Gandia March 2018

The Gandia crag has always been top of my list for the costa blanca so we wanted to base ourselves in this area to explore all the other crags in the area this trip. The crags didn't disappoint and gave us possibly the best trip for crags we've had to the costa blanca.

Despite much cooler temperatures and more wind than we had ever experienced on the costa blanca we were fortunate to have climbed every day. The first day we passed off as a day of adventure climbing as it was in what seemed like gale force winds! After this everyday we were climbing on great routes and pushing the grades and fingertips to the point of bleeding on the last day. Fuelled by uncooked rice by an overly keen chef, washed only with a dripping shower stuck in a position to wash just the back of your neck we managed over 50 routes in 9 days climbing.


We returned to toix the second day and i had two climbs on my list in the amphitheatre-monkey wall (6c) and painted wall (6b+). I first saw monkey wall some years ago and I promised myself I would go back to do this-but I wanted the onsight so had waited this time to achieve it. Both climbs were great and came with relative ease.

Toix amphitheatre, on painted wall 6b+, monkey wall line to the left

Montesa was a new crag for us and it has a great aspect and fantastic rock and features. There was nothing too hard here but over two visits i bagged a fair few 6cs and enjoyed all the climbs.

Lovely rock of Montesa, this was one of the 6c lines

A short but tough 7a+ at montesa, i just missed the onsight by not being able to clip the chains-must do more bouldering....

Bellus was also a new crag and I was really pleased to get the onsight here of a 7a+ alto brons which had a roof of course. I also got on the classic line of the crag-popeye-pretty annoying to slip off after cleaning the hardest start section. Coll climbed her first 6b here and was completely on fire even though she wont admit that she loves climbing almost as much as i do. There is no denying it when she updates her Facebook profile pic with her on a 6b!!

Coll on her 6B ascent at Bellus-also her current profile pic...

Clipping the chinas of Alto brons, 7a+

I'd always been too lazy to walk to gandia topdecko but we made the effort up this trip and it was certainly worth it. The rock was great with lots of orange pocketed rock on overhangs so I was in my element. I fell off the top of Gandia topdecko 19 (7a+ in the guide) frustrating as i just misread the top section. I did onsight some 6cs though and even the lower grade climbs were an absolute joy. Its just a shame i couldn't persuade the kids to go back the next day!

Gandia top decko 19, 7a+

We returned to Salem on the last day to give it another chance following the first day in winds which put us off a bit. With sore finger tips I got straight on the climb of the crag Sindrome de soledad 7a+ and got the onsight which I was really pleased with considering it was the last day and my fingertip had gone though and was bleeding half way up. Still I taped it up and also managed the onsight  sarvachov 6c before easing back and enjoying the last few climbs of the trip.

Hardest part of syndrome de soledad, 7a+

Portland 2017

We managed to sneak a one night trip to Portland over the August bank holiday. Heading to the battleship crags we found the access was very different to the guide books because of all the land slides and changes which was a bit unnerving. We ended moving around a fair bit climbing at battleship back cliff then blacknor South and then the cuttings. Weather was fab but the a we did notice the fragility of the rock this trip-falling off as hand holds snapped off!

Appraoch

Battleship back cliff

Slab behind the cuttings

Decent for battleship crags

Battleship back cliff

Blacknor south

fab weather and aspect

Siurana

With another extra weeks holiday to take before August we took the opportunity to visit Catalunya staying in the campsite at Siurana. Famous for its stern grades we were a bit apprehensive! The rockfax guide was limited and although the Siurana guidebook from the campsite was more comprehensive it was the worst guidebook I've ever seen-so it was a case of climbing which ever crags we came across to start with! There was little choice but to leave the egos at the airport and we opted to just get on routes that looked nice rather than chasing hard grades, especially with the temperatures often above 30 degrees C. Despite much lower grades than we would normally get on the bolting was at times terrifying, but most of the rock was great.

climb of the trip a very run out 7a

great crag with some memorable climbs

Evening climbs were the way to go

Some intimidating climbs down in the valley!

Kalymnos 2017

This was our sixth trip Kaly and the only issue with that is some of the crags become perhaps a little too familiar and so we tired to seek out those crags we hadn't ever visited. Arginonta valley is a new crag which was really good. Red wine wall just opposite that crag, not so great-sharp and crumbly. Dudoni was a great find and we managed to tick off everything we wanted to in a single visit. Our first time up to black forest was interesting with a bolt hanging off half way up a route that was feeling really good!
looked nice rather than chasing hard grades, especially with the temperatures often above 30 degrees C. Despite much lower grades than we would normally get on the bolting was at times terrifying, but most of the rock was great.

Alcinoo 7b

Diagoras 7a, Arginonta valley

Monahiki elena, 6a Grande Grotta

Harnscht 6c+ Noufaro

Novembersomme 7b, Palionissis bay

Wintour Leap

Wintours leap has been on the list of places to climb for a few years and I wish we had have visited sooner. Despite the quarried rock of woodcroft it felt so much stickier for the feet than expected and we got on some great routes. Still nice and sleazy had to be the route of the day-a sustained 32m route which might be one of the best routes I have done in the UK. Managed to tick off 7 long routes with lots of harder routes to come back to once my index pulleys are mended!

Caveat Emptor, 6a


Dog of the month, 6a+ couldn't put a pic of me on that with a name like that...



32m of still nice and sleazy


Picturesque wye valley at the top of Still nice and sleazy, 6a+

 

View from the top

Wyndcliffe quarry

Tintern quarry is no longer accessible for climbers so we thought we'd try somewhere else in the Wye Valley-Wyncliffe quarry. The routes are much shorter than they appear in the guide book-short and intense but some sections of the rock on the lower tier are pretty good. So much so we did a couple of trad lines-the first time I've placed a nut in years. We started to the right of the upper tier then moved down to the lower tier. Plenty of routes to go back to especially with some longer routes on some sections of the upper tier across a variety of grades. We managed 14 routes fuelled by hot cross buns (well it as good Friday) before the cold set in.




Banana skin, 5c

The banana splits, 4a



The Banana splits, 4a

Still stuck on you HVS 5a


Same old story 6a


Finishing touch, 6b

Keziahs first day on sport

First trip out in the UK this year to give Keziah a taste of sport at its worst-Horseshoe quarry. We worked through most sectors from the nice long routes of the chocolate blamange area, the best rock of the main wall and some friendly routes in the toilet area.

Excavator 5c

Pale rider, 6a


Toilet humour, 5a