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James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...

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Team No Hope head to Hoy...
13 September 2012, 7:27 pm



 

When Adam Bailes and Dan Varian said yes to a trip to Hoy I was excited. It’s always nice when you ring people to go on a trip and they say they’re well keen, it’s like they’re saying they don’t think you’re too much of a tool, although me and Dan were gutted Adam said yes as we only asked him out of politeness (only kidding). Inspired by the pictures of Dave Macleod on the top pitch of Long Hope we were keen to check it out ready for an attempt on the whole thing in the longer days (and hopefully better weather) of next year.

Battered Haggis & Chips    

 

We started the climbing in Northumberland on the Great Wanney where we all did Endless Flight after Northumberland Wall and Great Wall. Next up was Crisis Zone. First go I struck the ledge which unfortunately wasn’t a ledge hung about on it for 5 mins trying to make use of the mono above before a flash pump caught up with me and an undignified reverse ensued to reduce the fall on the stretchy new ropes.

2nd go involved being still boxed from the 1st go but knowing I didn’t need the mono I put a rattly little tricam in it committed to the next move and ‘bravely grabbed the tat on a weird bolt as my fingers were uncurling. Varians first go back on trad for years and after a warm up burn his next arrived him hands over the top arête but unfortunately the greenery prevented the top out. Next go we both did it and it’s a class ‘ships prow’ climb, Adams fingers were too big to fit in all the monos. And we all finished on Thin Ice a great E4. We drive through the rain and camp in the Arrochar Alps hoping to head to the Cobbler.

 

 

Waking up to very strong winds we head to the Anvil where Dan goes up Firepower to check the moves and does it easily next go. Watching him piss the V10 crux I remembered he’s got several grades in hand. I nurse tired arms from the poor warm up the day before and head back early for a coffee and guidebook read. We drive to Fort and stay with Guy and Blair. Next day we head to Reiff. This place is special. The rock feels like granite. We solo abit and walk for hours without finding the routes i was keen for. We do a nice E4, Walk like an Egyptian where Adam showed his disco routine on the top corner.

 

Dan did some despo slab on the left of here and as he topped out a good 15m away from the sea a freak wave splashed high and soaked him. He was lucky he’d topped out as it would hurt to have fallen.

On the way back I stared in awe as Dan nearly does a heinous looking Font 8a/+ above his carrymat, finger on the last hold but not quite hanging it long enough.  We eat at Reiff then drive to near Scrabster to get the early ferry. Knackered. Mark reeves had told me the Rackwick bothy was the best bothy in the world and I think he’s right, this place is special. We make a base that eve and play lots of cards and scrabble after a beach walk to test the rock stability of the region.

The next day was a little epic. We hike up with all our ropes and kit to the top of St johns head. The ground was very wet and it was very windy but I was keen to abseil down to assess what would be required for the hard final pitch. As I set off over I looked down at 400m of Seagulls, my 100m static blew horizontal and never dropped from the winds grip. I nearly backed off the abseil but with thoughts of Drummonds and Hills exploits on the wall I managed to MTFU. I looked at the gear and some of the holds on my way down but learned little as I was in trainers and gloves and couldn’t fathom climbing in such conditions. I head up and Adam goes down for a peek. Coming back up he pronounces the pitch easy with youthful enthusiasm. I suggest a decamp to Rora head hoping for shelter or at least better temps. We abb in off dans Dog stakes, I’d left the guide at the Bothy as it looked abit heavy with all the other stuff we had. It was getting late by now but thinking to do a quick classic I had a vague memory of where Mucklehouse Wall went. I set off up the middle of the face and after locking into an undercling thought better of it and reversed (my vague memory ended up being totally wrong). Wanting to be back at the hut we discuss options. Dan says the way out via the shore is dodgy. Thinking about how smug I’d be if I made it round to the top to look down on them jugging up I try anyway. I get close. Having slithered onto the end of a slopey platform as the waves wash out all I have to do is drop down 4 feet and do 3 boulder hops to safety. I watch the wave. Feeling like Papillon a feeling of achievement starts to set in when suddenly the swell picks up hitting my perch and the feeling changes to terror. I look back the way I’ve come and it looks like it’s about to become one with the sea. I manage to only slip in up to my waist once whilst reversing. Feeling like a fool I join the others who inform me that as the smallest member of the team its best if I jug up the rope first to confirm the rope is running well and back it up. We get back to the Bothy knackered.

 

 

The next day makes up for the first. After a lazy start we ab into Rora head again (with a guidebook) and do an amazing 3 pitch E6 called Two Wee Laddies. The position and gear was great and it ranks as one of the finest of its grade I’ve done in the UK.

The next day we make the pilgrimage back to St Johns head. Abseiling down the face is sheltered from the strong Southerlies giving perfect climbing conditions. I spend half an hour on a grigri playing on the moves and checking the protection. Adam goes down for a look and when its my turn for a top rope I’m keen to do the longest link i can and manage to link it 1st go    

with plenty of good shakeouts it felt about 8a+. As the gear appeared excellent I was keen to lead it immediately as this is essentially the Salathe Wall crack pitch of the UK.  I abbed in and as evening looked like it was coming in thought better of it and jugged back out again. We were keen for GMB on the Old Man but with the Squalls that had been passing this pitch appeared the better idea.

The day after we arrived there again, I rechecked the gear and warmed up mincing about on the nice E5 wall to gain the gear and the crackline. It’s quite windy but as it was our last day i knew it would give me confidence to come back to try the full link if i led this pitch. The lead went smoothly and as a locked the 2 crimps to reach for the jugs before a hands off and the e4 6b finishing crack my foot popped off. Although I fell on the biggest runout on the pitch I had a good rock 11 and rock 2 at foot height. I was going to pull back on and go to the top as I’d learned what I wanted to about the pitch but Adam said to give it another go. After a good rest huddling from the wind on the belay we pulled the ropes and I set off up. I’d asked Adam about how he did the crux high step about halfway up which I’d felt a little sloppy on. I attempted it his way and promptly fell off that move. Pissed off I came down pulled the rope and after afew minutes climbed it and this time it felt steady. I abbed and stripped it and Adam jugged out near hypothermic for his belay efforts. As i took out the last of the belay and swung out on the Abb rope I felt I was going to die, swinging out 15/20 m with the wind taking me towards Big John I start to jug up the rope as fast as I can feeling dizzy.

 

The pitch would way in at E8 7a, with good protection after the initial E5 start. It’s a great achievement by Dave Macleod to do it after all the other pitches as climbing an E8 7a when tired is hard.

The pitch itself is not E9 because it’s lacking in any form of runout with many E6/7s being much more serious propositions than this. Once you’ve done the E5 start you could fall off any move and not go very far and even the E5 you’d just take airtime.  It also has only 1 move that would warrant 7a, and 2 of 6c.

 

E9/10 should have multiple 6c/7a moves and a runout, when you look at Macleods Echo wall and Rhapsody these routes fit the remit of E11 well, 8c with big runouts - amazing efforts and a big step forward in trad standards in the UK.

Ricky Bells the Rachlin Effect is blatantly a sandbag at the grade of E8 having 8a+ climbing and a 6b move after a 10m runout nr the end which would give you plenty of time to admire Rachlin wall, sounds like E9 to me. If Longhopes top pitch was graded harder than Ricky’s I don’t think it would be fair as I doubt it’s anywhere near as big a lead.

I look forward to getting back up there with a team next year and expect it to be one of the uber classic hard routes of the UK as it deserves. Stunning efforts from Drummond, Hill, Arran, Turnbull, Macleod and Turner. Get up there.



Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...

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A Shit State...s Trip
26 September 2012, 6:21 pm



 

Heading to Yosemite tomorrow with a largish team. I’ve been there 3 times previously. The first was 11 years ago with my dad, after he’d retired from building footpaths for the National Trust. We’d planned to try the Nose as he’d loved the history with Harding and regarded Lynn Hills 1 day effort as the best ever. Unfortunately the journey took its toll on his already pummelled hip so walking was issue enough but it was great to see the place.

The second time was with Al and Joe Wilson, Chris Hope the ‘other Chris’ in 2002. 2 friends I was meant to be climbing with had bailed near the time of departure but it was still a pretty good trip doing lots of the smaller Valley classics like Astroman, Rostrum, West Face of El Cap etc. I climbed Astroman with a guy called Joe, I’d been warned not to climb with him for being too slow but we topped out at 14.00 and apart from getting his helmet stuck in the Slot for 5 mins he seemed quite fast. When we topped out he asked, “Do you think Warren was watching us?” I assured him that he certainly had. The 3rd trip was last October and was somewhat special in terms of shit luck. I had had high expectations of this trip for having a great team of people and being twice as fit as when I was last there.

Alison Osius emailed what I was hoping to do and I naively said Golden Gate, El Nino and Freerider. Myself, Neil Mawson, Adam Hocking and Hazel Findlay travelled out and Ryan Pasquil, Katy Whittaker, Paul Smitten, Pete and Vicky Hurley were already out there.

 

Hock on the Hollow  

I’d booked a 4-door economy hire car through Dollar. On arriving they said we wouldn’t fit and would have to upgrade via lots more money.  We said we’d try and going down to the garage I felt like Victor Meldrew when I saw the car they’d allotted us. It was a 2-door car with no boot.

After an angry interchange at their office it ended with my credit card getting brought out...

 

 

Dan (broken heel) McManus    

We manage to get a camping space in upper pines the first night where in the middle of the night we get flooded and spend the next day drying out everything. At some point that night I think I reversed the car slightly into one of the concrete bunkers in the parking spaces but thought nothing of it until Mawson points out a scratch on the back. Nobody had wanted to pay additional insurance and any damage to the car would be taken by the credit card used. This made me nervous during the whole trip and for pretty good reason as it was used like a wheelbarrow for much of the trip.

The weather was awful the first 2 days so we visited a steep sport cliff called Jailhouse. On arriving I couldn’t believe my luck, Alex Honnold and Niko Favresse were there, 2 of the modern time climbers I had most respect for. I’d spoken with my friend Pete Robbins about such a possibility. Being on higher than normal sport fitness and being a total idiot I try to impress them. After falling high on a climb in the middle of the cliff 3 times I was totally wasted.

 

My arms contracted into claws during the night which many experienced climbers could tell you means your arms wont work very well for at least a week. After a rest day packing me and Hock set off on Golden Gate hoping to get ahead of the French climbing team of excellence by going up just after the rain. At the base as we’re about to set off hauling 2 Krabs drop down within minutes of each other and sound like bullets. Having seen the pictures of Alex Huber and others on the wall we were both without helmets and I had no envy of the people working in Ahfganistan.

Things were looking good at first. We made it to Hollow Flake which made a great bivvy for 2 wee Cumbrians. The next day things were still looking good. I’d led the Monster offwidth, had hauled and Adam was seconding, we’d managed not to fall so far although the 11b to leave heart ledges was definitely a sandbag. It was only 12.30 and an easy pitch led to El Cap Spire where the plan was to play cards and fix another pitch or 2 in the cool of the evening.

 

Adam shouts to take him there and I look down to see blood around him. He manages to jumar up to me and I see blood and goo in his hair. I knew he was a tough git as in primary school I’d chased him over a 2m drop he’d taken headfirst when his feet clipped a rail, he’d got up and walked away with a bump and bleeding but not crying. The decision to abseil off was quick and to get back across to Hollow Flake involved jumaring sideways on 3 little bits of core attached to one peg with a heavy haulbag attached to me. At the fixed lines we met Piton Pete who had been pissed to lose a partner 2 days previous but had found someone more willing and with a haulbag dedicated to beer they were resting and getting aled up.

I’d melted the top of my widebrimmer hat using it as a teatowel for a percolator minus its necessary water so with that and Adams face covered in blood we looked a pair of tools. Pete gave us some great advice as we passed “you wankers go get yourselves some helmets”. We touchdown, walk back to Camp4 and Hock gets his head looked at which thankfully only needs a few stitches.

 

Hocks Face at the Base    

I get a lurgy the day after and although I didn’t know it at the time something called central fatigue or burnout started at this point. Hazel combined with Hanzjorg Aur set off up Golden Gate and many other teams set off up it. A few days later plans are changed and thinking to get Ryan up a route we make El Nino the target. As I wake up that morning I have to stop 3 times on the half km walk to the Lodge due to a trapped nerve in my back (due to receiving a cornice on the head in Scotland) and I could empathize with how frustrated my dad was whilst in the Valley. Ryan forgets his rope so we start a little later than expected.

Ryan starts off on the Black Dike pitch. I think I hear a helicopter and looking up to see it fly over a black shape starts to get bigger,’ maybe it’s a bird?’ but no it’s a rock fall which splits, some bits just missing Ryan, some hitting the ledge I’m belayed on. Ryan hardly noticed and with the heat starts to take some big falls. He comes down from the pitch saying that ‘you’ll piss it’. We go down. Impressed with Patch’s and Leos efforts as watching Ryan on the first pitch and having spoken with Hans about it makes me think it would be about E76c in the UK.

The day after was not a vast improvement when belaying Dan McManus on Cosmic Debris he slips whilst clipping a cam and lands on a rocky slab.  

 

Hock on Separate Reality    

Deciding on how much damage was done took a few anxious minutes but luckily he’d only broken his heel and also that it was the last two days of his holiday.

Walking back to camp 4 I’d decided on two possible options for the afternoon. Option 1 was to read my kindle, option two, to write about how turd the trip had been.  On arriving I find my kindle is broken probably from the flooding the first night. Hocking and myself were living in a ‘holy’ tent lent by the great Libby from SARS and it made for quite a dry dusty environment.

After a few days moaning about everything even Hocking had had enough and set off on Pete Hurley & Cos’s perilous journey up Half Dome which was going to involve 9 people bivvying on a small foot shelf.  

This fellowship was broken after the first 2 pitches and a small elite team came back successfully a few days later.

 

Towards the end I did have some fun days out with Sean Villanueva O’Driscol and Hazel. Sean climbs somewhere beyond the 100% level where psyche and adrenaline come into play, the effort and psyche is contagious and helps show why he’s one of the top big wall free climbers in the world. He outshone my Bear story considerably saying he’d awoke in sleeping bag once and a Bear was in front of his face, he screamed and it left.

Hazel, light and rested from success on Golden Gate did a great lead on a very tiring blank corner called Book of Hate. The last 5 meters have no holds (in fact many bits if it are lacking in holds) and she looked like Hitgirl running down the corridor at the end of Kickass, moving fast, missing out the last protection totally focused on the climbing. Sean and myself were silent, very impressed. Hock and I managed to devour huge quantities of coffee in the Lodge which made for jittery climbing performances and the other highlight of the trip was a the picture of Hock looking out from the back of Separate Reality, when you zoom in on the eyes it’s a masterpiece.

The dream topping of this trip was a £220 bill from Dollar hirecar 2 weeks after I got back from the UK. I swore I’d never go back to America and spent 3 months dealing with the ‘burnout’ thing you read about in sports science books.

 

In the New Year I changed my mind remembering that when I first got into climbing doing a big route on El Cap was a primary objective. Another team has been ‘assembled’ and I’m feeling a bit luckier this time although one member of the team Ben Bransby has just cancelled two days ago due to having a virus, Vertigo or Labrynthitus?  Ben will be sorely missed on any pitch involving hard moves, especially the steep ones but hopefully will be recovered for Longhope next June.

Myself, Callum Muskett and Dan (broken heel) McManus are heading out.  Others include; Hazel, Alex H? And Neil Dyer will be there as well. Callum and Dan are going for Golden Gate and everyone else is going for Muir Wall and if there is time I’d love to try Salathe.

Dan did Goliath 15 times the other night before doing some sort of speed solo on it so I’m sure he’ll find the Monster OW easy (ha). I’m looking forward to hanging out on El Cap as much as I can and I’m hoping to do less abseiling and moaning.

 

Sean with Flute  

Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...

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Yosemite 2012
29 October 2012, 2:12 pm



It was a considerably different trip from last year although still a regretfully large carbon footprint.

Highlights included; freeing every pitch of Premuir with Neil Dyer and Hazel Findlay after some abortive efforts to get going due to weather and hold-ups, watching Dan McManus and Callum Muskett climbing Golden Gate over 5 days and trying Golden Gate in a day with Dan McManus. The most sadistic moment of the trip was a young friend stuck in/on the Hollow Flake chimney.

Of particular note were Hazels performances every day on Premuir which were some of the best I’ve seen in climbing and it didn’t surprise me hearing a top American climber suggest she may be the best female trad climber in the world. Although Dyer missed out a few of the easier pitches which were awkward in a 3 he was the strongest member of the team and could easily have freed it all. Neil Dyers climbing became more of an enigma as we gained height, with his limits being nowhere in my sights.

Things weren’t looking hopeful when setting off. After losing my partner Ben Bransby to a form of labrynthitis I was left with vague messages from potential partners travelling down from Canada in a ‘car of chaos’. Filled with philosophers and waifs, their ETA was unknown even to them. Messages about how hot the weather was were not sounding optimistic either. I’d written off using my new haul bag and was going to talk Dyer into trying day hits on Freerider and some other big routes.

Climbing with Dan and Callum the 1st few days was ace. We did Astroman the 1st day and with 1 litre of water between us meant that the last 5 pitches were climbed with syrup like mouths. After Astroman Callum was keen to go pulling on the knobs in Tuolomne Meadow hoping for cooler conditions but myself and Dan persuaded him that the hot cracks of Yosemite were where it was at. They began preparations for Golden Gate and McManus was probably the most psyched person in the valley at that point. Just before they set off I picked up Dyer from Merced and passing under the Cap at midnight with the rolling stones playing and a full moon making it glow, Dyer was stoked for a look at the Muir wall and we make plans to try the 1st quarter called the Muirblast.

We got up at 2.00 and climbed Moby Dick then two 5.12s by head torch and a 3rd in the dawn light to arrive at the 5.13b traverse well before the sun hit it as the weather was still baking. Having seen a piccy of Kurt Smith undercutting across the roof I set off doing the same and after a quick tussle fell off. Realising shorties need to palm across it, with a quick rest at the belay it goes. 3 more great pitches lead up to heart ledges where we abseiled off talking about the best day out climbing we had ever had.


McManus Monster OW

Hazels potential partner hadn't made it although myself and Neil think she blew him out as Neil’s way better looking and I've a much greater fashion sense. The idea of Muir Wall being Hazels - we formed a team.

Neil and I hauled a 60 litre bag of water and other crap up to Grey ledges, about 16 pitches and one day later I set off on the Muirblast again with Hazel whilst the legend Dyer hauled a bag of food alone. We arrived at the 13b traverse at 1st light and Hazel had been saying all sorts of self deprecating stuff on the way up but when she mentioned the word ‘flow’ I was concerned for her sanity, let alone her climbing ability.

When she set off quite slowly across the easier bit I settled in for a long belay stint. I’d told people I wouldn't be surprised if she flashed it but as she used her same slow pace to waltz across the crux and I was in fact surprised. We reached Heart and gave Dyer a hand hauling to past Mammoth.

On the way down we had a good ‘Panorama’ of McManus who, having built the Monster OW up the last month, was adamant he was going to do it in the shade. Unfortunately Salathe was as busy as it gets and he was forced to do it in the sun. It was great to see the Welsh language in full flow on the Cap. Callum: “Iawn Dan”  Dan: “Cae dy Geg ****!  Dan did a great lead in the midday heat.

Going back up a day later Hazel leads 12b(E5/6) by head torch and I lead through linking a 12d and 11d as the aid belay is in the middle of the crux. Arriving on Grey my heart sank as Mike and Mike were climbing the Shield which makes a fankle probable. By the time they had polished off the 13b corner it’s in the sun and mission shutdown ensues. I had a burn and after 2 falls I reached an impasse. Hazel does a superb effort breaching the impasse via a heinous move and falling high on the final corner. I second up and realising times getting on suggest to Hazel to get to the next belay any way she can. When I arrived there it was very cold, neither of the 2 pitches we’d wanted to do were completed, the forecast was shit, we couldn't communicate with Dyer and other aid climbers were coming up to use the good bit of grey ledges. Feeling gutted I suggested we bail as my thoughts of the Sierra Nevada in the beer locker to commiserate our efforts became prominent.

We fixed down to Mammoth and had a beer. After a couple of days getting impatient in Camp4 - the forecast was for it to shit out at 11.00 - and as Dyer had not done any climbing and these pitches were awkward in a 3, we headed up and did the corner and slab 1st go before patching the haul bags up to weather the rain and Dyer did everyone a favour by replacing 3 of the fixed lines down from Heart.

At Camp4 the other prospective member of the team arrived briefly and having mentioned ballistic and ethics many times in one conversation I was slightly relieved he wasn't coming up Muir as I associated neither of those things with our current efforts. We were keen to do it in similar style to Caldwells Shaft ascent. Up to Heart, have a rest day on the deck, then go. With the weather being a bit shit an extra rest day or two was had. Nico Potard and Paulo set off on the Friday in the turd weather and we joined them at Grey ready for a final push. Hazel did the 13b corner 1st go and Neil followed through climbing the 13a slab first go with Hazel making short work of it. We do 2 further easier pitches and bivvy on the triple direct.

The next day was a big one in the sun. An 11d links into a 12b, a 12a/b layback, a 12c layback and hauling doesn't sound much but it felt it. Hazel laybacks up the 11d leading to beneath the crux and pulling out of sight onto what looked like a ledge from the meadow and starts moaning about it being hard. I managed to hold my tongue wanting to tell her to just get on with it which was lucky as it was an awful and desperate pitch when seconding. It felt like a 12c slab with very loose flakes making climbing across it feel like the old game ‘operation’ as the flakes would decimate teams starting the Nose.

We made a base beneath the crux which looked incredible and Nico and Paolo were good enough to leave 3 pegs in. Keen to save time I aided the corner that night and lower down to climb it with 2 rests and sleep more happily in the knowledge it was doable. The next day was quite fierce. We all warmed up with a burn up the corner on a rope, then Hazel and I checked out the top crack which has a sting boulder problem near its end. We waited out the sun and in the evening I had a burn in the sun on a rope to save time and Dyer blasted the corner looking like Samson pushing the temple apart and almost flashes the tope crack. Hazel, Ms Patience, makes an awesome ascent pulling the ropes she leads it easily 1st go. Under pressure I was well happy to second this pitch before darkness. I was so close to falling off the top crack it felt like a stiff breeze blew me into the final finger locks.


12D Knobs

The next day was another big one in the sun. After losing an hour to mincing we arrive on a 13a traverse involving a burly down climb of an arête to a dyno for a jug where your feet run out necessitating swift execution of 2 quite filthy moves before a much easier lip traverse.

Watching the sun creep across the face made for a frantic effort. After falling nr the end first go I get it next thinking it quite reachy and was therefore super impressed with Hazel working out a shorty sequence in the sun so quickly.

The next 12b gave us all some grief but luckily Hazel found the midget variation. I knew some of my friends like Robbins would be well suited to the brilliant 12d pitch beyond, involving some hot knob pulling it led to some great ledges where we had some porridge and grub.

Dyer led the next traversing 12a dyno pitch, which lead us to a fantastic ledge above the shield wall. As the ledges were getting set up I quickly fix the 11d above ready for morning involving using shrubs to reach a chickenwing to gain a layback I abbed to the belay thankful I didn’t have to climb this ‘choss’ pitch in the morning.

The next day started badly. Some strange noises coming from the 11d as I’m belaying are at first amusing but after ten mins are worrying. Hazel had gone the wrong way on the layback and had become stuck in a chimney. It was seriously close to a 999 episode and I was concerned both for Hazel and myself when Steve Findlay next came round to pay me a visit. Luckily our dihedral queen got extricated and we continued via an ace 12b to the penultimate pitch a 13c corner. Hazel and I checked it out and Dyer pulls a blinder flashing it easily on second. About 7c laybacking to half height it then gets really hard for 5/10 metres. We hung out hiding from the sun and just before dark I give it 3 burns in 15 mins slipping off the easier bit each time I was pissed off and knew the evening was going to be long. Hazel had a sterling 1st burn almost catching the ledge post hard climbing.

Her next goes are more tired and things begin winding down with Dyer having belayed the both of us for 3 hrs by headtorch. I ask for 1 last go and manage to slither to a high point, pasting my feet wherever I slap the ledge, mantel and spin round to look down most of El Cap and crow down with delight at my friends. Hazel quietly sends it next go and we have a very tired final feast on our ledge. Topping out the next day was fantastic and I was more than happy with how we’d climbed it with Neil and Hazel being great company on the wall. Neil giving the strength, Hazel the next  gen’ talent and myself offering an impatient edge. Almost every pitch was as good as it gets. As well as relief at being finished it was also sad as you may not climb with the same team again. The moment passes.


Yosemite 2012

The 1st rest day didn't go too well, losing a forfeit in cards with McManus, for who had to lead the Monster OW, on our 1 day bid to try Golden Gate, which with the weather due to pull in unfortunately had to be sooner rather than later. Dyer and Callum were going for Freerider the same day and Naomi and Gareth on the Nose, there were jokes about a mass Brit rescue as the weather was due to go bad at 23.00.

After 2 days rest we set off at midnight and things didn't start well. Falling low down I realised I’d put the dud batteries in my torch. As I’m blocking to Mammoth Dan kindly lends me his torch and chatting to Dan about how much better life is I fall again on a 4b move cursing into the night, climbing without due care and attention this time I felt ill and I knew Dan would be thinking exactly what I would have been, which was ‘what am I doing on the cliff with this clown’. Not wanting to let Dan down I pulled myself together re-climb it and things go fast and smooth from here to the move pitch. Dan hadn't fallen to here and having grabbed a good sidepull he needed only to pull his right foot up. He had 2 goes getting cringe-fully close. With the grey clouds having moved in time is against us. I get close on the 2nd twice in ten minutes.

Dan tells me later it was horrible to watch as my fingers uncurled on the finishing holds. We hit the Tower for the people (pitch 30, 8 to go) zonked and nervous about the weather. Going French free and getting a little lost in the night we topped out around ten and staggered down east ledges to camp4, both of us more knackered than we could remember being. The heavy rain came down an hour or two later. If Dan had got through the Move pitch I’m pretty convinced he’d have polished it off or would have gotten deadly close. Dan has been one of Britain's best trad climbers for a decade now and has been going very well the last 2 years, if any companies would like to give him free gear (like Scarpa and DMM) he’d be a great ambassador for it. When I go again GG in a day with a bigger weather window will be top of the list. From that effort I couldn't open my eyes for more than 20 secs for 2 days, looking out like Moley from Wind in the Willows enviously at everyone with 20/20.

Dyer cooked up a mega feed round a fire in Camp4 on the final night in the valley. Dan and Callum and I finish the holiday hanging out in San Fran eating loads. The Fort Mason YHA overlooking the Golden Gate and Alcatraz must be one of the best based YHA's in the world.

 A MEGA Trip.

 Thanks a lot to my partners, Pete Graham for helping haul gear to El Caps Base, Justen Sjong for ace beta, Scott Cosgrove and Kurt Smith for being bold enough to find the line and placing the belay bolts for our horrifically heavy haulpigs, Nico and Paulo for the pegs and Will Stanhope for picking up the bags, Neil and even Hazel from the picnic car park.

Thanks also to Sophie for not having too many parties while her devious partner was away, my Sponsors for ace gear to try and trash and the Brenin for the time off.



...Oh and one more 'Big Up' to Raff, a captain with British Airways who tried to get us upgraded to Business Class and got us some champagne - legend.




Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...

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Winter in Wales
19 November 2012, 7:38 pm



The Lleyn

I could moan a great deal about the weather we’ve had in North Wales for most of the past 12 months but to sum it up I can say that if Mark Reeves makes a sequel to his 1st climbing film it could justifiably be called ‘Between the Floods’.  Rock climbing through the winters in North Wales generally involves some bouldering, some Slate, the odd day on Gogarth or Tremadog but the most reliable venue for good weather and dry rock is the Lleyn Peninsula.  The Lleyn is the area I associate with being forced to go to after constant weeks of rain and having a lack of the boredom threshold necessary for going sport climbing on Pen Trwyn.  

Looking down Samarkand with the green Mariners Lichen being the fluffy stuff on the rock, common on many UK sea cliffs  

The Lleyn is never likely to become popular however much Pat Littlejohn touts its virtues because it boasts some of the loosest rock you are likely to climb on. Don’t get me wrong there are some routes with great rock down there, Path to Rome, any on Pen Y Cil, Cripple Creek and Tonight at Noon all have pretty good rock. However, on many of the climbs on Stigmata buttress on Dorys I’d guestimate 6 out of 10 of the holds you use are very loose and the other 4 more solid ones you could pull off without trying too hard, you get used to only pressing down on the holds, never outwards. It has always surprised me that the crag is still there every time I’ve visited it over the years and I presume this is down to the low rainfall because heavy showers would surely wash much of Craig Dorys into the sea. Climbs that get E6 on the face would be HVS/E1 if solid and generally follow the bigger corner systems, such as the Gross Clinic and Rust Never Sleeps. The climbs are not quite as dangerous as they sound although the safest method to climb necessitates a cautious approach and has been described by one friend as slow ledge shuffling.  The new ‘super’ routes Stevie Haston has put up follow very steep lines through the looseness and look terrifying with no recourse to bridging when the holds you are on start disintegrating.

If adventure climbing is your thing and you enjoy sea cliffs then the Lleyn should be top of the list, Gogarth pretty much pales in comparison (certainly in terms of rock quality). The highest proportion of potential new routes in North Wales can be found on the Lleyn.  Jack Street and C Jacksons 1968 epic route Vulture on Cilan Main is possibly the wildest climb of the grade in North Wales and the fact that there is only 1 other free climb on that huge bit of face adds to the feeling of remoteness.  The other freeclimb on this face is Terrorhawk, a contender for the best multi-pitch E6 in North Wales with the most serious pitch being the first one which it shares with Vulture, the rock thankfully gets better as height is gained.

 

One of the few forays outdoors since I’ve been back was to have a day out at Dorys with Sophie. We chose Samarkand, an E5 just right of Byzantium which I know has some of the best rock on the cliff. I gave Sophie 2 tips before starting. One was not to fall off the start as seconding with 45m of rope out could easily put you on the deck/boulders with the stretch. The other was to check every hold before using it as it’s not like grit. The contrast between the good Yosemite granite and the ‘good’ Dorys rock felt considerable and after our ascent we met a friend Sam at the Beacon Climbing Wall who had pulled a flake off the top of the same climb and broken his leg in the fall. I classed this as getting away lightly having been nervous about the prospect of pulling a hold off the top wall my imagination had made the consequences more serious.

There are many terrifying stories people have from climbing on the Lleyn. Sat in the Heights with Leigh McGinley he tells the story of him and Chris Wentworth going for a repeat of Littlejohns and Sustads epic traverse of Dorys, War and Peace, a 16 pitch E5. Towards the end a ledge collapsed on Leigh and his fall pulled out Chris’ belay with the pair of them left hanging on one cam and both of them battered and bloodied. They had no car so had to walk back to Abersoch and hitch back to the Heights in Llanberis to consume lots of ale. I presume they had a thousand mile stare on each of them.

 

Climbing on Terrorhawk, a Littlejohn and White masterpiece    

A trip out to the Lleyn for me usually involves doing 1 climb before I remember why I hadn’t been down there for months which does not bode well for my recall as the days out I’ve had there have been some of the most memorable. Climbing Vulture with Mark Reeves I remember watching him walking/climbing along the 5b traverse pitch with no gear until near the end and wondering idly where we’d/he’d end up if he fell. Climbing Terrorhawk with Jack had been a good adventure where Jack managed to place a bulldog on route, the first summer placement I’d seen used at the time.

Climbing Other Realms with Neil (the youth) Dicksen was an interesting affair. The climb was originally given E5 by Littlejohn even though his partner Chris Forrest had said it should not be given such a low grade. A strong team had pulled a block off it and had been forced to retreat, another strong team had had some combined ‘shananigans’ for an ascent to be made hence it had earned a reputation. Neil led the direct variation first pitch which felt like an E6 6c. On the 2nd pitch I climbed up to a bulge at 10 metres and stretched to place a cam high on the left in a loose looking ‘tombstone’ flake. I grabbed the most solid looking undercling which came off in my hand, thankfully I stayed on and reversed to the belay knowing the youth was revving to go. Neil was near his most relaxed and fatalistic form at the time and climbing up to my high point he didn’t hesitate to grab the loose flake I’d placed a cam in which I realised was directly above the belay. He backed it up and sat on the runners whilst I adjusted my belay to swing to the side if the flake plunged downwards. Neil comes down to the belay and suggested something about the crux bulge I didn’t want to hear.  I go back up more relaxed with the knowledge that Neil had tested the flake and was at least 2 stone heavier than myself, I committed to the bulge and grim wall above. We topped out and like the others who have done the climb more recently it left an impression as do many of the climbs from Littlejohns legacy.

In 2007 myself and Nick Bullock went for a repeat on a classic 2 pitch Dorys ‘E5’ called Bobok which according to one of its first ascentionists  means ‘the chant of dead people’. Bobok was put up by Ray Kay and Dave Jones, 2 devout loose rock activists who put up some truly terrifying climbs in great style. Stevie Haston tells the story about trying a new line through it and lowering off some appalling runners he was able to flick out with the rope when safely on the ground.

The hard suffering Sophie looking at the bible before being forced to abseil down  

Nick set off on the first pitch and took an hour to get 10 metres.  2 hours later at 20 metres he had to pull up a 2nd rack and after 4 hours he reached the belay.  Seconding the pitch I counted 40 runners and realised that the rock and protection quality was such that a fall would not have been prudent even with that amount. Nick having taken many awful falls onto terrible runners must have felt the same.

On the second pitch I’m thankful the rock quality is better and using a big foothold I make a long crucifix to gain a groove and eventually the top. Nick gets into the same crucifix position when seconding and the big foothold comes off leaving Nick ‘campused’ in a strenuous position, fair play to him though he didn’t fall. It had felt quite a bit harder than the E6s on the crag.

The one time I’ve climbed with Pete Robins on the Lleyn involved a slightly regretful experience for a friend. We went down to repeat Professor Whitaker, an E7 in Vatican Zawn. After a quick look in the guidebook I led what I thought was the first pitch and Pete led through on the second rapidly as Pete does. The gear had seemed good and we felt it to be very easy for the grade and/or that we were going well. We went back to Llanberis and told Jack Geldard how easy it was and how great the protection.

Jack obviously spent more time checking the guidebook and with Tim Neil went and tried it. He reached an impasse and felt it to be a bit dangerous so went down after a fight with the rock and maybe a dodgy fall?. Sometime later after some questioning it had turned out me and Pete had climbed the E4 called Messalina to the left of Professor Whitaker. He was unimpressed. Sorry Jack.

If you’ve climbed a lot at Gogarth and are after an adventure this winter buy the Lleyn guide and be careful.



Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...

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20 December 2012, 9:48 pm



ARC'TERYX:

Caff smug in his warm Fission SL jacket on top of the ever windy St Johns Head, Hoy  

Undoubtedly my Fission SL jacket, the lightest weight fully waterproof insulated jacket Arc'teryx make. I hate being cold and this is very warm with a good hood, pockets, and internal pockets for drying gloves out. It's great as a double wammy with a waterproof in horrendous rain and wind with the double waterproof layer being a tip from the veteran of outdoor work Martin Doyle after a horrific weekend  a few years ago where all PYB instructors and clients were soaked to the skin within an hour of being outdoors.

The base layers Phase SLs have only left me for the time it takes to wash and dry them, great stuff. The shirts are very trendy as well, the only thing I find more strange than myself being in such great kit is when I see Ryan Pasquil in it.

DMM:

The offsets of every size seem to be the wires of the year for me and I think I've placed more of these than the standard wires/wallnuts. The Alpha quickdraws have been getting some whack as well. The sport ones feel abit like the Mambas but you can dismantle them to use the krabs for other stuff making them more useful for me, they feel pretty heavyweight so that they'll last a long time and won't flap about in the wind easily, great for redpointing.

I've been carrying a few longer alpha trads for lower down routes to reduce rope drag and saving afew of the lightweight phantoms for the top half of climbs. I'm a bit of a trainspotter nowadays.

STERLING:

The yellow Velocity 9.8 is the rope of the moment for me. Its was certainly useful for holding Calum on his many falls last week. The 2 Photons, 7.8 mm 70m ropes have been great as well, they were used for fixed lines on El Cap briefly but I'm hoping they'll be good for the Longhope route in the summer as they may be getting well tested up there.

The Photons being used on El Cap with Hazel Findlay having completed the dyno gaining ledges above the Shield headwall on pitch 29 of Premuir/Muir Wall, Yosemite, California.  

RED CHILI:

A bit of a parting shot this one. I'm looking forward to wearing 5.10s from January but have been with Red Chili for about 14 years and have liked alot of their range. The Habanero and Dos Equis in the late 90s, the Voodoo and X-Cube in the early noughties and finally the Coronas and Matadors from 2008 ish till now. The only Red Chili shoe that now fits my feet is the Matador. These are pretty downtoed.

When trying Big Bang  in 2011 I went down from size 6.5 to 6 being nervous about slipping off the small foothold on the lip and they did the job  but this could be why the Coronas no longer fit? who knows. I used them on the Meltdown slab as well and when knew they can feel fantastic (as long as the laces dont snap in which case you're knackered). They only come in black so don't where them in sunny, warm places like..........!



Cheers to Richie Patterson, Mark Smith and crew for the support over the years.

 

 

See Left - The Matadors and an incriminating picture off a social networking site put there by the person who gained some airtime on the Enduro Corner (and many more pitches) on Astroman just above.



Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...

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