[Fiend]

Ah, thanks for reminding me. Not trying to blag any accomodation, but do you or anyone know of any bunkhouses / hostels / uber-cheap b&bs / small fixed caravans in the area?? Somewhere a bit more palatable to crash out in a cold autumn evening than a tent... Used Eric's last time which was okay...

(I.e. one open to the general public)

Cheers if you do know...



P.S. Houdini, I'm a big girly wuss, I have lots of cams.

[Falling Down]

Falling Down - fancy a weekend there?? Follow me along Path To Rome and I'll be your bitch for the other day

I would but my schedule is pretty chocka between now and Christmas so it might have to be a quick raid, perhaps even during the week.  I'll be sh*tting myself mind as I've barely climbed any routes this year... perhaps that will add to the experience.

The in-laws have a 5* pad in Abersoch so you'll not have to use a tent..

[Fiend]

Well, let me know, I'm flexible and up for quick raids. fiendophobia [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk and / or 07958 343645

No worries if you're busy tho, it's a long shot and I'm sure I'll find someone at some point. But it would be cool to meet up again.

[Fiend]

Trwyn Maen Melyn
Bardsey Ripple E2 5b - done, cool route, utterly bizarre rock, quite a trip.
Incredible Surplus Head E3 5c - failed, dropped off the finish due to heinous pump, merciless top-out

Pen Y Cil
Manx Groove E3 6a
 
Craig Dorys
Knowing Her E2 5b - done, first Lleyn route, steady and good fun, a bit committing higher up.
Cripple Creek E3 5b - done, wobble wobble wobble at the start, great Dorys climbing higher up.
Direct Hit E4 5c
The Mermaid Who Shed Her Glove E4 6a - done, highly terrifying start, looseness less of a problem than lack of gear, still satisfying.
Byzantium E4 6a

Cilan Head
Rastus E2 5b - easy ledge-shuffling, but crept my way up with some fear and spectacular rope drag.
Path To Rome E3 5c

Tyn Twyn Quarries
Samurai E2 5c - walked in, walked up, walked out, pretty tame, more Leicestershire than Lleyn, fun moves tho.

Got another couple done....well, an overall gain of one route as I added Samurai to the list for completeness.

Samurai was piss but suprisingly fun climbing. Thanks to JB for the route line info and Pantonius for confirming it, useful stuff.

Rastus was an interesting experience, aside from the vague element of cheese and rope drag. When we were setting up the abseil (good approach info, thanks), we saw at least 5 dolphins (or maybe porpoises) bounding past scarcely a hundred yards out to see. Amazing, never seen anything like that in the UK or for that matter almost anywhere else. Then on the route, on one of the grovels onto a guano-splattered ledge, I poked my head over and was confronted with stashed offering - a rabbit spine with the back leg bones and it's little furry paws attatched....

I think this sums up the Lleyn experience well: The beauty and the horror.



So....

4 routes left, I reckon that's 3 days, one for Path, one for Manx, and one for Byz and Dir Hit - 3 days in 3 months, should be cool. Path I think might be a bit of a sticker finding a partner, it also intimidates me a bit, so I'm making sure I keep strong. Manx, I had a look at the picture in the old Paul Williams and it's got me more inspired. The Dorys routes I will save till last as an almost final "treat", I know they will be fuck scary but they still inspire me.

Now then, I've also had a cunning plan. More cunning than a sack full of weasels. I will consider giving in to JB's or Andy P's pressure to do Vulture, but only if I do it with one of them. Or both. How about it lads??

[andy popp]

Now then, I've also had a cunning plan. More cunning than a sack full of weasels. I will consider giving in to JB's or Andy P's pressure to do Vulture, but only if I do it with one of them. Or both. How about it lads??

You must be joking, there's no way you'll get me anywhere near a pile like that!

[Jaspersharpe]

 

[Fiend]

Well there we go 

[andy popp]

Well there we go 

I haven't changed my view on the 'must do-ness' of Vulture its just that you mistake me for someone who actually goes climbing and isn't completely rubbish and chicken.

[Houdini]

Really? 

I thought Frodsham had been busy of late?

[BenF]

Timely reminder for me there Houdini...

Andy (or indeed anyone else), I don't suppose you've soloed (or led for that matter) the two high roofs at Frodsham that were ludicrously given V7 in the Western Grit guide?  The one at Great Buttress and the one at Cave Buttress.  Tom's Roof and I Was a Teenage Caveman are the names.  They're both about english 6c on toprope and as far as I know they haven't been soloed thanks to the dodgy rock, hard climbing, poor landings and their height above the deck. 

Before they get recorded in another guide as toprope problems (Chadwick did the same in his guide), I will post a thread to cast the net out to see if anyone has been bonkers enough to solo either of them (and clarify a few other bouldery things on Cheshire sandstone), but since we're on the subject I may as well check now if Andy has done so.

[andy popp]

No I haven't. I think there may be one or two other things to do there as well. With a new guide in the offing it would be good to get Cheshire sandstone as near to completely developed as possible. Pete and I certainly both have ambitions left at the mighty Helsby. Just to add these would both be worthwhile propositions I think, especially the Great Wall one - haven't been on them at all though. Start the thread Ben.

[BenF]

Start the thread Ben.

Oh go on then, twist my arm, lets talk about sandstone...


PS: Andy, I've now started a bouldering thread, do you want to start a routes thread for Helsby etc?

[andy popp]

Start the thread Ben.

Oh go on then, twist my arm, lets talk about sandstone...


PS: Andy, I've now started a bouldering thread, do you want to start a routes thread for Helsby etc?

Not sure I'm really keen to do that - it might involve highlighting all the gaps I've got my beady little eyes on.

[Johnny Brown]

I will consider giving in to JB's or Andy P's pressure to do Vulture, but only if I do it with one of them. Or both. How about it lads??

Anyday, you name it, I'm well keen. However I'm also dead keen to get pictures of both Vulture and Path to Rome, let me know when you're planning on going down and I'll see if I can make it.

Effort on Rastus, I don't know too many folk who've done it. The cetaceans you saw would have been Bottlenose Dolphins - porpoises are generally solitary. That pod is resident in the area, last time I was down I spent an hour sat on the hillside near vatican zawn with binocs (one of my favourite places just to sit and stare anywhere, amazing,. there were about 50 choughs that day too) and eventually spotted them about a mile out doing cartwheels. They came past us at Charlie's point on the international meet too. Kiwi Kate was the only one who saw then though as having topped out first, she was facing out. Everyone else was climbing or belaying. Whilst on the subject, I wouldn't bother climbing there again.
If you're ever staying in Abersoch check out the turtle photography gallery, he's got some nice pictures of the dolphins and local landscape.

[andy popp]

A taker. You still have to lead every pitch Fiend.

[Falling Down]

About 12 years ago (I know this because I wasn't married at the time) I was surfing Porth Ceriad on a late Summer evening with only me and one other guy out.  The sun was setting casting purple rays into the sky... the swell was smallish but all of a sudden it jumped quite a bit and I took off on a wave, went to backdoor the peak and tucked into a short barrel as one of the local Dolphins leapt out in front or me as the barrel curtain fragmented into a thousand rainbow fragments before my very eyes.... amazing.

If you swim under water when the Dolphins are around you can listen to their clicks and whistles.

PS _ I'll do the routes with you mid week sometime in early December if we get the weather and you'll be patient enough with a gibbering wreck - I might not be up to Vulture though unless someone convinces me its VS ledge shuffling with a couple of pulls up vertical walls in between.

[Fiend]

A taker.

Dammit, arse, my bluff has been called!

You still have to lead every pitch Fiend.

Hmmm see that was the plan of doing with both JB and you, I would volunteer to be the middle man to not deprive you elder and younger statesmen of british trad of the experience .

JB:

Well I'll see how it pans out with Vulture (it would be the very last one). At any rate I will let you know if I'm heading over to do Path. I have a vague idea of getting Cookie over there for that, possibly early next week if the weather is good. I'll PM you whenever I know for sure.

Thanks for dolphin info, nice to know what they were!!


Falling:

I might not be up to Vulture though unless someone convinces me its VS ledge shuffling with a couple of pulls up vertical walls in between.

I get the impression the VS ledge shuffling bits are at least as worrying as the rest!!

Okay, if the mission isn't completed by Dec, we'll do something .

[clm]

ill come down for a lleyn weekend - not going near vulture though

[Johnny Brown]

JB:

Well I'll see how it pans out with Vulture (it would be the very last one). At any rate I will let you know if I'm heading over to do Path. I have a vague idea of getting Cookie over there for that, possibly early next week if the weather is good. I'll PM you whenever I know for sure.

Not working next week, keep me posted.

ill come down for a lleyn weekend - not going near vulture though

you big puff.

[clm]

 

[Fiend]

Hmmm not sure it's happening this week, have a possible partner for the end of the week but forecast is not so good then...

[Fiend]

No progress due to weather

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/wl/abersoch_forecast_weather.html

This weekend dry but have been musing about whether 4-6'c, not much sun, and fair SSE-ly breezes are the optimum "hanging around on sea-cliff" conditions. Probably not.

However, in checking guidebook for crag orientations, have realised that (out of remaining hit list) only Cilan Head is bird-banned, Pen-y-Cil and Dorys aren't....so I only have 1 (well okay 2 if I fail to nimbly outwit JB) day/route to fit in before February. Quite a relief, might actually get the mission done then...

[Drew]

Big wuss!!!

Grab a down jacket, and get yourself up them cliffs before they fall down!!!

Actually... that's more truthful than it should be. A mate went to Cilan (I believe) and spied "an awesome new line". Unfortunately it was too dark to do anything. He went back a week later and the entire cliff face was on the floor.

And for the record, I'm totally unjustified in calling Fiend a wuss, as I've never climbed on the Lleyn (except Porth Ysgo), and probably never will!

[Fiend]

It's not so much me, as suitable partners. I know a few people who are kinda interested but getting them there on a very cold weekend, when it's really my plan and inspiration, is unlikely.

[Drew]

So give them your downie?

Surely someone as prolific as your good self knows a few of the Llaberis crew, who may have the weekend off. I'm sure I could name half a dozen guys who would be up for some Lleyn action.