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This years fall: Lost World
28 December 2014, 4:20 pm

While Upper Dinorwic continues to shuffle its pennies down into Tasmania, its been the big collapse in Lost World that has been the slate quarries big noise this year. I got a chance to pop up and get some photo's this week.

The topo shot used in the guide, what was...

Things started with the big buttress right of the Coolidge Effect, here's a pic from the mine explorer site:



This has effectively remover A Small Rusty Nail.... but the rest seems intact on a macro level, rather than the small stuff, stone fall and ricochet. What I mean is that the buttresses are still there.

What happened next is rather more impressive..



This massive collapse means two things; the old Sunday walk across from the coat hut through heavens cutting is no more (although project climbs either side are still accessible and intact), and a new and impressive,  and dare I say it, solid looking wall has been exposed. Its like the fruit machine in angry birds, giving new toys....

There has also been some minor changes to the start of Prometheus Unbound:topo view

view this week

There was nothing noticeable from my side of the quarry, but it was enough to turn back Keen Calum and Big Tim. Given the activity next door, it may be best to give it a winter.

Enjoy



Source: Hosey B

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Aims for 2015
29 December 2014, 5:30 pm

Hee hee I just wanted that to pop up on UKB...

Anyhoo, This year has been one of trying to be normal, then tentatively getting back in the saddle of the new. Twelve open projects, well... Opened, and new routes in Twll Mawr.

Next year is simply the logical continuation. Complete the projects to a level of personal satisfaction, and get happy in Twll Mawr.

Today I got out for a visit to Open Project June:



Unfortunately I chose to ignore my advice about walking along the inside of the wall, as the path outside looked so easy and flat. I obviously forgot about the bottomless blubbery bogs....

(socks, trousers and wellies drying in the sun, went above knee but not as far as groin..)

Time was limited so I rigged a rope and cleaned the next toy; the left arete.



I only went and got it 1st go! and enjoyed it enough to repeat it for the cameras:

Frontside Arete F6C! (thinking the cube needs a sk8 theme...)

So as well as The Cube, Tosheroon, Neverfall, and of course the SuperProw are in my sights..

Roll on 2015!



Source: Hosey B

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The To-Do List
1 January 2015, 2:50 pm

Happy New Year and all that.

This post is a way of collecting all last years Open Projects in one place,  throwing a couple of other aims, and putting some strategy in place. At the end of each month I'll report back, reflect and mentally kick my own arse into gear.

Here's the list, in some order of personal excitement.

Tick 1 -The Joe Brown Project

Location: Twll Mawr

Requirements: Dry rock, Determination, Courage, and possibly a Rope Gun.

The Sketch: Wait until spring and coerce the Keen Calum.

Tick 2 - Neverfall

Location: Neverneverland

Requirements: About 6 pads, some spotters, some courage, some skin

The Sketch: Warm up at Suncharm ledge, take some abb kit if some of the holds are too loose/sharp

Tick 3 - Nant Gwrtheyrn Bloc and DWS

Location: Nant Gwrtheyrn

Requirements: Summer! the bloc needs low tide and better hip flexibility for the last line, the DWS requires courage, and a few changes of kit.

The Sketch: Wait until Summer, and assemble a team of like minded souls.

Tick 4 - The Super Prow

Location: Cwmffynnon

Requirements: Top rope kit, a brush, an increase of personal ability

The Sketch: I'm not looking for a personal ascent off top rope, although I'd been keen to assess the feasibility for others, but I want to get the direct and make good links on the true line, we'll give the visit a whole day (get the bus or a lift?) and take pads for satellite boulders.

Tick 5 - The Tosheroon

Location: Benllech

Requirements: old tough jacket, stout socks and lots of tape, 2 mats for the top out, warm conditions for barnacle wrangling. a Low tide below 1.5-2m.

The Sketch: Wait until spring then get Ben psyched again.

Tick 6 - Porth Howel

Location: Llithfaen

Requirements: A few mats, some company, some dry weather for some of the walls

The Sketch: Just keen to re-visit with a crowd, if I get a bit better (as planned) the low traverse may go, also have a cool trad project to try which requires a low tide.

Tick 7 - The Cube

Location: Dyffryn Mymbyr

Requirements: about 6 mats and a couple of spotters, a bit more ability

The Sketch: There are 2 lines left to do, and they are both above the most complicated landing; the Backside arete (left arete of Manly Groove, right arete of the Cube, climbed on its left side) and Gleaming the cube - the direct through the steepness and up the slab. The arete is totally possible now given suitable fall management, the direct is proper boss, and will require steelier fingers.

Tick 8 - Marchlyn Grit

Location: Marchlyn Mawr reservoir

Requirements: Pads and probably a spotter, a low tide(!) for some of the satellite boulders

The Sketch: I really want to climb the central stand, the sit is well beyond me, but some feasibility studies for next year won't hurt

Tick 9 - Trixibelle

Location: Dyffryn Mymbyr

Requirements: Pads, a belayed spotter for the moves after the crux dyno, a hike up in ability.

The Sketch: Start with some solo visits, take some abb kit for cleaning and feasibility studies, when happy return with a crew.

Tick 10 - The Old Pier Prow

Location: Trefor

Requirements: Low tide, possibly spring tide to get a better pebble level, healthy elbows, dry windy (warm?) conditions. A rise in ability.

The Sketch: I need to be sleek and steely, and I'm not sure when the best conditions would be. Access is quick though so maybe a series of test visits once I've beaten myself into shape.

Tick 11 - Caedafydd Boulders

Location: Nantmor

Requirements: Many pads, a good spotter / patio team.

The Sketch: I'm not putting myself forward for the Koyamada roof, but I have a little line in a backwater to deal with. The main thing is to get some psyche and buzz going for the place. a visit will be made at some point with a enthusiastic crew.

Tick 12 - James' Boulder

Location: Cwm y Glo

Requirements: Myself in peak form

The Sketch: get myself in peak form and do it!

Tick 13 - The Whale of Galedffrwd

Location: Mynydd Llandegai

Requirements: A bit of dry weather to lower the stream, a spotter, some good sloper conditions

The Sketch: This might be an Autumn project.

Tick 14 - Craig Bach Cwm Uchaf

Location: Cwm Uchaf, Llanberis Pass

Requirements: A bit vague this one as its just something I spotted from afar, but it certainly looks intriguing...

The Sketch: A walk with Abb kit, possibly coincide with a look at this.

So there it is, a full list for one year, but with lesser pressure targets such as more obscure spots, and possibly some classics at Tremadog, and Gogarth (do my first Big G route...) to fill the gaps I expect to be happily occupied in 2015.

Have a good one!



Source: Hosey B

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Tick Update - Tick no.8
4 January 2015, 11:43 pm

I had an hour to play today that I managed to stretch to 2, this meant that I could pack a mini adventure and March up to Marchlyn Mawr Reservoir to try tick no.8

My coat contained drinks, sweeties, brushes and fingertape, My boulderpad, just shoes, chalkbag and a kids fold up trike for the journey down(no, it didn't work out too well). I was travelling light.

It took 30 mins to get to this view:



...And another 15 to slip and slide over the verglassed rock to get to the boulder



This is a screen grab of the boulder, the landing was a little rougher than I remembered (3 pads and a spotter folks, unless you want to patio it properly first). However, I was tight on time, and I didn't want to turn round and go home.. so it all got a bit trad.an older pic of the boulder showing off the arete

I pulled onto Erodeo for a warm up and then had a pull on the stand.Scary.Pushed through the fear.Nailed it.Then the silly thought came, what if I came in from the Erodeo sit start? It would make a less morpho and consistent problem, but I'm going to be blowing above a less than perfectly managed landing..This is the result:Think I'm calling it Tumbleweed. As for grade, I'm having a crisis at the moment as I haven't tried anything established for a while, somewhere in the F6C/7A ballpark anyway. The conditions were mint, dry windy and just below the snowline, so things were stacked in my favour. Enough for me to consider the direct sit next winter....

Watch this space



Source: Hosey B

[Fiend]

Top exploration!

[Hoseyb]

Cheers Mr F
Its been a bit hectic since Sunday, and I'd not watched back the vid (on the blog)bar a quick flick through while I trimmed the dross off either end. Watched it today, and there's a moment between the fail and the FA where I'd sort of forgotten the camera...

I guess I now have to believe my missus when she says I can be a miserable moping git then. 

[fatneck]

Got a birthday weekend away coming up and am psyched for hitting Porth Howel and potentially with a team... I know the farmer who owns the first property you pass on the turn off from the B4417 (after Llithfaen) and have parked there before to fish but can you drive further on down the track and park at the end of the road?

Good efforts generally BTW... 

[Hoseyb]

Ooo Oooo

You'd need a very light and narrow 4x4 to get to the bottom, due to a)rough track b)Overgrowness, c) a rather special bridge made manly of rust.

But you could park a bit further down than the trad parking bay and that would take some of the sting out of it. probably worth chatting to the friendly farmer and get their opinion.

I'd be psyched to be there in a team, and may drag some trad kit down as my contribution, some good looking protectable lines, some blank bits to top rope, and maybe kick the cave into shape off a rope...

Oh, and if you find it disappointing....   

[fatneck]

Thanks Mark. Will keep you posted but a vague plan is being formed (mainly only in my mind...) which would see us there sometime Sat 24th. And in terms of being disappointed, we revel in esoterica

[Hoseyb]

Not working and wrote "mark climbing" on the family calendar.  See if that works...

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Tick Report - January
30 January 2015, 10:31 am

Well happy new year folks, I wish the weather would make up its mind...

My first tick report has good news; Tick no. 8 has given me an ascent! Of course this leads me to want more...

The direct sitter is blatant, and a better problem, and a lot harder. Things to do: Patio, after last time I'm not repeatedly hitting that landing. Also, try a scooter rather than a trike for the descent. I'm not in the mood to patio right now, so 8 is on the back burner unless someone joins in.

As an aside I'm a little happier that the grade of Tumbleweed is somewhere between 6C+/7A. This is due to a lovely weekend with a sadly aging Fatneck (at a rate of 60sec/per minute no less!) I ventured past Pwllheli for the first time in over 2 years to enjoy the boulders of Rhiw, mucking about at the Shelter Boulders (invert off a wing) and flashing Gwefus Ddreinog 6C+ and eventually getting Berrial 7A after 5 goes. lots of fun to be had here, although Mr Hayward has hoovered up most of the plum lines..

Looking along Berrial at Mr Crouch dwarfing the Ddreinog boulder. Given that these are being bigged up as a class venue, it makes me even more proud of the blocks of Dyffryn Mymbyr, which definitely withstand comparison...

Right this month has not all been about Tick no. 8, I also visited Tick no.12 lounging near the bottom of the list. I got agonisingly close to this once, only to be thwarted by elbows, so I was keen to asertain exactly what I was up against.

A respectable angle

These are the starting holds people, a bounce off poor feet off to the side latches another poor hold (did this once), matches and bounces again for the boss on the lip, mantle, and sip champagne.Working Title of the project: Skadoosh As ever with fatherhood...Specifically, we want to see them stronger, now with all the shoulder stuff going on at the moment, I want to have to maintain form as perfect as possible, and work intensity for as little as possible. Hence I screwed these slivers either side of the Beastmaker at work:Shaped for as open a grip as possible (no thumbs!) I can hang them long enough to pull up, but not lower down. 3 reps and I'm done. Unfortunately, I've been so busy at work, there has not been many safe windows to do this, but I'd prefer a long term slow gain, rather than, going at it like a randy dog and breaking myself.

Other schemes and plans. I get a window to play, most Monday and Friday mornings, so a dry day goes through the plan sorter. If warmer than 10 degrees, get a posse for Neverfall, if no-one about then reccy Tick no. 14. If colder than 10 degrees, get a posse for the cube, if not enough peeps then go to Georges crack; to my shame I still haven't done it....

Slow start, but a positive one.

Source: Hosey B

[Fiend]

Good report Hozel.

[comPiler]

Three strikes and yer off...
6 February 2015, 5:13 pm

Beautiful day today so went up to the cube, on my lonesome (boo hoo)

My plan was to try a snow platform, my lake of shovel didn't put me off... fortunately the remaining snow had hardened and as it had never been trodden on, was easy to peel off the heather in huge chunks.

when I arrived the pit was looking ouchy with that big boulder..

soon buried under hard snow...

I then started working the Backside Arete project (should that be Goofy Arete?) and it certainly was exciting. No falls but plenty of jumps. Failing due to being too scared is a hard thing to accept, better to back off due to it feeling too difficult to attempt safely. I know, its a fine line.

Here are my last three attempts:

I think I won't be returning without 2 spotters and maybe 4 more mats.. I don't think I can get back up this month anyway, so if anyone wants to make use of my snow platform, be my guest.

Source: Hosey B

[Hoseyb]

a couple of blogs missed during Compiler's siesta

I Never Fell
http://hoseyb.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/i-never-fell.html

Tick Report - February
http://hoseyb.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/tick-report-february.html

[Fiend]

 

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I Never Fell
27 February 2015, 6:01 pm

So Ben, Derw and myself went and did the Deed Today...

Job one was chalking the line, which went well until I started brushing the holds off. Turns out the winter had loosened some flakes, which in the cause of self preservation, I removed and made right. This deleted the jugs from the top section and added some in the middle. Hard bottom, steady middle, thin top. and a grade reduction, Happy days.

Job two was warm up at Suncharm Ledge. Derw and Ben hadn't played here before, so it was a chance to introduce them to Maurice Chevalier...

Job Three.



Three Ascents. No Falls.

Neverfall F6B+! M.Dicken 27/2/15

Source: Hosey B

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Tick Report - February
28 February 2015, 11:28 pm

So things are beginning to kick off...



The month kicked off with some throws at tick 7, I think the failure came down to a lack of back up, its so hard to push on on a lone trip like that, once I'm happier with the fall then even the central line might fall, just go to give it some. Its frustrating also that my commitments to work and my beautiful family, meant the next window of opportunity would be the 27th, some three weeks later.

so I schemed and hit the training..



On the slivers. The plan was pull up, drop off times 3, 5 mins rest, repeat three times. So a running warm up, 100 easy moves, three pull ups on the beastmaker 1000 jugs, rest. three on big slots, rest, 2 more sets on reducing sizes, finishing on the beastmaker 2000 small edges. I then surprised myself by cracking out three on the slivers. 5 mins rest. then 4 easily. 5 mins off, then I did 5....

Knocked it on the head, I knew I was going at it like the randy dog I was trying to avoid, but it felt so satisfying. At least i could get a few days rest in before trying again..



Ooops

I ended up setting this rather fun F7a+ the next day as we needed a cash prize problem, and we wanted to get this sexy volume on the wall. My elbows didn't thank me. Time to hit the bottle. So 3 weeks to get the rehab on the go, my ongoing self repair included a trip to a mighty fine NHS physio to assist in kicking my shoulders into shape. learnt a new exercise as well, and we're targeting an area that may have been originally aggravated by a crucifix into a gaston at Eldon square in '96...

The weeks advanced and the 27th was a sure fire sun trap, then a stormy day with snow, then a cloudy day with drizzle. By the night before, the body didn't ache much, and a posse was forming. Not only that but pad offers were trickling in...



 The last pick up, 300m from bus stop. with two spotters and 7 highbll pads already in the car, this one travelled on the roof, with Derw securing it out the window..



And the sun shone as Derw got us organised... but the walk in was rather comedy, and unfortunately we were too busy stumbling to photo Mark the cuboid snail with three DMM highballs clipped together in a block, and Ben with his leaning hightower of Pod.

First job on arrival was to abb the line and give it some chalk. I spent a lot of time thinking about this over the last month, and given all the tasks I've set myself, and the fact that the wife Forbade me from breaking my legs, meant I was going to give myself some help.

Glad I did because the winter has loosened some of the flakes (the line follows twin crack/seams up the middle of the wall) and rather than being spat off bleeding onto my head, I was able to remove the buggers, and blunt off any knives. Slate can be like that, and while the top got a bit harder, a couple of jugs opened up lower down. It wasn't going to be F7A anymore.. but it would be safe.

We also forgot to photo our warm up antics at Suncharm ledge, where we duly crushed the Escape Groove and Flock of Flying Butt Monkeys, were chastened by Maurice Chevalier, and I also got up the Groove of Smooth...



Looking at the line, I like this photo due to the fact it shows the whole route up to the finishing jug rail.



Setting up for what turned out to be the crux, although there's good food for thought in the last two moves...



Getting High.

Again the photo is useful as it shows the quality of the slate either side. these are free of the cracks Neverfall follows and will clean up to be nice and hard. You can also see my random chalking up and pink tick marks, slate often only unlocks in the climbing, so I wasn't going to risk a vital hold being overlooked.

OK. Tick; The main tick for me was to get Neverfall done, especially after all that ground work, I was keen for some paydirt. But with all the ticks on the list, there's minor ticks (Frontside arete on tick 7 come to mind), main ticks (Neverfall and Tumbleweed on tick 8) and super ticks.

These would be the lines either side of Neverfall (Derw and Muskrat are super keen), and the front face of the Cube (Gleaning the Cube). I think every tick has its super ticks, ones I'm very happy to hand over, but maybe, just maybe....

Upcoming action for March..

Tides are rubbish on my main days off, but Benllech and tick 5 are definitely on the radar as Ben's psyche rises. Off to Dyffryn Mymbyr next week if the weather's nice so a brace of ticks up there.

and there's also tick 1...

Source: Hosey B

[Wood FT]

 

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Patio Therapy
10 March 2015, 3:45 pm

With projects like the Cube becoming more reliant on group management, I was keen in my remaining small windows of opportunity to develop stuff I can get psyched for solo trips.

Thus I chose to bite the bullet, and venture back to Marchlyn Mawr to construct a more managable landing. That and try out Logan's scooter from the top of the dam road.....

Marchlyn Bach lit up nicely, the ribs are all much of a muchness, but the end stubs in shadow often give some bouldering potential. There's also a groove and arete high up on the left worth seeking.

34 mins up and I was astonished to find the boulder in Sun (tardy time, must do better)

My new boulder approach takes in this random erratic deposit

The Bike shed, I didn't feel the need to drag it all the way to the boulder..

I arrived to find the tide in. Those wishing to boulder here, had better wait until after the breakfast leccy demand to let the boulder dry out. It must be lapping on it around 5 or 6 in the morning...

So I arrived at 11 and by home time at 2ish, my patio / retaining wall was certainly looking adequate. Very satisfying. Another foot of height and it could even be a 1 pad venue, but I was pretty knackered  by it today. I can see why there's a fair bit of crossover between drystone walling and uber wad climbing. I may also have found a sequence to join the Tumbleweed finish from below, creating a super tick.Watch this space...

Source: Hosey B

[Fiend]

Yes yes that's all very well but how was the scooter ride back?

[Hoseyb]

Yes yes that's all very well but how was the scooter ride back?

Good point, I've updated the blog but basically .... 10 minutes Dam to Car, no wipeouts or wimp outs but stood on the brake a fair bit, certainly room for improvement. Thought I was going to melt my shoe at one point, but no damage done, although the hollow deck and mudguard brake did mean I filled up with gravel....

[Hoseyb]

35 mins to the Dam today. intermittent snow meant the warm ups were wet, and I failed to make any headway with the hardness (like couldn't really get off the deck). 8/9mins down with pad on back, but melted mudguard brake, so ebay beckoned for spares to beef up Logan's scooter (although mine arrives tomorrow hopefully).

Need to get stronger before return visit, but might have to wait until the physio fixes the niggles in my pecs before I pile on the meat...

[comPiler]

Cwm Uchaf a Fi
29 March 2015, 10:30 pm

Things have been a bit tricky this month, between the weather, work, life and physio. Golfer elbow, and a need to knock off the core training whilst the physio sorts out my hips and back, has meant I've had to rein in my desires for hard ticks, or much climbing at all really. More in the end of month report, but for now, did I let it get me down?

Hell no, I went for a walk!

Those that know me will understand its a little out of character, but as most of my recent bouldering has been above 600m, where there's a will there's a way. Last Friday's mision was to resolve some queries over various sightings in Cwm Uchaf. These were Giveaway projects for July '13, August '13, and December '13. Basically, a walk up there fired me with ideas based on rocks that were far away, and I was going to try and get something more concrete.

Looking up the hill, bit snowy up there

Looking down the new ugly hydroelectric pipe, shouldn't they be burying this?

Some nice looking boulders level with the base of the Skull etc. I'm sure they've been prospected before?

Ahh. July's giveaway, looks good here Eh?

Oops. bit broken, and well... Small

Did I mention small? bit dirty too.

Augusts giveway, clean and good climbing, only small, barely highball, and a bit to easy to warrant it. as for December's giveaway, the jury is still out as it was too high and snowy. Definately one to scope from Crib Goch, might make a sherpa trip and combine it with a Llechog descent and shufty. Might need to breakout a map for that one...

Not all grey skies. Another bloc found to join the Dinas Mot Summit Boulders. Almost enough up here to tempt a pad trip, although I reckon a good spotter could make padless attempts possible, and therefore tempt a route boulder combo.

Found this cave above the Hall of the Mountain king on my descent. paddable and lighter than that cave but maybe not quite as class.

So tick 14 remains elusive and kind of fills the A.N. Other spot. Two new things on my radar that may fill that hole, one involves my new scooter (more in the March report) the other I spotted on this jaunt:

In the centre of your screens is a big mahooosive roof, just left of Alchemy et al on Equator Walls. No further info as yet, but investigations are underway (I've texted Big G)

Keep Questing..

Source: Hosey B

[petejh]

I belayed underneath that massive roof on the FA of a winter route in 2008 - Back in Black. It's in the winter guide. The line goes up the wet steak (thin ice in winter) in the corner just right of the roof. The rock's really lovely.

[Hoseyb]

hee hee, was thinking of you up there, must be lots of winter potential up there (still snow and a smidgeon of ice loitering)

So it may not fall on my head then.... next A) has it been done? B) can I protect it to Dad standards?