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James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...
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New Beacon Climbing Centre – Routesetting...and Climate Change
2 January 2013, 10:34 pm
The new Beacon climbing centre has been up and running for a few months now and I'm sure its owners, Steve and Gill are happy to have the Beacon associated with good dry routes, not that the routes found at the old Beacon located on the side of Mount Doom were poor or damp. The new Beacon offers great routes, bouldering, a great cafe with views and with the Indy Wall on Anglesey there are now 2 very good training facilities in North Wales not including the Mill. Many members of the National Youth Academy and other very good youths are climbing/bouncing around at these venues all the time so I'm expecting to get a rope up lots of climbs I'd like to do next year or for them to put the clips in.
The BMC lead ladder started on the 1st of December and I set 5 of the routes 7a - 8a. Steve Mayers had warned me not to set any sandbags so I was quite liberal with the holds. When Mark Reeves made light work of the 7b my suspicions grew and were later confirmed when Calum got up the 8a very quickly, I was gutted but had some satisfaction when the 8a spat Pete Robins off the last move. They've all had a grade knocked off them now.
As well as the BMC lead ladder climbs I set an 8b. I expect Emma Twyford will be throwing laps on this climb soon before going over to Malham early next year (if it dries out again) to finish off Unjustified, a route she was looking close on early last year. One thing I know for sure about the new beacon 8b is that Pete has no chance on it.
Ian Maxwell and Anthony 'Ginger' Cain at the new Beacon Climbing Centre
Climbing indoors is probably the most sociable type I can think of, with people of all ages and backgrounds under the same roof. Chatting with Anthony 'Ginger' Cain is always an eye opener. Ginger is 82 and owns Llanberis Mountain Arts which has many of Gingers fantastic paintings of crags and mountains in the UK and abroad. He heads to the wall afew times a week. Talking about climbing in the Lakes he said he'd once walked from Ambleside over to Wasdale up to Scafell to climb and walked back again the same day- we've definitely got it easy nowadays. Last week after a chat at the wall he asked if I was heading down the pub later, I replied that I was having a quiet night in and left the wall feeling suitably soft compared with Ginger.
Facilities like the Beacon and Indy are crucial for keen climbers in Wales, especially as 2012 was the 3rd wettest year on record in Wales. Having had to leave my car half a km from my house the other day and wade through floods to get home gives some indication of the levels of rain we've been having. Work recently has consisted of trudging through bogs with maps, compasses and hoods up although myself and Dan Vajzovic did manage to get some climbs done on the Orme and the slate in the mornings before arriving at the Beacon due to downpours. The highlight was Dan seconding Pull My Daisy just before the rain, with Dan having only started climbing this year.
Dan and goats on the Orme
In North Wales it's nearly always possible to find somewhere dry to climb but admittedly I can now name every good gear placement on many of the climbs on Tremadog, Holyhead and the Slate from having done them so many times. In 2008 at Plas Y Brenin I climbed Striptease 15+ times in the summer as one of the driest amenable climbs. Working outdoors nearly every day makes you think about the weather a great deal, effecting where you go, what you do and mental stability.
As part of the contracts for Plas Y Brenin you are expected to give a number of general interest talks in the evening. For the first year I did my talks on climate change, fresh from my environmental science course and slightly concerned that very few people believed human activity could affect the weather. The emphasis of the talk was on the IPCCs (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Report and their findings and also the Stern Report as a separate source with similar findings. I also had a small look at Nigel Lawson's 'Great Climate Swindle' which essentially involved him and 1 entomologist going against 99% of scientists saying climate change was caused by Solar Flares and it didn’t effect a certain type of insect. Interestingly a few days after Nigel’s show the Met office put graphs up on their website showing that solar flares couldn’t account for the warming.
Rhian, Kirsten and Paul in a bog
The general theme of the research was that climate change was very serious with a changing pattern of weather distribution and much higher likelihood of extreme weather events being just 2 of many grim consequences. No scientist would say climate change causing the heavy rain but it's probable that it’s a major factor affecting the weather.
After a year of depressing people I changed my general interest talks to showing exotic climbing destinations like Madagascar and Yosemite. The hypocrisy of my change has not been lost on me. The first talks implied it was morally unacceptable to waste energy willy nilly and the next talks were helping inspire people to blow their energy consumption sky high with international flights. If you are a climber who would like to become a true environmentalist I'd recommend becoming like one of Britain’s most low impact climbers, Chris Doyle who was born on the Orme and is looking unlikely to ever leave it other than for the odd trip to Dyserth down the road.
Being a 'low impact' climber and a climber keen on going on trips abroad are never likely to go hand in hand. If anyone knows how to reconcile the 2 without spending weeks on a yacht please get in touch.
The media seems to have put climate change on a back burner in recent years other than for random reports on 'leaks' that bare no relation to the full findings of the reports. The next few decades are likely to show how accurate the IPCCs predictions are going to be. I see wind farms and solar arrays as a very small price to pay for mitigating some of the effects of climate change and any way that energy consumption can be reduced and offset seems to be a worthwhile venture. There is nothing to lose by doing something although with a possible long flight this year and next I think I'll have to do more than most for it not to be 'business as usual'.
Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...
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La Rambla
18 January 2013, 9:56 am
A Siege in Siurana...
There are many climbs which have a good element of history about them which can add to the desire to climb them and in the realms of sport climbing La Rambla is up there amongst them. It’s 40 metres long and follows a crack and amazing headwall. The majority of it was climbed by Alex Huber in 1993 who placed a chain 5 metres from the top next to a 2 finger pocket. He gave it 8c+ and it’s regarded by many as a sandbag at the grade which having a v8+ boulder sequence after an 8c it probably is a toughy. In 2003 Ramon Julian made the first ascent of the full link to the top, pipping Dani Andrada to the post who himself had been getting very close.
I had a look at the moves last time I was there wanting to make certain the dynos Chris Sharma does in the middle section of the climb are possible for a weak shorty like myself. I managed all the moves thanks to some good info off Alizee Dufraize for 2 of the reachy bits and if I was going to try a route of this calibre La Rambla would be my number 1 choice. With this in mind I'm postponing my Brenin contract and am heading out to Siurana on the 21st January to be out there until the 16th of February trying it a few times as well as some other great climbs in the area. A good team of people are coming out for the first week or the entire trip, partly on a recommendation on the quality and feasibility of this climb.
Long drawn out red pointing is quite possibly the most boring past time of climbers and I am a little disappointed my most boring friend Pete Robbins can’t join me for these first few attempts. Luckily my next most boring friend Ryan Pasquil is psyched to come out for the duration, taking time out from his plumbing. I know he’ll find the big moves in the middle easy and the headwall at the top will certainly suit him as well. Speaking with him over the phone the other day made me concerned over how seriously he’s taking it having reduced his alcohol intake and even his tabs!
Having seen Mina walk up Pump up the Power first go on lead a few years ago I thought she’d get on well on the headwall. She’s coming out for the first ten days to check what it's like and it wouldn't surprise me if she starts racing Alizee for the first female ascent. Calum Muskett is also coming out having been training with his cheat sticks in Norway over the New Year Calum is taking time out from his memoirs and is looking forward to the steep limestone of Siurana. I'm especially glad Calum is coming as last time I was in Siurana the little turd put rocks in the bottom of my rucksack which I didn't detect until at the airport! Ray Wood is joining Calum and Mina on the start of the trip, having not been to the region before he's likely to be blown away by the landscape. As well as climbing Ray is hoping to get some piccies of DMM kit with a slightly brighter backdrop than found in North Wales.
For any sport climbing nerds like myself the route is essentially a stamina fest, the first 30 metres involving a burly 8c with big moves on good holds leading to a reasonable shakeout beneath the 10 metre headwall which is about 8a+/8b with 2 quite droppable moves on it. Thankfully the top headwall is less steep and has smaller holds which are not as far apart so it's a bit more like UK climbs.
It has spat off many great climbers over the years so I’m not too hopeful about doing it this trip but will be chuffed if I get onto the headwall and if it felt close I’d think about going back out in November for a rematch. Ryan is unlikely to need a return visit, not to put too much pressure on him. Climbs beyond my normal limit generally involve giving up certain luxuries for a short period be it cakes, alcohol, coffee and lbs. I've given up on giving up these things since Christmas but I'm hoping to have more discipline whilst out there as well as a stiff breeze and a miracle.
Thanks a lot to DMM for contributing towards the trip
Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...
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SHUT DOWN IN SIURANA
22 February 2013, 10:00 am
CATASTROPHIC FAILURE
I was going to start the report positively but thought I’d give warning of what lies beyond. The big flop was another potential title. For the first week myself, Ryan Pasquil, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, Calum and Ray shared a small cabin before me and Ryan set up our tents in Siurana Camping, the place of much wind. During our stay in the cabin Calum dealt with the cooking, Ryan the plumbing, Mina the positivity and press ups, Ray took care of the twittering and I looked after the sarcasm; as well as being overall winner of the iron bladder contest each morning.
The positive elements at the start of the trip apart from a great crowd of people shifting through the campsite were Ryan and Minas’ performances. I think it’s fair to say it wasn’t DMM climbers’ finest week but neither Mina nor Ryan had any decent quick draws so we just gave them ours and pointed them at various climbs with me and Calum shouting encouragement. Although Mina hadn’t put on a rope in ages within a few days she had great day flashing an 8a and doing an 8a+ and looking more than fresh enough to have scored a hat trick. This was combined with pretty much scoring the high point for the team on her first session on La Rambla as Mark Reeves texted me soon after, although with the spelling it was hard to tell! Mina massively reduced the drudgery of hanging out with the less charismatic members of the team and I/we were all sorry to see her go. Mina is thinking about a sport trip next autumn and I can’t wait to see what she does.
Ryan Jancyn Lankyn Pasquil. It’s hard to know what to say really. I’ve seen Ryan climb amazingly well many times and at the start of the trip he was on fire (he got a bit tired from the windy nights and helping to commiserate my side of the trip). After onsighting Siouxie and Anabolica he had 30 mins on a 9a called Jungle Speed at the end of the day doing the crux moves almost straight away. I told him there was no way he was talented enough to climb 9a but he didn’t listen. Next session on it he nearly did it and 3rd session he got the send, which I believe may be the fastest ascent of a 9a by a Brit. A few days later it looked like A Muerte was going to get the same treatment with him linking from beneath the crux to the top second session and on the 3rd he made it to the last hard move to the under cling 3 times.
He is about 6ft, has a +6 ape index, is quite scrawny with small ears and is very good at timing moves. His athletic diet is well known to those in the Sheffield scene, which is partly what blew me away with what he could climb after pretty minimal ‘preparation’. There is no doubt in my mind that Ryan can climb 9b. Fact. He did manage to put one foot wrong falling on a 7c, which both Ben Moon and I did not but I didn’t make a big deal about it. Did I mention that Ryan did put one foot wrong on a 7c...Apart from watching Ryan make short work of really hard climbs it was also great that he had a propensity for losing at cards to decide who washed up. Very good skills Ryan.
Alice, Helen and Iris in the Siurana Camping Barn
I suppose I should mention La Rambla seen as how it’s what I intended to try. After a month or so of pulling on more plastic than I ever had before I felt I was where I should be to get started on the first 2/3rds having had quite a few 2/3 session days and 2nd session doing most routes in the beacon between 7c and 8b once or more before finishing on a fingerboard. I got on it and checked the first half again, to my dismay it all felt desperate and after 3 goes my arms and body felt rinsed. I was totally gutted and couldn’t face another go for more than a week. The dream felt broken the first day. I had 3 or 4 more goes on it which were all focused on getting up the starting crack and each ended with butchered fingers and morale. I likened my attempts to a Redhead painting: something not to be taken seriously but with images which could portray how I felt. Sitting on the third bolt looking up at the chain 35 m away life seemed pretty grey but at least it was more colourful than hanging out dry tooling in the slate quarries.
The list of debacles which went on in the first 2 weeks were too many to name, like a seismograph going from bad to worse. Ray and Calum had come out partly to support my dream, having faith in my ‘ability’ and I have no idea how I cocked up so badly. I was feeling as emotional as Gascoigne, obviously minus the tears, this may be attributed to something in the Soja drinks according to some friends but I think this is best left out of this report! On my final ‘look’ Ryan lowered me to the ground and I was truly disgusted with myself. A nice guy from Holland had asked why I didn’t do something else but to me the question was like asking someone who had come to try the Nose on El Cap, why not try one of these others. I'd already built it up too much in my mind. About 2 weeks in I gave up on the idea of getting on it again and to be honest as most people who have done it have onsighted 8b+ or harder I probs should have stopped sooner. If I get back to the fitness level I got to in 2011 I'll go back just to try and squeeze up the start.
Looking From Siurana to Montsant
The last few days involved some late nights and some fun days out climbing. A big team of friends cooked up a feast in Cornudella, French Fred was chef, and the team included Ben Moon, Gavin Ellis. Craig Smith, Nick Sellers, ‘Barcelona’ Ben and Dave the spy who gave me and Ryan a lift back later on. The chat during the evening ranged from Craig regretting not going back up Salathe with Skinner for the first free ascent to Barcelona Bens explorations in Barcelona and even a Yorkshire chipper got mentioned. Ben Moon was the first guy to give me some money for climbing which proportionally makes him my biggest ever donor, I was totally blown away when he said it was the first year of his business in 2002/3 and I was a bit ashamed by his lack of return. The talk was of a big wall trip in 2014 so I’m hoping I can repay him through some Hauling guidance.
The last night at Siurana was one of the most memorable parts of the trip. Myself and Canadian Nick kicked everyones’ arse (Ryan, Iris, Alice and Colorado Terry)at cards, we didn’t brag about it though, it was the cards, the cards were the stars. After a Paella in Siurana camping things really got going in the Barn, Adam Mulholland lost arm wrestles with both Bob Hickish and myself and turned his ire on Ryan with a Cumbrian wrestle, I’m not too certain if it was the north or the south that won but both got dirty. Bob Hickish snuck off to bed early but Bobs tent was soon found and dismantled with Bob nearly catching his first air time into the Manzanita bushes.
Camping in Siurana varied between paradise and life after the apocalypse depending on your attitude. The final night of the trip was spent groggily at Barcelona airport having been rescued from being lost on the trains by a super nice guy called Fernando. Mulling over the trip that night I tried to pinpoint the lowest point on the trip, was it day 1 when realisation that there was no chance dawned, the middle of the trip when realisation had been tried and tested to failure or the end when I became an mass of sarcasm oozing round the cliffs. Hanging out in Spain is no hardship and Malcolm Tucker from the Thick of It had correctly pointed out that you can stick some people in paradise and they’ll be walking round moaning about not having a mobile phone signal.
Ryan about to lose for washing up again
Why was I so gutted about my pitiful efforts? Letting down friends, family, sponsors, failing at the first hurdle? A few years ago a friend was surprised when I Paid £50 for a cam that protected Masters Edge, I had a few hundred quid in the bank and would have paid most of it to have bagged the climb, the cam was certainly what I regarded as a necessity, not a whim. These climbs can end up meaning a lot for the ardent climber, more than they should perhaps. My build up for La Rambla got me 8m up it (probs head height) and the 2 trips cost more than a big wall trip to America which is an economists guestimate of the value I placed on it. This makes the first 8m on La Rambla my most priceless bit of climbing yet. I got home binned my boots, chopped my ropes and burned my beastmaker.
Only kidding. I’m off to work to do some great work now for Phil George and Plas Y Brenin.
I'll be back Ryan, just you wait!
Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...
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MARCH ROUNDUP
24 March 2013, 12:05 pm
After working 16 days on the trot with some overnight camps, night navs
and late sessions I headed up to the lakes via LPT and gave a talk at the
Kendal climbing wall, the start of 3 days off.
The weather had taken a turn for the worse and the day after the talk
involved brewing in the Square Orange Cafe catching up with Adam Hocking for 2
hours waiting for the rain to stop planning to visit my sister and godson in the afternoon.
Around 13.00 I head down to Falcon crag, climb 2 routes and with the weather
improving I txt my sister that I was going to be late, 7 routes on shepherds requires
another txt to my sister. I leave borrowdale and drive round to Thirlemere.
Looking up at Castle Rock and feeling somewhat selfish I send yet another txt
and with a trip up Harlots Face to finish the afternoon re-acquiantance on Lakeland rock
Ipromise to return again asap.
In terms of climbing great routes in a fantastic landscape there are few places like it.
I drive back to Wales late that night musing over which was most dangerous
between soloing a few extremes or driving down the M6, it seemed that more could
go wrong on the motorway in terms of mechanical failure and human error.
The next day involved a trip to Treaddur Bay with Hazel Findlay to check
Tim Emmets E9 6c, Chicama out. The tide was high, the rigging complicated, the
downclimb toprope to check it a pain in the arse, the route was dripping wet and
seemed very reliant on rotting pegs which all reminded me why I’d not tried it
before. The moves were thankfully really good so a return visit is in order especially
seen as how Hazel and Pete Graham have replaced the rubbish old pegs, a great
effort as it wouldn’t get climbed without them so it would just be left neglected.
Hazel made the 2nd ascent after very few trips down and did it in pretty cold and poor conditions.
Hopefully the weather will improve for Hazel to make light work of some more
hard Welsh trad. Emma Twyford is also keen for this climb having been on it once
with Hazel. Watch this space!
Hazel looking down on Chicama on the first visit
After my 3 days off 7 days of mountain navigation courses resumed which
were great if a little cold and windy. My first day off I was very stoked to do
some climbing and with Mark reeves in tow we made the pilgrimage through the
rain to Craig Dorys where the rain stopped and thankfully the crag was dry. The
previous year Leigh McGinley and Stevie Haston had put up a knew E7 going up the
left side of the Stigmata buttress naming it Box of Blood with Leigh saying it
was the best climb he’d ever done and Stevie pronouncing it a 5 star route. I
get racked up with a huge rack to embark on my first trad route of the
year.
The first half of the climb is shared with an E5 called Crucial
condition, bridged in a shakeout at about 20 meters where that route sneaks left
to ledges I feel pumped already from the careful style of climbing which is
dictated by the loose rock. With a nest of cams in weird wafers that Leigh had
said were good I pull up and climb fast for a few meters as there is no
protection. Wedged into a groove I put a sling over some iron coloured crusts of
rock and plug in a poor cam to help hold it on. I found 2 very poor rps and try
and work out where to go. There were 2 possible paths, the continuation of the
groove on the left or where the first groove fades and forms an arête. I go up
the arête, arms tired I make some steep moves and reach up for what appeared to
be a good ledge, feeling a crumbly sloper I stare for 2 seconds at a sloping
crumbling choss section and feel ill at the place I’ve climbed into. Thoughts of
a big fall or worse were in mind and it was 50/50 on wether to scrabble for dear
life or reverse the steep moves on tired arms and a swift reverse to my perch in
the groove ensued. After a few words with myself I found the true line up the
continuation groove which led to good gear in a break thankfully and an awesome
'crack' in a vertical headwall. Hanging off hand jams on the final shakeout
having climbed up and down from the last 6b moves on the headwall 3 or 4 times
trying to work it out my mouth was parched, fingers on a timer as soon as they
used small holds and there was a deep ache in shoulders and legs-this was a
pretty familiar feeling and if the gear is good with a clean fallout zone it’s a
position I highly recommend. I wasn’t convinced the gear Leigh had mentioned in
the final crack would hold a fall so it would be a good ride from the top.
Having tapped a very loose looking flake to check it would hold my foot I
committed to the final long rockover out of the crack to a good edge and final
lunge for a porthole just beneath the top.
The route was incredible and gave me the feeling of deep satisfaction
like a game of chess which you had to try hard to win. I was blown away Leigh
McGinley had climbed the route a few months after a hip operation- knarly git.
Mark Reeves seconded up having belayed for more than 2 hours I got him a brew
and cake in Abersoch. Nice one Mark. Yet again 1 climb on the Lleyn is enough.
Mark Reeves loving the moves on the 2nd ascent of Box of Blood
In the realms of bouldering Pete Robbins continues his development in
Ogwen valley giving yet another devastatingly difficult arête called Madame
Allure which at font 8b makes it one of the top 3 or 4 hardest problems in the
Welsh mountains. In Spain Ryan Pasquil continued his run of good form making a
swift 2nd ascent of Vacuna Matata, 8c+/9a and doing a few 8b+ in a session. Strong
buggers!
Pete Robbins bringing seriously hard moves into the Ogwen Valley on his Madame Allure
Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...
comPiler:
Easter weekend: Harmony & a Pass Challenge
1 April 2013, 8:22 pm
Luckily 9 days off work coincided with some of the finest weather North
Wales has seen in some time making the area into a ‘Little Chamonix’. A
recommendation by Calum Muskett of the quality of Stevie Hastons route Harmony
on Craig Dorys led to a visit there on Saturday to escape the bank holiday
crowds. After a warm up on the beach boulder and a lengthy belay for Sophie I
managed to top out on yet again a stellar route by the Haston/McGinley team,
definitely owe them a pint. The route felt like a trickier version of the Great
White on the White Tower of Mother Careys in Pembroke but with pumpier climbing
before reaching the thin crux high up. Care is needed on the first roof but
after that the gear is quite good (take plenty of cam 2s) and this climb
deserves more attention together with its next door neighbour Tonight at Noon
one of the better protected E6s in North Wales.
Abbing down Harmony to strip the gear
The day after was a great day delving into a few different aspects of
climbing down the Llanberis Pass with Jim ‘Big Guns’ McCormac. The ‘Man of the
Pass Challenge’ was thought up by Neil Dyer some years ago involving climbing
Cascade, Jerrys Roof and Right Wall in a day. In January 2 years ago he did a
fantastic effort having climbed Cascade and Jerrys Roof in foul conditions Neil
scampered most of the way up Right Wall only to find verglas and snow on a ledge
leading to a big fall, a better tick than climbing it in my mind. Neither myself
nor Jim had climbed Central Ice Fall Direct and with clear skies it seemed
perfect conditions to try a Pass challenge as Dyer had thought up. Gareth Ashton
having been disappointed to have missed Neils effort the 2 years prior was keen
to come out and get some footage along with Neil Dyer himself.
Being a Bank Holiday weekend we expected a crowd to be at the base of
Central Ice Fall when we arrived but we were delighted to be first on the scene.
The night before 2 friends and Pass/world climbing pioneers, Tim Emmett and Neil
Gresham had climbed 3 of the best ice routes in Wales starting on the Devils
Appendix and walking over to Craig Y Rhaedr to climb Central Ice Fall and
Cascade finishing at 4 in the morning. I was a little disappointed that the top
icicle still had lots of damoclean icicles and a txt from Tim saying watch out
for the top pitch ‘its fragile’ wasn’t great for the morning nerves. Another
friend Gareth arrived and made a swift solo of Cascade and when myself and Jim
arrived beneath the top pitch 3 friends, Jon ‘the Hobbit’ Ratcliff, Andy Scott
and Tim Badcock were perched at the first belay. I told them it would be like
being in Vietnam to be where they were and they said to do whatever I had to!
Shouting "ice" a great deal it was Andy Scotts whoops which let me know they
were enjoying dodging the pieces and were still thankfully ok. After cleaning
the bit to gain the icicle I pulled above and noticed the inch wide horizontal
fracture Tim had warned about. The route had 3 fantastic ice pitches and me and
Jim were made up. We got to the base at 11.20 and a handful of locals and Mick
Lovatt had arrived, unbelievably quiet, we weren’t complaining. At the Cromlech
boulder Clare Carlsen was a total star and brought our team a breakfast butty
each before we headed up to the Cromlech.
Me and Jim on the top icicle with Jon, Andy and Tim stying out of the ice fall zone
Arriving at the base with Jim I was disappointed to see big wet streaks
down the top of the Lord of the Flies and an ice chandelier which looked like it
could go and if it did could knock off the leader or injure the belayer. Dyer
comes up and being a legend pronounces he’ll boot the chandelier off and get
some shots from above. Tim Emmett (the ever stoked furnace) and Sophie arrive
along with ‘Fluff’ and Adam Wainright making the atmosphere pretty sociable. The
first ¾ of Lord were dry so I thought to do that and finish up the top of Right
Wall but reaching the girdle ledge I ask Neil if the top looks climbable, he
gives the green light and a few goppy moves later with some yells of
encouragement led to the top. It was the 4th time I'd led Lord of the Flies and
to be honest it felt as good as the first time. Climbing it reminded me of
Liveseys foresight, Fawcetts skill at climbing it in welly boots, Leos at doing
it by headtorch, Dave Thomas by soloing it and the first time I climbed it at
the end of a great week in Wales in 1999 with Colin Downer and Wesley Hunter.
During the week staying with Ken Thoms in Deiniolen we did loads of Welsh
classics, the Cad, the Moon, Sexual Salami, Cardiac Arete, Silly Arete, Central
Sadness, the Dervish, Edge of Time, Weasels, and finished the week on Left Wall
and Lord. It was one of the best weeks of climbing I'd had at the time and doing
Lord was the cream topping of the week. Tim and Sophie bomb up Right Wall having
mentioned him and Leo had done it in trainers with a crap belay on the girdle I
was both impressed and disturbed by their antics.
Neil Dyer practicing his photography and me wondering if I should jump for him for telling me to try it. Lord of the Flies
We pile down to Jerrys Roof with Neil mentioning it should be a formality I
wasn't as confident having woken in the morning with painful aching strap
muscles and bingo wings from the Lleyn the day before. Jerrys is a problem I
must have done around 200 times or more and could do a few laps quickly when
fit. However I've gone from warming down on Statement of Youth to having to
redpoint it again in the course of a few months and ten goes later on Jerrys
things were not looking optimistic. Considering it was some poxy fun challenge
for locals I felt a ridiculous amount of pressure to get up it knowing I
wouldn't be trying the trilogy again nor would conditions necessarily come
together to allow it. After a 15 mins rest I managed to drag my sorry self up it
feeling considerably relieved. Tim Emmett comes down and having not done it for
years gets it done super quick. A burger fest at the Heights bar with most of
the people who had been out was a great finish to a day incorporating some of
the great types of climbing in the Pass. Thanks to Jim, Gaz, Dyer, Clare,
Hobbit, Andy Scott, Tim, Sophie and everyone else for making it an ace day.
Jerrys roof before burgers all round at the Heights
Source: James Mchaffie - Caffs (B)Log...
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