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

The Gower August 2016

We'd seen articles about the development of sport climbing on the Gower over the past few years with a focus on crags like foxhole and shipwreck cove. It's taken about three years since saying we were going to actually biting the bullet and booking a weekend in hope for dry weather. We were blessed to have three days of dry weather and even a couple of days of summer sun. We managed to pack in four crags in three days. It was great to experience the different types of crags but it did take a few routes to get our heads and feet adjusted to the different rock conditions.

Day 1 we headed straight to watch house which was slabby but a good ease into the climbing.

Paul on rise and shine, 6a

 

Me on trad man, 6a

We had climbed all the routes that took our fancy so then headed round to foxhole. By this time we were tired but ended up on a 7a I thought was a 6b- but i was just happy to be off the slabs!!

Me on Mermalade, 7a

Paul on mermalade, 7a

Day 2 and for the main event- Rhosilli bay. The tide didn't seem to go out far enough to climb at mermaid wall so we started at castaway cove. Was bizarre climbing on dark rock as my head was telling me it was wet but it was dry- took some getting our heads around that. We ended up climbing on some great lines at this section. 

Paul on Dirty innuendo, 5b

Me on Cinders catch, 6a

Me on The clot thickens, 6a+

Big matt needed to keep feet and gear clean!

 

As the tide moved in we went over to black wall to finish on a couple of routes. The starts of these routes were awful to the point we think it may be the case that you clip stick the first bolt, pull up then start the routes. The black rock on here was solid and a shame they were over so quick.

Paul on the black wall

Day 3 we intended to go to Boscos den but ended up at golden wall after an epic approach down and along the cliffs edge. It was just a relief to find something to climb in the end. The rock was a little intimidating to start as it looked really wet and felt very exposed with the waves crushing down nearby. After the first route we settled in and really enjoyed the routes, although some had some wet in some holds.

Where's the crag?

Paul on Golden balls, 5c

Aur of glory, 5c

Paul on A Starke Reminder, 6a+

 

Me on A Starke reminder, 6a+ -felt more overhanging than it appears...

Me on the wonderful roof of The midas touch, 6c+

Final day selfie

Day 1

Watch house crag

Excavation, 4c

Tickety boo, 5c

Rise and shine, 5a

Sport wars, 6a

Tread gently, 6b+

trad man, 6a

 

Foxhole

Mermalade shoes, 7a

Unlikely alliance, 6b

 

Day 2

Rhosilli bay

Castaway cove

Grinders catch, 5c

Dirty innuendo, 5b

Dry blood beast, 6a

The clot thickens, 6a+

Cinders catch, 6a

Grazed and trusted, 6a+

Black wall

Thieving.. 5

Theiving parasites, 6a

 

Day 3

Golden Gulch

Golden balls, 5c

Golden hour, 5c

Aur of glory, 6a

A starke reminder, 6a+

The midas touch, 6c+

Main wall horsehoe quarry

Blessed with another 'free' dry Sunday we wanted to head back to horseshoe to get on the main wall with he main aim of trying some of the stared routes.
We warmed up on the left wall side progressing along the main wall. There were some great 6a and 6bs but the increase in grade felt hard beyond 6a+.  There were a couple of routes that felt really stiff-such as wall of Jericho (graded 6b, felt more like 6c).I attempted waves of mutilation (7a) and was pleased to clean it second go on top rope- a red point with fresh arms felt realistic.



Paul warming up on Sag Ponir, 5+

Me on Pale Rider, 6a



Me on Schools out, 6a+

Paul on Private prosecution, 6c (top50)

Sag Ponir  5+
Pale rider 6a
Schools out 6a+
Rotund Rooley 6b
Waves of mutilation 7a
Wall of Jericho 6b
Private persecution 6c

Back on it at Horshoe

 

Time to get back on to the blog after a crazy two year break of doing my masters, getting married and some other life changing stuff... I certainty didn't need a reminder of why I will always wear a helmet climbing or just sitting eating my lunch at the crag, but I got one anyway. Lowering off the first route of the day, Neanderthal -a 30m route on probably the worst section of the crag (chocolate Blancmange wall) a big boulder came loose hit my leg.



Neanderthal, 4 & 5 and a nasty boulder on the leg

That was our queue to move onto the better walls of the quarry so headed to the toilet and Androids area. It took a couple of climbs and a change of shoes to get our heads into the polished slippy rock. But there were some great all body working moves on the climbs. We dumped the guidebook and just chose climbs which looked fun. Although after getting the guidebook out at the end of the day we couldn't help but be a little disappointed to find some tricky climbs at lower grades than we predicted. No soft touches here.

The dark tower, 6b+

straight helmet for once

Paul on the directors cut, 6b

Paul on Passage of time, 6b

Neanderthal, 5
Latrine, 5
The Sewer 6a+
Passage of time 6b- second best route of the day
The dark tower, 6b+ -route of the day
The long walk, 6c
Bruce's bonus, 6b
The directors cut, 6b

Kaly 2016

The trip started off great -we were so chuffed to get three routes in on the first day down at Kastelli. After that it did seem to take a few days to settle in- perhaps needing a chance to wind down from work and the journey over! What really took its toll this year was the heat and the approaches- perhaps it was hotter this year than normal in June but we have become very lazy on the approaches favouring the much shorter walk ins. We did go to a couple of new crags this year-Arginonta skyline and Palionisos Bay. This trip I focussed on trying to tick off some of the classic 7as. One of the best days was actually up Kastri where I onsited Gotti 7a, Principessa Giulia 6c+ and Dragons Lair 6c. Another great day was up Ghosts Kitchen, blocked popular routes forced me up some intimating steep stuff on the main wall! Palionisos Bay was a great new crag although not really much left to go back for- very pleased with the onsite of Baden mit end ohie (7a). The climb of the trip probably had to be the onsite of  Prophet Andreas (7a) at Prophitis Andreas.

Ghost kitchen

Gerakios

Kastri

Kastri

Prophet Andreas, 7a

Kastri

Costa Blanca 2016

Managed a cheeky week trip to the Costa blanca, a nice change from our annual El Chorro trip. A great hotel at half board kept us well fed- and Paul just loved driving the fanny 500. Weather was great, so good I've never been dripped on so much by Paul...

Eliea is a route at Altea Coll that I had in mind for this trip (recommended by Frances). I got on this day 2- it was great but frustrating to miss the onsite by one move. Having said that, getting shut down in Spain is just the push needed for continued motivation of the training ready for Kaly in June.

Forada was another place on the list, but saving that for a weekend was a mistake as it was packed with locals- so just managed to get on a single route in the superheroes sector. Gandia lived up to expectations although with the sun being so strong it made it very difficult climbing here. Perhaps the second trip to Gandia on the last day was a bit optimistic for sore arms after a week of climbing!



a classic must at Toix oeste, Energico, 6a+



Eliea, 7b-route of the holiday

hanging out at gandia

Toix TV cliffs: Follow me, 7a

Gandia sun

just about avoiding the sun at gandia, Fisura tal, 6a+

 

Forada, Elios 7a+- so packed the only route I could get on

42 routes in a week
Day 1: Toixe este
Gracias 4+
Grand grill 5+
Lebra  6a
Presto 5+
Energico 6a+
Bedn, 4
la roja quarto 3
Day 4:Altea Col
Altea cato 6a
Lea 6a+
Lea 6a+
Eiliea 7b
Snake cobb 6a
Day 3: Gandia Fundico
Chitiri Chitiri 4+
pepestroiha 6b
Ultima aberc..6c+
Publicasion sin tradis... 7b+
Pere 6c+
La levedad 6a
Day 4: Guadalest
Camillo neure marc 5
Buix la covediab de ...6b+
Pey l'alcali-gusto
Orieta 5
L'an... 5+
Day 5: Forada
De Joan 3
De los quarto 4
Elios 7a+
Las escalates funa felis 5+
Chio 6a
chiri 6a
mujar furira 6a+
Lcostume 5+
Day 6: Guadalest
Snadergat 4
Gufedundel 5
Universal 6a
Follow me 7a+
Terminder 6c+
Daddycool 6a+
Reiger burger 5+
Day 7: Gandia
Fe ra 3+
Carol..5+
Fiscuratal 6a+
Zucaricida 6c
Nina de parcelena 6a+
Pastroi porreta, 6c
Nprillos 5+