him up. We got talking to the guy on the ledge (its a pretty big ledge) as there was a little conjestion as routes crossed over and we agreed to wait. Laura joined us as well and brought up Toaf. The guys before us had finished so I started up the final 5b pitch. It was much more interesting than the last pitch, sort of a continual layback on smears. There was one quite balancy 5b move above some gear, but it was alright. Me and Tom s
at on the top waiting for Laura and Toaf. Me and Tom had climbed on the doubled rope so had to wait so we could all abseil down in the end. We chatted with some guy's who just done Meshach, and they said it was well worth doing.After a little absiel discussion with Laura and Tom about backing up, checking, testing and actually abseiling we all got down to the floor. Tom and Toaf headed off to the car for biscuits and more tea, leaving me and Laura to head up Meschach (HVS 5a). This was easier than the last route and the first first pitch went easily. The second pitch however climbs through some serious looking terrain, but at a relativley ameanable grade. I started up making some harder moves to eventually clip and old peg in the middle of the wall. Here I was stumped as I climbed a little in the wrong direction. eventually I found the correct way and danced over on smears and jugs to a crimpy finish. What a route. Definalty made it into the favourites bag! Laura climbed it well, but as I watched her she took a different line to me. I couldn't say whether it was easier or not, but she seems fine and happy on it.
We abseiled from a different point (above Shadrach) this time and caught up with Toaf and Tom on "the brother's variation" to Shadrach. I left the ropes in place for them to abseil down. cost us alot of time actually be they sat smoking and sending everyone else down the ropes while me and Laura waited for them to come down We had planned to do another route!. As it happened Laura got to start off in the setting sun, so the crag was bathed in an orange glow. She did the brothers start variation (at 4b) after I'd tried to squirm up the chimney and got stuck, then made a hasty retreat! She tucked herself into the belay and brought me up. The variation takes an offwidth crack with eats hands, arms, knees, feet and legs. It was a excellent lead from Laura and great use of the availble gear. I took the final headwall crack which went at 4c. This I went up on great gear and topped out in gradually approaching darkness. By the time Laura was up, and we where set up to abseil off, it was dark.I love climbing at Tremadog as its convienent, safe and fun enjoyable climbing. We had another great day out up there and I cant wait to get back there over the summer to get on Vector and try Cream! bring on the dolorite!
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