A single route at Tremadog...

I woke up at about 0500 to rainfall. I remember looking upwards and seeing the roof of our boulder, then tuning my ears into the rain. My heart sank, but I leaned forward and checked that my stuff sack wasn't getting wet. Laura stirred next to me as I moved and I mumbled something about it raining. My stuff sack wasn't getting wet and it was 5am, I pulled up my sleeping bag and snuggled down.

I woke up again at 0615. I didn't know the time when I woke up but I scrambled to find my phone and cancel the alarm only to find out I was an hour early. I cancelled it anyway and lay still, gently fighting for some room between Andy and Laura and watch the sky get clearer as the sun rose. It was going to be a nice day I though, only not here, here it'll be damp. We'll need to climb somewhere else, and already at the back of my mind an idea was eating away at me.

Up early enough to miss Old Rosie demanding her pound. I do take umbridge to the fact that you get charged, but it does encourage a speedy wake up and early start. We started off with a little early morning bouldering, but with weak cold morning muscles and new boots I wasn't used too I got nowhere. I though I'd nail the problem this time, shows how wrong you can be I guess. An early start meant some shopping in Llanberis. Andy's got paid recently and need some more gear so V12 was where we headed. I looked at a bewildering array of skyhooks as I was supposed to be picking one up for a friend. After looking at 4 different hooks, I gave up. Pete's provided breakfast and then we set off again heading for an old favourite in times of odd weather, Tremadog.

I'd at some point got it into my head to lead Vector (E2 5c). Vector was the first route put up on Vector Buttress and snakes through taking a wandering line but sampling the delights of the cliff, namely the infamous hanging "Ochre Slab". To be fair its a much easier offering than some of the other routes on there (Cream, Strawberries etc) but it's a classic. Being a classic meant that climbing it first try would mean so much more, I have a habit of falling off classics. Added to this Toaf has seen said hanging slab and marvelled at it. It had bitten him as well so I asked if we'd team up for it. At the same time Laura and Andy teamed up for another crag classic, Christmas Curry, with the Micah eliminate (HS 4b). We pulled up at Eric's paid for parking, skipped on a brew, and set off. Fear was already building in me.

I pointed out where the line of Christmas curry went to Laura and Andy and Toaf described the walk up to them. They had a guide book and a single rope so we said they could walk round and rappel off our ropes if they beat us to the top. We carried on walking towards Vector.

Toaf had already looked at the topo and said he'd take the first pitch (5a) and the fourth & last pitch at (4b). This left me with the 5c and 5b pitches in between, including the slab to deal with. I'm going to the say I mind because I always like taking the harder pitches in a route, but I was really happy Toaf was taking the first pitch. Climbing is always about honesty, so I'll be honest about Toaf and he won't mind me saying it. He's not confident leading. This seems to silly as he climber harder than me. He'll knock off 6a moves easily, but isn't happy leading so him taking the 5a pitch was good.

Gearing up at the base was scary. I had the weight of a hard lead already bearing down on me. I felt it heavy on my shoulders as I settled down to belay. Toaf headed off confidently and climbed his pitch well, after deciding on the appropriate line. At the belay we laughed and joked about the next lead and how I could just back off if I didn't like it. With my new boots on I stepped out... and then quickly stepped back. It was a hard move off the belay! This wasn't cool. I'd ran this through in my mind all week. It was supposed to be easy and I'd cruise up it, not start of with some 5b move to the next good hand hold. I did just carry on across anyway, as Toaf added encouragement, until I was below the slab. What!!!

So this was the crux then? actually gaining the slab off either some bouldery moves up the thin rib, or some thin face climb just to the left. I opted for some face climbing and backed up my gear. Sorry, that sounds like I confidently headed up this next section. That is not the case. I sat on ledge for about 20 minutes trying to not back off. After trying it over and over and talking it through with Toaf I ended up just going for it. My mind crawled inside my own head as soon as I realised I was above my gear and couldn't reverse the last move. I could hear Toaf yelling encouragement like a lunatic at me, like someone shouting down a tunnel. I'd focused on my next placement the horrible old ring peg. I could hear him yelling "clip the peg man, clip it" as I did.

"It's really sh*t, mate!"
"better than nothing, it'll slow you down anyway"

I wasn't trusting myself that that peg, so I plugged a cam in the crack next to it. This was also my hand hold, but it was worth it.

"I got a cam in, woooooo"... And I crawled out of my mind.

The slab was sketchy to say the least. I got a little more gear in but the climbing was easier and I made my way up it. As I left the top of the slab I thought it would be easier climbing, but I was wrong, so with rope drag I pulled around into the crag belay, happily shaking as adrenaline coursed through me. I clipped pegs and nuts together and hung back, yelling I was safe to Toaf. What at pitch. It had just put me in the place where I just thought I was going to fall off and I'd pulled through and made it. The weight of this classic route had started to lift.

"You coming up?"
"Yeah, just having a fag"
"haha, you'll need one after this pitch too"
"sh*t!"
"What?!!"
"I've just dropped my lighter, it's exploded"

Despite not having a fag, Toaf arrived at the belay smiling from ear to ear. "You should have seconded that man, you should, I mean take the fear out of it and its fantastic climbing!" I knew it was fantastic climbing, but I loved being out on the lead. Toaf took the bouldery line to get the ochre slab. He raved about it. Maybe I'll go back and second it.

We re-racked all the ropes, sorted the gear enjoyed a few m'n'ms and I set off after we'd ascertained the right line. I daunting looking overhang stood before me, but it went easily after I found a couple jugs, that meant the 5b section was still to come. As I nipped across a slab I saw a guy leading up my final section. It seemed that he'd done The Weaver which joins Vector at this point. I did at the time think it was rather rude, as they'd seen us on the route already but had started up anyway. Either was I didn't get in his way and let him lead it while I stood around getting cold. His second apologise profusely for keeping me waiting on lead, but it didn't matter. He mentioned that this was a right sting in the tail he remembered when he'd done Vector.

A quick yell to Toaf and I was off. Bridging was the order of the day apparently, and I mean serious bridging. I had a micro and an RP in below me and I was at full bridge with my calves cramping up, not where I want to be. I fought for a cam placement which took up my hand hold. I manged to get 2 in making me feel a little better and then came the move. Trying to convert my bridge into a layback off holds I couldn't reach. I tried and missed the first time, but regained my bridge and then made it the second time. I snuck in my lucky number 7 nut and powers up on good hand holds to the next belay.

Toaf joined me puffing, panting and complaining that that was the hardest move on the climb. From here we soloed up the last pitch on a high. We'd just completed Vector, one of the classic routes. We ran round to the top of Shadrach and abseiled down to start the hunt for the quickdraw. Only when I'd given up hope did Toaf managed to spot the tiniest bit of metal in the undergrowth, we got it.

We sauntered back to Eric's to try and find Laura & Andy and get a well earned brew and cake. As we lay in the car park several different people came up and asked me if I was the guy they'd seen on Vector. We I said I was they asked me how it was, and congratulated me on my climb. One really old guy came and shook my hand telling me it was years since he'd lead it. His smile was almost as big as mine as he remember it...