Simon Lee
insect overlord #1
11.4-7 Average 159.9lbs (up 1.1lbs)
M. PM/Eve LPT with Paul. Cold - mint. Just us and Jordan and Vickers there. Warmed up on UTB (so good). Two goes up on top rope on Statement. Resisted temptation to go up a third time to preserve skin and strength. Did all the moves and some useful refinements but still need sort feet in a few places. Classic hard route. Couldn’t picture being able to redpoint it. Interested to see where I am with it by the end of the week.
T. Crap night’s sleep in the van. Not used to it. Headed down to LPT way too early but worse places to hang out. Cold again. Paul thought conditions worse but I didn’t notice so much. Two other local teams. Two goes up it avoiding the first traverse. Some more good refinements and managing sections
W. Rest day exploring slate quarries. Llanberis dead.
T. Lunch Local climber wanted to run laps on the 7b on left pillar of Parisellas so gave him a belay and dogged up it a couple of times to warm up.PM/Eve. Still cold. One other local team. Climbing conditions mint. First go up linked from below 6th bolt to clipping 8th at start of top traverse and worked top traverse foot sequence. Second go a bit further linking below 6th bolt to middle of top traverse then more work on the traverse. Third go tired. Dogged to top traverse and worked it some more but even now still not got it engrained and get confused on the moves.
F. PM/Eve. Cold/mint. Just us and another couple turned up. First tie in I ruthlessly worked the top traverse and took my phone to note down the definitive sequence. Nailed and logged it. Should be able to dance across this section now if I can get it hardwired into the memory bank. Second go was a good burn from below the 6th bolt to clipping the 9th getting to the end of the traverse (14 moves). Would have been good to have got to the top but body and skin ragged by now. Short play on the last bit then called it a night.
S.
S.
Lucky to get 4 days of good conditions at LPT. Statement is one of only two iconic 8a’s I’m really psyched for (other is Cider Soak). It’s savage on the skin with generally good handholds and poor feet. It’s very sustained with the meat of the route being about 32 hard moves with only two poor shakes.
The whole route breaks down into 4 sections. Bolts 1-4 is easy and maybe sport 6c. Bolts 4-6 (10 moves) is a burly heelhook traverse with a stiff pull at the end to get stood above the lip with a poor shake - maybe Font6B+ for this section Bolts 6-8 is 12 hand moves of burly and knacky climbing leading to the top traverse and a poor shake. Bolt 8 (of 9) to the top has 7 hand moves on the traverse mainly on thin undercuts and requires an intricate foot sequence to take the power out of the moves leaving a few stiff pulls up (redpoint crux) to gain the belay.
Overall not far off doing it with a single rest point on bolt 6 and would be disappointed not to do that when next on it if fresh. Also would benefit on spending more time on the first traverse and pull up.
Great to get away for a few days - had been feeling restless. Good intro to vanlife. Was concerned that climbing 4 days out of 5 would lead to burnout so paced myself and made sure I was well fuelled. Seems to have worked as did my biggest link on my last tie on.
Good to feel like a route climber again. Plotting to head back in a week assuming weather is ok.
M. PM/Eve LPT with Paul. Cold - mint. Just us and Jordan and Vickers there. Warmed up on UTB (so good). Two goes up on top rope on Statement. Resisted temptation to go up a third time to preserve skin and strength. Did all the moves and some useful refinements but still need sort feet in a few places. Classic hard route. Couldn’t picture being able to redpoint it. Interested to see where I am with it by the end of the week.
T. Crap night’s sleep in the van. Not used to it. Headed down to LPT way too early but worse places to hang out. Cold again. Paul thought conditions worse but I didn’t notice so much. Two other local teams. Two goes up it avoiding the first traverse. Some more good refinements and managing sections
W. Rest day exploring slate quarries. Llanberis dead.
T. Lunch Local climber wanted to run laps on the 7b on left pillar of Parisellas so gave him a belay and dogged up it a couple of times to warm up.PM/Eve. Still cold. One other local team. Climbing conditions mint. First go up linked from below 6th bolt to clipping 8th at start of top traverse and worked top traverse foot sequence. Second go a bit further linking below 6th bolt to middle of top traverse then more work on the traverse. Third go tired. Dogged to top traverse and worked it some more but even now still not got it engrained and get confused on the moves.
F. PM/Eve. Cold/mint. Just us and another couple turned up. First tie in I ruthlessly worked the top traverse and took my phone to note down the definitive sequence. Nailed and logged it. Should be able to dance across this section now if I can get it hardwired into the memory bank. Second go was a good burn from below the 6th bolt to clipping the 9th getting to the end of the traverse (14 moves). Would have been good to have got to the top but body and skin ragged by now. Short play on the last bit then called it a night.
S.
S.
Lucky to get 4 days of good conditions at LPT. Statement is one of only two iconic 8a’s I’m really psyched for (other is Cider Soak). It’s savage on the skin with generally good handholds and poor feet. It’s very sustained with the meat of the route being about 32 hard moves with only two poor shakes.
The whole route breaks down into 4 sections. Bolts 1-4 is easy and maybe sport 6c. Bolts 4-6 (10 moves) is a burly heelhook traverse with a stiff pull at the end to get stood above the lip with a poor shake - maybe Font6B+ for this section Bolts 6-8 is 12 hand moves of burly and knacky climbing leading to the top traverse and a poor shake. Bolt 8 (of 9) to the top has 7 hand moves on the traverse mainly on thin undercuts and requires an intricate foot sequence to take the power out of the moves leaving a few stiff pulls up (redpoint crux) to gain the belay.
Overall not far off doing it with a single rest point on bolt 6 and would be disappointed not to do that when next on it if fresh. Also would benefit on spending more time on the first traverse and pull up.
Great to get away for a few days - had been feeling restless. Good intro to vanlife. Was concerned that climbing 4 days out of 5 would lead to burnout so paced myself and made sure I was well fuelled. Seems to have worked as did my biggest link on my last tie on.
Good to feel like a route climber again. Plotting to head back in a week assuming weather is ok.