Well I headed out this morning with Rich, not climbed with him before so always interesting ‘breaking in’ a new partner. I know that the Universoty of wales Bangor has been doing some interesting work on the effect of perception of belayer. I know that I climb best with just a few people, that over the years I have formed very strong level of trust with, and it was nice to climb with someone new, and realise that I can climb reasonably hard with somebody else hold the ropes.
We had a good day and I took Rich to do a few routes he hadn’t done before in Vivian, as it was our best hope of shelter. We climb Mentil Lentils, Psychotherapy. I then dogged up Weetabix Connection with my new clip stick. Have I told you how awesome it is yet? Anyway they still have a truck load in V12!
I have to say that I don’t think I would have climbed the route ground up putting in the clips as the bolts are in the wrong place for a man of my stature. I sent it on the first redpoint attempt, and it felt good, a couple of throws for good holds, although I was shaking like a shitting dog the moment my waste got above the bolt, I must remember those breathing exercises and relaxation that I use of trad climbs when on sport. I do find the transistion hard though.
After that we did Last Tango, and Rich lead the Dervish. It was his second time, I have forgotten how many times I have done it probably up to 4 to 5 times this year! He did well, as I would have been psyched out after the american lass who hit the floor moments before, well I say hit the floor, more like hit a passing climber who brtoke her fall well! Fair play to her, as I offered to clip the first good runner for her, and she went on and led it. Hope she got it clean.
I then left Rich and met up with Llion and Katie. The plan was to repeat a 50m E3/4 that goes up California Wall. I know the guy who put it up and he must be taller than LLion and I, as well as being really strong. As I thought the run out between the first and second bolts was worth E5, as Llion backed off from above the first bolt, down climbed and jumped and was closer to the ground than you would want to be.
Out came the Clip Stick, and with a bit of scrambling up to teh side we clipped the second bolt, and up Llion went. All was going well till it rained, the second time we have been rained off this wall with him on the lead! It eventualy dried and he continued on, only to find the route joined Central Sadness before the beefy hand crack, and he hadn’t taken small cams, so he well and truly manned up and lead onto the top. Where he ran out of rope, so more like a 60m pitch!
Now don’t get me wrong here, the route is good, but it is not E3/4, more E4/5, I would say E5, as it is way harder, more sustained and more run out than Central Sadness that gets E5. Although it gets the grade as the gear is rather janky. It is though to a certain extent a rather pointless by-pass to the best E5 on Slate, that being Central Sadness. It is a nice route though Barni, probably worth a star or two, although don’t blow the seocnd clip!
We have to apologise to the team that was on that, as at one point there was six people sharing the top pitch of Central Sadness. We all survived and we all seemed to enjoy the safety in a numbers!