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

Alicante 2017

Inspired by the Marin crag on the last trip to Costa Blanca I wanted to base this trip in the Sax area. Anges birthday seemed like a good excuse for another trip just 7 weeks after our last one. Out of 8 days climbing we only visited 2 crags which I'd climbed at before and there are still crags I've not visited in the Alicante section of the guidebook.


The Sax crag was within walking distance of our bungalow and a great crag-particularly in the sheltered part where I was pretty chuffed to get a 7a+ onsite on day 1.

View from the top of a first pitch at Sax looking down in Chris leading super directa, 6a



Quirofano de la muerte, 7a+-onsite of the first pitch

Salinas on day 2 felt very tough although once in the seven grades the routes seemed a lot nicer.




Babieca, 7b



Mata-Hari, 7a+

On day 3 I did a new section at Marin with some nice routes but there's not a lot left there to go back for. Magdelena was a nice find on day 4 for easier routes despite not being in the latest guidebook-would make a good warm up day crag when in the area again.

Coll on route at magdelina



Ange on the best route at Magdelena -Calienta motores, 5a

The Callosa area at Oriheula was probably my favourite crag of the week despite the swarm of wasps-with some great routes in a valley setting.

La de Miguel Perez, 7a+

Valley at Orihuela, Lirón Arboreo 6c

Forada was a little disappointing as it was too cold to get on the good stuff on the North side on day 6.

Hangign out on Javier Muñoz, 6a+

Reconco on day 7 got progressively better as we moved through the crag-was frustrating to burn out right near the top of Gemma Boom (7a) having made all the hard moves (and clips) and I would hope to get that fresh next time.




Top of Gemma Boom, 7a

Before our flight back on day 8 we returned to Sax and did probably two of the best easy grade routes I've done in Spain-the first pitches of elana de pablos (6a) and clinche (5).

First pitch of Elena de Pablos, 6a+

El Chorro 2017-Saga trip for Pauls 50th

The first time in a while with a car in El Chorro meant it felt like a different experience this trip especially with the nicest villa we've ever stayed in! Once again we were blessed with the weather and considering there was snow the week before I couldn't complain of a day rained off.


First night, La Garganta


Slabs at Turon


Serena



Quasimodo, 6c, Turon

La Gymnastica, 6c+, Serena



No Saia, 7a+, Serena

La cociente


Right of Fibra de sur, 7a+, Encantadas

Bueno Bonito y.. 6c+, Encantadas


Tendan de akiles, 6c, Coral East



Solarium, 7b





A pique de un repique, 6c