Afterwork Climbing (in the peak)

I finished my first wave of NCS work for the summer the other day. As jobs go this has got to be one of the most interesting as I've been employed as a group leader for 4 of the 6 waves (2 I can't do due to DofE work commitments). Being a group leader means that I've got the same group for 3 days; 2 of which are spent walking and scrambling (not real scrambling, but more phootling about through the rocks) with an overnight camp and one day is spent canoeing and raft building. The job actually means I get to spend a few days this summer actually playing on the water. I basically get paid to play, responsibly of course, but essentially play.

My evenings off normally depend on the time I finish or whether I'm working an overnight job. I did managed to get in my first after work bouldering session the other day. On the whole I'd say it was less of a bouldering session and more of an excuse to go and see Andy as he'd come up to the peak to get out of stoke. I arrived late to the Roaches (he was already there) and walking in some mad little part of my brain decided that soloing Valkyrie would be a good idea.

I've had quite an on going relationship with this route over the years, having to bail off is on several occasions due to weather or my head not being in it, I've rescued a guy off it with a broken arm and eventually got round to leading it. The idea of soloing something so risky hasn't ever really been my thing. I like highball bouldering because of the risk, and will solo smaller routes where the likely hood is broke ankles or legs at the worst, but soloing something with terminal fall potential is somewhere I've not gone before.

I'm not sure which part of my mind was gunning for me to do it so much. Normally when you get ideas like this, or at least when I get ideas like this, there is a voice in my head that'll speak up and yell “hey man, this is serious, way too serious... what're you thinkin'?”. I can't explain why but there was none of this as I walked to the base of the route after making the decision to do it. I'll admit that it worried me a little. Why was I suddenly happy climbing something that could cost me everything?

It didn't really matter. I was focused on climbing the route and nothing was going to change that. I took my time doing all the little things before I started. I changed into my rock boots and cleaned them till they were sticky. I rolled up my trousers till they sat where I like them. I had a drink of water and a quiet couple of minutes to contemplate the route. I then stood at the base and chalked up before setting off.

The route itself was an amazingly intense experience. I couldn't get into the the flow straight away and it took a few slow careful moves before my mind was silent and all I could concentrate on was the climbing. I climbed slowly and carefully going back to basics and having three points of contact and thinking through every single move. As I made the easy moves to gain the first pitch belay ledge my mind started screaming at me. I sat there for what could only have been a couple of minutes but it seemed like forever while I argued with myself about continuing.

The option of retreat was dangling there in front of me. I could virtually walk off from this ledge and it would all be over. I'd be safe, but unfufilled. I'd be left asking myself the same question over and over:

“Why couldn't I just continue?”

So I carried on. I stood up and chalked my my hands, then chalked them up again for good measure before grasping the first holds on that massive flake and continuing on a path from which there would be no retreat. I've reversed all of the flake before, from the crux but this time would be different. As I started down climbing I was in a state of panic. My heart was racing and felt like it would burst out of my chest. I couldn't see the hidden foothold I would need to make the set across and again it felt like an eternity before I got my foot onto it. I stepped across and very carefully felt the next hold with my hand, adjusting where I placed it again and again to make the next move as easy as possible. Falling off here simply wasn't an option.

I made it. I didn't retreat and I carried on round to the front face. The climbing is easier and I had to slow myself down so that I wouldn't make a stupid mistake, but I still ran to the top. The view from the prow of valkyrie was that same view I'd seen countless times before, but this time it was different. I was looking through it was different eyes after an intense experience. My heart was still racing and I could almost feel the blood pumping round my body. I felt like I was dreaming.

I understood for the first time why people solo routes, especially ones where the consequences of a fall are so severe. It's not about the rock your climbing, but the places in your mind that you go. I finished thinking that what I'd just done was reckless and stupid and I'm sure there as those that would agree, but I don't. I went somewhere I've never been before and came away from it changed, if only slightly.

It was a fitting end to my affair with Valkyrie. For me it was almost the combination of 10 years of climbing and I loved every moment of it.

An interesting weekend...

As weekends go I'll be perfectly honest and say this wasn't my favorite. One this is that I've managed to get some good photographs from my day bouldering on Saturday. The weather was beautiful, and the rock good clean and dry. I've been given (more like entrusted with) a pre-release copy of the Churnet guide book. It's a odd little publication as it consists of only new blocks, crags and boulders scattered across the Churnet area. A good point to not is that it needs t be used in conjunction with an existing guidebook (like the Roaches guide or Peak District bouldering) because it literally only has the new stuff in. Considering the new guide is just over 60 pages long it looks like there is loads to explore!

Saturday was therefore spent blowing out my front tire as I pulled into the Rambler's retreat car park. This didn't dampen my spirits and the tire was quickly changed. What did dampen them however was landing badly on the bouldering mat and spraining my ankle. My ankles are a constant form of frustration as they get damaged so easily. I just slipped off the problem and caught the edge of the mat and rolled the ankle (again!). I guess the most annoying thing is that I wouldn't have damaged the ankle had the pad not been there to roll it over. My afternoon was spent adjusting some routes at the SUMC climbing wall for a friend who's based her dissertation around climbing. It's a really interesting line of inquiry and I'll get her to give me her results when she gets them!

Sunday should have been spent no at the crag, for many reasons (not just my ankles). However I found myself at the crag anyway and got to spend the day leading the occasional route but mainly sleeping on my ropes or acting as "tech support" for anyone who wanted anything checking (belays, abseils etc...). I guess it wasn't a total loss as I can log it as a supervising day in my SPA logbook. Realistically my day would have been better spent indoors. 

A forest of monkeys and some climbing...

With bad weather forcast Rachel and I decided that going to wales for the weekend would just result is us moping around and getting wet, rather than getting some climbing done. Instead we planned to do a few different things, including stuff that could be done regardless of the weather! This saw us getting up and heading towards Stoke with a plan... a plan that involved monkeys.

Instead of bouldering we visited the monkey forest. This is a large woodland area outside Tentham Gardens in Staffordshire where they've got a large population of Barbary Macaques. You'd think that they wouldn't be able to survive in our climate (well I did anyway) but the Macaques actually inhabit the Atlas mountains of Algeria and Morocco. The staff there are extremely knowledgable and actually really easy to talk to. Rach and I learnt loads about the different social structures that were going on within the 2 different groups of monkeys. The park is a little jurassic parky when you enter, with the duel gate system but once you're inside there the monkeys are just free range. Literally like they just wander around and cut you up when you're wailkng past. It is a pretty cool experience.


The monkey forest is still a short experience and this left us with an afternoon to kill. We decided to risk the weather and head to churnet. Rach took me to the Peakstone Inn and showed me the walk in to Wrights Rock from there. It's a much nicer walk than starting at Traveller's Rest, simply because it's reasonably flat rather than slogging it up uphill. The weather was really good all day and I managed a few problems. I actually only completed a 6a+ and 6b, down on the left hand side of the main wall. I then had a crack at Simple Simon. At 7b it's pretty hard, actually harder than I can climb which became apparent after I spent an hour working the problem and had only just managed to grasp the last hold.


I guess somethings are not meant to be, and me climbing 7b when I've had about 2 weeks off any indoor climbing are one of them. The sad thing was though is that I figure if I just train hard on the campus board then I'll get the necessary strenght up and I'll be able to do said problem. 


After what could have been considered failing on simple simon (I considered it a success, as making it to the third hold!), I jumped on Fingers instead. Finger's get 7a, which is a might easier and it's also not a solely power based problem. This is a problem I've tried before and was insipired by a really good picture of someone on it in the new PD bouldering guide. I've gained the decent hold a few times, but then getting my heel involved has always left me with a worried feeling. Although Rachel was there, she refuses to spot me because I'm quite big and there's little she feels she can really do if I fall off. Whether or not to spot someone is the spotters choice, and whether or not to climb a problem without a spotter lies solely with the climber. This is all a debate for another post really. 


I get pretty worried about my ankles, especially when I'm bouldering as they ended up getting a lot of impacts and twisted and turned in all kinds of positions. Regardless of my worry I still manged to actually get my heel on the good hold this time and have enough strenght to make the next move. Considering I didn't think I was going to even make it that far I had to yell to Rach to move my single pad (I was bouldering on a single, hopefully well placed pad) so I wouldn't miss it.


I'd say at the end of my attempts this was another success, but in the same way as the last problem. I'd come very very close to actually reaching the final hold, but with hindsight I should have shorted my hands out to get more reach. I'll do it next time, and I look forward to it!


I pottered around a bit more but that was really then end of my bouldering for that day. The weather had been very kind to us, as it had only really rained once and that was only a light shower. On our walk back to the Peakstone Inn we met "Shiny" Stu Brooks, who could probably be described as Mr Churnet. He seems to spend a lot of his life cleaning, photographing, putting up problems and generally documenting bits of churnet. There's always something new and exciting going on for him in the Valley. Rachel has mentioned him a lot to me before so it was nice to meet him. 


With a lot of rain falling over the weekend various other jobs were completed around the house (putting up shelves, staining things etc) and I had some chance to get to grips with GIMP. GIMP is image editing software, which is also free. Apparently it's very similar to photoshop, but I wouldn't know because I can't use photoshop and wouldn't know where to start. I've been playing around with this GIMP software to edit a few of the images from the weekend. It's getting easier and easier to use and I view it as a pretty much kick-ass version of MS Paint. I've included some of the worked images below for you to enjoy:

Rachel bouldering hard with a B&W background (First attempt)

The really cool stick we found, again with a B&W background

Simple simon (Left) and Fingers (right) and my single pad.

Gad Zooks! Bouldering for a whole weekend! (part 2)

If saturday was spent getting up early and bumbling around a forest near the peak, Sunday was spent in a similar way... yet much more relaxed. Rachel and I have had a copy of the Forest of Dean guidebook for a while now but it's just been sat on a shelf (on in a stack as we had a recent clear out of the living room) not being used. As guidebooks go clearly a lot of time, effort and I'd say love has been put into this one. The climbing down in the forest of dean (from reading the guidebook and my single trip down there climbing) is a little weird, especially if you're used to your grit not crumbling away and you pebbles small and stable. Simply it's not the peak district, it's not even churnet, but it's different. I like it.

A word on the ethic of climbing there. A lot of the routes are given British trade grades and corrosponding tech grades, however you'll be doing the majority of your climbing without a rope and harness. In fact they have gone as far as to highlight the routes that it's worth putting a harness on for. Most routes have been soloed, with prior inspection, which given the nature of the rock seems sensible. There is a lot of pebble pulling going on here so testing the crucial pebbles before setting off on a hard solo is probably the best thing to do. The rock is quite sandy too, so carrying a few brushes (more than just your standard bouldering toothbrush) will help. A chalkbag, rockboots, a pad and a good attitude and belief in your own own abilities will get you up most routes.

It's not all highball nightmares on crumbling rock. I spent the day there and had an awesome time (though I do like crumbly & loose rock). There is plent of "normal" bouldering there for and plenty of actual trad climbing but Rachel and I just went for a explore really. We didn't bother with a trad rack and stuck to just carrying a pad and shoes all day. We visited a couple of little boulders and had a craxk at several little problems ranging from about 5a to 5c. The grading was pretty odd as some of the 5c problems were nails and some easy as pie, but what the hell. We had a great time and I'll be heading back there soon. Here's some picture from our day, sorry they are all landscape but the upload doesn't like putting my pictures in in portrait. 

A post box with VR on it, and I don't even remember where is was as we managed to get a little lost!

First problem of the day, a 5a arete. It needed a pretty good brush up first.

Rach puzzelling over the guidebook at the first boulder

Rach tackling the 5b traverse

The awesome rock structure. I'm pretty sure these are the graves of pebbles who escaped from the rock, to haunt the world of bouldering as zombie pebbles.

My first Forest of Dean E1. Technically it was 5c but it had a 6 metre drop.

This was one of those misgraded problems. considering it was supposed to be 5c, it htink it was wrong. Still good fun trying to work it out though!

Gad Zooks! Bouldering for a whole weekend! (part 1)

It’s true, it’s true. I actually went bouldering for the entire weekend and do you know what? I really  enjoyed it. I’m now cursing bouldering because I’ve got very sore tips, pitted and craters hands and a nasty looking bloody blister where I just couldn’t stick a crucial pebble but it was all worth it. Normally when people ask me if I’d like to go bouldering they get a response along the lines of “bouldering? nah mate, brings me out in hives. I’m allergic to it”. Well seeing as I didn’t suffer from anaphylactic shock when I started climbing without a harness on and above a pad, I guess I’m not that allergic. I’ll put the success of these tow bouldering trips down to a few things. Going out with like minded people each day was definitely one of the reasons but I think the key was going out on the Saturday with no objectives or assumptions about how the day was going to go. 

I tend to do this a lot. Set myself aims and goals for the day which are unachievable, which inevitably leads to me being disappointed with my performance or what I manage to do. Instead Saturday was Toaf’s birthday climbing day and, as tradition states, we make the effort to go out and do what the birthday boy (or girl) wants. Toaf of course, wanted to go bouldering. Now I might come across as very anti-bouldering but that’s pretty unfair. I do enjoy solo climbing (I’d go as far as to say that I really really enjoy it) and that’s all bouldering is basically. Just soloing small problems or lines but taking the time to work out how to do them, almost regardless of the amount of attempts you have (especially on something that’s quite hard for you). Instead of getting hung up on onsighting things and the fact that I wasn’t out “trad” climbing I just decided to have a good day on Toaf’s behalf.

If Toaf wants to go bouldering and it looks like it’s going to rain then we’ll end up at churnet. This isn’t such a bad thing as the Churnet Valley is a very beautiful place. After almost crashing into a fallen tree in the car we made it alive and unscathed and sauntered first up towards Wright’s Rock, only to turn round when we got a phone call off Tom telling us he was hanging out at Gentlemans. I’ve not bouldered at gentlemans before really but I knew a few of the problems like “the 50p piece” and “high speed Imp-act” but I couldn’t for the life of me remember the grades. We sauntered on, avoiding the puddles to join Tom at Marcus at Gentlemans.

(Marcus reaching for the mono...)

The first problem looked heinous! (it followed the line up through the mono to the left of the 50p piece). It seems to go from a really bad hold to then stack one’s fingers into this mono pocket. From there it was a horrible tendon straining move to then almost cross through with your right hand to get a decent hold. I watched Tom, Marcus and Toaf try the problem while I shot photos. Being honest I was pretty nervous. I didn’t think I’d be able to actually even hold the tiny sharp holds of this problem, let only get off the ground. I think it was after Toaf cruised it to the finish that I really thought I would get my rock boots (goof friendly competition, see!). On my first go I stuck the pockets and nearly pulled through the second hold before I fell off. Next time round I stuck it straight away and then got my heel up to take the weight off my arms. I didn’t realise that the problem carried on for so long or would require such judicious use of the heels. I’d not done my laces up and evidently my rockshoe slipped off. It didn’t matter, I was hooked.

(Marcus reaching for the intermediate on High Speed Imp-act)

So, next up was High Speed Imp-Act which gets 7a. I was assured that it got a soft 7a but being perfectly honest, I work very much in British tech grades so I have to work everything (everything being font, French sport & V grades) back to this before I know how hard a problem actually is. I think another reason that I enjoyed myself so much was that I didn’t spend the day recalculating back to find out how hard I was actually climbing. I just climbing and enjoyed it. 

High Speed Imp-act was a pretty hard problem, especially since I managed to miss the last hold over and over. It took quite a few attempts to actually gain the decent “jugs” before committing to the long move to gain the large (and sharp pocket). When I’d finally gotten this move over and over I just could get my body into the right position to actually gain the final lip. It was quite frustrating but at the same time quite enjoyable as it’ll eat away at me and is something to go back to.

(You can see the 7a arete on the left, with a little chalk)

With our fun at Gentleman’s over we tramped across the bracken and mud to find a “secret crag”, which isn’t really that secret. Rachel and I actually stumbled across it before when we went on a little adventure trying to find new buttresses. We must have missed the crag by literally a few feet but it is there. I’ve no idea of the name of it but it was pretty cool. We spent the rest of the day either attempting a 7a arête which had seemingly endless possibilities for pulling on pebbles. Sadly the pebbles were all a bit small. The other problem was this awesome little rail that was on the edge of an overhang. The problem with this was that it was very green and very damp so we tried and tried and eventually settled on a plan to come back and abseil down the line and give it a good clean, after some good weather that is.

On leaving I was surprised to see Andy Turner and a few other turn up. It was getting pretty dark at this point but they seemed to want to push on anyway. It’s nice to see top level climbers bumbling around the forest visiting the same little craglets you are.

A spot of bouldering in the peak

Two days, two sets of boulders. Went to Burbage south for the first time on a very chilly day and didn't really get much done other than a few 6a routes (namely the Tiger) but had a nice day out. Then we to Newstone and had a crack at Charlie's Overhang (as a highball). I didn't managed it but it think it was more because I couldn't commit to the move rather than being not capable of it. I also had a serious go at the ripple and couldn't do it (kept falling off the last move) but it's ok because it's something I can go back and do. I was happy with my bouldering seeing as I've been pretty much concentrating on ice and winter for the past 2 months

So why haven't I been out trad climbing?

Simple answer, I don't know.

Two weeks on the trot I've done no more climbing than a couple of trips to churnet. Actually being able to rest for a considerable period has been great, but I'd still rather be out trad climbing somewhere if I'm perfectly honest.

The two trips to churnet haven't been a complete loss at all... for from it infact. I've enjoyed myself immensely each time I've been there and it's normally just been nice to get out of the house or Birmingham. On my first Churnet trip I ended up at Cottage Rocks. If you've not been there its wicked. The buttress is relativly small, but sports an overhanging crimp and pockety wall and a steep slab/wall with everything from cracks to pebbles to slopes for pull on. We arrived in the late afternoon, so we had the sun filtering through the trees (gutted I forgot my camera). I enjoyed the day climbing until we had to get the head torches out and then bailing with sore fingers. All day I was persistantly hitting about 6a/6b which is pretty good for me.

The second trip was to Wright's, which is definatly more of a burly mans route. I had another good day in less than ideal conditions (a little drizzel now and again to spice things up). I did remeber my camera this time and cought some pictures of us playing on a few problems and climbing around V3/V4. I did miss a V5 by inches, which has given me some incentive to get back and do it!

Slow teams, Sea cliffs and Silly Arete...

 

So I should have been in the Lake District this weekend just gone with the Wrekin, but the allure of a trip to Gogarth was too great, and I'm a sucker for Gogarth. An alpine start on the friday morning was disrupted by Toaf and some keys, setting us back an hour. We still managed to meet Stewie and get some breakfast at Eric's Cafe. Here we met Tom, swapped into one car and hit the road to Anglesey. 

Toaf and Tom dislike climbing at Gogarth (they'll also admit it so they won't mind me putting it on here). Its not the climbing, it's the fact that you spend the time dangling around above the ocean I think. I can see where they're coming from completely. More than once I've let it get to me. Toaf will stretch to Wen Zawn, so that was where we headed, however it seemed like the world and his wife was heading to Wen so we buggered off that plan. Instead we took a short detour to Main Cliff.

You can walk into main cliff, but the word work is a loose term (as is the terrain, joke!). Sitting on the rim enjoying pre climb snacks Me and Stewie teamed up to climb something down on the cliff. On the cards was either The Strand or Gogarth itself. As we got down a scottish/finnish team was heading for the strand so we went straight to the base of Goagarth (E1 5b). Annoyingly there was a party on the first pitch, but after being reassured by thier friend that they where a quick team off we set up after them, taking our time.

As it happened they where not a quick team and we got held up all the way. We estimated that it must have taken us twice as long, but it least it meant we could take it easy. 

P1 (4b) fell to Stewie a groove to a sound belay while I hung out listening to the waves crash around beneath me. This pitch took us ages and my thoughts where left to wonder, normally towards the reason as to why the party before us was taking so long. I got P2 (5a) and traverse on small crimps which then went up and back round on itself. The pitch was definatly "out there" and not what I was expecting (quarztite always takes a little getting used to). I wasn't impressed with my ropework as I should have put more runners in on the final section. I was more worried about m0ving quickly for some odd reason.

P3 & 4 (5a) we ran together with Stewie taking a long (40m+) lead. From my stance on the 2nd belay I had a really good look at the final pitch and the crack system I would have to contend with. Stewie lead a good pitch of pretty hard slab and corner climbing and we sat eating wine gums, chewy sweets and waiting on the last but one belay. As we'd been climbing another party below us had started and I'd been talking to them. The poor guy had unleashed a krab of wires on the second pitch loosing what thier thought was a set of medium size rocks. Thankfully it only turned out to be 4 or 5, but I still made a note to be extra careful.

P5 (or p4 depending on how you look at it). It was supposed ot be a 5b pitch and looked like it too 3 steep/slightly overhanging cracks. I traversed out below them and placed enough gear should I fall off (Stewie commented that it was more than I use on most belays!). I knew the crux would be short (3 metres) and I could probably power through and place something after, so I went for it. The crux was hard. Like really hard but I managed it without coming off and then found that the rest of the climb seemed about 5a, not quite what I was hoping for. I got something in and then carried one, hanging on loose sounding flakes until I topped out on a gravelly ledge. Stewie must have managed it easily as he seemed to fly up it. 

So thanks to being stuck behind someone it took us most of the day to complete this route. By now Tom & Toaf had moved off to climb on Holyhead Mountain. We joined them to find Toaf topping out on a HVS 4c while me and Stu lacked the motivation to do anything more. Eventually we bombed back to the car for a couple of beers (7!) back at the Golden Fleece in Tremadog. 

Strangely I had almost no hangover from the night before. Maybe it was good beer, maybe it was all the water I drunk before I went to bed, or the nice warm bed I had in Eric's Barn. We breakfasted at Tremadog and set off for Craig Pant Ifan. Although Bwlch y Moch is closer I've been there so often that I can't get inspired. Instead I was to send Stewie up Scratch Arete (HVS 5a) while Tom & Toaf would do Scratch (VS 4b). Here's how it went...

I took first pitch of SA, which was harder than I expected it to be with some big moves to get over the overhang. Little did I know that this would be a day of overhangs for me and Stu. Stewie took the second pitch and started off the slab. I've told him not to btoher with the big gear (size 3 & 3.5 cam) as he wasn't going to need it but as I looked up I saw the final crack and rememeber I'd done the same thing last time. I decided not to mention it. At the over hang he hung around for a while placing as much gear as he could (finally my little cam gets used) and discovering the "hidden" peg round the corner. Later we would read about it in the guidebook! Not believing there was a good hold to go to, Stu then launched himself up and over the overlap finding said good hold and then carried on up the slab with relative ease to finish. What a route!

I then attempted Silly Arete (E3 5c) but after arriving at the overlap, I backed off. Someone had left a sling and maillion behind which I took adventage off, but I downclimbed it as much as I could. I know thats only a little thing but it meant alot to me. I was pretty bummed out about not climbing it, or not really trying when we got to the bottom... then Stu suggested doing Barbarian (E1 5b). 


Stewie took the first pitch and found it harder than he should he said. It didn't look or feel like a good pitch to climb though. I then had P2 (5b). I looked up at this massive overhang sticking out above us, "F*** that" I said. Stewie reply was somewhere along the lines of "just get on with it" so I did, begrudgingly. As I started off up the pitch with the first overlap I almost slipped off (good start!) and Toaf poked his head round to see what we where up to from the lead of Scratch. When he saw the overhang I was heading for he quickly called Tom across to watch too. 

Underneath it really was as big as it looked, but with pretty bomber gear. I got a decent wire in and then clipped the aging sling of a overcammed DMM 4cu, rotting away at the back of the crack (it looked ok). I thing thought of my size 4 cam, sitting on my bed at home. I'd neglected to bring it as I wasn't planning on using it. Last time I leave it at home as it would have fitted perfect! I then got up on into the overhand. With an extremely painful fingerlock which was so tight I was worried I'd get them stuck. I placed a size 1 cam and reversed to get a rest below the roof. Then went for it. I heard Toaf, Stewie and Tom yelling and egging me on as I scrabbled with heel hooks and slapping hands to try and get my fingers out of that tight lock and round again. I manged to get out, round the roof and got the ledge I was aiming for, shaking madly and tried to pull up on it. I tried so hard and eventually got it pulling myself up panting, sweating, shaking and smiling broadly onto the ledge. Never has climbing such a short distance taken so much out of me. 

Stewie followed my up with relative ease (I swear he's catching up) as I belayed getting dripped on by the roof above. He then took the last pitch, a 4c groove line. This was harder than 4c and had a loose block to contend with and was pretty dirty. Stewie lead it well and I followed still shaking a little. 

Thus ended our weekend, or so I thought. Stewie needed to get back so we high tailed it to Eric's cafe for a brew and he then headed off. This was going to be my first weekend in a while when I hadn't visited a new crag, but Tom suggested a final bouldering session in the evening sun before we went home so off to Carreg Hylldrem we went. My camera battery had died but we did some wicked bouldering (flashed a V4 first go) then worked a bunch of cool problems adding a removing holds as we saw fit.

Peak District (Sept 11th - 12th)

After a few weeks of completly not having my head in the game with the whole leading thing I finally think I'm back. To cut a long story short I slipped off an E4 in wales mid summer, pulling two pieces of gear as I went and missing the floor but very little (mainly thanks to the awesome Job Soames did belaying me). A couple of days later I then, in my infinte wisdom, jumped on Wings of Unreason (another E4). After I got the start sorted (technical crux) I couldn't actually bring myself to do the last move (psychological crux). I spent a hour there, wasting chalk (from a borrowed chalk bag), making my belayer really cold and failing to force myself to do the move. In the end I down climbed the majority of the route and lowered off the last bit, very humbled. Since then I've tried to "get back on the horse" as it were but to no avail. I was freaking out on VS's that ran out above gear and backing off things. However I cracked it this weekend.

Saturday was spent chilling out bouldering and climbing at the Roaches, in between the rain. It was a lovely day, bar the short showers that occasionally fell. We did some bouldering on the lower tier boulders before actually getting on soe real climbing. Hawkwing (E1 5b) seems tucked away on the lower tier. Infact it's right in the middle taking the front of a buttress but I think it just gets over looked. Hell it might be just me who's over looked it. The line it takes wanders around the overhang before heading across the face.

Snell jumped on to belay me and I set off. There was a interesting move under the overhang and round before a stiff little mantle. It was a "place your final pieces route" so I did just than and got as much gear as I could in (3 pieces!) and set off across the two breaks. The one for your feet gets worse to just smearing on the wall and the hand break gets decidedly better, thus ensuing the crux is right in the middle of the face.

It was wicked! The run out from the gear is more than enough to to get you scared but the jug at the end is massive. You can get a BS piece of gear in there but as I've said it's useless (maybe a massive cam at the back?) then a quick little layaway to gain the top hold (it's not easy). I sat on the top belaying Snell up (his first E1 5b, which he managed without a problem, even finding a pocket on the crux that made life a little easier) grinning manically... and shivering in the wind. My head was back!

So I promptly when an bouldered for the rest of the day at the "Piece of Mind" boulders. Ronnie showed me a couple of awesome little problems that pretty mean. So I ticked off and overhanging V4 that made you work for it and both sides of the arete on the boulder next to it, going at V2 from the left and V3 from the right. All good little problems. The rain started to come then and we ran away (we probably could have stayed) to watch Supernatural all afternoon at Ceara's house.

I woke up on a couch. This is a regular thing for me and I've spent alot of time couch-surfing over the years but this couch didn't do so well. Definalty a grade 3 couch. I'm going to have to write an post on couches.

I woke up with a bad back after being eaten by the couch almost to bad weather. The west peak it seem was getting wetted on. I was gutted but damned if I was going to give up hope. So I went and collected Snell, Ronnie and Chris, repacked my car so we could fit everything in the boot, remember to give Killian a bell and then picked him up and was off. The rain hit us as we drove over to buxton but no-one said anything about it. As we reached stanage we had a the makings of a beautifel day in front of us.

I headed straight for Tower Face area. The first time I ever went for a weekend away trad climbing I came to Stanage. I ended up on Tower Face under the impression that HVS was an easy grade (my climbing partner at the time assure me this was the case. I failed on the route, being lowered off about 15ft up. This was my first climb.

As you can tell it didn't stop me at all and on this day I went back and finally finished that climb I started 6 years ago. Infact it was Tower Face Direct (E2 5b) I did in the end as the line was so much straighter and more appealing. The start was just like I remember and I flew past my high point, then up on the bendy flake (it only bent a little) before commiting to the crux. I had a moments hesitation before I just went for it and got the final crack line. Pausing to turn around and smile at me belayer (with relief for not falling off) I noticed the weather coming in, hard. In went some more gear and up I scooted as quick as I could layback just as the rain arrived. I yelled I was safe and hunkered down behind a boulder.

As it happened the rain didn't hit us, well not properly anyway. Claire seconded the route and expressed horror at the loose feeling flake just below the crux. She then managed the crux in much better style than I did. A quick descent led us to my flask of hot coffee and a resupply of cheese and off to find another route.

We did Fina (HVS 5b) next. A juggey hand traverse with sweet FA for the feet lead to a hard moved to gain an arete. Then came the fun and games of working out the next move. I spent ages trying to sort it out in my head and trying different things until I ended up trying the same thing I'd started with. Last piece of gear and a awkward belay then "Safe!". Claire seemed to have as much fun as I did on the route.

Quick, pack another route in so off we went for a boulder problem start HVS 5b called Pullover. At the grand total of 9 metres it wasn't a tall proposistion but the first move was really hard. Personally having done two 5b climbs before I'd have given this 5c. Then again maybe I'm wrong. In the end after boudlering the start about 6 times and falling off 6 times I ditched my rack in favour of a bouldering mat. Eventually I managed the route and soloed the rest, which anoying was still hard. It was a wick route though. I checked the guidebook and it gets highball V1 too. I then set up a quick top-rope on it so Claire, Ronnie and Snell would have a go.

For some reason I then ended up soloing soloing a HS 4c called Hot Spur before we moved on again. Me, Snell and Claire then found a slab route called Big Screams that went a (E1 5c). The first move was the hardest and more of a bouldering problem really then you hammered up a sweet slab, over a slight overlap and then up the final slab. It could have done with a good brush off, but all in all it was a good route.

Thus this ended my day's climbing at Stanage. I did play around on another E2 5b called Shelf Life but it wasn't going to go so I backed off. It was a very relaxed day for me, but I still managed 5 routes and enjoyed some fantastic weather after the abbismal looking start. Having brought the new guidebook I was amazed by the amount there is too do at Stanage and how neglected some of the area must be. I'm going to head back and get one some of the more obscure classics in the area!

Bouldering you say? (4th and 5th sept 2010)

After my first few days back at work I was taking a lazy weekend (unintentionally!). After a nights drinking up B'ham I had a hungover and late start to the day to meet Ronnie, Killian and Toaf at the Roaches for some bouldering... hell I'd even aquired a pad for the day.

People who know me well know that my view on climbing could be described as pretty, well... traditional (I guess?). It's not that I'm against bouldering as an activity, but I always feel that if I'm hunkered under some boulder trying a problem that 15ft high, I could we out on the sharp end in wales or on the sea-cliffs of Gogarth. Having said that being very hungover lends itself to bouldering quite well I found out. I mean your still out and legitamatly claim your "climb" in a broad sense, but you can spend the day asleep on a bouldering map.

So my bag for bouldering at least contains more food than is nessessary, a belay jacket of possible sleeping bag and a book, as well as chalk, stickies etc.

I spent 2 days boudlering this weekend. Saturday at the lower tier boudlers and I ticked off three pocket slab (V3) yet again, only the second time I've managed it. I also managed a couple of other 6a ish problems. It was just good fun really being out in a group bouldering. Hell I could spend a whole weekend doing it with the right people in the right location. Which bring me neatly around to sunday...

When I was supposed to be meeting Sid at Castle Naze. Sid was coming along with his girlfriend and dog. This is not normally a problem but when I got to Castle there a nice little sign stating that no Dogs are allowed on the land at all (something to do with "portection of moreland birds"). Either way I didn't get to see Sid, or the dog that day so we where stuck as to what to do. Rach is always banging on about how great the Churnet Valley is, so I manned up and offered to go there with her. I also knew that Tim, Ronnie, Toaf and Tom would be there.

I think it's best if I stop assuming places will be crap. That statement makes little sense but what I mean is unless I wantto go there I'll assume it's crap and I'll put it off for as long as possible. It seems that the longer I put things off for the better the place is. Churnet it seems has been taken straight out of a Tolkien book. There's trees everywhere! As for finding the crags, well I'd have just spent the day wondering around if it wasn't for Rach. She took me round to see Gentleman's Buttress to see an awesome traverse there and showed me where another bunch of crags were. Eventually we settled on a walk through the bracken to Wright's Wall to see the lads.

We arrived after about an hours walk through deep bracken, leaves, heather, stingers etc after finding Hidden Buttress in the process (not that I'd be able to make it back there) to find the lads pretty much asleep on thier pads. In the end we got a bit of boudlering done. I tried (and finished) a few problems at around 6a to 6b so I was pretty happy with myself. I also played on Rachel's Buttress to the right of Wright's called "left's wall". She showed me a wicked little problem that needs a bit of a clean but is so awesome!

So now I'm digging out the brushes and planning to head back to Churnet for some more bouldering. I guess wondered will never cease. My only complaint was that I'd forgotten my camera that weekend!