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




Costa blanca 2016

Return to Costa Blanca November 2016-final trip of possibly my best year for outdoor climbing in terms of number of days out. We were fortunate to fit in 8 full days climbing into a weeks trip-good flight times helped. We tried to head to some different crags this time- with Sella and Marin being my two favourites. I haven't done multi-pitch for some years (Zepellin in El chorro was the last one which was an epic day out) so it was fun to do some fun classic multi-pitch at Marin. Although there's polish at Sella I still think its a great crag especially in the grades above 6b and my route of the trip would have to be Kashba 6c+ -a top50 route at Sella which was a fight right to the top. I also was pleased to onsite a route I had looked at maybe 10 years ago on my first outdoor trip-Aqui tampoco 6c. I remember thinking that the roof on this looked impossible-but id have to say there was a bit of a tougher section lower down before the roof.


Aqui tompoco 6c

Paul on the last moves of Pats, Marin

Paul on El dia de la bestia 7a

Paul on Technitos free, 6b+

Top of pitch 1 of Prats, Marin

 

New route 7a+, Sella



Kashba 6c+

Day 1: Castellets
Levilicas 4
Via Andrea 5+
The chimnet 5
Csomos 6a
Via Javi 6a

Day 2: Sella (Secot final)

La verguenza 4
Speedy gonzele 5+
Aqui tempoco 6c*
El pixonet 6b
New 6c-basically bear?

Day 3: Echo valley (El catsellet lower)
Arispilla 5+
El pas de la forela 6a
tarzan 7a+
Waka placa 7a
Soplamela 6b
Che pero com percocai 6a+
El minxto 6a
El paclero de maile 5+

Day 4: Marin
Sector classico
Prats 2 pitch- 4+, 3+
Placa girls 2 pitch 5, 5+
El veula de pnlelo 6b
El dia de la lbestia 7a
el reino del vacio 6c*
Paranoik 6a


Day 5: Olta
Xmas dreams 5+
Tpich me softly 5
Vamos 6a
Best of 95 5
Du Darfst 5
Turron 5
Das Bach de .. 5

Day 6: Sella
Senor neshbit rides again 5
El torronet 5+
Anglopitecthis Britaniensis 6a+
Kashba 6c+*
New route 7a+
Two nights of love 5+

Day 7: Marin
Adventuras en pandes 3+
Novatos can gato 5+
El meulo del murcaga+ extension 6c+*
El m,ono reconico 6c
Technitos free 6b+
Pibluce quete desmucas 6a+
El masanzo 6b

Day 8: Sella
Pequenecos III 5
Paquenecos 4
Con mallas y loco 3+
Via de indico 5+
A y parrazo 5
A diestroy sinesto 6a
Los efugio... 5

Cheddar Gorge

Its been maybe 7 years since we did a cold Junes day climbing in Cheddar gorge. We were pleasantly surprised to be climbing in the warm sun in October-although the masses we also out enjoying the gorge. As this was a bonus stop off on the way back from a weekend in Devon we wanted the easiest of approaches so started on horseshoe bend buttress and then moved over to Arch rock. Routes were fun, albeit very polished!

Dodging the seepage

Coll on Reunion at nightfall

Me on Oh pretty woman

At the top of Arch rock

Reunion at nightfall, 5

Three pounds per tonne, 4
Oh pretty woman!, 5+
Lapse in taste, 5+
Mr ripple, 6a
Big budget productions, 6a
Room with a view, 6a+
Lady cassidy, 6a+
Galenda Colada, 6c

Llanymynech

We last went to Llanymynech 3 years ago and found the harder routes pretty tough. Our mission for this visit was to focus on the red wall and work some routes. Paul worked crab stick and will be looking for the red point next visit.  I was very thankful for Paul pushing me to get on to Poison Ivy- which I am pretty chuffed with managing to onsite. This was a great day for doing harder routes and one of the better of our climbing days out in terms of grade for some time. As much as I enjoy days climbing at any grade it was a good reminder today of the thrill from pushing yourself mentally on challenging routes.


Me on the tricky start moves of crab stick, 6c

Paul leading crab stick at the crux

Me leading Lobster on the loose 7a,

Paul on lobster on the loose, 7a



Paul lowering off Lobster on the loose, 7a

Paul climbing the day of the trifidd, 6b-the line of poison ivy to the left

Warm up on Nomad wall
Dentine, 5c
Pull em out, 6a

Red wall
Lobster on the loose, 7a
I saw three ships, 6c+
Crab stick, 6c
Poison Ivy, 7a+ (one of the hardest onsites I've achieved in the UK)
The day of the triffids, 6b

Portland 2016

There was no way we were going to let the good weather pass us by this week and we ended up on a last minute trip down to Portland. It far exceeded expectations from previous visits-probably helped by a nice bed and cooked breakfasts versus sleeping in the back of a van! We were blessed with the weather and even on the really windy day we found sanctuary at the cuttings. This trip rather than push the grade I wanted to seek out some of the islands classic routes to enjoy such as the biggest arête on the island-pregnant pause. That said I did manage a nice 6c onsite that I couldn't resist at the cuttings.

 



Flexing the biceps on fall slab arete



Selfie from the top of fallen down arete

Warming up at the cuttings

Paul at the top of the wonderful crack climb, Consomme 6a+

Me leading up New saladin 6c, hardest onsite of the trip

Me leading up bag end 5+ a great little adventure climb especially in the wind

Paul on Monsoon malabar, 6a about to do the move of the climb

Me leading the climb of the trip-the exposed pregnant pause-6a+

Fantastic blue skies and wonderful west coast cliff backdrop

 

Day 1

Blacknor South area
unknown route to start
Fallen slab 3+
Fallen slab arête, 4?
La ...Casse, 6a+
Losing my sad tomato, 6b+
Six good biceps, 4
Day 2
The cuttings
Three fingers 6a
Opus, 4
Rusty the red kneck takes one for the team, 6a+
Consomme 6a+
New saladin 6c
Want out, 7b TR
Chips with everything, 4+
Well done Popper 5a
Day 5
Blacknor Central
When this hits the fan 6b+
Shit happens 6a
Bag end 5+
Monsoon Malabar 6a
Pregnant pause 6a+
Valerian 6a