birthday weekend and accident at black rocks

Normally for my birthday weekend I pick a hard line on a nice crag to do. This year was a little different. I ended up into the Peak District after a a few too many beers the night before for some climbing. Rachel, Sid, Uncle Rob, Toaf and I went to Stanage for the day before heading to Wardlow Mires campsite, next to the Three Stags Head pub. At Stanage we climb Tower Face (HVS 5a) the first route I'd ever tried outdoors. This was back in the day when Toaf had confidently told me that HVS didn't mean it was very hard, after all VD was easy. I learnt some good lessons on that route (like retreating off your gear and abseiling to resuce it). Finally I've been back and done the route! after all these years, and it was still bloody necky. I actually found it quite hard so I don't know how I would have coped if I'd have carried on on this first time round. The upside is that this might class as a retroflash? 

But will he fit through the trap!

Then it was Sid's turn to lead and he took and grotty VS 4c route that provided much amusement for the spectators. Rob then lead fairy steps as Toaf was procrastinating and trying to put off actually leading a route. Fairy Steps is a run out VS that mean if you mess it up you'll suffer a nsaty landing. A great example of head games over technical ability as the holds are good enough. Rob led it in fine style especially after Toaf threatened to rescue him. Sadly the rain drew in so Toaf managed to get out of leading anything and head dropped down into Hathersage for some food at the pub. Then it was off the wardlow mires for a couple of beers at the three stags head.

A dramatic rescue takes place!

Sunday and we finally decided on Black Rocks and in keeping with the style of Sids ascent we found to of the grottiest gully's and chimneys there, Sand Gully (VD) and Deep Chimeny (VD). Both of which provided some great amusement. Then we had a small accident. Sid slipped off Birch Tree wall and decked from about 4/5 metres. He's not got any gear in below him that would have held it, but none of us thought he was going to fall off. Both feet hit the floor flat and with pretty straight legs which I guess must have contributed to his injury. Initially I suspected a bad sprain but once Rach had removed his climbing shoes it became clear that he might have broken something. 

It was action stations striaght away. I don't think anyone ever considered actually calling mountain rescue. Rach ran off to the nearest cafe to get some ice, while me and Rob fed side some sugar and made him comfortable. We packed up the sacks and Rachel and Rob took them back to the car. In the mean time I stayed with Sid and bandaged his ankle up. Worryingly his head started lolling a little so I decided to get moving. I figured that we'd meet Rach & Rob on the way down. In the end walking across the scree proved so hard that I carried Sid.

The pain was enough for him to cope while we got to Macclesfield hospital. I know it's not the closest, but it made the most sense seeing as it wasn't a life threatening injury. That was sunday, and he was out of hospital tuesday, after having his foot operated on. I'm wishing that he'll make a good recovery soon enough, then we can finish Birch Tree Wall.  

Sid, not looking happy.

Sun, sea, sand and loose rock…

Last bank holiday weekend I managed to finally get climbing on the Lleyn Peninsular. I met Soames early Saturday morning and we headed into the Ty’n Tywyn Quarries. Considering the terrible weather report we actually managed to get good weather most of the weekend (the rain mostly fell at night) and I even might have picked up a little tan on the final day. So what did we get up to?

Day 1: Lleyn

A new cliff and a new rock type. Ty’n Tywyn Quarries is a very interesting place to climb. The rock is a micro-granite so it’s really compact. Finding places for gear proved to be a little problematic at time, but if in doubt (run it out!). Considering it is so compact you’d think that it wasn’t loose! Ha-ha you’d be wrong! Over the next couple of day’s me and Soames must have move about a tonne of rock between us. 

My first route was Timex (VD) but don’t let the low grade ease you. Soames lead P1 which was a run out slab but at a nice angle. About 10 minutes and 2 pieces of gear he was clipping an iron stake belay. Pitch 2 was mine and thankfully it had more gear, but it was still a little run out. It took a rising traverse line breaking through a series of overlaps at their weaknesses. Good value for VD but more like HS in reality!

The main slab of quarry 5

The second route was Sanatogen (VD). I took pitch 1 which followed a slab and corner up to a decent belay. The pitch had loads of gear, a little loose rock and good friction. It was worth its grade. Pitch 2 was a little different, and Soames’s lead. The first gear was a couple of opposing microwires before crossing an overlap to gain a slab. The slab was again gearless but pretty good climbing before a decent piece of gear and a hand traverse off to the left, avoiding a horn of rock. Another good value VD probably more worthy of a higher grade.

There’s more climbing to come. The next route was Round the Horn (HVS 5a) and it took an unprotected slab. To an overlap (and some gear) before turning the ‘lap and arriving at the belay stance of Sanatogen. Soames led this pitch as he’d been eyeing it up for a couple of days. I took the sharp end and followed Sanatogen to the hand traverse around the horn, only this time I went straight over it (very scrappily I might add) to top out. Not bad for 5a, but I’m not sure about the grade. 

Next up was our final route of the day (not that we knew it at the time). I’d picked Flat Iron to do, as it went at VS but there was no tech grades. The guidebook indicates that the lack of tech grades on some routes might reflect their nature or their lack of traffic. In the end it was the only route in that area of the cliff that we could be sure of the line, and as for the grade? Well it was closer to MXS 4b/c to be honest. Pitch 1 was for Soames, a delicate diagonal traverse across a slab… with no gear until reaching another iron spike belay (this was pretty eaten away). Found backed it up with a b/s nut and brought me up. The second pitch was nice. The climbing was actually quite good and reasonably technical, that is until I broke my hold pull pulling on it. I thought I was off and as I had no gear in I panicked a little (to say the least). I moved up and sunk 2 decent nuts into a good crack, breathing a sigh of relief and listening to Soames chuckle. Pitch 2 carried on up this ramp to a chimney. The chimney itself actually was really nice to climb, stemming and bridging up it. The gorse bush that was growing in it made it slightly less nice to climb. I should have cut it off to improve the route, but thought that wouldn’t have been sporting. I belayed off another iron spike, backed up with nuts and small cams. The final pitch was a brilliant bit of climbing from Soames, especially considering the nature of the rock he was on. The first rock over onto the slab prove pretty hard but at least gave him opportunity to place a piece of gear. From here the gear rapidly worsened, as did the rock. But it was good climbing. I topped out, glad to be on the bitter end of the rope rather than the sharp end for that pitch.

What a grand day out! Over tea (an excellent tarkha Dahl cooked by Soames) we discussed the new routing potential of the cliff and agreed the best thing to do would be to go back and take advantage of this fact the next day. 

Day2 : Lleyn again!

I woke up at 0515 and it was raining so I rolled over and went back to sleep. We eventually work up and had breakfast waiting for Stuart and Mick to arrive. The plan was set to head straight back to quarry 5 with a couple of new route possibilities in mind. This time I felt it necessary to sport my most garish of lycra for the day climb as the weather looked a little glum. 

On arriving at the quarry Stu and Mick set off up Sanatogen to get a taste for the cliff whilst Soames and I did a nice route called Exlax (HS 4a). This was a good route with decent gear for the crux as you broke through an overlap. The belay didn’t inspire much confidence as it was only a single iron bar, jutting perpendicular from the cliff. Then the second pitch followed a parallel line to Sanatogen, breaking through the overlap as it cross Timex before tackling the largest over hang. Thankfully this had an awesome borehole for gear and as a handhold. Soames’s happy little laugh as he finally clipped a decent piece of gear before pulling floated down the crag top. 

Then it rained.

Looking back along ptich 2

By this time we Soames and I had hunkered down behind a wall and were watching Stuart and Mick bail of the route next to ours in the rain. Luckily it passed quickly and it dried off fast giving us an opportunity to try and put up a new route. Pitch 1 took a slabby arête with better gear higher up to the belay for Sanatogen. It was nice piece and good start to the route. I took pitch 2 which went diagonally up the slab the follow under an inverted staircase overhang before pushing through the overlap and continuing under the next overhang. This was a great pitch to lead as the climbing was relatively easy, but the rock was a little suspect and I wasn’t too sure how much gear I’d get in. As it happened I emptied a third of my rack into the wall and belayed 40 metres away from Soames on the first decent crack I could get more than one piece of gear into (I had 6 in the end). Pitch 3 was Soames and what a good line. He carried on following underneath the overhang before dropping down a little into a corner. Here he could climb the corner and get onto the slab above before fighting his was through some very larger jumbled block that formed the last second. I watched as hand holds crumbled and foot holds slide away, only to find and awesome pitch for me to second. The route is called Interstella Ella named after the space walking on p2 and p3 and Soames new born daughter, Ella. It goes at about VS 4b and will get better with traffic. I think there is probably still time to grab a second ascent!

Soames tackling the crux of pitch 3

We only put up one other FA that day. Before that we sat around to watch Stuart on a 40 metre long E1 5b, which looked reasonably necked. It was a bloody good lead from Stu as the gear didn’t look so good. I sadly watched most of it upside down as I’d managed to trip and fall on the screen, gashing my knee open most spectacularly, and lay on the floor with my leg propped up on a broken spade. 

Our final route was another line we’d spotted the day before. It took a clean slab that wiggled it way up the cliff between Quarry 4 & 5. In the end I named it The Lycra Finish and gave it a grade of HVS 4c. It’s reasonably technical climbing based on the fact that several of the “good” holds are actual larger loose flakes that need to be avoided. Instead you get a run out slab climb with 3 pieces of gear, all of which are a little crappy. It doesn’t compare to Interstella Ella but it’ll appeal the climber who values a psychological lead over a safer and more technical. 

Day 3: Rhoscolyn!

I’ve only climbed at Rhoscolyn once and that was an awesome experience. I did Icarus (HVS 5a) with Mick, late one summers evening as the sun was setting. I was more than happy to get back there. After the new routing we needed to write them up at Pete’s, so it seemed silly to drive back to the Lleyn. This was also my first time writing up a new route so I was pretty happy. 

Rhoscolyn is a beautiful place. Shorter cliff than Gogarth but it still has a big feel to it. The rock is still quartzite which is nice. I really can’t wait for the Gogarth South guide book to come out, but seeing as I’ve been waiting 2 years I don’t have much hope. I’m not sure what’s going on with Ground Up, but they don’t seem to actually be producing guidebooks at the moment. I did 2 routes at this cliff. The first was Symphony Crack (severe). Sea cliffs scare me (bad experience at Gogarth involving high swell) and added to the fact I nearly slipped off the scramble in due to breaking off a hold I was a little on edge. 

A Soames in its natural habitat!

Symphony Crack looks like it overhangs by about 45 degrees. It looks really imposing, like it’ll force you backward when you try and climb it. Don’t be put off by this as it really is an excellent route. Considering it is only a severe on a sea cliff I can’t see why if doesn’t get more traffic! I guess just no-body knows about it. I climbed the route trying to use my arms as little as possible. This meant that I spent most of the route wiggling my back against the wall and commencing some quasi-chimenying motion or stemming wildly. The route has a load of pro all the way up and when climbed well it isn’t pumpy at all. This so be on everyone classic sea-cliff list… and it doesn’t even get a star!

Having done Symphony Crack, it was time for another of Soames’s classic routes, Baggy’s Crack (Diff). We’ve been doing a lot of “lower-grade” climbing this weekend (V.diffs and severes) and most of these routes are not something you’d want to send an aspiring VD leader up. Baggy’s was no different. Just as Soames described, it’s like a cenotaph corner but at a more convenient angle. The hardest part of the route was probably the scramble in, which required soloing above the ocean to then construct a hanging belay. The route itself was great. Good holds, good gear and nice climbing. It is again a fantastic route that needs more stars than it has, especially for its grade.

The cave below the route "electic Blue"

And well that was it climbing wise. I did look at Truant (VS) but in the end decided that it was worth leaving it as something to come back to. Instead we went and sat on the other side of the little zawn and watched Stuart and Mick climbing, even saw an another adder on the walk out. The Lleyn Peninsular seems to be embody what I like in climbing, adventure. I’ve not caught the new routing bug and can’t wait to get back to the Lleyn as there is so much potential. I liked trying the routes, cleaning then onsight and keeping a good ethic about the place. I’ll be throwing a rack of pegs into my bag for the next trip I think though… and a good brush!

Resoling...

With the current economic crisis and the sudden price increase in shoes I'll be honest and say that I cannot sustain going through 2 pairs of shoes a year. I know the price increase is only around £10 but it puts most shoes over £100 now. So I set out to find an alternative, as I'm sick of retiring shoes because my toes have busted through the end... enter the resoling market.

After a little research I went with Cheshire Shoe Repairs (here) simply because they where cheaper. My other option was Feet First, who do offer discount when you send multiple pairs but you have to pay extra for toe-box replacements. Cheshire Shoe Repairs include toe boxes in the price and are slightly cheaper. To make things even better I got to have a good look at a pair of resoles shoes (by Cheshire) before I sent them off. Needless to say they looked good. 

I'll just point out that if you've managed to put a hole right through the end of your climbing shoe then you'll be needing a toe box replacement. This means that they'll replace the whole front of your toe therefore covering up said whole. I'd managed to do this (in a big way on one shoe). I actually sent off 2 pairs of shoes to them. My La Sportiva Muira's and a pair of Boreal Pyro's belonging to Killian. The Pyro's themselves had a good amount of rubber on them, but Killian hates it as apparently it's not very good, plus I've been raving on about stealth rubber for a while. As for the Muiras they are very good shoes, but the rubber seemed to wear out really quickly. I fid them so comfy that I really didn't want to get rid of them, but managed to put hole through both toes, hence the resole. Cheshire do offer 4 different types of rubber, but personally I would use anything other than 5.10 stealth rubber. 

My first impressions are that they are really good. The toe shape has changed a little and is more similar to my 5.10 anasazis. When I actually put them on you can tell at the front where the new rubber has been applied but they still fit like a dream. They've not really changed in fit and are still as comfy as ever. I'm really looking forward to see how they perform at the weekend on the Lleyn Penisular.

80's style Birthday climbing weekend...

This weekend we all braved the bad weather reports to get to wales for some climbing in a rad 80's style, all attempting to sport the most garish lycra possible. Sadly the weather and everything else in the world seemed to be against us. I only got 1 route in all weeked and managed to loose my size 2 cam (very very annoying). The route was Christmas Curry, which I've actually never done before. I did it with James Holmes and James, who I'd met that day. I block lead the whole thing because James hadn't climbed trad outdoors before (poor guy has been sport climbing though). I really enjoyed the route and can see why it's a classic tremadog line. I think both James and James enjoyed it too, especially since we had a couple of very brief showers and some very strong winds as we were climbing. Topping out the wind was awefully strong. 

 

And that was it really for my climbing all weekend. Once we'd topped out the weather hit pretty hard and seemed to settle in so a large group of us ended up driving in convoy over wales until we finally ended up back at... Tremadog and the dry safe barn of Eric's bunkhouse. He we dressed in lycra and partied away for the evening and had a cake for Rachel's Birthday, whilst listening to the wind and rain outdoors. 

The morning rolled round and we set a path for the slate. This in itself wasn't a problem, it was Killian flooding his engine through a rather deep puddle which proved an issue. Eventually I towed him on a long climbing sling from half-way up the Nant Gwynant valley and down into Llanberis. We had to leave him there while the rest of us went into the slate quarries to do a little climbing, in the finest of stylist lycra! I've really only got a few photo's of the day before the rain hit and we bailed to Lllanberis for some ice cream and a long drive home.

Rain, Roaches and... Redpoint?

Only routes were managed on this rainy day. I ended up at the Roaches with a friend called JD. It's actually the first time I've been climbing with him. I started off leading Kestrel Crack (HS 4b) and it was wet. Infact it was actually raining as we geared up and JD regailed me with the story of the first time he did Kestrel Crack. Once I was on the route is was a normal thrutching, jamming and praying that my feet would stay on wet holds affair, which I thoroughly enojyed! I'm actually glad I've not done that route before and got to do it in the wet because it was awesome. 

JD then jumped on the lead of Raven Rock Gully, left hand (VS 4c). This route was rather wet than it normally it, which had got to bump it up and grade at least. Needless to say JD had a small fall out of the goove and welded a nut into place. Instead he finished up the Raven Rock Gully, right hand in good style. I seconded it well and struggled to get out of the top chimeny exit. Top tip is to rack everything on a bandolier, then you can hand it too the leader before you squeeze out the finish.

We then bailed do to wet weather and had a couple of hours at not-so-awesome walls in Stoke. It was alright, but like normal I'm biased because I climb at redpoint. Infact I actually made it back to redpoint for the evening to help set up for a birthday party and stay behind for a few climbs (with the drytools too). 

Stoney Middleton

I've been wraning after a trip back to Stoney for ages. I managed to get a copy of the old Stoney Guide off a friend for about 3 quid and I've been reading it on and off for months. My first trip to Stoney wasn't bad at all. We managed Froth the most polished VS in England (it even says so in the guide). Then once we were back on the ground Andy declared his hate for peak limestone and we left, heading for some grit. Consequently I've just not beed back and just had to contend with glazing up at the towering walls as I drove past occasinoally.

Saturday, despite the interesting weather report Stuart and I headed up there. He's also been ancious to get to Stoney. As we drove over the weather ranged from horrendous rain to pleasant sunshine in the space of a few minutes, still be carried on optimistically. Arriving at the crag we parked opposite the garage and enjoyed a nice walk in, with me deciding not to look at the guide book and just walk to see how far the crag goes. I was also working on the assumption that most crag guides run from left to right, so starting at the top end of the valley we'd have a pretty good idea of the layout. Instead the guidebook is written right to left because people generally walk up the valley, but we'd started at the wrong end, Doh! 

The entrance!

So we walked back, aiming for a nice VS (right at the other end infact) on the way the weather threatened rain just as we passed the entrance to a little pot hole. We were located beneath Prayer Wheel Wall, above Carl's Walk and the guidebook suggested that "those of a speological bent" could climb down aformentioned hole and come out at the cliff beneath There was only one thing for it! Challenge accepted!

This is where I should point out my, perfectly rational, fear of the dark and small spaces. Still you shouldn't let something like "being scared" stop you and we both dived right in and set off exploring underground. I've always liked the idea of caving, especially the SRT side of it but I've not actually ever done any realy caving, simply because of my fear of the dark. I'm sure really sure what posessed me to climb down a hole in the ground. Underground we followed a low thing passage, just big enough for me to stand for about 20 metre, taking us to complete dark, then low stoop before the cave got bigger. Here there appeared to be a little roof collapse meaning we could go over or under it. We opted for under. Here we came to what I think was the main "chamber" with several branches off from it. All of these seemed to dissappear round corners, getting lower and smaller as they went and simply I was not brave enough to go crawling head first into them. 


Remember the original plan, to get to the cliff beneath us? Well we carried on rooting around before we stumbled on a passage that was blocked by rockfall straight on, but gave access to a hole in the floor. After some deliberation I dropped through and made some space for Stu. We'd opted for the largest of the tunnels to crawl through (this one would have required an on the stomach crawl) but managed to freak outselves out by an odd shadow at the end of the tunnel). We rather quickly exited up into the main chamber.

Long exposure picture from inside the cave

After some more exploring round and trying to take a few decent photographs we decided to ehad back to the open air. Sadly there was one final obsticle... a cave spider. This wasn't exactly the hollywood style monster that blocked our path and neither is there a mighty tale of how we fought it off and crawled out. I think we'd just freaked ourselves out and the spider was the final straw. We ran, scrambled and crawled out as fast as we could. 

Sitting on the flat ground with the world opening up around me once I was out of the cave was an awesome feeling. Sat there, smiling broadly we got talking to to actual cavers (you know, with proper caving suits, helmet and wellingtons) about the little pot (as it's called), the spiders and whether it actually joins up with the bottom cave. Infact it does but requires a few tighter squeezes and I think there was even the mention of a sump to deal with. We've vowed to go back and make the journey through, we might just go armed with more torchlight and overalls next time. 


For the rest of the day it seemed very much like the weather gods didn't really want us to go climbing. Everytime we racked up in the sunshine the wind would blow a little bit harder and we'd end up sitting in a cave watching the rain. We did get on a route eventually, a slightly overhanging and bastard of a route called Medusa. It was HVS 5a in our guidebook, but that still didn't stop me from getting utterly spat off it. In the end neither me or Stu finished the route and had abseil down and clean our line.


It wasn't all a waste though, we did manage to explore another cave and get a climb in, eventually. The cave we explored was actually just off Windy Ledge (optly named). It started out as a nice walk, before a short chimney/scramble. The passage then got smaller (crouching height) and it then branched off. We first explored the left hand passge (because you much always go left) which sadly lead to a dead end. I say dead end but there was evidence of passage collapses and small space that mayeb could have been squeezed through... not that I was going to try! So back up the right hand passage instead. This had a continuous movement of air blowing through it, something which intriged both of us. We'd summised that maybe it opened out at the end or even broke out onto the face at some point giving us an awesome view, hence we ploughed on. The passage got smaller and smaller. Stu was still managing to stay upright but I was reduced to some sort of crawl on one knee. I'll admit I was getting quite scared as I couldn't actually turn around. In the end I freaked out completly and we had to get out of the cave. I'll go back and finish it one day though. 


We did get one climb in at least! We had finally found a brief window in the weather and nipped up a lovely VS 4c called Sin. Infact I was still not feeling climbing on limestone as I headed up but pushed on regardless. It was a really nice groove with some good moves all the way up. As I belayed the wind picked up and I silently urged Stu to climb faster. The weather gods seemed quite anger that we'd managed to actually get on rock (as apposed to in it). Stu topped out as the weather hit and boy did it rain. We coiled up the ropes and ran as fast as we could to the walk off.


The walk off was actually an abseil down a wet chimmey. It would have been alright to downclimb, but seeing as it was getting wet, I opted for an abseil. Abseiling down a tight chimney is hard, especially with rope on my back. Once down we could pack up and walk out in the pouring rain, smiling broadly.
  
So my first REAL trip to Stoney Middleton and what did I think? Well I loved it, not just for the climbing. Climbing on limestone always seems to scare the crap out of me, which is a realy shame because it's actually good climbing alot of the time. The polish is a little bad (ok excessively bad in some places) but so what? just deal with it and move on. The majority of the climbing seems really cool and I'd like to get back there. I liked it because it's got alot of other things to do there. You could have an awesome day just exploring the underground caves and pots, or climbing up to the top and walking along the rim of the cliffs. I think Stoney is underrated and under appriciated in this day and age.

Stu taking on a little stoney bouldering

Well that's romantic...

It seems that I just can't stay out of the slate quarries lately, even though I've been sitting around at home pinning for solid mountain rock or the quartzite of Gogarth. Soames had other ideas and I smiled watched him pretty much skip along into Dinorwig Quarry, like a toddler on his way to the fair. I on the other hand was contemplating the route we were heading for...

And so on a beautifel day in May I found myself staring up at an almost hanging slate chimeny which then broke out onto the face and ascended the most natural of iron rods and pipes poking proudly out of the wall... patellectomy (E1 5c). Patellectomy itself is a medical procedure (or I assume could also be done with say a gunshot?) where by the patella (or knee-cap) is removed. I could only wonder why the route was so named?

I did put it off for as long as possible, sitting around reading the guide book, making small talk and generally trying to get out of going up. I don't know whats up with me lately but I think it has something to do with all the slate I've pulled off in the last month. It seems to have given me an inherent distrust for this rock. My fear of snapping a hold off seems to never rest. Eventually I just couldn't put it off any longer and armed with a few wires and some long slings I set off.

... and dear god it was hard! I scraped and scrabbled up the chimney bracing warily off the sides and eventually made some progress upwards before being stumped again. In the end I managed to make some progress up the higher chimney before making a desperate grab for the parallel bars. I made it and swung my feet onto the second bar for a dual hell hook rest. Actually getting onto the bars proved pretty easy, and with a shothole for gear I set about making the next move.


This was hard, probably the crux if mantling a pipe counts as the crux? I need to work my my felxibility if I'm to climb any harder I think! but loose pipe mantled, I climbed up the final section (again not actually easy) to top out, phew! This was definatly a climb that bordered somewhere between type 1 and 2 fun. I can't think of a route thats as childish as this (monkey bars to hang on) but has also filled me with so much fear (iron bars to land on). Needless to say, Soames took a no-nonsense approach and back & footed the entire chimney, only to get stumped by a height dependant move. We abseiled back in.


Only to walk out and head for Never never land area. We actually bypassed all the sport and trad routes in the area to head for the small hole in the ground right in front of the route Never Never Land itself. I've looked into this hole often but have never actually been down there to do any of the routes, today was different.


I've not idea what routes we actually did because the clear lines on the wall and the ones in the guide didn't add up completly. Hell this didn't stop us from doing some cool climbing. Soames lead a route of around 5a, which had 2 pieces of gear. I'm pretty sure that at least on of them would have held too. It was a nice line and I seconded it only to find Soames belayed to something odd pipework concreted to the floor. Well after that it was my turn to lead something. I took to feature which had caught my eye as soon as we got down, big scoop which actually had a piece of gear on route (shot-hole). Off I set, and then ran out of gear only to have to make difficult moved to reach for-mentioned shot-hole. In here I crammed a bent over number 7 and set off up the scoop. The climbing was necky but really good (around 5a) but the top-out was atrocious. While I was busy crapping myself and apologising for cleaning off ledges onto Soames, he was busy laughing his head off and dodging rock fall... it was no wonder the peoples sport climbing near us commented on our apparent "madness".


Topping out I slung a house, because it was there and it was nessessary to try and out do Soames. Soamed then went one better with his next route. He managed to climb a flake, about the size of a normal door, that was loose. It got to the point where I'd moved the ropes and myself out from the fall out zone of said flake, and watched worriedly as Soames climbed very carefully and very technically up this flake. Not bad by all accounts.


We then bailed from this deathly little hole in the ground and headed to the better rock of Nuremberg Area. Here I climbing a F6c called Swiss Air, which was pretty good by all accounts but had a few too many bolts for my liking. Sdaly the newer bolted routes in the slate quarries seem to be bolted in the style of yorkshire limestone (clip-ups) rather than the run-out oldschool place-as-little-bolts-on-a-route-a-possible approach that used to be de-riguer. It was still good recreation though. Soames then lead Hot Air Crack, a HVS 5a, which had been retrobolted to make it a F6a. Good route, would have been a better experience without the bolts.


We then bailed from the quarries only to decided on the walk out and that we had not actually finished. Instead we headed to Biggles Flies Undone at Blast Shelter Quarry and I did both the 5b and 5c lines on this little slab. 


Everytime I think I've done everything I can do in the Slate quarries, I always find more and more routes or more areas to explore. Hell I've not even made it up to Mordor and the Lost World yet, or even attempted any of the big routes in Twll Mawr!

Wales, a wet day...

... So knackered from the Lakes I woke up at 0500, made coffee and jumped in my car to head to Soames house for a welsh day trip. We picked up Rob and Tom before heading to our usually stop off, the Rhug Estate for breakfast. I was advise anyone driving up from B'ham area or along the A5 to stop off here for breakfast. So filled up with breakfast and a refill of tea (10% off if you give them your own cup!) we where off, again. I forgot to mention the best thing about the Rhug... they farm bison! No-one believed me for months but them farm bison.

Then it rained.

Even if you don't climb you an probably imagine how much rain hampers climbing. It hampers it alot but that didn't stop us. Instead we travel all over looking for some dry rock. Soames purchased the A55 sport climbing guide and we tried thier but to no avail. Instead we found quite alot of cool rock to climb on but it was wet, then we went round the orme, as I'd not been there. I saw parasella's cave, and was thoroughly dissapointed then the weather cleared up. Sitting in Pete's we needed short routes, on a fast drying rock... stat!

And like magic we ended up on the Slate heading for a couple of routes I'd not done before on Yellow Wall but above Serengeti. My fun for the day started on the scree slope up to the climbs when I managed to not only bring down a load of slate, but also the rather large piece I was currently standing on. Thus ensued a crazy slate surfing experience before I dived off into the scree and sat there watching my slate surf-board explode as it hit the floor. I even got a round of applause but it did little to stop me shaking.

We managed 2 routes on the slate that day. The first was Slippery People (E2 5c) which I thought was aptly named after my recent slide. There was a small point of contention about where the lie went between us based on the bolts in the wall and the differences between the 2 topo's we had with us. In the end I went for the line I could do, which turned out to be the correct one. It's a nice route, with 2 bolts to a lower off. Infact there is an awesome move  just after the first bolt. 

Then I did the Great Curve of the same grade but a far superiour route (in my opinion). It takes a rising curve line, with only 2 spaced bolts on the original line. I started up being spotted by Soames as Rob belayed because although the initial section is ameanable, the first clip is quite high. Then the curve began and I loved it. It was pure slatey climbing (obvious I know but). The line was nice, the holds we spaced and you had to think. I actually bypassed a bolt from another line which you can clip, but I just couldn't clip it. The original route doesn't use it, so I wasn't. Then came a difficult move for the 2nd clip, which I made as there is alomost decking potential if you mess it up! Then the final groove which still had some awesome climbing. I managed to get freaked a few feet below the lower off and placed few piece to protect the final move. I was stll worried until Soames yelled up to try a size 6 wire, that he'd given me. Low and behold it fitted perfectly and I sent the final move with a nervous smile. What a kick as route.


So for a rainy day in wales I'd conclude that it was an awesome time, hell I even got to go surfing! It's nice when you know that people have your back, even if you've run it out 6 metre's above a nice shiny bolt.


ciao

SUMC Lakes trip

Bit if a while ago this one, and there wasn't really may photograph's of our first day out. I joined my old university mountaineering club (for the last time I think) on thier club trip to the lakes. Considering I don't go to the lakes enough then this was a good chance to climb on some lakes mountain rock.

The Saturday was spent climbing on Dow Crag, which for all it's might is actually no bigger than some of the crags in Llanberis Pass. I'm always a little dissapointed because as you walk in the crag rears up infront of you, seeming to go on to the summit, but most of the routes peater out around half way (unless of course you're on A buttress). This time I was climbing with Stu and we concentrated on B Buttress, with an eye to get 3 routes done in the day. Our first was an HVS 5a called Leopards Crawl. It was a nice route, a little run out for HVS considering the groundfall potential on the first pitch, but the climbing soon eased. Stu lead the second pitch, a burly crack line before it broke up to easy ground.

Then we did Tarkus, a bold little E1 5b which went to the same belay as Leopard's and finish up that route. The route itself was reasonable well protected but as soon as I started I knew I'd have to continue. The first few moves seemed irriversable and a little too commiting. Then again I did have a rather large hangover so maybe I was just being a scardy-cat. All in all it was fine with good rock all the way.

Our final route was Murray's Direct (VS 4c) and by now my hangover had kicked in proper. I'd also ran out of food and seeing as I'd forgotten to fill up my water bottle before we left I'd resorted to collecting water from a tiny drip at the base of the crag. Stu lead the first pitch which turned out to be a nasty awkward traverse with little gear. Thankfully it soon eased and he belayed above. It was a good lead from Stu. I took P2 which basically took a pitch of loose flakes that all sounded hollow and I didn't really want to fall on anything... lest it exploded off the face! The climb however was easy and I belayed setting Stu off up the last pitch. This was the difficult slightly overhanging layback corner, with a little polish to boot. Stu had an awesome lead up this, while I belayed trying to to throw up on the party beneath me. I think I gave up drinking ever again after that (lies! all lies!).

Then we went back to the hut as the darkness crept in along the valley and we finished out night by head torch. Not bad for a day with a hangover I thought.

The was a little bit of a C/F. We'd agreed that everyone should stay together, but finding a multipitching/single pitching venue that would suit everyone proved pretty hard, especially with easter holidays in the Lakes. There was literally no-where we could park so instead we settled in Hodge Close quarry as it's got sport climbing, swimming and plenty of stuff to play on. I managed a 45 metre abseil into Parrock Quarry but the other lad's couldn't actually abseil into hodge close and drop into the water like they'd hoped (too short a rope). Instead I set about rigging some of the F5+ and F6a's for people to top-rope on before heading off to attempt a 2 pitch sport route. I don't actually knwo what grade the route get's or what it's name is. It takes a line of 10 bolts up a shallow groove to a double bolt belay then a groove above to belay off some trees. It's a pretty nice line with nice safe spacing between the bolts and a good belay. Sadly there is a little loose rock on it and I managed to pull off a sizeable chunk which I avoided dropping on my belayer! There was a seriously large piece of loose flake that you need to mantle onto as well for the first pitch. Either way it's an awesome route.

And that was pretty much my climbing done so after de-rigging all the top-ropes I bugged out and headed home knowing I was supposed to be meeting Soames for a trip to wales the day after...

Leopard's crawl
Tarkus
Murray's Direct

long time...

It seems like ages since I've actually been on the interwebs, let alone post something on my blog. Apparently during my holiday it somehow works out I have less time to sit around on the net. This might have something to do with the fact that I'm normally climbing more and therefore... sleeping more too. I'll get a few photo's up and little trip reports up from over the easter periods sometime this week. In the mean time I'll leave you with a picture of Soames: