I can’t remember the time last night, but i got a call from Pete Robins it went something like this:
‘Hi mark, do you want to go climbing tomorrow?’
‘Yeah Pete I was meant to do some school work, but what the hell?’
‘Cooool! There is a bit of an agenda though?
‘OK, whats on it?’
‘Well I need to get some pictures on a couple of routes…’
‘…and those couple of routes are?’
‘The Quarryman Groove and Released from treatment’
‘Shit, OK Pete I’ll come and belay you’
So with that I committed myself to some extreme belaying, as getting to the based of the quarryman groove is a little bit well, adventurous when it comes to abseil approaches. Although secretly I had a desire to attempt to top rope this historic pitch. For those of you born to recently who haven’t seen Johnny Dawes walk up this groove then you ain’t lived. See Pete throwing shapes for Ian Parnell, made it look pretty straight forward, in that you just back and footed like your wrestling a bear and then got into a few contortion that made it look like the bear was winning the fight before you unwrap yourself and swarm up the jug to glory!
So when Pete has finished his turn at the limelight, and boy you need to get the next copy of CLIMB magazine as these pictures are going to be phenomenal, I have wanted to take pictures of this pitch for ages, and have a fisheye that i thought would look mad as look out the groove, and down. By all accounts Ian had the same idea, as well as some other angles.
Anyway I was dead nervous stood at the bottom, probably because I knew that this single pitch was probably one of the most full on, insane and unorthodox pitches in the quarries if not the UK. As I layback up the bottom of the groove I felt good, and my progress seemed to at least be upwards. Then I had to commit to flicking into the groove, which was well unsuccessful, but we had to get another route done, so there was no hanging about. The next section is back and footing, but your left hand pinches the arete to get some extra purchase, before the arete disappears and you are left with a wall so smooth you can see your own grimace in it, and in my case that ain’t no pretty sight.
I manage to make a couple of shape that were reminiscent of Johnny in the video, as well as a few sounds that were reminiscent of someone become burgled from behind (see Whitnail & I for reference). I had to stand on every bolt to rest as well as hang on the rope to rest, and both holds in the groove to rest. In fact I have only ever come that close to having a heart attack once in my life and that was tackling the top 8 ft of Winking Crack at Gogarth. I flopped onto the ledge like a fish that had lost the fight against the angler. Pete suggested I rest whilst he jumar out, I said ‘uuuuhhhhh!’.
Anyway the second route was one that I had been on a long time ago, it had become a thing, as I tried to make it out across the traverse of the first pitch. I took a couple of 40-50ft pendulums, and to a certain extent saw it as a rite of passage for a Rainbow Walker. Today though we wanted pictures of the second pitch, so rather than follow Pete I suggested that I give it a bash, I had after all only narrowly failed on the recalcitrance a few weeks back, and besides it is high enough not to be hitting the ground.
SO before I knew I had strapped myself in and arrange a few wires at the start of the traverse, and launched out across the immaculate purple swave of rock. Pete reckoned it to be E5 6b this pitch, sop I was surprised that I made it across with relative, ease, in fact I whooped with joy when I swung down onto the jug, to hold the crux. I was actually enjoying this pitch. Stepping on I felt my confidence grow, it felt like climbing had done years ago, when I was chasing the endless dream of self improvement, but this time I was just doing a route because to follow Pete again would be boring, and of course Ian was snapping away at me climbing. (the Narcissist in me just loves the attention).
Anyway, I can recommend the the 2nd pitch of Release from Treatment, with the top out up the finish of Cystitis by Proxy, as a very pleasant 2nd pitch to Poetry Pink, Pete was right it is about E5 6b, but reasonable 6b. Anyway, for a day that was meant to be all belaying, i had a great time and kicked my arse into gear by scampering up a reasonably hard route on the hallowed arch of the Rainbow. I must return to climb the recalcitrance.
POSTSCRIPT: I saw the photos late last night after going round to a friends house warming party, I was too messy to type, but the photos are amazing that Ian took of me I don’t want to display any of his work here because it is his, however he did blog it over on his site. Ianparnellphotography.
The other photos are by a Centre Assistant Oli Barker, he was out climbing on the combat rock area of the quarries with a few of the other Brenin CA’s. A big thanks to him