A heavy gravity day...

I know I've used this as an excsue before and it's a commen (if somewhat joking) complaint when climbers can't do a move. However some research produced by NASA shows that you can indeed have a heavy gravity day. 

 

The picture above is taken from here. It is a exaggerated relief map that shows how the amount of gravity you'll feel in certain areas. There is apparently a low point just off india and a high point in the South Pacific. So next time you're feeling like you can't pull up any more, I guess you could just blame it on excess gravity.

A none climbing post

It isn't often that I go off topic, and by off topic I mean none climbing related posts. It has been a very interesting week so far. People might have seen that the compressor route on Cerro Torre has finally been climbed, without the use of the many bolts that have been placed there over the years (both by Cesare Maestri and David Lama's Redbull team). I think that this is an amazing achievement and one which is well overdue for such a high profile mountain. The two climbers are Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk and they have yet to submit some kind of press release (but you can read up on this here). I think that this is a topic for another post.

Having started by saying that this wasn't a none climbing post, then proceeded to actually posted about climbing. For once I'm going to use my blog for something that is a little more important. For people who regularly use the Internet they might have noticed that yesterday so high profile websites (wikipedia was probably the most noteable) were blocked and displaying messages relating to SOPA or PIPA. Considering the impact of these bills US Congress has been trying to put through there has been little media attention. Why isn't it over the entire Internet? Why is not on newspapers or on television sights around the world? Why hasn't it made it onto radio 4 at least? (something I listen to daily). I'll happily admit that I'm a bit of a hermit when it comes to accessing modern media. I have a poor Internet connection, only read the independent (after my partner has read it) and I don't watch television. Still the Internet and access to a lot of free information means an incredible amount to me. 

What does SOPA mean? Well SOPA stands for "Stop Online Piracy Act". It is a bill that is being presented to congress by Rep. Lamar S. Smith on the 24th of January. Now from my scant knowledge of how the America congress system works (mostly from Evan Almighty), this bill will need the backing of several Representatives to put the bill through. The SOPA bill, if made law, will expand the abilities of both U.S. Law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods.This isn't going to be a bad things. The infringement of copyright and the illegal downloading of media (in all forms) cripples industries and causes massive job loss. Internet piracy with regard to downloading music over the years has resulted in a stunted and damaged global music industry. The same is true for the film industry. PIPA is a similar bill.

This bill doesn't just cover intellectual rights based around the internet, however this is what bothers me the most. What bothers me the most is that will have impacts of peoples freedom of speech and will damaged websites that are supported by user content. Basically put my blog could get shut down if someone working with in the relms of SOPA has decided that I have breached copyright, regardless of whether I have or not. If my blog can get shut down, what about websites such as wikipedia or entire online communities like reddit?

I have a really problem with people telling me what to do. I don't dislike being asked to do something and I have no problems taking orders, but I have a real problem if I can't see an obvious reason behind something, also even if I can see the reason behind something, sometimes the reason itself is just a problem. SOPA and PIPA stand for something that is going to end up infringing on free speech and damaged online communities, social networks. What do I do about this? What can anyone do?

Well the bill is being passed in America. I am not America, I'm British but I fear that something similar would follow here (when our politicians have finally got some time to think about it, instead of constantly arguing about how to fix the economy or who's fault it was in the first place). What about places like China, where there have already been problems in the past about censorship? Did you know that the majority of Chinese citizens don't know of the infamous "tank man" (The person who stood infront of a row of tanks at Tienanmen Square Protests in 1989). Hell, I know about him and I was barely even born at the time.

What we can do is actually get this news out there? So fare I've only come across it from using sites such as memebase and reddit. I've yet to see it on the mainstream media. You can do what you can though. If you're an America Citizen then you can sign a petition to stop SOPA here. If you're not then you can get the word out on various forums and media outlets. 

I'll leave with this:

And a link to the original here.

Weekend of the 14/01/12

It was a fairly uneventful weekend by all accounts. There are no photographs, because although I carried my camera around all weekend I didn't really find anything worth shooting. Actually that's a lie, there is always something worth shooting, but I could be bothered to actually take the picture. It all stared as normal with a group of us drinking tea round someones student house in stoke instead of taking advantage of the early start we'd promised ourselves. We (a group consisting largely of SUMC members) headed to Castle Naze, because it's close, there is a reasonably wide berth of climbing for such a small crag and it's not the Roaches. So of the SUMC still went to the Roaches in the morning, I guess they can't get enough of the place.

Over the course of the day I ended up botching the crux on an E1 6a route (Orm and Cheep) I've done before. I messed my hands up grabbing the pocket I needed and instead of reaching across with my left, I had to cross through with my right. I couldn't commit to it so I broke the rules that govern "eliminate" routes and grabbed the HS crack so I could sort my hands out. I was pissed and I still am, because I should have read it better. To cheer myself up I soloed Icebreaker (E2 5b), again to Killian slight disbelief. Then came the grand sitting around which always seems to occur when I end up climbing with the SUMC. I think the problem stems from the fact that there are a few people who'll lead but many many more who're happy seconding. It means for the people who can lead, they can pick out a belayer and then get the route done they want, sometimes regardless of whether the belayer will get up it.

In the end I teamed up with a lad named Andy Finn and we did The Crack (VS 4b) which was great. There was good moves, good gear and a nice sense of exposure as you bridged up the sentry box. Andy also really enjoyed this route too but we had a bit of a problem while he seconded it. Andy used to tie his knot and stopper knot pretty far away from his harness. I guess tying in to your harness quite snuggly and neatly isn't something he has had drummed into him. Basically one of his roped got caught in the crack and wedged pretty tight. I had to lower him back down on the other rope. I think the main thing to take from this is I got to show him how useful double ropes were.


I did want to have a crack at Birthday Climb (HVS 5b) but finding a belayer proved a bit of a problem as half the group left to go to the outdoor show. This caused enough confusing about who was staying and who was going that the rest of us just gave up. I had a Birthday Party to attend in Stoke (one of my old uni mates). My evening was spent eating at pizza hut and watching "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol". I am not a film critic, but I'd give it 6/10. The story was good, and acting ok and I was impressed by Tom Cruise, who seems to have gained a lot of weight (I guess he's getting old).


I had a rough night in my poor quality decathlon down sleeping bag. It's just getting a little old and abused. I still expect it to perform really well but sleeping in a student house is probably more akin to biviing out in Scottish winter. After much debate I went to Hen Cloud. Ronnie made it 2/3 of the way up great chimney before he lowered off and Killian finished it. In the mean time Ronnie belayed me up Bachelors Route (VS 4c). I've done this before, about 4 years ago but the route was a real breeze. All the moves felt right and all the gear was good. It was probably one of the most enjoyable climbing experiences I've ever had.

It wasn't the case when I jumped on Bachelors Left Hand (HVS 5b). This I got on when I was cold, tired and got feeling so great in general. To cut a reasonably short tale even shorter I got freaked out and back off after down climbing to my last piece of gear. This is the first route I've failed on this year but it's ok. It was the right decision and I'm glad I made it.


I came away from this weekend not feeling that great about climbing, but feeling really excited about what could be in store next weekend. I'm going back down to the forest of dean with Rachel (hopefully) and I'm looking to explore some more bouldering and solo/highball problems.

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 story about ants...

I have no idea how I stumbled across this piece of fiction but I thought I'd share it with whoever does read my blog:

http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2010/01/25/100125fi_fiction_wilson?currentPage=all

And here is a picture of a cute ant too:

Bamford Edge

With a decent weather report Andy and I set off to Bamford Edge in the Peak District, despite my concerns about how short it was. We'd both managed to avoid the sentence in the guidebook that read something like "climbing can be impossible here is the cold wind" and it's something we suffered with all day. As my first day's climbing of the year goes it will probably sum up my climbing for the rest of the year. Andy brought not only his crampons but also an ice screw by mistake to the crag and we also managed to run out of gas for my jetboil after only one small cup of tea. Not a good start.

But that almost didn't matter! It was bitterly cold on the walk-in, which is short and sweet thankfully. The ground underfoot made very little sound as it was soft and wet, unless we walked though the small amount of snow that was left behind and all you could hear was a faint crunch. The crag itself was lit up by the winter sun and it hung low in the sky. I don't think I could have asked for much more and as I walked in I thought about how nice it would be just to carry on walking, not stopping to climb but just carry on walking and enjoying being outside. 

However, we did stop, as we must because of that stupid little thing driving us on to go climbing, pushing on to spend a day freezing cold at a lonely gritstone edge. We had encamped at the base of Neb Buttress and I gear up for the first route of the day The Happy Wanderer, which I thought had got a fantastic name. As it happens the route doesn't wander around all over the place but takes an arete instead. It's quite a clean and obvious line when you're standing at the bottom of it. Needless to say it was much harder than I expected! In the end Andy didn't managed to second it (something about the cold etc) so I abseiled back down my own line.


Andy was up next with Bamford Buttress (severe). He took his time, as it was bloody cold and he making sure he didn't fall off. On seconding the route I had a very rude awakening. I'd been watching him "faff" around trying out lots of different footholds. As far as I could see there wasn't any difficulty from below but then again I wasn't on the sharp end. When I did get on it I realised I'd judge Andy unfairly while I was belaying. I then proceeded to struggle to the top.


By this point the kettle had been put back on (only to run out of gas!) while Andy and I decided to go for an epic free-solo (check out all my American terms) of the Deep Cleft (graded Mod or Diff). I opted for the diff exit as I still had my rack on and squeezing out og the top of a tight chimney didn't seem like fun. Andy went for the full troglodicious experience heading for the Mod. He told me after ward about how the final chimney was so tight, as he exited his trousers were pulled down round his ankles! I wish I'd been there to see him exit.


On finding out the gas was gone we shared a cup of tea, without tea or milk (or heat) and I lead Reach (VS 4c). The guidebook description and name were bang on as mostly the climb was reach, with several long moves and cool mantelshelves. In fact the last move was probably the hardest but most satisfying. By this point we we're pretty cold and I could tell Andy wanted to head off. I suggested that we do one final route and started checking the guidebook. After a few suggestions, one of which got the reply "you'll have a hard time cleaning that on abseil" I decided on something straight up and simple. I lead Bamford Rib (HVS 5a), which was a really cool little route. The holly bush mentioned in the guidebook has certainly got bigger, which mean you cannot rest on the ledge, but it doesn't change the grade. When I did top out Andy called up to me to strip it out on abseil, as he was too cold to climb, Fair game I suppose.


As the light was getting low in the sky I choose to solo Bamford Buttress (HS 4a). I like soloing on the gritstone outcrops and always like to wait until the light is right or it's near the end of the day. I don't know why I enjoy the experience so much but I do. The feeling of freedom and ease of movement across the grit is something that really pleases me. I also like the fact that it's a choice not to place gear or do the route in the safer style but rather to rely on myself not to freak out or get too hung up on it.

Snakes and Ladders (and tunnels)...

... Well the first bit at least.

Climbing-wise, like I said I got 3 days out. One was with Andy and we managed to nip into the quarries between the rain and started off "Snakes and Ladders and Tunnels". We managed to get into california and navigate the second tunnel without getting out feet wet. There seems to have been a lot of new debris on the tunnel floor which makes staying dry quite easy. We then found our chain which seems to be the first "pitch" of climbing. It's only short and I found it pretty easy to lead but quite pumpy. You only need slings to protect yourself from falling off and there are several options to sling pipes etc that are not attached to the chain. Actaully, attaching protection to things other than the chain is probably a good thing, especially if you've seen the state of the top of the Chain. I was surprised to find what would have been a double bolt belay in the tunnel above (there is one hanger missing but the nut is still on the end). It makes for a safe belay which is more 
than I was hoping for.

Andy made fine work of the chain (with a few tugs on the rope as he had the backpack) and we sat staring out of the tunnel entrance, enjoying the new view point and looking over at California arete, which now sat drying in the weak sun. We sorted the ropes and gear, then crawled over a small roof collapse before making our way out of the tunnel. There is a tree which has some tat left on it. I've seen people abseiling from here before and was amazed by what a mess they were making of it (it did look more like a guided group, rather than a bunch of climbers). The abseil is actually quite awkward across that annoying slipping moss covered slate but me and Andy have backed off enough stuff to have become quite good at abseiling. We were down on the ground in no time. We had enough time to look at the amazing blue lake that had become dali's hole before hightailing it out of there, with the promise of a cup of tea when we got back to the car!

(Sadly my camera doesn't do the amazing blue of dali's hole justice)

(the first tunnel, all kitted up!)

(Probably the crux, reaching the first set of bars)

(Andy finally getting hold of the camera)

(Long shutter down the third tunnel)

Well, so far so good. I've actually done some of "Snakes..." now and I'm looking forward to doing the rest of it.

Either love... or stockholme syndrome.

I've been not blogging for a while, basically because I'm not had any motivation to really finish anything. I say finish as apposed to starting anything because well I've started writing stuff but not been abkle to finish it. Also my internet connection at my place is awesomly bad, so I don't really use the internet at home.

Basically it got warm, about 2 days before Andy and I were due to head out to Scotland. By warm I don't mean lovely hot, summer in the middle of winter warm and therefore we could go rock climbing in Scotland instead, but warm enough to strip all the snow off scotland and they rain for about a week. Instead we didn't go. Andy and I kept pushing the leaving date back, I guess both knowing how it was going to turn out in the end but not wanting to admit it to ourselves.

I couldn't believe how angry I was at the weather and how desperate I was to get out winter climbing. I even looked up flights to Chamonix, Ecrins and almost Norway. After a day of stressing about the whole thing I ended up questioning my motivation for winter climbing and therefore climbing in general. Why was I will to put alot of my life on hold on the off chance that there'll be cold weather and decent winter conditions. The same is true in summer as I'm always waiting for the perfect weather of the summer months to get out and trad climb. Don't even get me started on the spring and autumn season. They seem to be characterised by wet weather, failed days out, boudlering in the damp and sitting around in the car waiting for the weather to clear. 

I also end up getting to the middle of winter and pineing for climbing ascorss sunkissed grit in the late evening or an early start to a sea-cliff climbing trip at Gogarth, abseiling in with the waves crashing gently beneath me. Conversely by the middle of summer, I'll be hangin out on a belay at Gogarth and I'll find myself missing the cold of winter climbing, or being wrapped up against the elements and battling on throw a storm just to get off the climb.

In the end I came to some conclusions. I'm not going to give up any of what I do climbing. I've been doing it for so long that I don't know what else to do. I still have that childish feeling of adventure when I plan to head out. I've decided to make the most of any planned day out. Whether is means sitting it out under a rock, waiting for the rain to stop before getting a route in, or just righting off a weekend and climbing indoor and spending more time with my friends and family. I'm going to put more effort into getting more out of other peoples climbing rather than my own, in a effort to become a much less selfish climber. I'm also not going to get hung up on the weather, as I guess everything happens for a reason.

I guess that list doesn't really seem like much. It probably seems more like a reassertion of my normal goals in relation to climbing but it's not. I'd like to be happier with what I can get done in the time I've got, rather than obsession about what I could have got done in the time I don't have, if that makes any sense.

I did however get about 3 good days climbing out of my christmas holiday. I had an amazing christmas with my family and Rachel. We stayed at my parent house for a couple of day over christmas and boxing day, till we got homesick (which happens worryingly quickly) and Rachel also had work. I managed to explode one coffee percolator, which was very annoying as I'd gotten used to having fresh coffee in the morning. I also managed to mess up compleltely over the new year when Rachel and I, with a couple of other friends went to wales for New Years Eve, on a weather report which was a lie. I say I messed up because I forgot to put in Rachel's Wellington Boots and her waterproof. New Years Eve itself was alright. We played Dominos in the pub for a while before, having had too much to drink we headed off. We didn't get much sleep as the wind and rain hammered down all night. James's tent actually got destroyed but he stuck it out and made it through the night. 

I guess I never actually got round to finishing this update off either...