The weather reports for the weekend did not look good. Not good at all. Rain showers where pretty much predicted all weekend, with monday being our best day. Sadly I knew we'd be heading off a little earlier on the mondayso wouldn't be able tog et a full day in anyway. Still we come to brave the weather and we went to chairladder on the Saturday. In fact we had chairladder all to ourselves.Thinking we'd got the tides spot on we left the abseil rope behind and headed for Detergent Wall on the main face. This would have proved a good plan, except that the tide wasn't quite low enough for us so I tried to traverse across the wall from ash can gully to the chimney/groove of D.wall. This wasn't possible so back I climbed. Instead we tried to walk to the bottom and after a 4 metre abseil to jump the sea we realised that reaching the start of D.wall just wasn't going to happen, at least not for another hour or so. Instead we made our way across the rocks to do Mine Climb (HVS 5a). After watching me run squeaking from the sea, Stewie looked at me and just muttered "Well, your no nelson are you". No I'm not, I'm afraid of the sea, it eats gear, gets you wet and has a habit of drowning you if you fall in it.
Mine climb takes a groove to below a roof, then over the roof and up across the slab to finish. It was agreed I'd tackle the 5a roof pitch, although deep down I was actually dreading it. I was afriad I'd pump out trying to get over it and fall off. After a initial scrambly start to gain a guano covered ledge Stewie set off up the groove/wall to the first belay. I joined him, swapped the gear and then headed up to the roof. It looked pretty big but I could reach the lip. After a little reach around I found a good hold and just committed to it. The hold seemed to carry on along the cliff and formed a massive jug, thankfully. I pulled over the roof and set off up the wall above. This was pretty easy and Stewie lead the final pitch off. 
At the bags Stewie convinced me that we should lead Bishop's Rib (E1 5b). I was pretty hesitant as I wasn't so sure about this granite stuff yet, but Stewie's enthusiasm andthe picture in the book inspired me so off we scrambled. This time down a different gully bringing us to the starting pitch. It looked necky, like really necky. Either way I'd committed myself to it now and with some encrouagement from Stu I headed off. I managed to fit a single wire in to protect the first move and prayed I wouldn't have to test it. Then off up the slab. There was a good ledge to rest on which mean I could arrange a nest of protection for the next bit, mostly small wires (sub 4kn). I knew I'd have to commit fully to the next move and went for it. It gave me access to an awesome cam placement (thankfully I had spotted it and had it pre-rigged on my harness). In went the cam and off I went on a crimpy layback crux to surmount an overhang. God it was excellent! Stewie took the second pitch which dissapointed him. After an initially scary start it eased off greatly. However he was out of earshot almost immediatly and the weather had decided to start moving in. I wasn't looking forward to to prospect of climbing 5a in the rain. After what seemed like forever (it wasn't) I got a tug and set off, praying the rain wouldn't start. We bugged out with a plan to head back after that.
...but the rain never came. As we where driving through Sennen we decided to stop off for a pasty and see if the other Wrekin people where still about. They where and we were pursuaded to do Africa Route (VS 5a). Apart for a suqency start which would result in a ground fall if you messed it up, it was a excellent route. I felt VS 5a was good grade for it as it had everything from jamming, laybacking and some pseudo-chimneying. We bugged out as our car parking was coming up.That night we headed to The Queen's Head and got Doom Barred. This for anyone who doesn't know means we got very drunk on a Beer called "Doom Bar" (an excellent brew I must add). The night carried on with talk of climbing, ethics, bolting, and cold fusion & e=mc2. You can imagine what kind of night it was and how we felt in the morning. The gods had blesses us with a little rain in the morning, meaning we could stay in bed till the late time of 0830. We took it easy and headed back to Chairladder (again!) as that was where the group was going. Today it was much busier so we headed far away from the crowd to do a route called Pirouette (HVS 5a). The guidebook description and topo didn't seem to link up together so we went with what seemed about that grade and I think it paid off (well I didn't die so). It was good route on a nice quiet part of the cliff. Having said that I should mention the rock was a little crumblier, probably the reason it was so quiet?
We then headed for Detergent Wall (HVS 5a) so it was back down Ash Can Gully but instead of bumbling around scrambling and abseiling we nipped down some roped left by a Navy Mountaineering club. Detergent wall didnt exactly turn out to be the nice simple HVS we'd hoped. The first pitch, whilst only 4b apparently was a horrible move with an ankle snapping landing. The next pitch however was the good pitch. It was definatly runout as the guidebook stated but had enough goo protection to make me feel happy. Stewie thoiught it was a good pitch too. The only downside was the low flying sea gulls which didn't take too kindly to us. The third pitch proved a massive problem due to the orange/green lichen that covered the final holds. Instead Stewie escaped up Pendulum Chimeny's finaly pitch. Our forth and final pitch had me diving to the floor when a seagull went for me, and then avoiding the vomit! I've never seen us climb so quickly just to avoid something as trivial as a 3kg bird. Eventually we where safe at last.With an incoming tide but abseil ropes pre-rigged (thanks navy boys). We skirted around suicide pool and climbed to the ledge below our final route of the weekend, The Surfboard (HVS 5b). I took the first pitch as it looked excellent. Little did I know how scared I'd be. My little peenut seemed like my own good piece of gear I had in. I seriously didn't want to fall into the offwidth beneath me! I did mange the final moves to the cave stance, and took a minute to compose myself. Stewie flew up it. The difference between the fear of falling and how well you can climb without that seems great.
Stewie took the second pitch and made it out to the overhang he was meant to be going over. The backed up his gear, and went for it... before rapidly retreating. Stewie complained that it was too much and he nipped up Diocese (VS 5a) instead. When I seconded it I realised that it was overhang off the first route we did (Mine Climb), it was just that Stewie had come from a different direction. Either way he did an awesome pitch. I took the final 4b pitch which was stiff as hell for some reason.
It was 1840 now so we headed back for some more Doom Bar and a quieter night. Sunday rolled around and we packed up. One downside of having a massive tent and luxury items is that it takes forever to actually pack everything away again, I think if anything I prefere my smaller tent. Instead of climbing in cornwall we started off early with a plan to do a route in Avon Gorge on the way back. We got to Avon for early afternoon (we did set off late) and ended up at main wall, sponging a guidebook off some nice people and started up Clarion (VS 4c). It was an awesome route and I hopefully will get back to Avon Gorge alot more in future. We managed to dogde the rain, barely and get on the road again to head back.
Cornwalls a pretty cool place. The jumbling granite blocks arn't quite like the limestone cliffs of Pembroke or the quartzite walls of Gogarth. The ability to scramble to the bottom of most of the cliffs makes it a much more accessable venue. As for the granite itself having a big rack paid off. On some routes or pitches I placed nothing but cams so having a full rack of them paid off. I like granite, bit it doesn't half tear you to shreds.
No comments:
Post a Comment