On the friday, I headed back out on the slate, and Me, Llion and Katie climbed one of Ian Lloyd-Jones new routes in Twll Mawr. We climbed the left hand groove one. It was a grwat F6c, multipitched route. We did it in the evening forgetting that the nights are drawing in so Llion had to link the last two pitches to get one of us to the top before darkness fell. Although by the time Katie and I were climbing it was dark in the hole.

This is an awesome route, the first pitch was the crux, it spat me off, so pushed for time I just pulled straight back on. Katie did the same on the second pitch that is probably around the same grade, and llion styled the top pitch.

A very atmospheric route for the slate, as there were several rockfalls as we climbed the route, one of which was impressively l

Happy Days, Simon above the hard climbing on Heading the Shot - E5 6b

I spent the last couple of days up around the Never Never Land area, ticking a few easy and not so easy routes. Yesterday I was easy stuff, and I did a route that has to be the biggest waste of Stainless Steel since they started make trendy fridges out of the stuff.

We started up 362 a great route, and then did a route opposite the upper tier of Never Never Land, its so bad I don’t even want to know its name. Today was different as I went out with Simon and we had a quick run up a few classics. I started up Kubla Khan E4 6b, not a good way to warm up, but it blew away a few cobwebs, and I got close to total frustration trying to lasso the spike at the top. A cowboy I am not!

Then Simon nipped up Short Stories E4 6a, I forgot how awesome this route is. After that we went to Seamstress slab and I did Slug Club Special E4 6a with the spike clipped from seamstress, I dropped the ropes for simon and he did it more how intended with a runout to teh first spike.

After that Simon did Heading the Shot E5 6b, and I took some photos, and then a guy called Tom who’s on the BSc Sport Science with Outdoor Activities at Bangor, top-roped and then lead it. I then amusingly tried the Medium a F8a slab!

A great day out.

Simon Eyes up one of teh resting jugs on Heading the Shot

Tom press out a reach to a jug on Heading the Shot - E5 6b

Tom eyes up the jug at the end of the crux sequence passing the third bolt on Heading the Shot - E5 6b

After that I head up to the quarries with Llion and Bunny, I wasn’t too psyche after all the adventure at red walls, it felt rather to familiar heading to Seamstress Slab and doing Seamstress and Seams the Same. However we then went up to Yellow Wall which isn’t as familiar.

Llion lead the Great Curve, a great Little E3, although if you start it direct rather than the recommended way it is really about E2, and way easier than the E2 I did Slippery People, which for sub six footers is rather pokey for the E2 5c grade, in fact its more E3 than The Great Curve is.

After that it was Llion’s turn to climb Remain in Light a nice little E4 straight up the wall past a number of bolts, with a tasty run-out in the middle. Great climbing, although I think I need new shoes and the edges are gone on mine and so are the rands, so standing on such small edges was both desperate and painful.

Filmset Quarry - before it was a filmset!

I was contacted today by a production company who are in the process of making a documentary about ‘The Keep‘, which was filmed in Glyn Rhonwy Quarry during the early 1980′s.  A few years back I took the co-producer down into the quarry, which requires an abseil approach and I had to haul them back out, as they simply weren’t going to be able to jumar out.

This company is keen to contact anyone who worked on the film, as safety, rigging or extras. The film has a cult following, as it was one of Micheal Mann’s first films.

If you know anyone who worked on this film then if you contact me through the comments function I can send you the production companies contact details, as they are planning on doing some filming in the Llanberis area at some points.

They did send me some photos of the quarry back then, it has since become very overgrown.

The film set of Michael Mann's - The Keep

I then lowered off whilst llion had a go. Then I was up and managed to power through the crux, I have to say my confidence to commit above bolts has improved as despite a small part of my brain wanting to give up as I past the bolt, the more dominant side for now told me to truck on.

I got past the crux to the tricky move to the jug in the groove and fell off pumped. Still was good to fail, but be strong in the head and keep going till I was proper finished rather than just thinking I was!

After that Llion lead Gnat Attack, and I have to say those bolts are very worn now, hopefully we can get them replaced soon. Not a bad night after a day hitting the jumars coaching all day! One day I will actually redpoint all these route I have narrowly failed on, as one more move on Geordie Warcry and you get to a rest and easier climbing to the top!

I then went on to top rope Forsinain Motspur, a F7c that I have been on many times before. I know my sequence its just a question if getting my body to remember to do it! A rather powerful little route, but great. Really liked it, I might well try and get back on it in a while, might need to do some more sports climbing and come back on a warmer, but not too warm day.

After that it was night three in the Heights, was rammed in there again tomorrow, after all the fourth night is always the charm!

After that I planned t go bouldering with Llion this evening, just as we were about to leave the house the rain started and I don’t think it is about to stop. So we had a great session up at the beacon. Better than monday when I had a hangover.

Anyway not looking forward to tomorrow when the misery continues with more rain!

Matt Smith or Smythe? or Stu Plumb on Night Glu, a classic F7a+ on LPT

After spending the morning at LPT we returned for tea and medals before heading back up the quarries, where I sandbagged Simon into leading the Mau Mau. He did really well, and should have flashed it, however he managed to make his foot slip off a hold the size of a window ledge.

We then flail miserably on the neighbour Dark Destroyer, I would note that the last time I tried this I knock a crucial hold of the start, and thought it would still be climbable. Unfortunately the hold is crucial for the starting crux sequence, so it is either A) much harder than F7c now or B) still F7c if you start it up the Mau Mau and make a move left to gain the hold that was at the end of the dyno, or by the second new resin anchor.

Some piccies of some other chummers from the neighbouring routes. One abseilled in asking where Pull My Daisy is. “Not on this crag!”

Will facing the tricky top on the Mau Mau

Will on the Mau Mau classic E4 thuggery on Rainbow Walls

Steve Perry on German School Girl E2 rainbow walls

Steve Parry on The German School Girl

The driest route was Goose Creature, so we nipped up that, then a quick top rope of Swan Hunter. We were fairly uninspired at this point, and nearly went home, but we had a go on Gaddafi Duck the start was a bit damp, well it all was, but I managed to clip stick up to the second bolt and then climb it clean. After which Rich lead it with the second bolt clipped.

It was trying to rain on us, with very light drissle in the air so we cut our losses, and headed for home!