Commitment

If you want to go on big climbing trip or an expedition book your flights (and your mate's so they can't bail) that way you're both committed and will have to find the rest of the money somehow.

Last week my credit card groaned as I shelled out for flights for this year's climbing extravaganza. The plan is ten weeks climbing and big walling in California with Duncan and Ollie. Then at the end of October Dunc will fly home, whilst Ollie and I will travel on to Patagonia for seven more weeks of alpine fun. I hope the weather down there is as good as it has been this last year. Needless to say psyche levels are running dangerously high at present.

Dream one (borrowed from Goggle).

Dream two (also borrowed from Google).

It was soaking on Saturday, but rather than go to the wall I was desperate to get out. Sometimes it's just nice to be outside, whatever the weather. Duncan and I donned full waterproofs, pooled our racks and slogged up to the Grochan. Stroll On was steep and dripping. I picked up my aiders and set off, methodically working my way up the route. Four hours and one fall later ("Think light thoughts, think light thoughts. Ping! Bollocks.") I thrutched my way to the abseil station. With daylight fading rapidly and Duncan having only a basic understanding jumaring we decided it would be better if I stripped the gear by abseil. Cheers to Duncan for belaying. I can't imagine it was much fun. At least belaying on El Cap will be a million times more fun, as you'll have someone else to talk to, it will be be warm and sunny and you'll be on El Cap!

DC psyched for aid...

Whack and dangle (Don't worry no whacking was done on this climb.)

To any ethical purists out there worried about me damaging Stroll On. I climbed the route 'clean' placing cams and wires so my ascent will have caused no more damage than any free ascent.

2 left shoes and melting routes...

January has been frustrating. By and large it has either been raining or melting when I've been free, or I've been revising whilst winter conditions have been stellar (or as stellar as they ever get in North Wales).

I had a fun day at Pant Ifan with Mason, apart from slimey  starts the routes were in great condition and the sun was shinning. I lead up to the tree at the base of the route. Alex followed up in his trainers, to keep his shoes clean for the main event. Upon reaching the tree Mason reached into his jacket to find two left shoes. Oh shit, I though he's going to make me lead it. Undeterred Mason jammed a left shoe onto his right foot and, clipping his right trainer to his harness - in case it all got too much, set off. He spent a while figuring out the desperate moves under and over the roof, before cruising the glorious upper slab. I followed, a combinations of numb toes, numb fingers and the first time on rock since November meant a few cheeky pulls were required to get me over the roof.

Two left feet...

Fun climbing low down on the chimney.

Mason pulling round the roof.

 A couple of days later, Led Zepplin booming out of the car stereo Ben Alsford and I zoomed to Ogwen Cottage. We'd heard conditions on Clogwyn Ddu were good. The walk in was a bit of a kick up the arse and reminded me to do more running. For various stupid reasons we ended up on an out of condition and melting Left Hand Branch, rather than Mankini our original objective. I lead the first easy pitch and Ben set off on the second harder pitch and inexplicably belayed on some insitu bail gear right below the crux. By the time I got there the whole thing was melting and it was a right clusterfuck to climb past an insitu Balsford, so we bashed in another peg bailed.

Lock up your daughters...

"Well my Dad was shagging Delia Smith..."

Here's Johnny

Stellar conditions...

Condition next week were probably the best since 2010. Unfortuantley three exams kept me stuck in the library, bouncing off the walls with a severe case of FOMO (the fear of missing out - for those not in the know.)

MWIS was being unusually optimistic about Saturday's weather, whilst all other forecasts were predicting massive thaw. Burrows and I slogged back up to Clogwyn Ddu. Arriving at the crag it looked in but the temprature was hovering around zero. With this in mind, we sacked off anything turfy and headed up Pillar Chimney, working on the theory that it is never out of condition. I lead the easy access pitch, allowing Burrows to lead the chimney, which I had lead a couple of times before. He made a right faff of it and I pissed myself laughing listening to his orgasmic grunting. I followed the chimney silently and got to the top to find the water running behind the very thin top pitch. I went for a tentative look at the wild and turfy Lampard-Brewer finish and decieded the best option was to down climb into Left Hand Branch and finish up that.

Me beneath the cleft of orgasmic doom...

Silent thrutching...

 There were two teams on Left Hand Branch, over taking each other and generally cluster fucking around. I down climbed and belayed. By this time it was actually raining. Ollie joined me and we decided that going down was the sensible option. The other party had conveniently placed to bombed wires and extended with long slings, so we unclipped them, equalised them and abseiled off. Cheers whoever you were! We slogged home via the Devil's Kitchen, by which point it was properly raining. Scarily people were still trying to kill themselves by climbing the semi-frozen mush.

"Oh look, two wires we can abseil off them." At least we didn't nick them!

Two Thousand and Twelve

2012 has been a fine year. I didn't do everything I wanted, but I climbed some cool routes, in some cool places with some cool people.

Here is photographic evidence of the high points, the low points, and the utterly hilarious points with the occasional bit of waffle thrown in for good measure.

A weekend hit to Lochnagar: driving through the night from Wales. L to R: Livingstone, Monypenny, Burrow and Me.

Livingstone dispatching the rather awkward flared crux of Parallel Buttress, which I conveniently built a stance below.

Welsh winter - Livingstone chilling on Manx Wall.

Duncan after having just snapped the rope on the bridge swing...

An unproductive day at Porth Ysgo...

Climbing on a bone dry Lliwedd in a tee shirt in March... WTF?

Tall Mark climbing the utterly brilliant Jelly Roll on Cloggy, also in March, also WTF?

Duncan climbing the hidden gem Hiddenite at the unsung Iron Crag.

Leading my first Extreme Rock route Grey Panther with Dunc and Jimmy.

Duncan passed his driving test, god knows how!

Watching Gwen float up the Assassin - this would be a three star route on other crag.

Getting dragged gibbering and shaking across the "dirty rotten chaos" of the Moon by Gwen.

After 'work' cragging with Ollie at Castle Rock.

Climbing Silhouette on Cloggy with Ollie the afternoon after my last exam.

Supporting Nikki on the Slateman, her first triathlon.

Making a two day ascent of the Cassin Ridge on Denali with Livingstone.

Totally wasted descending the West Buttress after the Cassin.

Getting back from Alaska and remembering rock climbing is way more fun: running across Dream of White Horses with Ollie.

The first rule of climbing with your girl friend: do not have epics when climbing with your girl friend. It started to rain three quarters of the way up a bold HVS slab route in the stunningly beautiful, but rather wet and cold Lofoten Islands. We got back to the car soaked to the skin at 1am.

Low point: Being rescued after getting benighted in Gideon Quarry when it rained and got dark simultaneously. A big thanks to Llanberis Mountain Rescue for hauling us out.

This photo doesn't do the route justice. hauling my way up some improbably steep rock on some of the world's biggest holds: Rock Idol.

Vector with Ben: I climbed this route three times in 2012 and it never disappoints.

Ollie off to 'work' - this sure beats stacking shelves at a well known green super market...

Skiing in Les Arc with Nikki and my family over Christmas - a great way to finish the year.

Thank you to everyone who made it such a brilliant year. I've got a few trips up my sleeve that should make this next one just as brilliant. Watch this space...

Trinity Face

I've not written much on here recently as I've got a job and now spend a lot of my time stacking shelves in a supermarket. This isn't so bad as it rains all the time at the moment and I need to save money so I can go on a four month long climbing trip when I graduate in June. 

Looking like a goon on the top of Snowdon!

Amazingly I had a free day on Wednesday, no work, no lectures, no nothing. Even more amazingly the weather was perfect, but at short notice I couldn't find a partner. I'd seen some photos on a friend's Facebook page of the Trinity Face on Snowdon, it looked amazing and as far I could work out the only crag likely to be in nick. The next morning I dropped Nikki at work and sped up the Pass, shouldered my nice light pack and set off.

The walk in took a little longer then expected and it was nice to have some solitude. Crampons on. Axes out. I started the day by soloing up and down Central Trinity, which was good, with bomber neve all the way. Half way up I caught up with a bloke who was making his thirty first ascent of Central Trinity, his first was in 1978! Back at the base of the crag I started up Right-hand Trinity, which was good fun. Cheers to Ray and Stu for letting me climb past them.

The Trinity Face

I then walked to the summit of Snowdon and back down for one more climb. Ladies Gully looked like one of the better lines so I headed for that. The main pitch was interesting, with a fun move out of the top of the gully. Thanks to Mark and David for letting me solo past them. At the top of the crag I head back via Crib y Ddysgl and Crib Goch. Crib Goch was a lot less wintery than I expected, but even so I didn't take my crampons off until I was back on the Pyg Track.

Even more of a goon on the top of Crib Y Ddysgl.

Unfortuantley this isn't much use a conditions report as it started to thaw this morning.

Custom made climbing rucksacks?

After many years of being frustrated by the over complicated and often gimmicky designs that dominate the rucksack market I've decided to have a go at making my own simple, durable rucksacks.

The company will sell direct to the customers and will start with four products: a 25 litre running sack, a 30 litre climbing sack, a 40 litre climbing sack and 50 litre climbing sack with an extendable lid.

Each of these products will be available off the peg, but also as a bespoke bag with fit and features customized to suit the individual. The bags will be made in the UK using the highest quality materials.

I'd appreciate it if you would take the time to fill out the short survey below.

Any questions drop me an email: thesavoygrill@hotmail.co.uk

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Expedition report

I've finally got round to writing up the expedition report from my trip to Alaska. Check it out if you want to read a bit more about what we got up to or if you are planning a trip to Alaska. I've tried to put in all the infomation I wish I knew before we set off in May.

Thanks again to everyone who supported our trip.
Bangor University Denali Expedition Report

The Cassin - The Movie

Livingstone has just finished editing a cool little film over our ascent of Denali's Cassin Ridge in June. Watching it reminds how awesome this route is, one of the best climb's I have ever done.

Cassin Ridge, Denali - Livingstone/Ripley from Tom Livingstone on Vimeo.