[comPiler]

The Ben
28 January 2011, 10:30 am

Been a boring few weeks. Training training training. Getting fit for the routes season. I'd given up any ideas of getting any more ice done when i get a phone call from Kev Avery looking for a partner for a weekend in Scotland. Now i have heard Kev is a bit handy, so jumped at the chance. I think if i am ever to succeed in my all the 8's challenge, i need to do it in Scotland. More choice, better conditions, and much much more satisfying day out. Just getting to the crag takes 2.5/3 hours. Eeek!

How can you not get excited by this!









Source: Adam Lincoln Blog

[comPiler]

Scotland trip - Day 1 - Ben Nevis
1 February 2011, 1:21 pm

Well i survived my Scotland trip with Kev. We certainly packed it in. Maybe not in a Paul reeve packing it in, but we felt knackered after both days! Only took a couple of beers and a burger (Hope you are not reading this Solly!) to finish us off Saturday night after a long day on the Ben. (4.30am start, up at the route for day break).

Anyway, 8.30am finds us kitting up at the bottom of Apache, a new route just to the right of Sioux Wall. Now i have never done a mixed route before so this 8/9 might have been a bit too much for a first. I set off leading the first pitch, and spend 20 minutes trying to get some gear in, which i eventually do, but am not happy with it. I piss around for another 5 minutes, and can sense i am out of my depth. I kind of suggested my feelings to Kev, who had since realised the madness of the idea already. So i down climb with difficulty back to the ground and we decide on another route. Just across the way, a route called Darth Vader. Slightly easier at Vii 8. The first pitch was a better intro to mixed climbing and i was getting used to the different techniques needed to gain vertical metres. The next pitch, and the pitch after that involved every bit of cunning i could summon to squirm up a snowy icy offwidth with a large overhang to overcome on the crux pitch. Crawling onto the top snow ledge, after all the difficulties, gripped/scared/exhausted (and i was only seconding) i felt relieved it was over. Though in a 'that was brilliant' kind of way you only get with climbing... We then did a quick solo of number 3 gully to get on top of The Ben for a great clear view with the sun on our backs.

Kev on the crux pitch of Dath Vader (Copyright Bob Wightman)



The whole day was topped off by not even getting benighted! We got back to the car without even needing to get the head torch out. My first mixed route in the bag, i was itching for more now. I saw so many classic lines i just can't wait to do.

Babylon

The Secret

To those who wait

Sioux Wall

Orion Face Direct

Source: Adam Lincoln Blog

[comPiler]

Lists
4 February 2011, 11:07 am

Right, no one likes a list better than me. What better way to get motivated in these wet and windy times. This year i want to do more trad. I did a bit last year, but want to get some longer trips to pembroke and wales in this year.

So trad list, of the harder stuff i want to do

North Wales

Ressurection E4

Lord E6

Jub Jub Bird E6

E5 that goes under Dreams and screams

Lots of the E5's on main cliff

Wreath of a deadly nightshade (E6/7)

Long Run Direct E6

Strawberries E6/7

Scotland

Some Scottish ticks from Extreme Rock

Lakes

Dawes Rides a Shovel Head E8

Hells Wall E6

Bleed In Hell E8

Shere Khan E5

Lost Horizons E5

Bucket City E5

Fast and furious E6

Pembroke

Anything!

Source: Adam Lincoln Blog

[JohnM]

If you are ever after a trad partner give me a shout.  Liverpool seems to be a bit of a back water for people who want to climb harder trad and partners are non-existent!  Most of the stuff on your list is on my 'list' and i've done a couple of them including Dawes and Hell's Wall so got the knowledge!  I'm really keen to finish Bleed In Hell and get up to Dove this year as well.  I really want to some of the classics in the Leap and Stennis Ford including Ghost Train and Point Blank if I get fit enough.

[Adam Lincoln]

Funnily enough John i was going to add you on facebook and see if you fancied getting out on the trad. My only real trad partner are Lovatt, and he only gets out on Sundays.

[JohnM]

Yeah I'm quite keen for onsighting or head pointing really.  There's a few things on grit as well I fancy getting back on and doing like Reservoir Dogs so get in touch on FB is you fancy getting out sometime.

[comPiler]

Scotland trip - Day 2 - Mooching
7 February 2011, 11:07 am

After the hard day Saturday, it was a leisurely start to the day Sunday. Chatting in the CC hut and taking our time. Plan was to head onto Annoch Mor, which requires a tiny walk in if you get the Gondola up from Nevis Range ski centre. Anyway, on arrival it was windy as hell, and visibility looked bad. We decided to go for a coffee in Fort William and make a decision. We needed to kill time anyway, as if we ended up snowboarding, lift pass gets dirt cheap at mid day.

That is in fact what we end up doing. Visibility looks clearer as we get back to the car park. So we buy our tickets and head up. I am used to European and American resorts, so all the T-bars and poma's are a bit of a shock. Ouch! The other thing i was soon to find out about was all the ice on the runs. Visibility came and went during the day, and so we alternated between staying below the cloud when it was crap, and getting up higher on the clearer periods.

Wasn't a bad day, fun was had by all, and i practiced some jumps. One below is about the best shot, but quite a bit of lens fog and me attempting to fly (What was i doing!?) mean it isn't the best pic. Sums up Scotland snowboarding though!



Source: Adam Lincoln Blog

[comPiler]

Wales - Crafnant
14 February 2011, 11:29 pm

An early start saw a rendezvous outside a Crafnant pub with Chris Davies, our guide for the day, Jordan, Nao and Al Lee. Al is making a new bouldering film, so we were hoping to get some problems done and get get some decent footage. On the walk up the weather was good, but the rock was wet. A little worried we scrambled around looking at the classic problems, and waiting for the sun and wind to dry the rock.

An hour later we were warming up. We started with the classic slopey arete which forms part of Chris's new problem, My private Idaho, 8b. A classic three star warm up. What more can you ask for. After that we hopped on Chris Doyle's classic, Wonderwall. He did this back in the day, and gave it V7, but others think it is harder. There has been a hold breakage which people think might make it harder. Me, Jord and Cookie,(who has just turned up with Emma) all flash the problem. None of us are shy of the crimp and all think V8/7b. Thoughts of others are 7b+ is more fitting. Whatever, its a classic problem. Emma also does it, only needing to get through the crux crimp move once, and styled the top.

After this we jump on Cruella. A Mark Katz problem, also from back in the day. After a few goes, i am falling off the crux, until Jordan comes along and flashes it with a simpler sequence. Typical. I dispatch next go. Another V8/7b?

I go for a look round the corner at the classic V11, special K. Dave Nodder put it up last year. Its a rising traverse line along some impeccable crimps and slopers. A quick flash go See's me pinging off the crux due to a damp hold. More chalking, and a few goes later, i find myself past the crux, and ready to cruise home to victory, when Al, filming decides to try and knock me off the problem by whacking me in the face with a camera! He has it on the end of a boom, and as he is looking at whats going on through a LCD screen, he can't tell how far he is away from the rock. Anyway, he slips, camera boom whacks me in the head, but

i wasn't for letting go and shake my way to the top. Not sure about the grade on this.Took me about 15 mins. I guess V11 traverse is different to V11 bloc, so not sure if its worth the grade, Its def soft, but what is more important is its brilliant, better than Jerrys Roof! Jordan flashes it and Cookie does it shortly after.

(Pic of Special K, Copyright Naomi Buys)



Getting tired, me and Jord still want to do Grasswind. A Danny Cattell problem which he gave V9. We both have some good goes, but don't quite stick the crux throw. Its a bit scary, and we are tired. The rock is also sharp. Anyway, i do it, and then Jordan, inevitably does it next go, not wanting to be out done. ;-)

So a top day had by all, Al got some good footage, we all did some classic problems. I write this sat in the CC hut in Llanberis trying to decide if i should wait out the rain and climb at Porth Ysgo tomorrow, or go home and come back midweek when the weather looks better. I have a project i want to do near Porth Ysgo, which will be a classic 3 star line, somewhere around the V10 range. A little highball though. I also want to have a look at a couple of other classic established problems, pr0n makes me horny, V10, Tide of dreams, V10, and a slopey V11 i forget the name of.

What to do. Tempted to go home and get in my own bed. Might go via V12 in Llanberis and pick up the guide i need for Tunnel Walls in Scotland. This is on the list of places i want to visit in the next few months. Hopefully get a visit in before the nasty biting flys arrive!

Out for now.



Source: Adam Lincoln Blog

[comPiler]

Iron Man Right Hand
28 February 2011, 11:26 pm

I went to Trowbarrow today to finish up Pacman (8a) from the other day. When i arrived though, the starting holds were seeping. They wouldn't dry, so after a rethink, i decided on Iron Man Right Hand. I had already done Iron Man a year or so ago, and had done the new variant on Vitruvian Man. So no new climbing needed, but still a stiff link! And good training for Pacman.

Here is the footage.



Source: Adam Lincoln Blog

[shark]

Wales - Crafnant
i find myself past the crux, and ready to cruise home to victory, when Al, filming decides to try and knock me off the problem by whacking me in the face with a camera! He has it on the end of a boom, and as he is looking at whats going on through a LCD screen, he can't tell how far he is away from the rock. Anyway, he slips, camera boom whacks me in the head, but i wasn't for letting go and shake my way to the top.

Dab?

[Adam Lincoln]

Wales - Crafnant
i find myself past the crux, and ready to cruise home to victory, when Al, filming decides to try and knock me off the problem by whacking me in the face with a camera! He has it on the end of a boom, and as he is looking at whats going on through a LCD screen, he can't tell how far he is away from the rock. Anyway, he slips, camera boom whacks me in the head, but i wasn't for letting go and shake my way to the top.

Dab?

Extra V point more like! 

[comPiler]

Road to 8c!
24 May 2011, 9:34 pm

Again, i am sorry for lack of blogging lately. I have left out all my trip to Spain, which i will update my blog with soon! The last month has all been about Unjustified, and climbing my first 8c. This is number one priority. It marks a benchmark that i never thought would be possible. I have improved a grade every year for the last 2 years. 8b, 8b+, and hopefully this year, 8c.

I had a day on the route last year. I linked from the crux to the top on a top rope. My first day on it this year, i lead from the crux to the top. The second day i had lead the route in two halves on a number of occasions. Now i have started redpointing, and falling off at the crux. I think once i do the one move i will have a good chance of getting pretty high, hopefully even doing it reasonably quick.

I have made a personally choice to clip every clip bar the first on every redpoint. A lot of people who have done this route have had it pre clipped up to the crux. This for me is not an option, and reduces the challenge a little.

I have also been training pretty hard the last few weeks at the wall, doing circuits and bouldering in volume. I have reduced my weight a little, and hope i can peak sometime soon. I am hoping day 4 on the route will show the rapid improvement the first three have shown.

Source: Adam Lincoln Blog

[Duma]

Road to 8c!
24 May 2011, 9:34 pmA lot of people who have done this route have had it pre clipped up to the crux.
Source: Adam Lincoln Blog

Unjustified indeed!

[JohnM]

How hard would you say the crux is on Unjustified?

[Adam Lincoln]

How hard would you say the crux is on Unjustified?

V5.

[Nike Air]

How hard would you say the crux is on Unjustified?

V5.

Anyone done Predator, Power Ranger and Unjustified, wonder how they compare grade wise??????

[Stu Littlefair]

Are you asking about the Cruxes alone Jordan, or the whole route?

For the Cruxes, the order is
Predator - Unjustified - Power Ranger

For the routes in their entirety, I guess it'll depend very much on how your strengths lie on the bouldering/endurance spectrum. For me the order is

Predator - Power Ranger - Unjustified

and the given grades are about right, with all three routes at the lower end of their respective grades.

(NB: people bitch about the iPhone keyboard a lot, but to my mind it speaks a deeper truth. Depending on how you mistype, it translates 'grades' as either 'gaffes' or 'farces'.)

[Nigel]

How hard would you say the crux is on Unjustified?

V5.

Anyone done Predator, Power Ranger and Unjustified, wonder how they compare grade wise??????

Tony Mitchell?

Mawsons will no doubt do Unjustified at some point so he could say?

[Nike Air]

Stu, Yea was thinking about the whole route really, tho cruxes are the thing that makes it hard.  I cant say too much about it all but will have a better idea when I've done bat route, cry freedom and all out.
The reason i was asking of those three routes is I guess its best to compare climbs at the same cliff before taking it further afield?
My list so far in the order I find the most difficult in Yorkshire, note not the grades tho.
True North
Cry Freedom not done yet
Bat Route not done
Accelerator
Power Ranger
Unjustified
Indian Summer

But like you say strengths make all the difference, sure this list will change as I change........

Tony did two of those routes before holds broke

[Stu Littlefair]

I feel a bit bad taking over Adam's blog thread to do this, but maybe it'll help him write the guide?

Malc has also done those three particular routes. Rob Napier might too, depending on whether he's done Power Ranger or not.
Jordan - your list looks pretty sound. One thing to bear in mind is that you spent ages using a gash sequence on Power Ranger!
Interesting that it's higher than Indian Summer and Unjustified on your list; I thought it was borderline 8b/+. Certainly, I thought the crux moves were easier than those on Indian Summer, and the climbing to get there is about 3 grades easier...

[Nike Air]

Twice now me reply has deleted itself somehow. Maybe this is a good thing...
I thought P.R 8b+/c is that makes a difference..

[comPiler]

Hampi
6 February 2012, 1:11 pm

Just got back from an amazing trip to Hampi. Its made my mind up that spending winters in the UK is not for me. You can be living on £10 a day in paradise, thinking about nothing else but climbing, eating good food, and drinking the odd cold Kingfisher beer. (Please drink responsibly though kids!)

Hampi isn't all the paradise picture that i paint though. In fact, for me, it was a bit of a love hate relationship. When you are getting up your projects, its fine. When you are not however, you can blame it on any number of things. Terrible conditions, unless up at 6am. Sharp rock. Yep, sharpest rock in have ever experienced. Terrible guide. Takes quite a while to find the problems. (Though this is due to change with a new guide due out soon). Don't even bother buying the glossy guide written my Rohit. Save your money! Then again, climbing wouldn't be half as much fun if everything was easy, would it....

So, the climbing. Well. There is so much rock, i couldn't even begin to describe the vastness. Every direction you look, there is miles and miles and miles of boulders. Not all of them can be climbed. Lack of holds, terrible landings. etc etc. Even if 5% has been/could be climbed, its still the most extensive place for bouldering/potential new problems i have ever been too. I have been to most of the bouldering destinations in the world to base that comment on.

So anyone thinking of going out, here is a top ten of must do problems. Not in any specific order.

1) Goan Corner - 7c2) Middle Way - 8a/+3) Double Tap - 7b4) Kundalini Rising - 7c5) Surfer Traverse - 7c6) 90 Degree Arete - 7a7) The Diamond - 8a8) Indian Summer - 7c+9) Mental Mantle - 6c+/7a10) Sleeping Budda - 7c

Writing this list, i have just though of another 20 that could/should be in the top ten!

I can think of another 20 other problems that are amazing and don't even have names. These problems are just in one small tiny area of Hampi. Times this by 100 and you are starting to get an idea of how much amazing rock there is.

Words can only describe so much. Here are some pictures from my trip.

Classic WarmupSurfer Traverse - 7cCosmic Friction - 7aCosmic Arete - 7a+Mental Mantle - 6c+/7aBabas in space - 7a+French Traverse - 7aUnknown classic 7bAirplane - 7bMiddleway - 8a/+Middleway - 8a/+Middleway - 8a/+



Source: Adam Lincoln Blog