Clambering

As usual I've not written much on here for a while. Climbing, work and plain old life have gotten in the way. Below are some photos of some recent highlights.

A late August trip to the Southwest with Duncan. We climbed Pat Littlejohn's outstanding route Dreadnought at Berryhead one of my best climbing experiences of 2014. 

Duncan mid crux on Dreadnought. Seconding I managed this bit fine, but got pumped and scared in the cramped, sandy final traverse so pulled on a peg. 

Me - about to get involved with pitch two.

Questing upwards before making improbable moves to gain a horizontal letter box. More tenuous climbing followed before I reached the huge thread belay. 

The next day we climbed Malbogies in the Avon Gorge. A total sandbag at HVS. 

The next weekend - rather unpredictably - we found ourselves at Gogarth. We headed down to Red Walls for some chossaineering. I hadn't climbed on Red Walls since a harrowing ascent of Red Wall in 2009.  This time Duncan and I climbed Wendigo, which felt more straightforward.

Duncan and I halfway up Wendigo. We climbed the route in two long pitches, belaying at the the Blue Rembered Hill stance, which worked well. The rest of the day was a comedy of backing off, with attempt at T-Rex and the Trap, before an ascent of Britomartis as the sun set. 

In September Nikki and I went on a family holiday to the Calanques in the South of France. With perfect limestone by the sea it was impossible not to have a good time. 

Dad and Nic climbing the Petit Aiguille on the first day.

It rained on the second day so Nikki and cycled 21km and 1500m vertical up Mount Ventoux, one of the most famous hill stages of the Tour du France. Here I reach the top after having been unceremoniously dropped by my wife for the last 5km. 

Nikki at the top.

The G Unit - both well into their eighties and still loving life. Inspiring. 

More climbing. Dad on le Pouce Intergral.

Dad cranking on Super Sirène, a brilliant 6b first climbed by Gaston Rebuffat back in 1941.

Nikki getting to the top of the Saphir. Another brilliant climb.

Autumn equals Gritstone season. Me leading Kayak at Curbar.  I seconded this last year and couldn't imagine leading it. 

Duncan reaching the top of Bird's Nest Crack at Almscliff. Flo's second ever trad climb. 

Me at the Top of Great Western - with a view like this you can see why they call it t'best crag in t'world. 

Duncan seconding Great Western as the sunset. 

Reviving the Lake District

Dad climbing Communist Convert.

I've spent the last couple of weekends up in the Lakes and have managed to get a bit of climbing in. On the first weekend despite a less than ideal forecast I headed out with my Dad. When I was a student I'd have probably laid in on an iffy forecast but five days of work and five more days to follow is a stern motivator. We headed to Raven Crag, Thirlmere which was brought to my attention by the Arc'teryx Lakeland Revival, a great initiative to encourage folk to climb some of the less frequently ascended routes in the Lakes. I'd climbed at the crag a few times before and it was great to revisit. We climbed Communist Convert, which was really good and not at all dirty. Go and do it.

After that we headed to the even more esoteric Thackmell Crags on the side of Thirlmere. After bushwhacking our way through vertical grass I did a great E1 wall called Yowie in the drizzle. Still hungry for more we headed to Harrop Tarn Crags, also known as Fairview Dome - don't get too excited the resemblance is only passing - but by the time we arrived it was properly raining. We called it a day and headed to Needle Sports to collect my free chalk bag.

Caitlin climbing the third pitch of Preying Mantis.

I was back up again for the August bank holiday weekend. I wasn't really supposed to be climbing but managed to convince my sister to come and hold my ropes on Sunday evening. We climbed Preying Mantis on Goat Crag. I'd last climbed this in 2003 or 2004 with my Dad. It was the second E1 I ever seconded. I got dragged up it. I can distinctly remember watching Dad lead the crux and a big positive hold on the second pitch, which was still there. The climb is brilliant, quite low in the grade, well protected, clean and dry. Saying that the top pitch felt quite tricky for 4c with darkness fast approaching.

The guys at Arc'teryx have made a brilliant little film about climbing in the Lakes. If watching this and the prospect of a free chalk bag for just climbing a route on the list doesn't motivate you to get up there than I'm afraid I can't help you.

Arc'teryx Lakeland Revival

Recent Antics

It's not that I haven't been getting out. I have. I just haven't had time to write about. Here are some photos of some (but by no means all) recent antics in no particular order:

Have I told you about my wife the Iron Man? Nikki chuffed to bits crossing the finish of her first Iron Man.

Seconding the Gates on the Cromlech. I ha a great day out with Heather Florence, despite backing of Left Wall for the second time. I've seconded it now, maybe one day I'll be good enough and brave enough to lead it. 

Onsight soloing without a clue what you are climbing. Does a climbing experience get more pure than this? Malcolm Scott leading the way at Helsby while I show my enthusiasm. Photo Ben Silvestre. 

Hamish Dunn camped by the Sella Tower during a week of awful weather in the Dolomites. I now have a severe case of van envy after spending a week in Hamish's VW T5. 

Duncan wading back across the river after an after work trip to Cheedale. I got spanked by Meditation but got up with a rest and a point of aid and Duncan forgot his rock shoes.

Hamish at the top of the Kasnapoff route on the Second Sella Tower. The next day we managed another route on the Sella Towers in between showers. Before escaping to Switzerland, where the forecast was better. Guess what, it rained. Oh well. 

Malcolm Scott and Clair Muir having a ball on Concrete Chimney in Wen Zawn. This was one of the first routes I did at Gogarth back in 2007 and it was a pleasure to climb it again. 

Me having a snooze beneath the Rocher du Midi. After our abortive trip to Switzerland Hamish and I tried our luck in the Chartreuse Massif. We got to the base of the route and the clag came in so thick we could barely see the base of the route. We sat and waited expecting it to clear. It didn't and we came back empty handed. 

Clair Muir leading Britomartis. The next day Ben Silvestre and I did Bluebottle a brilliant rising traverse that starts at the same point. 

Duncan leading Sirplum at Cheedale. My thirtieth route in Hard Rock and a pretty tricky one to boot. I've got to do thirty more to tick the book. Needless to say that means a lot of routes in Scotland and finding someone who wants to aid the Scoop.  

Choss botherer's anonymous

The past few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind. I've got married, got a job and done hardly any climbing on solid rock. After a pretty dry spring it had to rain sometime, unfortunately that sometime was the day leading before my wedding. It was so wet in Sheffield that I left my gear at home and headed to the Peak for tea and cake. Inside Outside James recommended Fingal's Flue a perma-dry caving expedition at Stoney. I dashed back to Sheffield to grab my gear. The climb was ace and dry too. A sort of muddy bridging exercise followed by posting one's self through a man sized letter box.

The next day was the big day and needless to say I was keen to get a climb in beforehand.  Dreams of Left Unconquerable or Flying Buttress Direct were thwarted by the weather. Despite this a big gang of us headed to Stanage and thrutched our way up Helfenstein's Struggle before getting dressed up smart and heading off to the church. It felt pretty committing which was pertinent. The climb was a right leveler. All of us gave it a good go. I needed pulling out on lead, a couple of us couldn't (or wouldn't fit through) and it took a well known E5 leader two attempts on second! The rest of the day was perfect.

After work on Monday I headed to High Tor with Malcolm Scott. We climbed the classic Lyme Cryme, which was brilliant and at the cheeky end of the E3 spectrum (I had one rest on the crux), getting to the top just before dark. By far and away the most solid route I've done recently and not a bad first route as a married man.   

The following weekend the forecast was less than ideal. The only place which looked half descent was Swanage, which I'd not climbed at before. I spent the three days, getting pumped and scared in the sun at Boulder Ruckle. The climbing is Swanage is steeper than Pembroke, the rock is much looser and the steep, tottering top outs feel pretty harrowing. Duncan and I spent the weekend ticking our way through a load of classic Hard VSs and E1s. As well as Ocean Boulevard a brilliant juggy E3 and Craggsy one hundred tick that Duncan cruised.

 

Me inside Fingal's Flue.

Squirming my way through Helfenstein's

Excited! Me and Duncan just before Nikki walked in.

Walking out of the Church to Here Comes the Sun. Very, very happy and a little bit teary.

Malcolm on Lyme Cryme.

Duncan on Jo. The next bit is ridiculous.

Duncan and Clare on the top pitches of Thunderball and Jo respectively. Steep juggy fun and not much between them grade wise.

Getting my powerful legs out on Dark Side of the Sun - no pushover at E1.

Loving the white rock

When I lived in North Wales I used to avoid Limestone like the plauge and openly slag it off (with the exception of Pembroke, which I've always thought amazing) to all and sundry. The truth is I'm not very good at climbing on Limestone, mainly because it is steep and technical!

Since moving to Sheffield, where the options are Gritstone or Limestone, I've climbed on Limestone a fair bit, mainly because it's good to mix things up. Also because getting my friend to climb on Gritstone with a rope is nigh on impossible.

Over the last month or so. I've done a load of ace climbing at a load of really cool crags: High Tor, Chee Tor, Stoney, Staden, Pic Tor, Beeston. All the routes I've done have been ace. Even Windover, which I can't do. Stoney 5c is really hard! Probably the route I enjoyed most was Delicatessen, though I really enjoyed slapping my way up Black Grub at Beeston on second. If only I could climb like that on lead! An honorary mention should go to Chee Tor Girdle, one of the best bad routes ever.

I spent the Easter weekend climbing down in Pembroke. The weather was ace, save for a quick shower on Sunday afternoon. The craic on the crag was ace and in the pub it was even better. The climbing in Pembroke is out of this world. When I was in the States last autumn and Duncan kept going on about how none of the world classics we were doing were as good as the climbing in Pembroke I thought he was mad. Now I agree with him and wonder why we went. The best route of the weekend for me was Beast from the Undergrowth in the Leap, thought I did enjoy fighting my way up Springboard in a perverse kind of way. Pembroke felt way more fun with a bit fitness in me, though I was still pretty knackered from four days of climbing. Cheers to Will Harris for climbing with me! I'm well psyched for more Peak Limestone evenings and trip to Pembroke over the summer. I think might treat myself to a copy of Craggy's 100 Classic Limestone Climbs in Britain when I get paid.

Duncan - approach the belay on Delicatessen. I was glad I managed to remain composed and didn't take the uberlob here.

DC pick pocketing his way through Darius on Delicatessen pitch two.

DC trying Wee Doris, before the lactic and irrational fear overcame him.

Climbing above the Windy Ledge. A ridiculous place to go climbing after work.

Duncan on Pocket Symphony at Beeston. Thread-tastically good!

On the other end of the rescuers rope for a change: Belaying some unfortunates out of a very wet Preposterous Tales. 

Will Harris - seconding a greasy Springboard. His worst route of the weekend and one of my best!

Huntsman's Leap. Just the best crag ever. Simon Kimber on Beast From the Undergrowth, Ed and Adam Booth on Darkness at Noon and Jimmy Marjot on Mythical Monster.

Pembroke STAG

We couldn't find a stag, but thankfully the St Govan's Inn had a cow which worked well as a substitute!

I'm getting married on April 26. Last weekend was my Stag do. Best man Ollie decided Pembroke was the best option. I managed to survive Friday night relatively unscathed. The weather was crap in the morning but by early afternoon it had cleared up. Unfortunately by this point the tide had started coming in. Rob, Duncan, Gwen and I hot footed it to Mewsford with our sights set on Daydreams. I abseiled down to see Rob do some pretty exciting boulder jumping to get to the base of the route. Duncan followed suit. My turn. The sea was coming in fast. Rob and Duncan's route across was now underwater. I had no choice but to sack it off or take a big jump. I jumped. Gwen tried to follow but the sea was too high by now. Thankfully I had clipped an jumar and a gri gri to the abseil rope so she could jug out.

Rob and Duncan boulder hopping their way to the bottom of Daydreams.

Me psyched to be climbing my first Extreme Rock tick of the year: Day Dreams.

Day dreams was ace. An exciting V0 boulder problem got us on a ledge that was safe from the tide. Rob lead the greasy first pitch, Duncan the tricky middle pitch and I lead the fun top pitch. The route reminded me how much I love sea cliff climbing and the great adventures you can have on them.

After a fun night in the St Goven's Inn and a midnight swim I woke up the next day hangover free. The weather was much better and Ollie and I managed a good haul of routes at Trevellan: The Hole, Enter the Goat, Soldier of Fortune and Sunlover. I finished the day with an ace HVS called Frontline before heading back to Sheffield, via Stratford for some unknown reason. God I love Pembroke.