Here is the link to the PDF, if you find any correction then please comment below, and I can update it. I do ask that if you use this then you don’t remove the links back to my coaching site.

I also run rope rescue skills for climbers, and can arrange dates to suit you – here.

My last post was from Wednesday, so I’ll start from Thursday, which was another Day at Tremadog with Damien. We had a great day, despite my one major oversight of leaving my rock boots in my car. So we climbed Obleron, Rio and Poor Man’s Peutrey. I got him tying into belays As well as following.

Everything was awesome, until the last pitch of the last route, as the sky darkened I knew what was coming, and faced with a long abseil off or me getting to the top the before it rained, I decided to go for the summit. No sooner had Damien arrived with me and the heavens opened.

That evening I headed up the quarries with llion and Katie and climbed Obsession, which is one of Colin Goodey’s finer additions to the sports climbing on slate, a great 29m pitch, or two shorter ones.

The next day I was back at tremadog with rebecca on an intro to outdoor climbing, and we climbed Christmas Curry, One Step in the Clouds, Scratch Arete and Barbarian. Even I was shocked with barbarian, as it was Rebeccas 4th route outside, although I should add she boulders V4 and leads F6b indoors! So as well as climbing I had her tying into belays, and placing gear on belays.

Today, it was a choice between Castell Helen and The Pass. With a northerly wind I thought it might be a bit cold, so went for Castell Helen, forgetting that starting too early means the sun isn’t on the crag. So we climbing Lighthouse Arete in 5 pitches with more tying into belays and placing gear, followed by Rap.

We then headed over to Llanberis, and caught the first few runners back from the Up the Hill race, before walking over to Vivian Quarry to climb one final route Last Tango in Paris. Rebecca really seemed to love this route, and was buzzing afterwards.

For me it was the end of a long week of work, that has been awesome. Climbing lots of great routes and hanging out with a great bunch of people, and calling it work. Tomorrow though its more climbing for fun.

An overview of Dinas Mot

Well almost, I should perhaps start from the beginning of my long story with The Nose of Dinas Mot. The routes, the climbers, the good times and the suffering.

Way back in 1995, I sat down and choose a university, it had to be close to climbing, it had to have mountains. Sheffield and Leeds only covered one of those bases, the University’s in Scotland are a reasonable distance away from both the climbing and the mountains, but Bangor seemed to have the best of both worlds, so I found myself enrolling on a degree in Environmental Planning and Management, and for the next three years I went out of my way to climb as much as possible, probably to the detriment of my studies, but I got the climbers degree a Desmond Two Two.

The first week I arrived I met a guy called Tom, we are still friends to this day, and managed to get about one or two routes a year climbed together, and I try to visit him in Pembroke under the guise that I will go climbing with him, when really all I want to do is borrow one of his many surf boards and annoy any surfers with my total lack of skill.

With Tom in that first year we did nearly all the VS’s, HVS’s and E1′s on Dinas Mot. Learning the ropes as we went along, and ticking all the classics that the cliff has to offer. I’ll never forget the first time we did Superdirect, as that last pitch still puts the fear of god into me, so steep and powerful for E1, but as I have become well aware all those top pitches are the same.

Intermittent journeys across this great steepening slab of rock has lead to a few more routes, and then I kind of forgot about it for a while, until I got better. Returning with Pete to climb Stairway to Heaven a thin E3, with a top pitch that made Superdirect look like a veritable walk in the park. Then it was GBH, and aptly named crack pitch that is as intense as it is short lived.

I then went up there with a young Leo Houlding, when he was working the route that became known as Trauma, and it was a fitting name, as we headed up there the wind was utterly biting. Sat on the ledge on belay duties it was horrendous. At one point I had so many jackets and hats on, I must have looked like a orange ball balanced on teh ledge from the Cromlech Boulders.

A few days later at it was Leo’s turn to try and lead it, up he went to fiddle in the wire before he down climbed back to the ledge and we bounce tested the runner. A quick run round to the gully to get out of the wind and some jumping jacks to warm a now frozen body and Leo was back up there. Four times he took the fall that day, the last time I clearly remember him way above the crux with a move to a backhand, on top-rope he had done it easily, however on lead, pump he could get to it. If it had been a flat hold he would have used a bit of power to slap it, but as a backhand he couldn’t.

The wheels fell off his wagon, and I can remember him being scared for the first and only time I can remember in all the time i climbed with him. High on the Mot, with the potential of hitting the ledge if the gear rips from about 50ft, even I was gripped as he plummeted from the rock. Every time we went there he offered me a go, but I always turned him down, mainly because I feared that I might have been able to do the moves, then I might end up where he was!

There was one route left on the Mot that was going to be a problem, Truncheon Meat, at E6 I was never going to lead it, but went up there with Caff and Tim one day, and after a bit of team work, mainly caff strength to reach the first runner, then Tim’s reach to get another and it was in the bag so I waddled up it on top-rope.

I have a great memory of my personal climbing day on my MIA assessment, Ollie the assessor had taken us to the crag, and simply said can you do pick a route you haven’t done before? Well, no, as that’ll be Trauma, I can do one I haven’t done for ten years though.

Unfortunately I was wrong, there was another route on the Nose of Dinas Mot that I had yet to climb, and it was a feature that for a while now I have really liked the look of, the arching groove between Trauma and Direct Route, it is taken by Crossties, a rather esoteric HVS, it only gets a star, but if you skipped the first pitches and only climbed the final groove it would be worth 2 at least.

I can say that now, because today I headed up in the sun, as the only real time to climb on the Mot to be honest is in a heatwave, and climbed it. There were no fireworks at the top, no champagne, just another day, another route and another experience on this great cliff. I guess most people will say, well you never climbed Trauma, and you’d be right, but I have to say those few days on belay duty, in the freezing cold watching Leo take horrendous falls, was at least worth 7 or the 8 E points it now gets, as them were the days before everyone realise you can get a good pecker below that lonely wire

Llion lead the first pitch that was wet and horrible, and then I had the delights of the top two grooves. Stepping round the corner the gapping abyss below, I fiddled in a wire from  the ledge and went to move up and round to a better hold and another wee ledge and the gear falls out. Next time I should remember not to place those wires blind!

This of course inspired me with confidence, so preceeded to shake my way up the crack to the ledge. Then move left into the base of the hanging top groove, at least this time I got the right wire first time! Anyway, I battle my way up and got to the belay. I have to say that I was probaby still feeling the effects of the weekend of partying, but I was also filled with dread from when the words ‘Hangover” came through on the text from Llion, and I am pretty sure I was climbing defensively because of it.

Anyway I borrowed a crash pad last night, so went to go bouldering today. I managed a quick Cromlech circuit, but I left my chalk bag at home so came back when I started greasing off even big handholds. The weather looks like I moght turn dramatic later, as black clouds seemed to be lined up

Traunt a spectacular VS climb in Fallen Block Zawn - Rhoscolyn

Well, I spent last night and today over at the great campsite in Rhoscolyn with quite a few friends, on what is the second father’s day meet. Obviously I am not there because I am a father, but so I can go climbing with the fathers who get to spend a day over the weekend on the rocks after spending the night before getting off the rocks!

I ended up climbing with Huw, who is also not a father, but there was good team out, and we ticked through the usual Rhoscolyn Classics, although it looked to be quite busy at the main crag so whilst a small team broke off to the main crag. Huw and I abseiled into the very atmospheric Fallen Block Zawn, where a good sea made for booming and crashing waves. Fortunately there was a good ledge high above the breakers!

Anyway after that I took some pictures of Martin on Fanfare, the same route I took pictures of him on before, then we all went and soloed Symphony Crack, before exploring over at the White Arch, where Martin and I got stuck into a rather poor and loose VD.

Sadly Llion had to work, and was goosed so we didn’t get to go out cragging in the evening as we were planning. It will have to wait for a couple of days. Anyway I hope you like the images.

Huw is enjoying the swell and atmosphere Fallen Block Zawn as he climbs up Truant.

Martin space walking up one of the steepest HVS rock climbs ever - The classic Fanfare

Team Solo on Symphony Cracks - The Greatest Sea Cliff Diff in the world?!

The South Face route o Yeansby Castle

When I left you last I was celebrating the team ascent of the old man of hoy. That celebration went on until the early hours of the following morning. Outside the Ratwick bothy next to a fire burning dried kelp. The following day was a write off, as we were all well and truly hungover.

I enjoyed my time at the bothy, as there are very few places in the world that I can say that I can sit around and do nothing for a day, but thats what I did. Enjoying the sea air and beauty of the place. The following day we got up early and headed back to Orkney with the plan to head back to the mainland, only to find out that the first ferry back wasn’t until 4.30pm. With a little over 5 hours to spare a plot was hatched to go to Yeansby and see if we could climb this.

We hit the ground nearly running, as the day was going to have us abseil in, swim, tyrolean, climb, abseil, tyrolean back and climb out. All in five hours, tick followed tock followed tick followed tock. Time was no longer with us again.

Huw sat this one out, as we arrived a mad flurry of activity followed as we rigged the abseil in and headed down into the unknown. A breif look at the topo on huws phone was all I had in my mind, as I head down. Llion had decided to take one for the team, and do the swim across, it didn’t look warm, so I arranged so very high runner to get us over the low tide.

Llion Swims out to Yeansby Castle Sea Stack

On the Island I started up the stack, and quickly got off route and pumped, before making the move back right onto the actual line. Tired arms weren’t performing as they should the flash pump putting pay to that, but there was no time to waste, so I carried on up past janky gear and two of the worst pegs I have seen for a long time.

The slopey breaks were getting harder and harder to hold, and then I was face with a small traverse back to good holds that lead to the top. ‘Don’t hestitate Mark’, ‘Just Go for it’, ‘Those holds are massive’ was what my mind was telling me, and for once I listened as I groaned my way across to them, feet covered in sand making the footholds worse. By the top the rope drag was immense but we were there. As I brought the other two up, it looked like we were going to make the ferry.

Abseiling off I had made an initial assessment of the anchor, but as I looked over the edge, I pulled back up and ask Llion to check again for me. ‘Its good’, I told him that he’d appreciate why I ask when he was stood by me, as the rope hung down in space, so all my weight would come onto this lonely spike.

Back at the base Llion and Katie reverse the tyrolean, Llion had gotten wet as the sea had risen with teh incoming tide, and as I removed some of the gear, and tied everything into one wire and the worse rope in the world. I took a deep breadth as I leant back on to the tyrolean. No sooner was my weight on it and pop, the wire went, and I was in the cold sea. As I pulled myself across up to the waste in water, I got out and started to shiver.

Now it was Llion’s turn to get us out before I froze. Up he went and within minutes came the words I wanted to hear. ‘Safe’, ‘On Belay’. At the top I stripped naked, warning the passerby to look away if they don’t want to be offended. Llion lent me his thermals, as I enter the world of the warm again.

It was then back to the ferry, and homeward bound. We stopped in Aveimore overnight, and then headed down through the rain. It had been pleasant on Orkney and Hoy, a testiment to its latitude, as it quite often misses the weather, as it is too far north.

A great few days, with a few great people and we climbed a couple of the best adventure routes in the UK if not the world. Hoy reminded me of being back in the desert a couple of years back and climbing the towers there. But is was better, more adventurous, and of course a Sea Stack!

Sight the Old Man of Hoy for the first time is a thrill and scary experience!

I have been up to H0y before and climb classic route on the Old Man of Hoy, the east Face route. Why then would I return? Well, unfortunately my main climbing partners haven’t climbed it. So why not repeat it! On top of this we offered an open invite to all my friends, and I even put a post up on this blog to see if anyone wanted to be guided up this uber classic route.

One man, a great friend Huw wanted to come, he had just finished his job and was taking a month off. Huw’s only problem was that he was not a climb but also to be fair to him dragging around a few extra pounds. When I mentioned to other friends they thought me absolutely mad, and felt that he would never summit it, they didn’t say but there was a tone to there reply, ‘Oh Really!’.

So last week we made the long drive up to Hoy, I had primed huw with photos and video’s, and explained the route and the challenges in detail. His mission was to get up the second crux pitch, after that it was all easy and we were home and dry. Huw had another problem vertigo, yes it sounds even more ridiculous now doesn’t it, but Huw hates exposure.

I know this as he has told me about been frozen almost unable to walk approaching via ferratas in Italy. I had tried to play down the approach, and the whole exprience of climbing this, the tallest, most exposed and one of the most remote sea stacks in the UK. At 137m tall, and four pitches long, it is a full on climbing experience.

As we got on the ferry for the mainland, I knew that the whole team was going to be buzzing. As sighting your goal for the first time puts a very real slant on it. No pictures can really do the Old Man of Hoy justice, and as you pass it look steeper than any image can convey. A formidable opponent is born.

We spent the night in Stromness, and Huw had already dragged us kicking and screaming to the pub. So the next day we missed the first ferry, and went to get on the second, only to be told that we’d had to wait until 2.20pm. An hour later and the ferry company phone me back and ask why we weren’t on the last ferry. ‘Well, because you said we couldn’t get on until 2.20pm’, ‘Oh sorry we meant you couldn’t get back of Hoy until then’.

Katie view the Old Man of Hoy before we descend to the base

We eventually arrived at car park in Ratwick Bay at 2.40pm, and threw on packs and made a dash for the Stack. In my head I had a cut off time, a time that would make an attempt even more foolhardy than it already was. that time was 4pm. I hadn’t told anyone yet, but for me to get Huw up there I was expecting that I was going to take at least four hours up and then an hour down plus another hour to get back to the path at the top of the crag, plus an hour for luck

I wanted to be at the path by darkness, although there isn’t much of that on the Orkney Isle in June. But working back from 11pm I came up with a 4pm cut off time. I had to be off the ground leading by 4pm, by 4pm, by 4pm.

This figure rattled through my head as we approached, it was a little after 3 as we reach the headland where you can overlook the Old Man of Hoy in all its splendor. We still had a long and difficult approach along an exposed and scary path. I knew that this was going to be a crux of its own for Huw, so as Llion and Katie forge towards the base, I spotted and encouraged Huw down. I had been prime that I was to know when he had reached his limit when every other word was the F word.

Half way down he was at about 1 in 4 words beginning with F, shortly before the bottom we hit the 1 to 1 ratio, he kept it together with mine and llion’s help. We were at the bottom at 3.40pm. Tick-tock tick-tock.

I rushed to get racked up and tried to hurry Huw along giving him one last chance to back out. He sounded determined, and that’s all I needed to hear. My plan was about to go one of two ways, we were about to pull off and audacious ascent, or it was very shortly going to turn into and epic of well epic proportions. I tried to sound confident as I tied huw into the ropes and shot up the first pitch.

As I left the ground the clock turned to 4pm, we had made my mental cut off, now to make the top! First though Huw had to climb the first pitch, he thankfully found it easy (my second mental cut off was that if he found the first pitch hard he was going down!) and as I tied him to the belay, I got him to sit and look out at where we were going, it was a steep and intimidating place.

As I left the belay, I looked back at Huw, knowing the next hour was going to be a challenge for him and me, ‘you still up for it’, the resounding yes told me all I needed to know, this man was ready for a fight.

Heading up this pitch is fine if you are with a fellow climber you just lace it with gear, with a friend and non-climber it requires greater thought. The initial descending traverse means that you really have to climb a long way with any protection to reduce any pendulum, and essentially leave one rope free of gear for at least 50ft of the pitch, which is about where the crack opens up and eats you.

Turning the lip of the chimney I look down and wonder just how he will fair. Further up and using technique the climbing is OK, I remember my first time here and it felt a lot harder, I wonder how hard Huw would find it?!

At the belay the piece are all in place, I am ready to belay on a very tight rope and Llion and Katie are with Huw now ready to belay him down to the crack. Suddenly it is happening, huw ropes start to come in, and although I am blind to his efforts I can see the progress he is making through the inches of rope that come through the belay plate. As I take in occasional armfuls I shout down bucket loads of encouragement and then I see a hand appear over the roof. ‘Go on Huw!’

In my mind is one thought, if he makes it to the top groove its all over, his only gone and body done it. Then I see his face, he is trying like a man possessed to turn the roof, so I shout where the holds are and he’s then above the roof, exhausted and knackered he takes a few rests but eventually reaches me at the belay.

Huw pulls up on the rope to gain the ledge (this was the only time he pulled on the rope!)

The rest of the route goes easier, and Huw is enjoying every pitch, he even notices that every pitch is different, the first easy, the second a steep crack the third steep and juggy and the fourth an amazing and steep corner. Then we are there at the top sitting enjoy the top with the puffins, watching the world go by.

Huw enjoying the summit of the Old Man of Hoy

Huw hugs me and I hug him back, we text, tweet and facebook as we wait for Llion and Katie who are just behind us, and then make the three long abseils back down. I lose my temper with llion for dropping a rope too early and nearly getting it caught, for which I apologise later, as I was only bothered as it was a rope I had only brought a week ago. He managed to free it.

It was 8pm when we got back to the base. Not bad four of us up and down the stack in four hours. Ahead was the scramble back to the path. Huw was exhausted, although I think we all were, the last food we had was two cheese rolls 8 hours ago. As we got to the car the beers were opened and the celebrations started as we went to the Bothy on the beach.

Ratwick bay and the amazing Bothy.

Ben chills out on the last few easy moves on Manimal F6b - Vivian Quarry

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.

Simon going for the Clip above the lip of Truffle Hunter's Roof - F6c Vivian Quarry

Ben having made the awkward Mantel on the ledge above the lip of Truffle Hunter's Roof.

Simon Lake on the hidden gem - The Madness E1 5c vivian quarry

Katie looking strong on Ivy Sepulcar

It was a lovely day when I looked out of my window this morning, however the shorts I had dressed myself in seemed a littel too casual after I went out the front door and into cloudier and windier weather. The moral of the story is just like crossing a road look both ways before commiting to dressing or crossing, but preferably not cross dressing.

The plan was to head up the Pass so we did what any sensible climber should do, and help Snowdon by leaving the car at home, and getting the old Sherpa Bus up the Pass, which is now down to £1 a ride, cheapest ride in town! Although it is about to go up to £1.10. Walking into the Cromlech it didn’t look too busy, and I was hoping that the car parking issue would have kept the crag quiet, and looking up from the road I was hopeful.

Unfortunately the looking up means that a small army of climbers can hide on the many ledges, and we were surprised to see so many teams, and basically struggled to see where they have come from. We eventually plumped for Ivy Sepulcar as it looked free from traffic, only when Llion reach the ledge did he realise that there were already people on it.

A good hour wait and Liion and I point Katie at the pitch, she walked up with disappointing, ease, and I was glad they could see me struggle, although I suspect they heard the grunts as I thrutch through the crux! It was then time for us to descend back to Llanberis, where like true bums we thumbed it home, after realising that the Sherpa bus might not every turn up! Certainly not in teh 30 minutes we were waiting!

Anyway a lovely day out, the sun shone although my climbing didn’t, I think I have issues with the cromlech, I was having a lovely day until I walked past the spot where we rescued a student after a nasty fall, not to mention Tom another student who wasn’t so lucky! It sometimes seems very hard to get away from these thngs.

Someone on Left Wall

Me high on Scavenger, trying to warm my face!

After yesterdays battle Tom and I decided that we should have a rematch with the Far End of Main Cliff, and that we should get on Scavenger, which is supposed to be one of the classic of Gogarth, but since it is at the far end, requiring not only the walk in from South Stack but and Epic traverse across the base of Main Cliff at low tide, I had yet to climb the route.

We went with a different plan of approach today, whereby instead of taking one of the two halfs of the rope that yeasterday we neatly cut in two, instead we would take both and tie them back together. You have got to laugh at our stupidity, but it worked and the descent was a lot easier, and we arrived dry on a ledge about 8 metres away from the start of the route, and then traversed back to its base.

From below, scavenger really doesn’t look that much, main as you simply can’t see the groove line that it takes from the ground. However the short crack leads up a corner to a great belay ledge, before it heads on up and then traverse out right to the most amazing groove feature. We did some bad plannign again as the belays were in the shade, so I shivered whilst Tom lead the main pitch.

Again we headed into the twilight zone and emerged some 3 hours later into our glowering spot high on the edge of the abyss that is that far end of main cliff. Soaking up the sun, and cowering from the wind. Another great day, and having climbed the route, not only is the route classic, it is one of the best HVS’s anywhere, and if you use our approach beta from day two its relatively easy to get to, and if the tides in you could climb the first pitch of Nightride to get to the large sloping ledge at the top of the first pitch.

Tom bridges up the initial corner on pitch two of Scavenger

Looking down the stunning final groove of pitch two of Scavenger

Me Enjoying the final groove of pitch two of Scavenger