It has been a while but was finally back out working this weekend, went to Tremadog on Saturday teaching lead climbing. We climbed Rio HS, Bobo Diff, Obleron Severe and Finally nipped up Yogi. Not a bad day out and the office was tidier when I was last their. Someone has kindly felled all the trees from the base, allowing me to gain more access to the sun.
The next day we headed to Idwal slabs and my client lead up Hope, before I took over and lead them up Lazarus and Groove Above, now the starting move on groove above is hideous. I forgot how hard it was! I remember doing it in the rain with a large sack on years ago on a kids climbing course. I damn near fell off. Which if the myth and legends I have heard are correct would put me near the same level as the mighty Pat Littlejohn, who is reported to have fallen off that move on his guides test in a large rucksack in the rain but in big boots!
I met up with Llion after work to climb left wall, it was just how I remember it the first time I climbed it many years ago. A long wait behind people who climb very slowly and whose second needed a winch. The first time I went to climb it I gave up because there was one team on the route another in front, and after two hours the first team hadn’t topped out, we climbed cemetry gates and the corner instead, and the second group waiting had started up it yet.
Anyway we waited and waited, got colder and colder. When llion eventually got going I think he had been psyched out by their display of making the route look hard. He got to the just below the crux and a semi rest, and kept trying to commit to the crux, however his arms were spent, and he eventually rested. Whilst there, he got a ring side seat to see Ioan Doyle climb Overlord. which is a fantastic effort.
I belayed him on it a year ago and he was definitely going to do it. He had one other go but was rained off, then yesterday he top roped it once pulled the rope and styled it. Good effort to the young boy! I also saw young Callum strapping it to suicide wall in Ogwen, he tried Mur Y Meirwon (Wall of the Dead) E5, but the holds were damps and he retreated before he got ejected from the route. Good to see some very strong local talent developing!