[comPiler]

First days on rock 2011
10 January 2011, 9:57 pm

I've started a blog...there.. I said it...

Christmas and New Years was prime. A bit quieter than previous years but nice none the less. I've just started back working on the ropes after a relatively unproductive spell off. Unproductive in terms of climbing on rocks but productive in the relation to the design an build of the donnybrook time machine/gerbalirium.



I inherited a gerbal called "Octavian"



I didn't think I'd be psyched for this style of pet or any sort of pet really, but Octavian has done himself proud recently. In the last week he's landed on the floor more times than Andy Marshall and yesterday I came home to find him in the dish washer!

I managed to get out on rock for the first time this year at the Head.

 

It was so nice to get back up to the Head and to look up at the crag. I'm looking forward to climbing on my projects that have just been waiting up there. I'm also looking forward to the arrival of a crack team of dark horses from Dublin for a bit more bloddering action soon....

Ricky

Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Work work work...train train train...sleep sleep sleep....
6 February 2011, 9:15 pm





I’ve been pretty hectic recently. Work has been flat out the last three weeks. Pretty wild and whippy with the weather the last wee while. I made it up to the head a while ago to meet up with the Dubs. They got pretty unlucky with the weather. There was a blanket of ming covering the boulders. We climbed on the pit project a bit. It feels almost undoable for me. Two bad side pulls a long way apart on a steep wall and then pop for the lip, which is not a jug. The sit start is a project for real heros.



I’ve been training quite a bit. Mainly getting back on the campus board and using the finger board in the house. I’m pretty happy with were I am at the minute and am already dreaming of smashing in some nuts.



Octavian is getting fatter....





Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

I've seen a Ninnybong...
11 March 2011, 6:25 pm





The last few weeks have flown in. Working on the ropes in Belfast then some route setting for the Inter-varsities comp and a slideshow in Dublin, back up North to work on the ropes, then a slideshow in Tollymore, then Crazy Sam's stag do in the Burren...Been pretty hectic as usual....and got an epic man flu in the middle of it. Just got a big old transit van which I've been told looks a bit like a travellers wagon. I'll take this as a complement. Pretty psyched to have a van at the minute. Ties in well with what I've been planning for this summer. I've a bit of hit list for the summer....Hopefully this year I'll finish my project at the Head and leave the Rathlin wall once and for all....

Madzik and I stayed with The Duffits in Dublin and met a young Tadhg. It was a pleasure to meet him. He's a bit of a monster and a pretty chilled out young man.

During a busy weekend we escaped from duties to check out this new wall Michael found at Wicklow Head.



It's a perfect little overhanging wall below a light house. The rocks a bit like Gogarth in that a lot of it looks like a big piece of wood. The wall is situated in this very cool wee tide inlet where the water goes right under the wall and out this little cave exit on the other side. It feels a bit surreal to ab down to just above the sea and look into this wee cave system. The Ninnybong lives in there. It might be the prefect dws crag in the summer. I'm not sure if the water is that deep underneath the wall though. I lowered a rock in on a rope and it seamed to be about 10ft deep, that was pretty much a low tide. I think we need a scuba professional for a more accurate assessment..... Stephen???

I cleaned and climbed the easiest and most obvious line. A line of jugs really with the odd wee bouldery move. I shunted bits of it. Some of the holds are wee bit suspect and the thought of blemming off into the land of the Ninnybong in February with a manflu didn't appeal to me much... It was a joy to climb on.

here's a wee video:      



I'll definitely be spending a few more days at this little wall once the sunshine arrives. I briefly climbed on a harder line to the right of The Ninnybong. Very cool little project with lots of  bouldery climbing. One that i'd imagine think might see a few descents...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Photo David Farquhar[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Sammy's Stag do on the west coast was banter. Really good to catch up with Ed and the Albatross. Got to meet another baby. Thats two babies in two weeks! Isla Wilson- is a beauty... The highlight of the stag do for me was definitely the pitch and put. Everybody had the Guinness sketch on the highballs at Doolin.

Plan for the next wee while is unknown...



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Farewell Octobaby!
1 April 2011, 9:35 pm

Well... Octavian has left us for the big gerbilarium in the sky... Myself Madzik and Craigy took him to Ben Crom at the weekend and dug him a wee grave. Craigy tried a new line ground up. It's was brilliant...First time this year tied in. and getting wild and whippy already..We will return to project octobaby!



There's been a bit of development at the Head the last wee while. Danny and I opened two micro routes on some of the bigger boulders below the crag.

Here's a wee video  

I repeated Danny's new line The Big Blue E7 6b. It's brilliant. ..!







The Big Blue E7 6b



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Some new route scrittle action!
14 April 2011, 12:51 am

[tr][td]

[/td][/tr]

[/table]

It feels like trad season is on the doorstep if not here already. I've got some trad projects I'm very keen to get on but it's still a bit early for them and I'm not keen to rush. So at the weekend I went to Ben Crom with Craigy  to try some new routes from the ground. Trying some new routes from the ground at a crag like Ben Crom felt like something of a novelty. It's so good that we still have lots of good unclimbed rock to adventure about on. Craigy had another go at 'project Octobaby' resulting in two more whippers. It's been good to watch so far and I think Octobaby will be in the bag next visit. I climbed a new line to the left of Craigys line. It was an old project of the Keep of Mourne himself. It was 'bequeathed' to me! I felt honoured! We then went over to the Summit Block and climbed another two new lines. These two where sorta like little grit routes. Short and tricky!



Craigy off Octobaby!



Ricky starting up The Great Bequeather E5 6b

Round Gully Wall

The Great Bequeather   25m  ***  E5 6b

R.Bell C.Hiller 8/4/11 onsight

The Great Bequeather takes the tramlines up the centre of the wall. A crux section before the slabby wall above is protected by an old peg.  

Summit Block

Pigeon Walk                15m   **    E5 6b

R.Bell C.Hiller 8/4/11 onsight

Start up Chicken Run then continue left along the raising hand rail to a tricky top out! Good at the start of the hand rail.

The Big Bird Shuffle     12m         E4 6a

R.Bell C.Hiller 8/4/11 onsight

Start below the middle of the Summit Block and climb up and left along the grooves system to a grovelling finish.



Late light on Binnian from Ben Crom. The Summit Block is in the shadows on the right. Photo Craig Hiller

On Sunday I missioned it up to the Head to climb a few routes with Ron. Climbed some classics. It was perfect Tops Off weather! We did Jolly Roger E3, Track of the Cat E4 then Wall of Prey E5 all in single pitches.



Ron's dog Bella on top of The Rathlin Wall Fair Head

The weekend felt like the perfect way to get into climbing routes again. I've a wee bit of free time now so I'm going to get back on my project on the Rathlin Wall.



                                                           

The Rathlin Wall   Photo Craig Hiller



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

The Rathlin Effect E8 6c
19 May 2011, 1:42 pm

As usual life has been busy!

The last two weeks have flown in. I've been working flat out on the ropes. 12 days in a row doing weird early shifts 6am-12. It's actually been pretty cool wandering down into the city at 5.30 am seeing all the early bird zombie people shuffling about and the party goers from the night before aimlessly pottering home. I know Belfast is a pretty small city but it's still something of a novelty to to see it completely empty...

Hotel Bell was visited by a couple of mates from Shef. Beggsy and Dave Mason were over for a bit of bouldering at the Head. Dave was pretty proactive after his initial days greasing off things. At the end of the week he'd repeated most of the hard classics and climbed a few cracker wee projects. It was good to see and good to get some perspective on the grades and the quality of the problems. Sometimes when you spend a lot of time developing stuff it becomes easy to not see the wood for the trees. So their wee trip inspired me start cleaning off more boulders. There's so many class projects still to be climbed up there.

here's a wee video of their trip...



I had a few strokes of bad luck last week. Got my bike nicked, then my van broke down, then I smashed my phone! haha they come in three's I've been told...

But I was lucky last weekend. I managed to get up my project at the Head. I didn't expect to even get to climb on it to tell the truth. Big rain showers blew in from Rathlin all day. It was a mad weather day and made for an epic experience. It would bounce rain and be super windy then it would dry up super quick because of the wind. It was funny, everyone became a bit of local forecast expert as we watched the weather come in of Rathlin and predict whether it was going to get us or not? It got us most times! Only the last 10m of the route gets wet and so I figured there was actually a good chance I might be able to climb on it.

On my first attempt I climbed the bottom half of the lower wall up to a niche before the first crux. I felt a wee bit rushed and my fingers were freezing. Another big band of rain blew in and so I sacked it and lowered off. I lost any expectation that I was going to climb to the top of my prodge. But then it cleared and dried again and it was on...

It's without doubt the coolest line I've opened in Ireland. Long with some safe runouts and some amazing moves. It felt wild to climb!

The Rathlin Effect      ***     65m          E8 6c

14/5/11 R. Bell, A.Moles

The beautiful prow of the Rathlin Wall.

Start up the corner to the left of Wall of Prey. A line of crimps lead across the top of the lichen wall and up to a triangular niche. Small nuts and good no.1 cam. Climb diagonally up and left to a hanging block with a letter box above. Swing up into the niche and climb the groove system on the arete in a spectacular situation. Move right around the last roof at an old rusty peg and then straight up past a very exposed boulder problem. The big foot ledge 8m below the top of the crag is a nice place to take a moment. Finish up the arete.















Images are Craigy's            http://www.hillerscapes.co.uk/

Check out that pro-photographer rip up the Round Gully Wall at Ben Crom!



I'm off to Dublin this weekend for The Adventure Weekend. Doing a short talk about climbing rocks tomo, then hopefully get out with the Dubs somewhere.

Ricky



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

An old route and a new route...
14 June 2011, 1:08 am

I climbed with the salubrious Ali Wilson at the Fair Head Meet. We wanted to climb an 'easy' route. This didn't happen... We climbed Striapach, HVS first climbed in 1968 by Emmet Goulding, 40m of mostly unprotected tight chim chimemnee chimming...It was epic!..I employed the vertical worm technique for most it - similar to the horizontal break dance type manoeuvre. Ali used an elbow-knee-wedgehead technique...knee pads advisable!







Last weekend I went to Eagle Mountain with Hillerbergs and Michelle to climb this beautiful little arete...

The Lost Forgotten E7 6c...



                      First Ascent of The Lost Forgotten E7 6c                                    Photo Craig Hiller





Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Mental Crack E7 6b/c
17 July 2011, 8:06 pm



Buzzard’s Roost is back in vogue. There’s been a few new routes going up recently and the crag looks more welcoming than ever. Buzzard’s Roost has a handful of some of the best looking bits of rock still to be climbed in the Mournes. The main face of the crag is almost perma dry as it gentle leans over making you feel pretty small at the bottom.

The dark wall to the left of the main face has this amazing yosemite-like finger mental crack cutting in toward the arete. This wall unlike the main face, doesn’t get as much light and the crack can often be wet.

The last time I was at the Roost was the end of last summer with Marshall. Andy was looking a new line and I wanted to have a look at the crack since it was dry.

I abbed down it, gave it a quick brush. It’s an incredible line. Steep the whole way but getting easier the higher you get. Finishing on massive rounded jugs and a juggy layback flake. I looked tricky to get into the crack through this little roof with a block hanging in it but it didn’t look nails. I said to myself “I’ll just nip up this!”

I was up to belay Marshall on his project, which looks amazing! So I was pretty psyched to see the crack bone dry and that I’ll get a chance have a go after Andy ‘nips up his project’. About 3hrs later Andy took a whipper. It was amazing to watch. He hung in for ages trying to get de-pumped enough to make this crux sequence over a bulge. And he took a whipper!

It was my turn to try the crack. I got up to a move below the hanging block that lets you up onto the crack on the face. Small cams protect the moves going round the block but it’s tricky, or trickier than I though it would be and the cams aren’t that inspiring nor was falling off. I took ages to move up round the block not really trusting my feet well at all on the rounded mini arete foot holds. I got stood up on the block, got a bit of gear in and relaxed. I was pumped already but set off unromantically up the crack. Terminal pump set in and I fell off after what I figured was about 10 feet tweeky finger locks and spoodgy flared ones. And the footholds felt terribly. I didn’t get very far....

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Swail abbing down Mental Crack E7 6b/c[/td][/tr]

[/table]

So with the Roost back in vogue I went up with Swail and Craigy this time prepared for a battle! Craigy climbed a brilliant new HVS ‘The Ledger” on the left wall then Swail and I abbed in for the Mental Crack.

I climbed easily the hanging block and took the best rests before starting into the crack. I got the gear right first time and was happy I could quest pretty far before having to look for another piece. It felt class to know that I was going to have to pin it to get past the hardest sections but still have the safety of the bomber gear and sweet fall. You could put in plenty of gear for most of the crack but it’s best not stopping! I decided to just pick the best foot holds and climb fast. I got totally pumped! It was brilliant I just kept falling up. I got my finger stuck in a wonder finger lock at about 3/4 height. It felt almost hilarious to still be attached to this crack. It’s the biggest finger lock jug thing ever created and I got my finger stuck in it with my elbows above my head. It gave me enough of an opportunity to sort my feet out and shake out my left hand, take my stuck finger out and reinsert it again. I pressed on blocked and basically stayed in that pumped realm of nearly falling off but climbing up progressively better holds. I took ages to get to the top! It was a battle!

I'm a bit of a weekend warrior for the next month or so, but I'm keen to get back up to the Roost...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]

[/t][/t][/t]

First Ascent of Mental Crack E7 6b/c (video still - Craig Hiller)

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]

First Ascent of Mental Crack E7 6b/c (video still - Craig Hiller)

[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]

First Ascent of Mental Crack E7 6b/c (video still - Craig Hiller)[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Buzzard's Roost (Photo - Craig Hiller)

www.hillerscapes.co.uk

www.swailmountaineering.com[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Board Season...
18 September 2011, 12:48 am



It’s been a while since I last blogged. The summer has suddenly disappeared in it’s usual fashion. July and August was pretty mellow on the climbing front. I did a wee bit of exploring in Donegal. Madzik and I climbed Irelands most popular sea stack Cnoc Na Mara.



It goes without saying that Donegal is a pretty special place and somewhere I’d like to get back out to next Spring.We met up with the one man stack machine himself, Iain Miller. Iain’s pretty inspiring. He’s just out there psyched questing about these wild bits of rock. Iain pointed out some amazing walls that I would never of imagined were there. There was one wall that totally blew me away. I couldn’t believe that there were walls like this in Ireland. At least 100m of 30 degree overhanging wall. It appears to be covered in holds and it’s in the wildest place.

It’s a bit of a mission but I want to try and climb on it.....

Closer to home I’ve been doing a bit of trading in the Mournes. Climbing classic and cleaning and climbing on a few new lines. I visited Buzzards Roost again about a month ago to try a project up the middle of the crag that I’ve been on and off during the summer. I’ve climbed on this line quite a bit now but I still struggle with one heinous move. A really high rockover off your left heel to reach this high undercut pinchy thing that you have to cock your wrist to effectively pull in on it. It’s a really weird body position thing too. It’s a cool move and a hard one for a trad route.  

I think I need to wait for some better temps to get on it again.

I had a slabby day on Bearnagh with Craigy. We did Crooked Chimney HS on the slabs then walked on up to the Tors and climbed Eidleweis E2 and Idlewild E6. The last time I climbed Crooked Chimney was with my Mum and Dad and my sisters when I was about 12 years old. It’s got this secret jug in the crack at the top that I didn’t forget to use!

I hadn’t been up on the Bearnagh Tors in years. There’s a few two wee highball boulder problems I’d like to go back and try.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Hillerbofy...

[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Idlewild...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Idlewild...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Danny onto of his prodge...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Smiler...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

In the last week I’ve climbed on some of the best home-builds in Ireland. It's board season...

Here’s a selection of the finest!

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Irelands strongest and his Dad... [/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Board of Governors...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Ztsaaa....[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Barbour...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Home...[/td][/tr]

[/table]



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Calling all workers...
18 December 2011, 5:50 pm

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Henson Crane Belfast[/td][/tr]

[/table]

It's been ages since I last got some free time to sit down and write something.

I watched an amazing documentary a while ago about the wiki leaks scandal. Fascinating… One of the more light hearted morals from the doc was simply "don't rush to publish..."

So, it feels nice to sit down with lots of free time on my hands and recall the last few months. I've been flat out. But now all the business, the rushing around has stopped.

I've been working a lot, even by my standards - which I'm aware some people find hilarious. It's pretty much the season for me to earn money, plan, day dream about little projects and try and create opportunities for the coming year.

On the climbing front - it's very much training and bouldering season. Routes have effectively been off the cards since September.

The last day tied into a rope was in the Mournes on this brilliant little line on Spellack's Forest View Buttress. Krecik E6 6c (FA) was a wee line I'd tried years ago! Almost ten years ago - that sounds pretty epic but it's not really. It was a little project I always said, "I'll come back some day and climb on it" Almost ten years later I came back and climbed up it.

Myself, Danny and Craigy had walked in to try and climb on some new lines we'd been cleaning on the Main Face which turned out to be damp. So we salvaged the day on Forest View Buttress. Krecik is this really lovely seam feature that scoops up the little bulging wall on nice granite. It feels very much like a little grit route. Might be E7? All about the balance and all on your feet, typical Mourne trickery. The crux is a completely blind footmatch in a sloping pocket where you don't really know if you in until you have the final break in your hand. I'm a big fan of this style. It felt brilliant to climb…

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Colourful chaps...(Photo - Craig Hiller)[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]FA.Krecik E6 6c - Mourne Mountains[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I had a short visit to the beautiful forest of Fontainebleau with the Dubs. That kicked off bouldering season for me. It could have been a wee bit colder but it couldn't have been a better trip. I'm in love with Fontainebleau - always have been…

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]"I'd love to wear roller boots to work..."[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Yap Yap...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Michael warming up in the jungle...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Well timed split tip...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Here's a wee video of our trip..



Since Font I've had a harness on nearly ever day, I've been doing various jobs dangling about on the ropes. I've been caning the access work so I could take this time off over Christmas and New Year. I was aid climbing about the underside of the deck in a huge baked bean tanker repairing valves in the steam pipes that keep the beans up to temperature. It was a total novelty for about 20mins. I like working with big industry tho. Everything has a grander feel to it and I always have a wee chuckle inside when someone hands you a spanner the length of your leg...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Miss Aberdeen...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Mr Hiller[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Steam line repair...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Inside a massive tin can...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Rope access technician hard(ly) at work...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]800,000 tonne baked bean capacity...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]the little smoke...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

The wee generator has been humming along lots recently. I bought a 'portable gene' from B&Q a few years ago for 50spuid... Money well spent. It's about the same weight as a fat child and about as handy to carry around… but it's proper banter and provides for some really atmospheric night sessions in the boulders. Myself and Danny have been combining psyche to get out as much as we can during the dark evenings. We've been missioning about with it a lot - the Head, the Cooley's, Dalkey and Portraine.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Daniel...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Ground up on Block Party E7/hb 7B - Dalkey[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Michael offers me his heart...Dalkey[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Bella - Portraine[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Reckoner - Cooley's[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Leviathan - Portrane[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Penitent Man - Fair Head[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Too many late nights...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I've been doing a lot more climbing coaching this winter. Mostly with a group of brilliant kids in the PEC at Queens. I'm always dismayed when coaching with young kids - we've a wee kid Andy (8 or 9) who's my hero right now. Totally natural! Never wants to put his rock shoes on, just prefers questing about the wall with his school bag on trying to find as many no-hands rests as possible. He's so small, he can just stand sideways with one foot on a jug on a vertical wall and lean in with his shoulder and his head and take both hands off! haha - he defies gravity! and he's not afraid to go up either!

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Andy giving me an education in flexibility...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

One of the causes of my business recently is due to this...

The Beta Coach

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beta-Coach/175034582575518

Myself and Michael Duffy (all round hero/daddy/developer of Irelands hardest boulders- for those who don't know him) have set up a wee rock climbing coaching company. We decided it's about time we got ourselves properly involved in the Irish climbing coaching scene. It's something the two of us are very excited about and we'll be fully up and running around the country in 2012!

And finally…

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Palac Kultury - Warszawa[/td][/tr]

[/table]Right now I'm in Warsaw Poland with my beautiful queen! ahhhhhhhh!!!! I've a month off!

Eva the Gerb is safe and sound with Craig Hiller I believe...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Eva![/td][/tr]

[/table]I can't imagine I'll get to climb on rock while I'm here so I've made a wee training plan- it's time to wrap a theraband round you head and "be like Jerry!"

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td](Photo - M. Ziarnik)[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td](Photo - M. Ziarnik)[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Be like Jerry (Photo - M. Ziarnik)[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Pah Pah...





Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Rehab...
31 March 2012, 9:16 pm



I came back from Poland after a month of training and started into a big stint of rope access and coaching work. I did a spot of route setting with the Duffit for the Intervarsities Comp. And then...

I chipped a bone in my big toe. Epic late night door incident. Bummer. I was totally sacked about this for a few weeks because I thought I’d damaged the joint and was worried how cramming my foot into rock shoes would feel in the future. And I’d trained and worked really hard recently and was really looking forward to this spring weather and climbing on projects. Worst things can happen. It’s been almost 4 weeks now and my toe and I have synergy again! It always amazes me how your body fixes itself. After the first two weeks, everyday it got noticeably better. I genuinely thought it was going to be epic but I don't think it'll be a big deal now. Hopefully it’ll continue to heal up well and I'll get to climb on some rock soon...

I’ve spent this wee lay off doing a general tidy up, brain farting some plans form the spring, re-arranging and preparing some work stuff, catching up with a few folks I haven't seen in a while, and rehabbing my toe;)





Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Back on rocks...
5 June 2012, 5:17 pm



Well....again it’s been a while since is sat down in front of myself.. I’ve had a few ups and downs with being injured. I went through a really motivated stage of training and just getting stuck in and caught up with real life...  



In April I was down south for a bit doing some coaching with Cork Youth Climbing Club and the Uni bunch. That was brilliant. Loads of psyche for climbing down there and super friendly bunch. Thanks for making me so welcome!  

I did a few slideshows, one in Cork and one in Dublin which were fun as well, and I think they went down well too which is always nice;].. then came back up home for some ropey access work in May.

It felt like it would be ages before I could put my foot in a rock shoe again. I’d been pro active with my toe and had been doing lots of physio that Andy McMullan had researched for me. About half way through May I generally lost all motivation for training, but luckily the the weather was amazing and it was BBQ season in Belfast!  

I went on a course of pretty hardcore anit-inflammatories which seamed to make a massive improvement with my toe.  

After 13weeks of not climbing on rocks I was keen to go up to the annual meet on at the Head. I’d been getting text msgs during the week at work from some of the Scots that were up there already and from different mates heading across from England and Wales. Iain Small was on a mission again! So inspiring...  The meets turning into a really cool wee event. There were some dudes who set up a slackline across The Greymans Path!  

I climbed on the Saturday with Michelle, Mosley and Adam Bailes from Sheffield. His partner jipped him I believe. We did some classics, Wall of Prey and Blind Phew. My toe was sore the next day so I think i’ll still have to stay off the longer routes for a while yet.... but it was good to be climbing again and to catch up with some mates. I hear it was close between Iain Small and Brian from the climbing works as to who took the wildest whipper. Smacks pulled a hold off the top pitch of Mizen Star and fell over the belay... There was a bit of a “glad everyone is alright” feeling afterward. There were quite a few new loose holds on the Wally of Prey too, just that first wee bit before leaving the corner.  





We headed on home on the Sunday, slightly hungover... Bumped in Jake on Monday and decided to join Danny for an impromptu visit to the beach at Portraine.



Its nice to be climbing again...

Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Happy at it...
8 September 2012, 12:48 pm



I left busy little Belfast like a lot of people do over the two weeks around the twelfth of July. I went on an adventure of a different kind. No fat ropes, no rocks, no climbing. Madzik and I hooked up with about 10 of her mates for two weeks paddling down the Lupawa river in the north of Poland. In took me about 3 days to actually adjust to what I was doing! Wake up, coffee, put stuff in the big blue plastic boat (we named ours the titanic obviously and at the end of the two weeks it did sink so there you go...), float for a few hours down a river, look around at this surreal scenery (imagine a scene from Jim Henson's, The Dark Crystal, one of those leafy, nowhere swampy scenes, loads of dragon flies and chirpy noises), take all the stuff out of the Titanic, make a fire (as big a possible), read a bit, drink vodka, eat some polish stuff (stick with the sausage - thats my tip), sleep and repeat....

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Titanic coming up to an obsticle [/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

Vodka...

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

Maciek running about with the froggies...

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

Tickling a wee beetle...

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

Red sky...

[/table]  

It was a well needed rest.. A proper rest, where you can't really do anything other than exist for a bit...and think....It was class!

There were some unexpected adventures, like the day that the weather went tits up and there was a full blown epic thunderstorm and all the frogs jumped out of the river, millions of them! That was cool! I also got to see a 15ft plastic canoe fold in half. That was cool too.., the rest was all pretty mellow.

For the last 6 weeks now my life has been simple but busy, work lots, access, coaching, bit of setting, built a path, painted some stuff, then went to Fair Head every chance I got..Packed up my wee van and gone straight to Murlough Bay.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

Murlough Bay...

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Head from Murlough...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

The start of the main crag...

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Carbide in the middle of the pic...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Twig...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Some new probs down by the sea...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Spotting action...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Michelle and Katie climbing in the shade...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Strong girls...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Jake and Ry enjoying an evening slab...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Since breaking my toe I've mainly bouldered. So I've been at the Head, in the boulders a lot this summer. Taking the time to explore more, climbing on the seaside classics in the sun, developing some easier new problems down there and finding new things. I spent a day pottering around further along the coast and it's just amazing, you could spend years climbing new problems down there, at all grades. There’s a rake of new problems to try up there now from a host of people. I’m making a bit of a topo that I’ll stick online.  

I've always really wanted to take the time to do this but in the past the lure of smashing in nuts and getting off the ground has always kept me away from the sometimes fickle business of bouldering. I'm pretty seasoned at putting my trad head on and climbing my wee route projects. They involve a completely different head set altogether and at times those skills are pretty simple in comparison to the process repeatedly bleming of the littler rocks. I’ve been on a bit of a learning curve with a few new boulder problems recently.

When the the sun's not been out I’ve been on a bit of a mission. The big arête on the M boulder that you can see from the car park. For so many years now I've walked under it, glanced up, felt the angular slopes on the arête and then continued on round to 'Brought to you by the letter M' to warm up before heading on into the meat of the boulders. I can’t believe I’d never climbed on it until now. I was surprised to find that it went quite quickly from the stand and that it wasn't the impossible arête that we'd all thought it might be. I say quite quickly but I spent two sessions trying with some low probability beta.

I actually would have felt really cool to climb it that way. It turns out you climb it in that 'classic steep arête' style were you clamp the life out of it with your feet and do these balancey matchy lurps with your hands...... It should obviously be done from the sit and this is were the learning curve began. Ten movements into the thirteen on the stand to get stood up onto the slabby wall. None of the moves harder than the moves on the stand, some fast handy fridge squeezing and a few real tensiony pokes around with you feet, then into the stand. It's quite 3D-esk climbing so I was open minded enough that it might take a few goes to start getting the best out of the shapes and to start linking the bottom into the top. So yeah that happened and then I spent three sessions falling hopelessly off the last move of the stand. This was frustrating..... Similar mistakes every time. A lazy foot placement or dropping your tension too early before you actually grab the hold or something else like that, which was basically me rushing or getting distracted..... Not rocket science and not going to bore ya with a big cliche but it was a well rested, well focused early start that got me up the arête in the end. Proper line.  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Spindle...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]FA Spindle 8A...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I did a low stand/ crouch on start from below the arete down right into 'Missing In Action' which has some very cool moves and its on those real crozzley sticky crimps. I like that rock. 'SuperExtra' 7C named after a friends two cats.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]FA SuperExtra 7C...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]FA Super Extra 7C[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I’ve been climbing on 'The Spastik' again recently. I pulled a hold off it ages ago whilst up there with Jake. It hit me in the face and I landed on my arse. I’m keen to keep trying this over the next wee while. Feels a lot harder.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Just pulled the high right sidepull off The Spastik (previously 7C+)...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Strong spot from Jake...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I've not really been a total boulder head the last wee while though.., there's been this one route, standing proud and breezy above me as I shuffle about looking at my skin and ferry around pads.  

The corner....

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Corner...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Shunting the corner...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

This was one of the route projects I'd wanted to climb this summer prior to toe breakage. The last time I was on it was Feb and I'd got the jist of it figured out. 60m open book corner, 30m of very bold, potentially snappy but handy climbing followed by 30m of weird, safe but super insecure weird stemming. All the foot holds point the wrong way and it just makes it feel like if you get awkward on any of the moves like you're going to just slip out.

I didn't think I was going to get to climb on any routes really this 'summer' season, but my toe has actually healed up pretty good in the last wee while. I can wear my tightest instinct slippers again now with only a little discomfort if I keep them on for ages. So the temptation of climbing on the corner again got me and I spent a few days on a shunt climbing on it. There’ll will be no rushing with this one. It’s a proper hard Fair Head trad route. It feels like quite a serious proposition and with the amount of rushing around I'm doing at the moment and a few other changes that are coming my way, I think I'll just enjoy climbing on it for a wee while and if I get a chance to have a go at it then cool...

I'm going to be pretty busy for the next month and a bit... Some changes going on in my wee life at the moment. I'm taking a step away from access work for a little while. I'm moving out of Donnybrook and into my van for a bit, which might be epic but I’ve lots of lovely friends to visit..;]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The end of an era...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I've been living at Donnybrook for a long time now. End of an era for me really, as I’m sure some of you know. But I look forward to an old school Donnybrook party before I leave. I've got a lot of stuff to sort out over the next wee while, then off to Dublin for a short while. Route setting at Dave’s new wall, hopefully get out on the granite then a month in Fontainebleau coming up, then I'm off to Poland again to for the winter and into the spring...busy busy!

Oh and last thing. I’m making a ‘short’ film for Kendal. Myself and Craig Hiller have been casually filming the climbing scene here in NI for a while now and this winter feels like a natural time to wrap up that little project and show some footage.  

Right now....I’m just happy at it...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]I've developed a talent for putting hats on gerbils recently...[/td][/tr]

[/table]



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Eastern Block Times...
23 February 2013, 10:03 pm





My blog has been out of date a little. I am not... Life is busy, I'm happy, I feel strong, and I am going after my wee dreams...I’ve been working a lot less since Sept. I spent a bit of time in the beautiful forest of Fontainebleau with Danny and Michelle.  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Michelle in nature[/td][/tr]

[/table]

We met some lovely people and had some beautiful quite days climbing boulders. I had sometime coaching and climbing with Swail and a group of young climbers from Northern Ireland. For some of them it was their first trip to foreign rocks. It was only as I was getting the train up to Paris to meet Swail and the youth, that I caught myself on. I went on a similar trip when I was 16 with a group of climbers from Ireland. Ron Browner was our mentor and it was amazing! It was my first holiday outside the Ireland or the UK and it opened my eyes as to what climbing was and could be.  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Sunny 95.2 (2000)[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Gina and Joan at Elephant...(2000)[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Climbing with the youth in font was like the start and end of a wee circle for me. I tried to pass on all the ethic, etiquette and climbing wizardry I knew and some that Ron had shared with Gina, Joan, Nigel, James and myself when we first went to Fontainebleau.

During the course of the week they all started to figure it out for themselves and started to move well on the boulders. So cool to watch them figure it out and climb their wee projects. It was a brilliant week.  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Talking beta with Carson 'the stoneking' Carnduff...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]then asking him to do the dishes...haha[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Swail wrecked after a week with the youth... [/td][/tr]

[/table]

The last half of the trip was spent with Danny, Michael and J.Howard.  

Such a nice pace and always good energy. We spent our days climbing classics and beasting out four sessions of crayon physics in the evening. JHard was like an old french man on the rocks scuttling up everything, Michael always amazes me with his ability make comfort in vans and Formula1's and Danny was going through his bouldering revolution.

Fonatinbleau 2012 was nice.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Paris...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

On the way home from France Michael and I went for a quick scoot right round Paris.. I stopped off in the Cooleys on the way home and met Danny for some Irish bouldering. It was totally epic, the whole place was like a massive puddle covering the whole hillside. Within two minutes I’d fallen the mud and got soaked. But it was nice. We went and had a look at the wee wall Danny and Farawayquar have been developing. Its was soaking but it looked good. It's always nice seeing something new. I spent about an hour drying John 3.16... I managed to repeat the stand. Fairly quick. Not sure about the grade.  

I came back with 'the strong team' to try the sit but it was ming!

30 days of splendor in Fontainebleau and 2 days of ming in O’Meath...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Eddie Barbour about to enter the great puddle fields of the Cooley Mtns...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]the strong team on the 2nd failed drying mission..[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I packed up my stuff and pottered off to Warsaw for the winter.

Christmas in Poland is a festival to behold. ‘The Pickled Days’ I will forever remember them as.  

For a last few months I've been a total plastic climber. I’ve spent more time climbing on coloured blobs in the last two months than I have in the last year..and it's been nice......I’ve enjoyed the plastic climbing this winter and I’ve been really enjoying life and living in Warsaw.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Tomek Hamster[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Bloco...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]a fish in the bath...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I've got a nice work project on at the moment. I'm updating the 2002 Fair Head guide book with Craigy. It's such a nice project. Spending hours sitting down looking at crag pics and re compiling the route information, designing, drawing wee maps and just getting a different perspective on Fair Head. The crag has capture me on another level again. It’s so good...I'm psyched to spend my spring checking out some new lines and finishing off a few old projects...

I edited a wee film in December that Craigy and I had been putting together for a while now.  

'In The Middle'  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Eva 2011-2012...[/td][/tr]

[/table]



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

La Tour Des Sofa and Time Spent In Trees…
20 May 2013, 2:17 pm





I'm back in Ireland just over a month.. I've left my D.I.Y. queen to fix up the flat in Warsaw while I get my Irish rock fix. Being home has been great, and I literally haven't stopped. I've been all over the shop. Running about between Belfast, Dublin, Fairhead, Wicklow, Dalkey, The Mournes and the Cooleys. It had felt like a long time since I'd got to touch rocks and I've definately made up for it this month.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Chilling out with Mum and Pads...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I've been rinsing around in my little van doing some setting and coaching in Awesome when the opportunity has presented itself, sleeping on sofas and climbing on rocks!

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Michael - deep in thought...it's a lovely angle![/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]'Umm Great Plastic Over Lord, inspire me for my journey today'[/td][/tr]

[/table]

We had a wee visit from our favourate 'Irish Blodder Enthusiast' David Mason, over to try some of Michaels problems before the warmer weather of 'the spring' came. Dave got a little unlucky with the weather. A cold snap just ended and it got all mild and wet especially for his arrival. We had fun though. Michael and Tadgh took us for the tour and wee got to have a look at a lot of the harder problems that Michael has been developing around Wicklow.  

David entertaining Tadgh/Himself...

The slow pokes...

Thirsty...

a wee Dzuiber!

The Hills Have Eyes...

haha - this was the moment David decided to fly home early...

 

The weather was tragic but we did manage to get three days in on rock. We both managed Leftism, amazing 7C in glendo and a new problem Michael open only a few days before and Space Machine 7C in the Scalp (I had to have a 2nd sess on this one) - very cool problem uncovered by local new rock quester Dirmuid Smith a few years ago. It's got a lovely landing made from sticks, pretty impressive and I'd encourage people to maintain it a little if your up there trying it. Climbs so well. David also made short work of Leviathan on his last day.  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]What Chef? You need 5 bouldering mats...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Certainly Chef...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]David and Leviathan[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Filming David on Space Machine...[/td][/tr]

[/table] I've spent quite a bit of time lately in trees. I climbed a few trees to film David on Space Machine.

I made a wee short of Davids three days on rock..



After Mason went home (he's keen to come back). I headed round to the quarry to continue with my tree climbing mission. I'd wanted to try one of Ron's unrepeated E7's. I didn't want to head point it and didn't expect to onsight it, weary of the guide book description I climbed up the tree opposite it and I got Ron to give me as much beta as possible - he climbed the route 1999 (the hardest route in the quarry) and his memory of the moves were pretty vague it turned out... I climbed the bold bottom groove, put the fiddly gear in, two very small peanuts and managed to climb back down to the ground. I pulled on the rope and yanked the gear from the ground. It was good. I'd managed to get my pretty flash pumped placing the gear so had a long rest before venturing back up there.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

Classic flash pump sitch!...fiddley wires, bad footholds...

[/table]   We had another tree moment to ourselves. Discussing the ins and outs of Ron's methods when he did it. The phrase "double egyptian gaston" came up a few times. I've no idea what he meant.....

Yeah - double egyptian gaston...

Ironically enough the route is called Slapstick, named after the crux move were you apparently have to pounce with your left for a good edge. I'll associate the name with a different experience. My first go I got involved with the crux, felt out some holds and eyed up the hold I'd have to slap for and tried not to slap opting for hard 'papman-static' sequence. I fell softly onto the gear. I'd managed to get my right hand pretty airlocked that go...20mins rest, the fear of falling gone and open minded to slap, I got back up there I got involved in the crux again. Climbed fast a reasonably fresh to the slap move...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Slap'Sticks'[/td][/tr]

[/table] Momentarily connected...... then my left leg swung out, hand disconnected and I barn doored and clipped my foot in one of the small branches of the tree we'd been sitting chatting in. I fell through some leafy branches and onto the rope. Ron burst out laughing! Epic - first trad route of the year and I'd fallen through a tree...

I went for a change of scene after that and got back to familiar territory, Buzzards Roost. THE coolest crag! I've been up there a bit recently with Ron, Dave and Caroline..It's been a bit cold - down jacket weather up there but managed to get moving on an old project. Progress,.. and keen to have a go when it's not so cold.

A cold day at the Roost...- photo Dave Ayton

Trad hand...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Take my sword...[/td][/tr]

[/table]  

Buzzards Roost

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Silent Valley...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Van Life...

I spent a little time catching up with Pat and Trev, getting deeply involved with the two incremental professionals that they are. Trev and I gave Pat a hand building a wee wall in Killyleagh and I had a bit of rest from rocks and sore skin.  

"glue-lam-in-the-van-man!"

"People of Killyleagh, you may climb!"- photo Pat Nolan

After Killyleagh and some quite nights around those shores I potterd off to film the Irish Youth Climbing Finals...Gets better every year.. Some of the little ones climb like they're made from plasticine... I'm like saying to myself while filming, "Nope you need to get your right foot up there, twist in with hips and ohhhh...you've done it your own way..." they're hilarious and always fun to watch..

Here's the video of this years finals...



After that I bumped into this man and climbed with him for a bit...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Ireland's sportiest sport climber!? [/td][/tr]

[/table]

Then headed north to do more work on The Fair Head Guidebook. You'll be pleased to hear it's nearly finished. Myself and Craigy have about a weeks worth of work left to tidy up some things and get a final draft together. Very excited to have the end in sight with this project. Calvin brought me round the 'original' to have a nosey at and some of the hut logbooks. They're fascinating and full of character!  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Original Fair Head Guide...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

On the climbing front, I've spent my last 3 sessions coming very close to my boulder prodge at the Head. It's incredible!...So Inspired!...even with the sharpness of the crux crimp...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]New skin please...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Fair Head Boulders... photo Jake Haddock[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I've got some work on at Awesome wall for a bit then I pick up some Polish Monsters on Friday and go back to the Head....



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

2013 is nearly over...
29 December 2013, 7:47 pm



Hello, it's me again, talking about myself all time!

A lot of time has passed since I last sat  down an wrote something.  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Gentleman's Prodge...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

May

Shortly after writing the last blog I managed to get injured. It's a bit of nightmare being a climber and getting injured as we all know. At the end of May I'd got a little obsessed with a boulder at the Head. Easy to see why. It's one of the best boulders I've ever seen. I started climbing on it a little late in the bouldering season and sorta went after it a little too much.The weather was getting summery up there and i was battling a little too hard with trying to get it in good nick. It's this huge thing the looks like it fell from space. 34 moves - more like a mini route than a boulder. It's got one hard move at the start then some resistance then some terribly ming crimps on the last section before a glory edge. I came very close and this was the problem. I dropped it twice on the move to the glory edge. I got sucked in and tried a little too much. On my last session I did something weird. It was like your stereotypical injury sitch. I was tired (I'd got a bit of a cold - and my body was a bit weak) but I tried anyway. I tweaked my left hand ring finger on the starting hard move. But that wasn't the meat of the injury I picked up this summer. I felt I'd tweaked my finger so I thought right, just drop off straight away - thats the sensible thing to do. I dropped off from a mere 4 foot off the ground and put my hand down on a spike that was hiding in the split in the pads. I hit it with the palm of my hand and a straight arm. Wow - it was so painful! I'd landed full weight on this spike. I thought i'd broken my hand. I was there by myself and packing up the pads and pottering out of there was all a little bit of hassle.  

Luckily for me my sister works in A&E and I got her to have a look at my hand. It turned out I hadn't broken it but had got a boney bruise (like bruising your heel). It took ages (about 6 weeks) before I could make a fist without pain. This was the beginning of about 20 weeks off rock climbing on holds you had to pull on. All summer plans including a little sporty trip to Ceuse and a month in Yosemite were cancelled. And to rub it in, we had one of the nicest summers we've had in Ireland for years! Ughhhh..

I spent most of May being grumpy…; ] then caught myself on...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]My wee Mums arthritis...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]a jumping dog...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

June  

I spent some time helping eddie barbour look for his watch...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]no luck finding that watch...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

July + August

One of the best things to do in Ireland in the summer (injured or not) is to spend sometime in Donegal. There were more than a few visits to the north west coast this summer to explore the potential. Im so inspired by what it has to offer. I hooked up with the keen boys J Peg and Kilroy and the usual punts Swail, HillerBergs and Michelle. We scoped some new crags and climbed on the mythical Owey granite! This was the boost in motivation I needed to get my finger out so to speak and start fixing myself and dreaming again about rock climbs.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]checking out the potential. photo C. Hiller[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]climbing fat cracks...photo C. Hiller[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]inspecting an amazing wall...photo C.Hiller[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Kev and John climbing new lines.. photo C. Hiller[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Swail sitting tight in the sandy break... photo C. Hiller[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]pottering around on Cruit...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I spent a bit of time this summer climbing and coaching with youth setup Mountaineering Ireland has going. Its very fresh at the moment and there seems to be more youth going up than ever before. And there's a great mix of indoor, outdoor, sport, trad and bouldering going on. The first youth trip this year was to Glendo/Dalkey/Portraine - sunshine,midges, trading and boulders were in abundance! Next up was the Burren Trip. This was just brilliant. Working with Swail and Mike Smith and seeing the kids put their trad craft to good use. For me it was really rewarding to see a bunch of young climbers being competent climbing on trad routes in Ireland. That's what floats my boat and I got a lot out of sharing my experience with the young traders!  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]a happy trader...photo R. Browner[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]learning to set up belays whilst under midge attack...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Saul bearing down...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Glendo in the heat...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]strong spot...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]weak spot...[/td][/tr]

[/table]    

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Michelle teaching Zen Buddhism... [/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Matt![/td][/tr]

[/table]

I made a brief appearance on CBBC this summer. Talking about climbing in Ireland and doing a little bit of speed climbing (haha) up the wall at Belfast Activity Centre. This was my first experience of live TV - I managed not swear!  

During the summer despite being an tweaky mess I was invite to join the DMM team as one of their athletes. The gear speaks for itself and after visiting the factory and meeting the faces,  I humbly said yes..and thanks! It was also nice to join a team of some of my heros from my youth. Wainwright, Bransby and McCaffie - I salute thee!

http://dmmclimbing.com/pro-team/ricky-bell/

Sept  

In September myself and Madzik pottered off to Italy for a bit of a holiday and checked out Arco and some of the gneiss further north. My finger was still a bit wobbly so we slabbed it up quite a bit and eat as many different flavours of ice cream possible in 2weeks. I preferred the rock further north but it was cool to see Arco. There's good ice cream there…

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Me and Madzik...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]lost...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Gina with her nudie man...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]northern italy - near chiavenna[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]lake garda...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]madzik gets her jugs on...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]potential for a sweet stopper knot...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]spikey tree testie...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]a tunnel...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Before September was out I had an all to short blurry catch up with the moores...  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]j moore - relaxed around children...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]s moore - around children..[/td][/tr]

[/table]

October

Was mainly spent setting the plastic blobs in Awesome Walls (the friendliest bunch - big thanks all you lot for making me welcome and sharing the psyche!)  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]absolute setting masterpiece right there...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Halloween was spent in Siurana with the youth again. This was my first time there and needles to say i'll be back - we had the best weather and the young guns were going up again. It's been really inspiring this year to climb with the youth so much. They have the best energy and no rubbish in their heads. They just go climbing! and they love it!  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]a spanish granny...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]swail getting his flow on...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

November and December

I became a rock climber again! I ran about with the Duffit checking out new areas. He's a bit of inspiration himself - the man is the single most dedicated climber I've ever met.  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]the duff...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]bit of lime, bit of slime...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]happy at it..lough tay...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]the pepsi roof..[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]reverse 180 dismount...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Instead to getting back on the winter training mission that everyone else seamed to be on, I decided to go about my little Dublin&Wicklow boulder apprenticeship. Starting at the bottom and going towards the top. That's my method and it's been lovely. I dug the wee lamps out and every opportunity after work and days off were spent climbing boulder classics up to 7C. This was totally the right thing to do as I got my rock confidence back! I even managed a few first ascents…

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]nightcrawling...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]beauty rest...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]portraine...bone dry![/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]the last ascent of kinky reggae before the jug got shannon'd...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]girl getting her crimp on...(as usual...)[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td] jackie goddoffe card sculpture...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

The year is almost over now, 2013 was probably my most difficult as far as climbing on rocks goes…But I spent a lot of time this year, more than any other, thinking about my climbing and working on my approach. I've climbed less rock than I have done in the last couple of years (I've cleaned more projects and built more landing than any other year....) but I think I've come out the other end a better climber. We'll see….I'm sitting in Warsaw at the climbing wall having just had my first proper plastic session with the plastic wads. And my body feels wrecked! but in the good way and dare I say it - I'm injury free....  

Hope everyone had a great year and all the best for 2014!

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]HillerBergs and myself pay hommmmmmmmage to Binnian...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Ricky



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Light House1 lives on...and a recap.
6 April 2014, 11:17 pm



I've been pottering about quite a lot the last while.  

In January I spent a bit of time cleaning some wee projects out in Wicklow with Michael. I opened a new problem out at Lough Tay that comes out of the Pepsi Roof via a wee pounce move for a jug on the lip.  

Pepsi Max 7C



After a bit of work I escaped some grotty weather in Ireland during Feb to hang out with these two dudes in San Francisco.



I had an amazing time! We had no plan really...we just went climbing.







When I got back home I'd pretty much avoided a lot of rain apparently.

I had a couple of days out with Barbour (the last time I saw him was in a hole in the ground).  



He was floating about with two Anglowads. They'd opened some brilliant looking problems at the Head that week and where checking out Wicklow before they left.  





At the start of March I got back up to the Gentleman's Arete. I had gone to the Head with Danny and found our stashed pads had been smashed up under a boulder near the sea. There's been quite a bit of storm action moving some boulders about this winter. The Gentleman's Arete was still there but the starting holds on Born Slippy (the arete to the right) are like 6ft higher than before. Quite a lot of rock has been washed into the sea.  

Danny and I looked a the other black arete on the split boulder. I'd looked at it ages ago with a few others Danny and with Varian and on both occasions wondered would it go ground up? It has a two tier landing and it would take a lot of pads to make it work. We had no more pads so we abed down it and chalked it up which inevitably lead to us topying it…haha…softies… It's a little steeper than it looks. Amazing little boulder problem into an Edge Lane style top out. I practised it a little then soloed it. I had a lovely experience on it and I'm glad I didn't embrace the ground up/fill your pants experience on it.  

The Big Black E7  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]photo - Danny O'Neill[/td][/tr]

[/table]



Danny and I have also been loitering around at night in the Potato Cave. A little conglomerate beauty in Cusheendun. It's the craziest rock I've seen in Ireland. It's so weird. It's sandstone with massive quartzite potatoes sticking out of it. Some of the holds are hilarious and it's really fun to climb on. We thought it was perma dry venue but it turns out it's not. It's still very cool!  



The Potato Masher 7C



The Cork Wall http://www.awesomewalls.ie/centres/cork-climbing-centre/overview opened this month. It's good to see the scene down there getting a good wall. I'm psyched to spend a bit more time down there working and climbing this year. Michael, Sean and myself explored Cork/Kerry a little and found some gold...and some amazing boulders.





Sean brought that ladder everywhere...





The last half of March has been busy.

I visited Inishmore for the first time ever. The place blew me away...

Michelle, Gaz and myself did some of 'the' best adventure abseils ever.











Craigy and I finally finished the Fair Head Guide. "The last 5% takes 95% of the time."

A big thanks to everyone who help along the way with this! Should be out for June.



Light House1 miraculously passed its PSV #mydadcanfixanything.



and most recently I went climbing with Ron.



and then got rescued.

Ricky



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

A few new lines...
16 June 2014, 7:57 pm

Spring just rinsed past in a wee blur. I went to Spain with some of the Irish Youth for a spot coaching. This was the last of a bunch of youth trips that Swail organised with Mountainering Ireland. Ten days with ten of the most psyched young climbers at Siurana and Margalef. It's been so good to watch these guys figure out rock climbing over the last few years and on this wee trip everyone was going up! It was absolutely brilliant and completely exhausting at the same time.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Siurana...*[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Full of Energy Ready to Party...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

May was the month of the Meets in Ireland. First Kerry then Fair Head.

It was my first time climbing in the Gap of Dunloe. I just bouldered both days at the meet. Ticked some of the classics and played around on some of the projects. Already looking forward to going back. The rock down there is incredible...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]A little groove prodge in the Gap...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Edge of the Onion..[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Christopherson on Under A Blood Red Sky...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Boneyard Arete - Black Valley...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The Duffit playing on one of the prodges in the Black Valley...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I hung around with the Duffit afterwards for a bit of exploring in the rain. There's nothing like exploring in the rain. We always find good stuff in the rain.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Find me the boulders Michael...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

I had a very social catch up with the Potato Cave for a spot of traversing.



The weather was prime for the Fair head Meet at the end of May. The Friday and Saturday were two of the nicest days I've spent up there. Sunday was a bit of a washout. I managed to lay to rest a route thats been sorta on the go for ages now. I cleaned this corner a few years ago and never really got the opportunity to try it until now. Or maybe just put off climbing on it until now. It's a funny one.  Amazing feature but really scary.

The route scuttles in from this platform below the leaning wall on the left. It climbs the arete for a bit above a bad landing then into the corner and you get good gear before a big ledge at half height. This bits really bold but not very difficult. Then above the ledge there's like 10m of really cool sustained corner climbing. The left wall isn't that steep but all the features are sloping the wrong way and the right wall is gently overhanging, pushing you out over these feature. It's quite insecure. This is the crux and there's good gear right through it. It was the bottom bit I was concerned about because you're basically soloing for 10m, starting 10m off the ground until you get this good bit of gear. There's this wee foot match you have to do whilst holding onto a jug before you place the first bit of gear and so you're sorta looking straight down between you legs from where you just climbed. I'd thought that if you weren't feeling cool here, it'd be a bad place to have a wobbler. When I got on it on lead I looked down through my feet after matching on this foothold out of pure curiosity. My heart rate went up like 100 bpm but I'm glad I looked. The top half of the route is really good and it felt class on lead. You stand on this big ledge for a bit then set off up this weird section then bust out onto the right wall at the top with a glory jug horn thing rock over the top of the crag with.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]An Empty Book...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

An Empty Book    ***    55m      E7/8 6b

R.Bell, R. Browner 31/5/14 (Headpoint)

The big corner left of Visual Contact.

From the right end of the terrace, climb the bold arete and into the hanging corner. Good cam in flake. Climb the steep corner above with good small cams every so often in the seam at the back of the corner.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]An Empty Book - photo Michelle O'Loughlin[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

An Empty Book - photo Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

An Empty Book - photo Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

An Empty Book - photo Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

An Empty Book - photo Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

Ron, Bella and Myself at the top of the corner..  - photo Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]   The last few climbing ventures were directed towards attacking the Splack (Spellack -obviously). It was a bit of a battle to find some stickiness on the granite. I tried a new line up this white streak left of War Horse. I was a bit eager for it and jumped on it last Thursday in what turned out to be in pretty ming condition. I got up to the hard move and then realised it was way to hot and I couldn't grip this slopey granite pinch that you have to pull up on to start the crux. So I went for a pretty exciting down climb. The cool thing about down climbing is that the further you get, the safer it gets and also the further you get the more solid you climb until you simply step back onto the ground as if there was never a problem..haha I had a total mere reversing the rockover in the first pic almost slipped off...

I went back on Saturday. There was a cool north wind and plenty of cloud. Conditions were much better. I gripped that little slopey pinch good...





Peace Donkey      ***      30m       E7 6c/7a

R.Bell, P.Swail, M.O'Loughlin 14/6/14 (Headpoint)

The white streak on the wall left of War Horse has a hard slab move to get established above the blank section. Finish up the slanting crack of Mirror Mirror.

Peace out

Ricky



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Scarpa Techno X Review...
12 August 2014, 8:52 pm

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The top pitch of Face Value E4 - Fair Head - photo David Lyons Ewing[/td][/tr]

[/table]



At the start of the year I got to try out a new shoe from Scarpa. I wanted to give them quite a bit of abuse before writing about them. And so I did...

The Scarpa Techno X have a lovely shallow toe box a lot like the Vapour XSG Edge. The difference with the Techno X is that they're stiffer and they're a slightly different fit. When I first got them I just happened to be going to Yosemite for a bit in Feb to potter about with a mate Si.



I bouldered around them a little in Camp 4 to get used to how they felt. I really liked that they're super edgy and the shoe had great support for putting weight through your toes. I liked that they're lace ups and the heal is really simple, light and comfy so you can wear them a lot. The fit is a little more old school and it took a while to get used to them. They were great on little granite buttons. Very impressed. I did a bit of crack climbing in them as well. Si and I did Separate Reality, the famous Ron Kauk roof crack. Not that this one specifically requires a lot of foot work, but I did get the chance to wedge them in a few times. SInce then, I've climbed a few more cracks in them and they're good. The orange rubber on the top rand takes advantage of that low profile toe box and helps you get some rubber on the other side of the crack you might be toeing into and the front of the shoe is stiff enough not to leave your feet knackered. My pair are pretty much six months old and they're still edgy and precise enough to stand on wee footholds. It's hard to find good tradder shoe but these things have been great..*  





http://www.scarpa.co.uk/climb/techno-x/

http://www.scarpa.co.uk/climb/

All the best

Ricky



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

It was 2014...
6 January 2015, 9:26 pm



January -

January was spent mostly around Dublin getting back into route setting after Chrimbo and New years. Michael took me out to Lough Tay and showed me some blocks..Lots of potential out there and some very nice boulders. I opened a lovely roof problem called Pepsi Max 7C. The rest of Jan was spent trying to get out as much a possible after work.















February

In Feb I escaped our ming weather and caught up with Simon and Jackie in the States. I didn't really have any grand plans other than catching up with these guys and having some sunny fun. We managed to climb a bit in Red Rocks, and the Valley, and had some funny sessions on the chossy sport cliffs up the road. San Fran is sweet though. I had a bit of guidebook work to do while I was there too and enjoyed breaking my days up with a bit of wandering around Golden Gate park.  



















March

I finished off the Fair Head Guide. What a lovely project. I returned to total ming in Ireland and searched out the PERMADRY potatoes. I climbed a scary arete boulder at the Head (The Big Black E7 6c) and then set off exploring Kerry with Micheal and Belgian Sean. That was great fun. We met lovely people and found some nice boulders. Sean educated us in the art of being all zen like. Later in March, Gaz Paz abseiled in for some adventure roping on Inishmore.  





























Sean did NOT like that ladder....













And finally on the last day of March I found myself in this chimney at Fair Head with this pitiful no.4 Dragon cam. You know when you look at something from really far away and it looks quite small - well that happened, and Ron Browner orchestrated the resuce (hours later)...We vowed to return!....We didn't, we had better things to get on with.  

Last weekend in March Ron?

April  

I was off to Spain with a great bunch of young climbers from all over Ireland. Always good fun hanging out with the youth!













May

Was the month of the Meets in Ireland. First Kerry. Loved it - hilarious, adventurous and brilliant. I climbed some of the classic boulders and climbed a little on some projects but it was the banter that made the meet.  

Then the Fair Head meet. I climbed a cool corner feature (An Empty Book E7/8 6b) - a scary one* then enjoyed the craic at the slideshow then had a giggly end session in Swailys camper van.  

Climbing that corner at the head was the last of a wee list of things I'd wanted to get finished off before getting stuck into this amazing wall prodge that I've known about for years. I aim to be fit for that this spring.



















June

What not to do in June. I attacked the splack, and it was busy! lots of attention for the Mourne's laziest crag. I opened a line, Peace Donkey E7 6c/7a up the white streak on the upper face. I did some sweet down climbing one day too.





July

Adventure abseiling recommensed in July. Tiring stuff, but some mega lines we're abseiled before I joined the youth climbers again, this time for some sunny trad climbing in Ailladie.

 



 











August

We quested up north to check out a big cliff in Donegal. Donegal is friggin' wild by the way. We opened some new boulders on this beautiful, leaning boulder wall and I looked at cliff on a rope. Cleaned and climbed on the obvious diagonal line. I was hoping to find a hard, safe trad line (its a steep cliff!), but I'm not sure what I found. Still open minded. The rest of August was filled with work and a few other projects - I did a wee piece for Athena Media and their Irish Extreme Documentary- it comes out this spring. They followed and filmed me a for a day at work setting and training, then filmed a day at the crag. I climbed a route in the Burren, Forever Young E7 6c (twice - got super pumped the second time!) and Siren E3 5c. I also got involved with a group of nice folk doing a bit of research in the outdoors with drone helicopters. We spent a day at the Head and day at Glendo with the wee choppers and got some amazing footage.  







 







September

Massive wood shredding contract in downtown Gilford with Pat and Trev. Love working with these two. Mournes were lovely and I moved office out there for few days and climbed on some rounded holds.











October

Back to the States. This time Michelle came along too. We didn't have long. Ten days in the Valley and the plan was to get on some walls. Michelle and I got stuck in on day one. Which was a bit much on retrospect. We climbed the West Face of El Cap over two days. The second of which without the food or water wasn't planned. We got benighted near the top and decided to sit down and wait till morning instead of getting super tired. We spent the night on a ledge with a little Stephen for company then waddled our arses over the top the next morning and back down to Camp 4.  

Simon and Jackie arrived a few days later and Si and I had a go at Freerider. This was pretty unspectacular as we ended up just doing the freeblast then bailing. 30 degrees is too hot for me on El Cap...  





























November

I returned to Ireland and everyone was wet...That's Karl looking all double chin there, sitting in a tent in the pissing rain in Glendo... haha..nice soup though!

My wee folks went to Oz to visit my sister and I took on the dog sitting contract. It was sorta good and bad at the same time. I inherited a mental spaniel for a month. Initially I thought it was going to be just cool - driving around in my wee van with Paddy, my wee dog mate. Paddy is a grand messer and I spent most of my time hanging out in Ballyclare which was cool because I'd wanted to repanel and fix up my board. I'd pulled a big wooden pinch off; t-nut and all came exploding through the board before I went to the States. The new board rekindled a forgotten love of boneing little plastic holds in my back garden. I love my board...









December

Has been pretty social as it always is. I caught up with a few folk I hadn't seen in a while. I've been climbing a lot at the Head. Mainly sieging this amazing arête down by the sea. I set myself the challenge of doing it in Dec, but it didn't happen. Logistically its a bit of a fuddle. Massive (8pads) arête that faces North, 10m from the sea. It's got two razor crimps near the end too which are total sausage killers. I'm getting pretty high and I think I've got the better of it. Hopefully I'll get it in good nick soon.  







That was 2014. A big thanks from my wee heart to all the amazing nutters that shared their time with me.

Marmot, Scarpa and DMM - thank you for looking after me again. I'm proud to work with you lot! - Keep up the good work!

I hope 2015 is a good one for everyone out there!  

All the best  

Ricky  

"To achieve great things, we must not only act, but also dream. Not only plan but also believe..."

Anatole France



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

There's only one place...
26 April 2015, 8:06 pm





It's April... there you go.. that was fast...

I am alive, I have been for quite some time now and it's good. I haven't been on the internet much, just been outside a lot. And when I've been sat in front of the internet, I've just buffered......I haven't had the beans to write a blog.., or sit on the internet... I've been focused on climbing*



I've managed to spend 18 days this month at Fair Head. I was in prison last week- setting routes for some young offenders. I've almost been avoiding the real world for glory days of low gravity and an easy life. I did my boulder prodge about a week ago. The Gentlemans Arete was my main boulder prodge this side of the summer and I thought that once I'd managed that I'd be ready to stop and rejoin civilization.. but I've just kept going climbing on rocks. It's felt like being on holiday the last few weeks, but there's been very few other people around... I saw some Hex's on December the other day It looked fun. I went to the crag a few days ago too. It was still too baltic to climb routes... Yet the cold has been and gone, sort off. There are daffodils, primroses and tadpoles at Murlough. And the bluebells will be there soon, It's nice in the sun light - step out of it for one moment tho and its baltic again. It's perfect right now for bouldering.

Since I last wrote a blog - I've just been bouldering and trying to get myself in a good position for climbing some routes in the spring. I'm in good shape. I got on my route prodge last week - I managed more moves than before and learnt some more about the shapes..it's still too cold for the crag tho..

Here's a bit of a recap.

In Jan and Feb I was working a lot, setting and coaching in Awesome then trying to get on the Gentlemans Arete. But it turned out to be too fickle with the conditions. I rarely saw the boulder dry those two months.

The Gentleman's Arete is this long arete down by the sea almost directly below Jolly Roger. It's a good line... Very stiking, long and high, with the difficulty on the top half.



The name came about from a conversation/gentleman's agreement with Dan Varian when he was over. (I'd been trying the arete. I'd come very close to doing it then picked up a really weird finger/hand injury falling off it one day In a unspectactular blunder i'd managed to tweek a finger, fall off and miss the pads impacting my hand on a pointy rock - took ages to get over this...)

Dan and Katie had appeared in the boulder field and I had met up with them and pottered. I showed Dan some projects and talked about the Head. Dan had pretty much climbed all the test pieces and was almost running out of boulders to do. He had his eye on a few projects and I could feel him squirm when I showed him the arete I'd trying.

There is more than plenty to go around at the Head, definately there's always be stuff to get on with and there's some futuristic lines.... but this was the next 'line' to be on. Dan's not shit and so I quickly turned to him and asked "Could we make a Gentleman's Agreement..?" a mutual show of respect, that he might grant me time to heal up and finish what i'd started. This was at the end of summer 2013...

One summer and now a winter has passed. I spent last summer exploring (a lot) around Ireland. I had healed up and was climbing again but hadn't really returned to strength for chasing the Gentleman until this winter.

Conditions and logistics would prove to be a learning curve and take a lot of patience on my behalf.

It's not like bouldering at the Head is out during these months, actually the rest of the place can be quite mint. The problem is that the arete is super close to the sea. The odd big wave can sploosh the start when it's choppy and if its not a clam sea the sea spray prevents you from trying. The rock is the black stuff which tends to seep till the bitter end. It must be more porous than the grey and brown stuff and when it rains the boulders fill up with water and it just leaks out the cracks and black bits first. The grey and brown stone down in the boulders always seams to dry quickly with the slightest wind, the black stuff is more fickle, but when its dry its the best stuff. I also needed a lot of pads...

Don't make Gentleman's agreements with people - obviously we shouldn't be overly attached to being the first person to climb up something; what's the rush..? but that's always been a part of rock climbing and in the case of this arete, I didn't feel bad about asking Dan for the time... That part felt nice. His ettiequte really,  "the dothing of ones cap" as Dan put it, to someone in a similar situation with similar drive and affections.

The load of pressure you just put on yourself from ask the other person not to get up the thing right now.., that felt a bit weird and not cool...So I was committed to to this line that I really wanted...The winter was a bit ming at times and I was patient (very patient). I changed tact and trained a little whilst climbing on other problems.. Like I said there is always plenty of good stuff to get on with at the Head.

I opened this lovely slab boulder/route on one of the big boulders facing the sea. It climbs out of a scary whole between two boulders via a weird heel move. It's never desperate but it keeps going right to the top. There is no thank god slab jug on it. You just have to keep standing up until you at the top.

Slabyrinth HB 7B 4/1/15

Climbs out of a scary whole via a weird heel move. After that, you have to wobble yourself towards the top via no jugs.



https://instagram.com/p/yksaO3AFUF/?taken-by=rickybell

I worked in the fair city of Derry for a bit. The Duffit, Dave Ayton and myself got the pleasure of the first set at the new wall in Derry. It's really a very cool climbing wall and something very cutting edge for Northern Ireland. The 45' board along is unlike anything else, its huge! I'm really happy for the North West folk that they've got a good wall now. It's incredible the levels of psyche that pop up around good climbing walls. This one promises to be the hub for the North West.

The weather was cold around this time and we'd opted to stay in the vans and receive the extra couple of bucks per day instead of accomadation. Waking up in the Scudo in a blanket of snow in a Sainsbury's carpark was slightly epic. None the less we smashed grips onto the wall (which was a total building site at the time) and trained a little. I think it opens tomorrow actually.

With weather all over the shop I got interested in trying the sit start prodge to John 3.16 (8A) because it's really handy to try, and it's a good line. John 3.16 is a little roof squeezy boulder in the Cooley mountains which Johnny Argue opend in 2008, it's seen few ascents despite being in such a handy spot.

I'd climbed the stand a few years ago. The sit went pretty quickly once i'd figured it all out.

The Buddha Extension 8A+ 2/2/15 - the sit start off the big undercut jug.



Weather was still ming in January and I was forced to go caving with Danny O'Neil.

Egyptian Potato 7C 7/2/15

Back at the Head the arete wasn't happening, I repeated The Spastik 8A, The Boombastik 7C+ and Semi Fantastic 7C (2nd ascent)

https://instagram.com/p/zFe5VtAFfi/?taken-by=rickybell





Michael, Bri and myself set the IBL in Awesome Dublin and then the Intervarsatias in Cork. Michelle and I tried to climb in the Gap but 90 mile an hour horizontal sheep rain was about that weekend. Found a cool leaning wall though.

In mid March, Michelle climbed The Thing in the Forest E7 6c. Her first of the grade and a bit of inspiration to press on chasing the arete. Michelle had invested the psyche in The Thing and did it pretty much the first good opportunity. (there's a puddle on the top of the thing that is a bit of heart breaker - you need a fewdays of dryness in the winter to get it good nick) So good!



Back at the Head

The Goblin King HB 7B 17/3/15 - starts off the boulder and leaves you with a tricky mantle to get onto the ramp just above.



Gently Left Fr8a+? (it's gotta get a route grade I think) 17/3/15 - starts as for The Gentleman's Arete, then goes left along the rail problem...



Lockdown in the Groovy Train 7B+ 23/3/15 - sit starts the little arete down and left, then into the small undercut to two mega square slopes. A burly lock allows you into the groove. It tops out up and left.  



Flopper 7A HB 6/4/15 - climbs the little steep wall right of Get a life, get a pallet... You have to flop onto the ramp at the top. From the ground it looks like you could walk down the ramp, but I don't think you can! I kept my heels low and squeezed the fuck out of that undercut pinch, finished up and left...





Crouching Tiger Hidden Ladder 7C+ 7/4/15 - on the back side of the boulder theres a steep problem with an amazing sidepull. Start down on the flatty.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/td][/tr]

[/table]    









So I'd been at the Head a lot recently...I've re-fallen in love with the place... and the arete...I'd been absorbed by it for a while and recently I'd been trying it. I'd hit the wall on it a couple of times and thought it was never going to give in..... And then it just gave up.... I got to climb it in perfect conditions with thick skin and a strong mind on my first go that day, with not a soul around. Perfect...  

The Gentleman's Arete 8B 15/4/15  



After the Gentleman's I thought that maybe I was going to just leave the place, go somewhere else for a bit...Like maybe the Mournes... but I didn't. I briefly left to do a bit of work and tell Varian that I'd got up the problem. He was happy for me and doth'd the cap. It was a long but lovely journey on this one.

On Thursday I repeated Glen Ross 8A+/B (Dan's problem - great name, I've met the man once - big dude!)

https://instagram.com/p/18wIZAgFR0/?taken-by=rickybell



PahPah

Ricky



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

Through the Green Door, Across the Rubicon and Right Outta Bed...
30 June 2015, 2:07 pm

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Sometimes you gotta get right outta bed... photo - R.Bell[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Since I last blogged there has been a brief influx of climbing at the crags in Norn Iron. The Fair Head meet at the start of the June was ramajammed. Folk from all over and chalk all over the crag and boulders. It's very much the social event in the Irish calendar but the big stars were playing it cool, floating about the week before doing what they do best...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Clare and Calvin Abyssinia E3 5b/5c, 5c FA 30/5/15 - photo R. Bell[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

Clare and Calvin Abyssinia E3 5b/5c, 5c FA 30/5/15 -video still R.Bell

[/table]  

I'd been at the crag the week before the too, climbing on the boulders and speratically on my route prodge. This is my main goal for this 'summer' - it's been a slow burner but I've made major progress on it the last few sessions. It's a good line and the climbing is amazing...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td] Photo M. O'Loughlin[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]  Photo Michelle O'Loughlin[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Murlough Bay - Photo Michelle O'Loughlin

On the weekend of the meet I took the mini wads out bouldering. Connor and Carson are a fun team to chaperone. I just giggle quietly to myself when keeping an eye on these two. They both flow/float/babbly/ask ridiculus questions/get all awkard when there's a girl about/forget shit /trip up/ fall down holes/don't drink any water/eat sugar all day/ try hard and climb really well... Climbing on rocks is a craft and these boys know how to apply it.  [/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Conor Orr going uptown on Stop Feeding It 7A - Photo R.Bell[/td][/tr]

[/table]

The Blue Bells where beautiful, gone now..The bloody ferns (smell like farts) are out now - Photo R.Bell

Dan Varian popped out from behind a boulder. He appeared to spend most of his time shuffling big stones around. Good effort that. I gave him a hand with the flower arranging then filmed him climbing a few new problems.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Flower arranging - video still R.Bell[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Dan climbing the low start into Hypermoon 8*- video still R.Bell[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]FairHEAD, Fingers, Heels and Toes, Dan Varian opening an 8* on the back of the Pallet Boulder - video still R.Bell [/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Michelle getting all ninja...* photo - R.Bell

[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]George - photo Michelle O'Loughlin[/td][/tr]

[/table]

We found this little guy on the way to the crag one morning. George looked f*cked lying in a heap with his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Michelle got all Michaela Strachan and next thing we where standing in the shop in Ballyvoy with the wee fox. The dude in the shop said we should let nature take its course... "Em, I know what your saying mate but I don't think I could have left him there." We did a bit of googling and phoned a number. No answer. Then another number. "We only do birds". Then another number and another no answer...The dude in the shop was all "you should let nature..." and then the phone rang back. It was a wee woman called Patricia from TACT Wildlife Centre in Crumlin. She suggested give it some goats milk and bring him to her. We picked up some goats milk and took him to Crumlin. George looked very ropey on the drive and when we got him to the place he couldn't stand and just flopped about on the ground a lot. TACT is a non profit Wildlife Centre - basically this wee star of a woman caring for wounded wildlife. There were turtles with 3 legs, pigeons with wonky wings, ducks with no feathers, one eyed hedgehogs, you name it - they were all there getting a little bit of love from this wee woman. As we arrived Patricia was putting another wee fox into a volunteers car to take to the vet. It turns out vets are obliged not to charge for wild life. So it's sort of up to them if they decide to help out or put the little critter out of its misery. When we got there I'd wondered was the dude in the shop right. But when I saw Patricia with the fox, I was glad she was there to help it.

Anyway if you ever have any pet things to give away - give them to TACT.

We left the wee fox and hoped they'd figure him out. The drive back was a bit of a weird one still wondering did we do the right thing by taking him to a wild life sanctuary where he might never regain the wild (they wouldn't release such a young fox again) or should we have left him for the worms. It was a bit of a quite drive until a small bird kamikaze'd itself into the front of the van.  How do karma points work? Save a fox, kill a bird... that's us still up... right?

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Patricia and George - photo Michelle O'Loughlin[/td][/tr]

[/table]

A few weeks later we found out that he'd had two broken legs and the local vet in Crumlin did him a good job and pinned one of them and the other should heal up fine. George is currently hanging out with the other wee fox in Patricia's care. I don't think he'll ever be released but I'm happy he's alive and I thought Patricia was brilliant.

I'd been climbing on this super bold slab around the time of the little fox. I'd worked it on a rope on and off over the last month, then soloed it without pads. It's very high and the hard climbing is near the top and I'd wanted to do it in this style. No pads, no messing about, just get your head in the right place and commit. It's a bit of an ego killer this thing. Never desperate but never secure. Twelve tricky foot moves. On two of these moves you have to sustain momentum or you're off. You can't just pull onto the footholds - you gotta float onto them. One good edge to stand on and take your hands off near the top then a tricky move to gain a ramp. I climbed to the good edge to stand on near the top. If there were only 11 tricky foot moves then I could look back saying I enjoyed this little solo. But I felt the atmosphere creeping back in and I had to get right out of bed to gain the ramp.

Long Runs The Fox    E9 6c        

FA R.Bell (Solo - Headpoint 14/06/15)

Start near the right arete and gain the middle of the blank slab. Sustain throttle to a big resting edge near the top and horizontal seam. Exit up and left onto the easier upper slab.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Long Runs The Fox E9 6c - photo Pat Nolan

[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Long Runs The Fox E9 6c - photo Pat Nolan

[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Long Runs The Fox E9 6c - photo Pat Nolan[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Long Runs The Fox E9 6c - photo Pat Nolan[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Long Runs The Fox E9 6c - photo Pat Nolan[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Long Runs The Fox E9 6c - photo Pat Nolan[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Long Runs The Fox E9 6c - photo Pat Nolan[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Last week James McHaffie, Ryan Pascal and Ray Wood graced the granite. Calf and Pascal had their sights set on one of the best bits of rock in the country. Buzzard's Roost is a pretty special crag in the Mournes. The whole cliff has this perched steep feel to it. The rock is very nice, blocky then blank in sections. Ry and Calf were here to try Divided Years from the ground.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Ry and Calf warming up on War Music E5 6b[/td][/tr]

[/table] Michelle and I headed up to Roost to spectate and shoot a little footage of them trying the route. I'd got my eye on a line up the middle of the crag that I'd climbed on recently and it was a welcome change from the seriousness of the slab at the Head.

There was a load of crap hanging in the route so I said to Calf,

"Do you want me to take it out for ya? "

"Yeah Ricky, that'd be great, cheers"

"Do you want me to put some chalk on the holds?"

"yeah Ricky, that'd be great, Cheers! nice one Ricky"

So I walked round to the top of the crag and abbed in to get the shrapnel out. I rigged a rope  for Ray so the two of us could toe ourselves out and watch it go down from a really nice spot. Pascal and Calf had rinsed up the E5 super quick and were shuffling about getting ready to move onto Divided.

I abb'd down the route then jugged back up stripping the gear that had been left hanging, chalking it and pointing out some key grips. Near the top of the route I got a bit fixated with this little two finger edge. I fell from this hold when I was trying Divided in 2008. I remember my fingers dropping out of the pecker shape you have to hold. You can't crimp it because it's in this wee slot. Calf ended up stacking it on his send go. Anyway I'd got a little con-fuddled around here - there's this egde then to the right theres 'the' most beautiful granite pinch. You know the type of hold that fills the hand. It even has a perfect imprint for your thumb. Beautiful thing. I remember the move to the slope ledge at the top being tricky and bit lurpy and just presumed I'd grabbed this grip. (There's a finger jug round the corner to the right that I'd completely forgotten about...)

Calf climbed up and placed the gear before the crux then reversed to the ground. Ry did the same clipping the gear and returning to the ground. Calf's first go wasn't a bad one. He got set up on the knee bar but left himself a little short of this weird hold that you really need to get on top off, then fell tamely onto the gear. Ry got some knowledge of Calf and got pretty much all the way through the boulder problem on his first go and was eyeballing the press into the crack. He looked completely blocked and muttered "what am I doing here.." then took the ride onto the pecker. Haha, Ray and I giggled. We were the best place to watch.

Calf's 2nd go was good. He got all pro and executed every move like it was piss. Super steely on the boulder then had a conversation with Ray and I from the shake out in the crack. It was totally casual but I was about to burst his bubble with some shite beta!

I was like...

"Mate..., make sure you get a strong left hand for that edge at the top!"

"Good knowledge Ricky! Cheers"

He shook out a little then started to smash it towards the top, grabbed the two finger edge and said..

"Where am I going..?" whilst looking for other holds...I shouted

"Grab that big f*cking pinch right in front of your face and lob for the top!"

He milked the pinch a bit then lobbed his body up for the slope on the top before sagging out and shouting "shiiiiiiiittttt"

Haha - I burst out laughing the same way I did when I saw Ry whistle down the crag.

(I just find people falling through the air funny - like some sort of release from the tension of watching them about to fall)

Calf was like " Is there not a hold round to the right in the crack that Dave Mac used...?"

"uhhhhhmmmm"   I went a bit sheepish... I genuinely thought I'd used that pinch and was a bit surprised to see him fall. Such a nice pinch. Ry had another go and fell on the boulder again.

It was getting late and they sacked it for the day. Michelle and I pottered on up Binnian for some amazing light. Calf and Ryan took a rest day on the Sunday. I woke up and watched the footage of me doing Divided and I saw that I did use the hold out right. Haha, I phoned Calf and said I didn't use that pinch! I used the hold out right - I felt like a bit of a plonker... He said I know you did you bastard!  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Pascal taking the ride... video still R.Bell[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Calf casual before getting punked with some whack beta - video still R.Bell[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]A pinch...? - video still R.Bell[/td][/tr]

[/table]

On the Monday, Calf then Ryan both did the route on their first go of the day. Super impressive to watch.  They were both chuffed and I could see they just loved the route and the crag.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Calf happy at the top of the Roost... video still - R.Bell[/td][/tr]

[/table]

They then pottered on up Binnian to check out some of the routes on the Tors and I abbed in to work some moves on the line up the middle.

It's got a bit of a shocker of mini roof at the bottom, knees in your face style then there's a cool hanging ledge to stand around on, then a boulder problem on the middle section starts with a real hamstring twanger of rock over using this amazing undercut ball thing with a perfect thumb button on top of it. It's a hard move that...The route climbs really well and is not very sustained. The boulder problem in the middle of the wall is mega. There was a bit of traffic at the crag that day and I hadn't planned my journey too well and set off as Oily Grounsil was on the traverse of Spirit Level. I got into a bit of a traffic jam which is a first for me on that crag. I punted the last moves of the boulder problem and took a very tame fall onto the gear.

I lowered off and had a rest then climbed the route to the top. I didn't abb in and strip the gear, so the crux wire that I'd placed on lead, a small brass nut was insitu (which did make it easier to get through the boulder). I've always placed all the gear on lead on FA's in the past but this day was a bit busy and I wanted to get the route done before my belayer disappeared off for a well deserved pint.  

Peace Time                       E8 7a

R. Bell, R. Pascal (Headpoint - crux wire was insitu) 22/06/15

Start up War Music before heading out left at the roof. Some powerful undercutting leads to the big ledge and a hands off rest. Climb the groove above (good medium nut) to the jug slot (small blue cams) then bust into a gnarly boulder going diagonally up and left to meet the traverse of Spirit Level. There's a good no.1 cam in the boulder problem but you need the slot for your hand. Small brass nut can go in above the slot. From the end of the boulder, move right a few metres then finish straight up on airy jugs.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

The boulder problem on Peace Time - video still M O'Loughlin

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

The boulder problem on Peace Time - video still M O'Loughlin

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]The boulder problem on Peace Time - video still M O'Loughlin[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]FA of Peace Time ( McHaffie makes notes on beta for himself*) - video still R.Bell

[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Walking out of the Mournes in the evening light* - photo R.Bell

All the best

Ricky

http://dmmclimbing.com

http://marmot.de

http://www.scarpa.co.uk

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]George...* [/td][/tr]

[/table]



Source: ricky bell

[comPiler]

"There ain't no can't in AmeriCAN..."
2 November 2015, 7:51 pm





   I'm in America. I've been here since September... Home of the brave, Land of the Free... I'm somewhere I probably would not have chosen to come  to but for the circumstances. It's been a pleasant surprise. I've never been in this part of the states before. It seems more American than other spots I've visited.  

Michelle got offered to do a bit of work on her PhD in Nashville Tennessee and I decided to tag along. Why not?      I wandered about downtown Nashville on one of the first days we arrived. NashVegas some people call it. I chatted to a big fat dude call Pezz who performs country songs where the 'real' country music is performed, on the outskirts of the city, 'not this downtown muck for drunk tourists' he said. The whole scene isn't really my bag but I let on that I digged it and payed close attention to him. I was going to say here - that I always feel like a total European when I'm in America. Not that Lavery's back bar or the interior of a Fiat Scudo are in anyway a hub for Euro culture...(there's culture to be found in these places if you find the right people in them.) But I don't feel Euro, especially if you go to the crags and the real Euro's turn up - the Frenchies and Italians are dressed head to toe in Joesph's technicolours. I can't say I feel very Euro when I get terminal pump at bolt four either. That's very Irish behaviour. What I mean is that there's a little bit of culture shock that stuns my system when I enter America.      

We'd planned on being based in Chattanooga Tennesse. Where its been hot and sweaty (until very recently) and the people are friendly we'd been told (Y'all are very friendly  thanks!).    

Pezz told me all about the Three Great Battles that had happened around Chattanooga. We we're about to go there for the first time. The Battle of Lookout Mountain, The Battle of Missionary Ridge and the other one. He'd got quite excited about it and filled me in with tactics and bloody war details as well as things to do while we were there, like checking out the Aquarium. He had a confederate flag on his cowboy hat, cowboy boots, yellow teeth, a massive belly and a 'geeetar' with a pearl finished eagle's head on it. We shared a few laughs. Pezz did most of the talking, he was happy and it made me feel at ease.    

[tr][td]  [/td][/tr] [tr][td]

[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Chattanooga is really nice. A mellow city with tons of sandstone all around it. We got off to a slow start as regards climbing on rocks. We didn't get a 'veehickle' sorted straight away. We bought bikes, rented a room at the top of massive hill. My hip flexers still feel a little burnt out from that first month peddling around. But boy that hill was fun to roll down in the sunny mornings. It was hot for ages. We got the tour of some of the classic rocks from our friends Sydney Hill, Spencer Victory and The Macke's. There's so much here, I can see why there's a big climbing community.

 

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]

[/td][/tr]

[/table]    

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]Deep Creep - photo Adam Macke[/td][/tr]

[/table]  Michelle and I we're both a bit punt in the heat at the start, but we were so psyched to climb anyways. We brought all forms of climbing utensils with us. I hid the trad rack on day one. I'm on Holiday, and I'm taking it easy... I'm clipping bolts! On one of the first outings on the sandstone, I did a steep 5.13 and fell off the vertical 5.11's. It was in the nineties (that's hot!) and I couldn't believe people where actually climbing in these temps. Michelle and I soon resorted to less rock climbing, more wizzing about on our bikes bicycles.

We climbed on rocks very little in Sept. Just pottering around at the gym. Pretending to train a little. I maximised my beer intake this month after I slightly tweeked my index finger and lost the psyche for training. it sorted itself out pretty quick.  

We eventually bought a 1996 Ford ExploDer - it has a wonderful interior and smells real funky. As soon as we found our wheels we headed north to check out Kentucky's Red River Gorge

 

 

I was blown away by the climbing there. Again - so much rock and so many routes. The Southern Climbers Coalition keeps buying more land and more crags. Amazing effort. I wonder will we in Ireland ever reach this stage, where a group of climbers put their heads together and figure out how to get round some of our liability issues with regards access and bolts.

I hadn't come across Sandstone just like this before. It's pretty unique stuff I think. It lends itself to very featured wave walls and caves. Definitely some of the most fun sport climbing I've ever done. We spent two weeks climbing at the Red and we're heading back there again tomo. Kentucky was interesting. Like a lot of the states, everything is super spread out. These little towns in the middle of nowhere feel to me like little lost towns. Stuck in the past. Old red necks, young rednecks, wooden barns, lots of fucked up vehicles lying around. Quite a lot of poverty and in general, not much appears to be going on. It's hard to find vegetables. People were friendly though - once they could figure out what we were saying .

I had a funny lost in translation trying to get a mouse for the lap top as the track pad had stopped working.

I asked this older dude "Excuse me mate, where would I find a computer mouse?"  he looked and me funny and said in his southern drawl "A jitter bug..?" I had to giggle right there. I had no idea what a jitter bug was. I've heard it before in some song lyrics. A dance I presumed. I learnt from him it was also a kind of lure.

Most of our time was spent trying to onisght or do things we could get up in a few goes. It's been great to just rock up at new places and try the 5 star routes, mostly steep and with perma draws. It took a bit of sussing out to get into the swing of things, then we were having a blast. Climbing in and out of forearm obliteration is an art I'd forgotten about and I've loved the challenge of trying to make the right decisions and the battle for the chains.







https://instagram.com/p/9MW4bfAFfR/?taken-by=rickybell



 

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]photo - Michelle O'Loughlin[/td][/tr]

[/table]















 

 

I've seen plenty of wild life stuck to the roads here in Kentucky. This was just one poor fellow I enquired upon.

I've also seen, deer, raccoons, crows, snakes, turtles, foxes, armadillos! Woaw....

 

We've been back in Chatty this last week. Autumn has just arrived. I get the impression this is the best time to of the year to be living here. It's starting to look really pretty. We went to the Obed yesterday with the Macke's. Again -sandstone. Slightly different to Foster Falls or Deep Creek but at heart the same.  Pump battles after the vert walls through juggy roofs. The pics below are of Bethany Macke enjoying the classic Tieranny 5.12a.  

 

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]photo - Michelle O'Loughlin[/td][/tr]

[/table]  

I've a few things to back date here. Basically the end of our summer, turned out to be the only bit of summer we got really. I didn't get a chance to write things down before the American excursion.....  

Going back in time, I'd been Scudo'ing about Ireland. Michelle managed one of her wee goals for the trad season - Eddie Barbour's testpiece, The Rockafella E7 6c. It's an amazing line down on the steep side of The Grey Man's Path. A leaning wall on edges and side pulls with the crux at the top requiring either the accuracy or the lock strength to get into this little triangle pocket. I belayed Ed on it when he climbed it and it brought back memories slipping around on the long grass when I held the ropes for Michelle.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]photo - Michelle O'Loughin[/td][/tr]

[/table]







I was struggling to get my head around one of the projects I'd aimed for this summer. The line I'd been trying at the Head above Infidels. It was the big one and I'd set myself challenges along the way this spring and summer to get on with this line. I'd originally looked at maybe four or more years ago now. When I originally looked at it I dismissed at as outta my league and moved onto to trying the line that later became The Rathlin Effect.

I climbed on this route a little last year, with the intention of trying to get on it this summer. I was starting to figure it out and was happy with the progress I was making.



In mid July I abbed in again to climb on it. I knew I was sort of running out of time before I was going to have to stop climbing on rocks all the time and get my head down to do the last wee bit of work before going to America. This time my intention was to figure out whether it was safe enough to try and lead it. I abbed in and with another rope fixed to the gear where Infidels finishes, I towed it up to the last of the crux moves before the safety of a stainless peg...,there.... I said it. I placed it in a ledge about 12m into the top section. There is no other gear on the enitre top pitch, other than a hook near the top and and easy crack to top out.

I'm not a fan of pegs. I am however a hypocrite, like everyone else. I've bequeathed five pegs to Ireland in just over a decade of climbing new routes and I think in retrospect I've regretted all of them. I placed this one just over a year and a half ago - I don't regret it yet. Four of my Dad's old pegs are at Fair Head and I'm not telling where the other one is. It's probably oxidized back into the ether by this stage, or its fizzing at the bottom of the Atlantic. Of the four that I've whacked in at the Head, two of them are on A Bad Skin Day E7 - it would be a E8 or 9 without them, and in that case The Big Skin would be very very bold. The other two are the now shitty belay on one of the pillars on a route called The Grey Man E4 - these two particular pegs are in a really sorry state five years after I put them in. I pulled one of them out recently with my hand and I'm sorry they're there. I can think of maybe 30 or more different pegs I've clipped on Irish rock climbs. Earlier this year I sat in on a meeting as some of the activists of the Irish scene along with some heads from Mountaineering Ireland discussed updating our bolting policy. For the first hour we all got distracted by the topic of pegs and tatty lower-offs - everyone talked round in circles with varying opinions. We might as well have been better trying to nail down the origins of life or the question of free will...

I towed the rope up to where the hardest moves are approaching the ledge. I have not managed to climb up to here in a oner from the end of Infidels yet. I've come close a few times. Just a little slip of the foot. The moves are incredible. INCREDIBLE! At first they looked impossible, then probable, then I could stay in the shapes, then move between them. At one stage I told Micheal Duffy it had to be a 7C boulder here, 12 m out but high enough up the wall that you could take the ride. I'd been hoping and envisioning that if I fell off this move I'd weightlessly float down the slightly overhanging, completely blank wall below, come to a sporty stop, lower off, have a rest and have another go. My heart was racing as I let go of the end of the rope. As if it was me about fly. I let go.... The rope swooped and the tail cracked like a whip all too close to the thick grass below before accelerating out of stage left and around the arete. I was done trying Infidels project for this year... I was not good enough to try it... Maybe next year...

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]photo - Pat Nolan[/td][/tr]

[/table]  

I returned to thinking about other things, bouldering again and climbing on other things that were on the hit list. I did the sit to The Penitent Man Shall Pass 8A.

https://instagram.com/p/6LMLCtAFT_/?taken-by=rickybell

It's a meaty little sequence into one of the best 7Cs at the Head. I finished off a wee traverse I'd been trying sporadically on the Eat It boulder.

https://instagram.com/p/6LOxy6gFaZ/?taken-by=rickybell

I tried it one day with Barbour and we pondered grades. It's a little notch harder than La Potato Potato in Cushendun.

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]photo - Pat Nolan[/td][/tr]

[/table]  

It felt to me like the best parts of my summer or the most summery feelings came from a few weekend trips to a magical Island in Donegal.    

Owey Island boozongled the climbing media a short while ago with the adventures of McCune, Kilroy, Swail etc, extreme grades on over hanging walls of immaculate pink granite over the wild Atlantic. I'd missed the boat the when these adventures went down and was keen to have some Owey action for myself. The thing to do on Owey is climb virgin granite. In August I went out with Pat, Kris and Michelle and the next weekend Ron, Big Johnny joined. All parties got to leave a little legacy on Owey.

Below are a few pictures of routes, new and old and some that got away...

 

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td]photo - Pat Nolan[/td][/tr]

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]    

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]    

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]    

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]    

https://instagram.com/p/7eU9qLAFaF/?taken-by=rickybell  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]    

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Pat Nolan

[/table]  

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]    

[tr][td][/td][/tr] [tr][td][/t][/t][/t]

photo - Michelle O'Loughlin

[/table]    

We're only got a few weeks left in the States here, then we're heading home...

I've had a blast here so far but right now I feel like a bit of a home bird.

All the best

Ricky



Source: ricky bell