Life in the Vertical

Well, I have spent the last few days typing, as well as a rather bizzare book which has made it to the first draft stage (I don’t want to tell you what its about at the moment!). I have been working on a couple of eBooks, which are more in keeping with my coaching. One on The Coaching process, that looks at how we can effective teach someone a skill, as well as some other aspects of coaching like team and relationship building and reflective practice. This book is coming along nicely, and if I get a US Tax ID soon, it will be initially available for iPad users through the iBook’s store.

I have also been working on another small ebooklet on Avalanches, and spent the last couple of days working on some illustrations. I have a few other ideas for books, but have decided not to start writing them before these are finished. Although I have found writing two things at once has given me enough time away from the other projects to allow me to read them with a bit more objectivity.

There still isn’t much work on the instructing front, so this writing is at least keeping me busy. Although trying to make sure I only do it when the weather is poor. Today was just such a day with some right deluges of rain and hail. This evening the clouds parted and the slate seemed like an option, so I sent out messages to a few people and got a response.

So Liam and I headed up to the Dervish Slab, where after an initial shall we warm up, or shall we just get on it, the consensus was to man up. I headed up first, and it was the first time upit this year I think. Can’t really remember, anyway, it was about par for the course, not too hard and not too easy, which is a good place to be this early on in such a poor climbign season so far.

I abseilled off and stripped the route for Liam. He did really well, and it started lightly spitting as he reached the crux, by the overlap it was more persistent. Then  finally everything was wet, Liam put in an awesome performance to remain composed on the top crack, well more of a seam to be honest. He had to dry the large sloping ledges off with a chalk ball, so if you get on it and those holds look painted, it was Liam making them hangable.

Back in time to cook Lasagne. Sweet.

There are pictures on my twitter feed @verticallife, feel free to join me over there, as I do add some stuff on there thats not published here. I also have recently made a FaceBook page for Snowdonia Mountain Guides.

The Beautiful Craig Dorys just outside Abersoch

Usually heading down the Lleyn for a climb is filled with fear inducing trepidation, and friday was just such a day. Why? Well we were heading to Craig Dorys, for most the loose nature of the climbing is a risk too far, but a for a few, the brave and the fool hardy it is a lovely piece of tottering tot. As beautiful as the sublime setting of a secluded cove hidden from all but the chosen few who call this place simply “Dorys”.

A typical Lleyn day has several stages to it, first is the decision to go. This often comes down to meteologicial reasons, as the mountains suck in in all the bad weather, and Tremadog and Gogarth lose their appeal, and the memories of last visits fade the Lleyn beckons. Then you remember the breaking rock under foot and hand, the soaring exposure, and the complete experience these route hand out in the bucket full, and with it bravery takes over.

Having laid down a proposal a few days before, you end up in a situation where you have to put your money where your mouth is, so as it was drizzling in Llanberis, Llion and I made our first pilgrimage of the year to this femme fatale of a crag.

Thus started phase two getting, there. Which might seem as simple as pointing your car west, but with all things that take that much mental commitment, you need to make a pit stop in the Spar in Pwllheli, often referred to by me and my friends as the super deli in Pwllheli. The caffine and cake stop does as much to delay your arrival at the crag, a form of procrastination, as it does serve a functional purpose to actually stock up on food and water.

Stepping out the car, and the jitters are already apparent on my body, the walk in does little to calm the nerves, and racking up below the Stigmata Buttress will fray most people nerves to shreds. This 120ft high cliff of questionable permanency somehow overhangs, and seems to be held up by some form of magical spell, easily boken with the lightest of touchs.

The ugly beauty of the Stigmata buttress, Cripple creek follows a right hand most hanging groove.

The initial rock band is the worst, although it barely improves as you gain height. My plan for today was the classic Cripple Creek, a single hanging groove line that shoots a direct line up the cliff to an overhang that protects the last 15ft. Racking up I go with the battlefield mentality of you can only place as much gear as you bring, and paraphasing Ed Douglas commentary on the iconic Gogarth video, Protection is based on quantity not quality. Loading myself down with over a double rack of cams, wires and about 20 quickdraws, I could barely move as I made the first move up the initial wall, and place a cam, that may have stopped me dropping down the slopes below to the sea.

That initial wall, is loose, real loose, its like playing a game of vertical jenga, as you work out which holds you can use, the higher you go the more commited you are, until you finally gain a ledge at the base of the corner.  A weiry peg, and a tiny cam offer a small reward for the intial foray up this wall, two body lengths above is the next gear, beyond that is unimportant, and like a war, the first battle lines are drawn.

With a move upwards the battle between body, mind and rock begins. Shapes flow, height is gained and the gear is reached. Stuffing gear into the small crack like a bloated christmas turkey, anxiety falls and attention is focused on the next gear, and then the battle plans are drawn for the next skurmish upwards. Will that hold support my weight, will that one…

Before long you are sucked into a war zone that resembles downtown mogadishu, I have enter the zone though. Processing a million variables every second, body and mind working in perfect synchronisity. Half way up the crack, and I have four quickdraws left and about three cams that will fit the crack, a new battle of the mind to work out what I should place where adds to excitement, time has gone from my world and in what could have been and instance or and hour I am at the roof.

Wild moves round this, and I am bridged across the lip, looking down forever. Yet it is here I feel the least in control, as ledges like this one have regularly fallen off under the weight of climbers. Chris Wentworth and Lee MacGingley attempting to repeat War and Peace an epic traverse of this crag ended in a ledge collapsing, broken ribs and thousand yard stares. Tim Neill of Honey dew, stood on a  ledge looking 100ft down a pitch, barely a move from the top when the ledge collapse, 94ft later he stopped feet from the ground.

I quickly move off and through the last difficult to an undignified mantel to the belay ledge, My two remaining runners somehow manage to fit the only two decent cracks that constitue a belay. Sat at the top I chuckle to myself, as whilst I had gotten lighter with every piece of gear place, I now knew that llion was getting heavier and heavier with almost every metre he gained.

Interestingly many people consider the route to be bold, and it is, but in a little over 30m of climbing, I managed to place over 30 runners. The climbing is easier than Cenotaph Corner, but be sure you have the the mental capacity and experience with loose rock to enter this arena for the unwell. For me I have learnt to not so much master but control this environment, and the years of climbing, have made this a place where all of my climbign skills are tested to the full, technique to reduce the weight on holds, gear placements to make it ‘safe, and mind control to remain calm and collected throughout.

The rack Llion cleaned from Cripple Creek!

After that Llion did Knowing Her, another great piece of loose horror up the golden wall, and with that we had slane our emenies for the day, sounding the retreat we headed to Abersoch for caffine, medals and the most important part of climbing a well deserved cake.

The amazing Yellow Wall, Craig Dorys

This wire was insitu, it fell apart when removed! The quality of teh rock is seen in the background!

Llion on Knowing Her, Craig Dorys

Llion on Knowing Her, Craig Dorys

The BMC has issued a warning to climbers at Craig Blwch Y Moch for Sunday, after the farmer who owns the land above the crag revealed that his planned diversification into new animal stocks has gone horribly wrong, and as of Saturday there is a unknown number of lemmings occupying the top of the crag, some of the early jumpers have already cause several near misses for climbers.

Helmets are recommended, for the next day or so, as the jumping season comes over them. Countryside Council for Wales Officer Aled Jones, has warned that due to the waning moon the lemmings who have evolved to purge there population on a regular basis, will be prone to throwing themselves off the cliff, and adding that although small they can pack quite a punch at the end of their 150ft plummet.

The BMC Access and Conservation Officer for Wales, was unavailable for direct comment on this issue. However his office gave us the following response “Nid wyf yn y swyddfa ar hyn o bryd”.

BMC Lemming Warning at Craig Blwch Y Moch - Tremadog

Well, continuing on with the early season smash fest of classic routes. I headed to Tremadog today with Llion. He is a few days behind me on the early season climbing but we still managed to knock out 4 classic routes.

Starting off on Grim Wall direct, a route that is never grim, and always a pleasure. We then abbed back down and went up One Step… which as anyone who has done will testify, is probably one of the nicest routes in the country at the grade, and would certainly make my desert island climbs.

Finally on this area of we climbed Shadrach with teh brothers start as other people were festooned across the crag. Llion lead this in a pitch. At which point we headed to the cafe, and had a great coffee and cake.

Our final route was a hard one to choose, as we had limited time, as Llion had to be back for 4pm. So we decided to do Merlin Direct, another fine route, and I got the top pitch. Which I have to say is another crack climb that is just pure pleasure to romp up.

All that cragging and we still got back in time to have a BBQ by the lagoons in Llanberis. Sweet day, nice evening.

Well yesterday, I managed to tick off the last of the major south facing crags by nipping up Rift Wall, it was still a bit damp, but after the initial wall, it dried up. Although in terms of weather, then what a difference a day makes, it was cludy and the cold wind meant we only managed on route, which was good, as I was invited to compete in the end of season Boulder Bash, that ends the aggregate.

So at 6.30 I was up and ready to climb, and managed to climb all but one of the 25 problems set. I narrowly missed out on that as I was too tired to finish it, and fell of the last move a few times before admitting defeat. Two people managed to tick all the problems, and Ollie Cain won a climb off with a rediculously powerful and shouldery problem.

However I was surprised to find that all the young blood in there hadn’t managed to match my score on those 25 problems, so I came 3rd overall in the boulder bash. Not bad for a 36 year old with grey hair and a arm injury that seems impossible to shake off.

Anyway the problems were really good, and I managed to flash a lot of them, and get the rest second or third go. Good scenes, and a great pub social after, where I spent my £20 winnings. I tried to leave before midnight as I was meeting Llion in the morning.

Murdoch on SS Special.

Well another day and another few routes done. Si and I started off on Scimitar Ridge, climbing the E1 Troy, and totally amaxing route that feels way bigger than it actually is. The photo I took of simon is only just off the ground! We then met up with Llion and Katie and climb Hangover which I was pleasantly surprised that it has been upgraded to E2 along with Slape Direct that Si climbed yesterday. I then finished on SS Special, and it felt reasonable which was a nice surprise as well.

After such a long lay off it has been good to get the gear eye in, and start to read real rock rather than a selection of bolt on holds. Anyway I have put some images that I also took today along with this posts.

Llion battling with teh amazing crux sequence on Karwendel Wall. Clogwyn Y Crouchan.

Llion on Karwendel Wall, again facing the crux, sorry for the repeat!

Rocio on Leftover, Clogwyn Y Crouchan.

The awesome Troy on Scimitar Ridge, Llanberis Pass.

Rocio again on Leftover.

Llion on Karwendel Wall, with Rocio seconding up Quasar in the background.

Simon Lake gunning up the first pitch of Cemetry Gates, Dinas Cromlech

Well, after what seems like an age of not being able to climb outside on rock, the weather has truly outdone itself the last week. As such I have been out and about mainly in the pass. Yesterday, I managed Cemetry Gates, Cenotaph Corner and Sabre Cut. Sabre Cut was a route that I had never done before, mainly because my first route at the crag was Cenotaph Corner, so I missed out on many of the classic VS, of which the top pitch of this was one of teh finest examples of a classic VS.

Today, again with Lakey, we headed to the Crouchan, meaning if I managed to get to maybe Craig Ddu tomorrow, I will have ticked all the sunny side, although I am thinking about the thumb, as I have never been there and nor has llion.

Again we went for the easy ride at the Crouchan and climbed, Karwendel Wall, Wind, Slape Direct and Spectre. So another host of classic routes under our belt, more sunburn and big smiles alround. Really good to get out moving on the rock and just moving quickly and efficiently over some nice terrain.

Liam on Resurrection, E4 Dinas Cromlech

Liam topping out on Resurrection.

One for the Ladies, Ollie Cain top off and guns out, about to fire up the final headwall of Foil, Dinas Cromlech.

Si Lake, throwing shapes on the initial part of Karwendel Wall, Clogwyn Y Crouchan

James McHaffie, hard at work guiding up Hangover

I have some more pictures but the pub is calling, I know I spelt climber wrong in the titles, it was a rush for the pub!

The Team at the top of Teenage Kicks and Stairs on Holyhean Mountain

I am very lucky with my work as I get to work with some great people, and I am often called into work for the conway centre and work on one of there collest courses, which is delivering skills training to students from Bangor University, who are studying Sport Science with Outdoor Activities at the School of Sports, Health and Exercise Science. Which is also where I went to study my MSc in Applied Sport Science.

Anyway, around this time of year for the last few years I get roped in (pun intended), to help deliver some lead climbing coaching to the students in their second year. Many of them already lead in their own time, so its good to see what they are doing, and usually tell them that there gear is fine and so is their leading.

Anyway we had a great day out at Holyhead Mountain, I promised I’d put up a few of the better images. I forgot whether I mnentioned that on the way back we called into one of the students houses, as they’d forgotten the team chocolate brownies, it seems there is a theme that has run through this group with mini bake offs! Tasted amazing.

The team leading Teenage Kicks on the left and Stairs on the right.

Teenage Kicks amazing little step up the arete.

A climber approaching the roof on Old Holborn, Carreg Y Wastad

Well, after failing to find a climbing partner yesterday, I managed to find one via the wonders of Facebook, and I met up with Tom Ripley for some Llanberis Pass action. Tom is a student at Bangor, who managed to have a nasty accident in Peru last year, involving a petrol stove and a hotel toilet, I had never climbed with him, but have had a few Facebook chats with him.

I knew he was trying to get back to fitness, so suggested the pass, as it has a host of great E1’s, and I felt like a change from flailing and failing on routes that are too hard for me, and instead just get some nice mileage in the sun. The sun was my only care as to the crag, and Tom had been benighted on Overlapping Wall, so he had unfinished business, so having done the route many times I gave him the main pitch.

It was very much early season for me, and probably for Tom, so I wasn’t expecting a super slick ascent, as unlike climbing with Llion and Katie who have run as many laps as me on these routes, Tom was onsighting it. Despite this he made quick progress, and was soon at the top.

For our next route I suggested Elidor, is very similar neighbour, and again I took the approach pitch to give him the meat of the route, and again he charged upwards. At the top we both mused what to do next, and this time Tom suggested a route he had done, but I had not, Old Holborn.

Now Llion climbed this last year without me, and raved about it, however I did remember that he suggested it was ‘good value’ for the grade, and as such I was aware that there was some potential sandbagging from Tom. So after Tom made the approach pitch, I racked up for my first real trad lead for a few months it felt, it was very much my turn to shake up the rock.

The first crack was strenuous, and I managed to make a great schoolboy error of place a wire in a strenuous position, only to find a rest one move later. Plugging my way up wards I get to the crux of the matter, a traverse below a roof and round an arête. Making it to the good flake, I tried to get a cam in the lip, but I had already used the size that it needed, fortunately all that failing and flailing on routes that made this roof look like a slab, meant that in my favourite words of Alex Huber, “I have power to spare” .

I reach round the roof, body threatening to barn door in a spectacular position, and find a crimp on the ledge I am in the process of trying to stand on. Adjusting feet to shut the door, I eye a jug further back. My instinct from sport climbing and bouldering is to lay one on for it, but my trad head takes over and settles into the crimp, knowing there is plenty of time in the bank to look for more stylish options, and I find a good hold in reach, and stand on the ledge, and breathe deeply with satisfaction.

The top pitch was no push over for Tom, more 5a than the guidebook 4c to be honest. We walk down and Tom talks of heading to the Mot. It is getting on and my feet have swollen, and my shoes, are now crippling me, so I suggest the hitch back to the village, and home. So this is were I am sat beer in hand supping back the memories of a great day in the Pass. Many thank to Tom Ripley, the link is to his blog, he might even blog on our little day out soaking up the sunshine?

Tom firing up Elidor E1 on Carreg Y wastad

A Climber fight to keep the door closed on the lip fo the roof on Old Holborn, Carreg Wastad

The awesome and exposed Crackstone Rib, one of the best severe routes in North Wales, and therefore the world.

Does my Bum look big in this? Me mid 'will I or won't I barndoor' on the crux of Od Holborn