Well, I have mainly been on the Slate recently, there are two reasons for this the first being that we now seem to be suffering from April’s showers, whereas in April we had mays sun. So Slate has been great between the showers, and I have been trying to tick the few decent obscure routes that I have yet tio do.
Today was just another day revisit old ground and trying a little of something new. I headed out with Simon and Michelle, back into Vivian. As I remebered a few routes that I wanted to have a go at again, as well as a route I hadn’t done before. We had decided against the upper quarries as the weather was quiet bleak and thought we’d get some shelter from the wind in Vivian.
Climbing in Vivian isn’t as straight forwards as possible anymore, ever since they introduced a £4 park fee in The Padarn Car Parks, it means finding somewhere to park in the village that doesn’t have parking restriction and then walking over there. As to me £4 is a little on teh steep side for parking there, its like a climbing tax!
Anyway we walked up to the Night of the Hot knives Level, and Simon lead manimal a great little F6b+, which is pleasant enought for most of it, but requires a stiff pull of a tiny hold if your short. I then manned up and tackled the route ‘Night of the Hot Knives’, a pokey littel E3 that climbs up a rather bitty ramp/flake, the gear was fairly poor in places and the last move to get an obvious jug was quite goey. I had though pre-placed a sling over the top, and thank god I did as the top out is hideous.
We then went up a level to The Ritter Sport Level, and Simon was instantly taken by the Truffle Hunter’s Roof, a rare and interest roof on slate. He dispatched that, and I followed, I forgot how good it was to cut loose on those jugs!
Final Simon climbed The Madness the classic littel E1 hidden up here. Ben who features in my book was climbing as well, and I took a few snaps of him as he followed us up the manimal and truffle hunters roof.
