The Problem of employment

The wonderful Pink Granite of Upper Tier in the Western Section,
Pass of Ballater

Having a job is great. Especially somewhere like the Cairngorms. From its wild and forgotten glens to its barren ice clad peaks, its an amazing place. The only problem is, working 5 days a week you don't get to enjoy it that much! Don't get me wrong, my job with the CNPA gets me outside a lot and with GIS I don't even need to leave my chair to explore it, but its not quite the same as being out and about!

So this afternoon with a good forecast and some flexitime built up, I took the afternoon off and went over to the western section of The Pass of Ballater. Due to everything being a wee bit wet from the rain torrents of recent times I had to steer clear of big cracks and slabs so face routes it was to be. I decided upon Peel Wall (E4 6a) as it was completely dry when i checked it (and its supposed to be a classic!).

Just before the first go. What a setting!

So with the top rope set and a cheeky wee look at the route when abbing down I started getting psyched to give it a go. Standing at the bottom with the rope hanging away from the face the whole way down I questioned my motivation for choosing something so steep. Maybe I should have found a nice VS slab?

The Peel Wall (E4 6a) where the rope is hanging. The arete is tackled by Smiths Arete (E5 6a),
with the corner of Little Cenotaph (HVS 5b) on the right.

After a few man up pills a fierce start using tiny feet and underclings sees you grunting up some strenuous layback edges followed by a couple of finger jams. After this once you have your foot placed above your shoulder you rock up with the last of your strength and grab THE JUG. Another jug right above it then leads to the crux (typically the last bit before the top).

A photo from the internet demonstrating the incorrect way
of negotiating the crux

A recent lack of any kind of rock climbing and an obscene amount of food over Xmas meant this point is where the onsight was slain. After blowing it once and going for the honourable ground up approach I descended to try again. After getting smashed again and again I decided to toss the honourable approach out the window and dogged the shit out of it with eventual success.

Great route, think i'll blame not getting out enough training on the job though. Maybe they're not so bad after all!

A cheeky initial exploration the other day with Rob. We had a crack at a
couple of VDiffs well after dark in big boots by head torch. Weekday climbing
is thwarted by the 16:30 sun set in Scotland!

Parallel A, Lochnagar

Parallel Buttress at Lochnagar. The red line is (roughly) the route we took.

The snow had been falling up on the tops all week but with it being so mild in the valleys it wasn't looking very promising for a weekend adventure. Online reports of massive wet snow avalanches from rotting cornices tumbling down engulfing the Corrie along with failed epics on mostly ice free buttress route didn't do much to install confidence. However by the end of the week, the forecast changed. A nice cheeky cold spell suggested the promise of soft slushy snow and ice being nicely transformed into solid, frozen placements for the climbing tools!

Me leading the first steep gully section of Parallel A Gully (III, 4)

We awoke to cold, clear skies and it being a Saturday. A combination of my 3 favorite things! After navigating the crammed car park below Loch Muick me, Rob and Alastair (an archetypal Scottish chap we met on UKClimbing.com) made the long slog below Meikle Pap over into the Corrie of Lochnagar. Scrambling over the debris cones of the slides earlier in the week was toilsome but the snow was now hard an icey (and incredibly stable) and eventually we reached the MR box below the Douglas Gibson Gully. After spotting a lot of people on the planned route of Eagle Ridge we decided instead to go for Parallel A Gully (III, 4) which runs next to it. Although it was quickly apparent after arriving at the base that nobody had done it since the new snowfall (or possibly this year!).

Alastair negotiating the rock step on the second pitch.
The actual route traverses around this on the left further down.. Oops!

Due to the thawing conditions earlier in the week, a small bergscrund feature had appeared at the start of route which made for an ideal belay spot (a bergscrund is the gap between the snow pack and the base of the crag). After hauling across this I led off up the first pitch on steep frozen snow finding a belay by chance after some rather aggressive digging due to running out the entire 60m of ropes. Rather than traverse left onto easier ground I tackled the gully direct meaning its steep continuation also had to be tackled (which the other guys were incredibly pleased about!).

Rob seconding the last pitch in the dark on soft, steep snow!

Alastair then lead the next steep section through a pinching point, unlike the last pitch however he found some gear (in the form of two rusted pegs) before the overlap and pulled through on thin ice to a belay not far above. Me and Rob hastily followed up to join him at the bifurcation of the gully. After a few more snow pitches (which included a snow cave belay!!) we arrived below the final steepening below the headwall and cornice. By this point it was long since dark but the hollas of other climbers still climbing echoed round the Corrie which made us feel slightly less alone!

So yea the weather on the plataue was lovely!

The final pitch to the plateau was almost Andean in character. It comprised of steep snow flutings (including a chimney!) up to the powder soft cornice. Climbing up this is what I imagine swimming in flour to be like. Alastair spent nearly an hour battling up this pitch in total darkness without a scrap of gear with me and rob discussing what beer we were going to have with our Indian whilst hanging off a single peg. A great lead and a great effort by all (especially rob who did it with two walking axes). An epic finish to an epic day.
         

No question. Conditions were 'in' at Lochnagar!

The top 10 routes of 2013

2013 has defiantly been one of my most productive climbing years so my very first sentence is dedicated to all you folks who were there for those quality moments, from sport dogging cheers to the victory beers, this year has been one of the best, Thanks!

To the main point, these are in my opinion the top 10 routes i've climbed of 2013.. (most of the photos are mine but some have been nabbed from people with better camera skills!)

10, Ethos*** (HVS 5a) - Pembrokeshire
Crumbling rock, a rubbish top out and worst of all, its a slab. So why is this number 10? Because its a pure rush! From the abseil down to a small ledge above a frothing sea, to the fact that every move is off balance. This route completely engulfs you in the moment.. which at the end of the day is what climbing is all about! Best done on a stormy day at high tide to get the maximum out of this experience. Don't get stuck though, as this HVS is the easiest way out.

Emma seconding Ethos (HVS 5a)

9, Plexus** (E1 5b) - Dinas Mot, The Pass
A classic contrast and one for the homesick grit monkey! The difficulties start at the second pitch (5a) up a rounded groove which is unusually pimpled Rhyolite and requires a determined smeartastic approach mainly due to the appalling lack of gear! The next pitch (5b) tackles the massive overhang that dominates this part of the crag. After a jamtastic, well protected burl through the roof a thin groove leads to a belay and a further wandering pitch leads to the top. An amazing adventure, just make sure you have enough rope to make a full 60m abseil to the bottom! Next time lets check we have 60m ropes not 50s ey Laura!  

Me and Laura after a successful foray on Plexus (E1 5b)

8, The Fang*** (HVS 5a) - Tremadog
This one is defiantly a delicate brute and to me spelled unfinished business. This was caused when the first time i tried this route i ended up on Extraction (E2 5c) by mistake which caused me and Rafe to have a new found respect for the grading system of trad at Tremadog until we realised our mistake!

I came back and did the route via the correct start (up the overhanging corner to the left) with Emma later that year.. The belay is intimidating and cramped, situated beneath the huge overhanging 'fang' that gives the route its name. The second pitch is bold and with halves/a very bold leader it is impossible to protect the second. All of this however makes this route one of the most adventurous popular routes at the crag! Amazing!

The cramped belay on The Fang (HVS 5a)

7, Cyfrwy Arete via Table Direct** (VDiff) - Cadair Idris
The north side of Cadair Idris in southern Snowdonia receives little attention from climbers, walkers or anybody really. This may be because of the generally poor quality of rock and also its aspect which makes the routes cold, damp and somewhat foreboding. However these qualities also spell adventure!

CA via TD is a huge undertaking totaling nearly 250m of climbing in ~10 pitches up the towering buttress of Cyfrwy. Best done in big boots to add to the excitement! It tackles the tottering arete more or less direct and provides an excellent outing which is best completed with a bivvy on the summit in the bothy!

I enjoyed this route so much i did various sections of it 3 times this year, the first with a considerable amount of ice on it.. Other neglected but adventurous routes of Cadiar include the crumbling Hyrib (VS 4b) and of course the classic Pencoed Pillar (HVD). If your based near these routes, you have no excuse! Get on it! But remember to take your helmet and probably a trowel!

                        After the table pitch on A snowy asscent of Cyfrwy Arete 

6, Diagonal*** (HVS 5a) - Dinas Mot, The Pass
A technical and gripping route up one of the most prolific crags in the pass which winds a bold line up the slabby right hand side of the crag finishing up a steep groove.

This one was done with Ian late in the evening after a day of SPA training. After running out of light on the 3rd pitch we decided to go for it since we only had one pitch remaining and neither of us wanted to leave any gear behind. Steep thrutching and jamming is hard to get back into after 100m of technical slab it turns out! We finished the epic accordingly by abbing down the wrong side of the buttress meaning we ran out of rope before the base.. Lesson learnt! Take 60m ropes or after a day of SPA just go to the pub!


5, Lubyanka*** (E3 5c) - Cyrn Las, The Pass
A harrowingly bold and technical line up one of the most intimidating crags in The Pass. After a gentle introduction to climbing the first few pitches of Main Wall (HS 4b) the relaxing rapidly dissapears as the route diverts up the steep prow of the main crag winding an intricate line up to a grand finale with possibly the single best pitch of climbing i have ever done. Climaxing by yarding through the final overhanging for the lip of the crag leaving your feet cut loose and all of the pass below consuming your vision. A simply amazing route!

The final space walking pitch of Lubyanka (E3 5c)
*photo taken from ukc.com

4, Barbarian** (E1 5b) - Tremadog
If you like roofs, this is the route for you. It is a route of legendary status with numerous onsights squashed including one member of the Aberystwyth Mountaineering club whom took a fall from the roof on merely a nut key placement. This route ultimately proves that slabs can never compete with such brilliantly steep litholgical architecture. It tackles the large roof at the top of Pant Ifan buttress, it is well protected if you place the right gear, you just have to go for it!


3, Avalanche Wall/Red Wall/Longlands* (HS 4b) - Lliwedd
An alpinesque route up one of the largest crags in Wales. Complex route finding and poor rock along with over 12 pitches of climbing make this route one of the best adventures around! It took me and Emma about 5 hours to do this beast with the crux pitch being right at the top, baring the way to freedom! We did it on a day where it hadn't rained for the previous week and it was still wet in places.. If you've got the motivation to get up early, then this is a must-do summer route!

 The crux slab of Avalanche Wall/RW/L (HS 4b)

2, Terriers Tooth*** (VS 4b) - Chair Ladder
A fantastic route set amongst some of the most idyllic sea cliff climbing in the West Country. The route climbs the initially bold rib and pillar from a wave washed platform to a large ledge at ~30m (end of technical difficulties and can be avoided if needed using a groove to the left but you'd be missing a great pitch in itself!). This is followed by some superbly exposed climbing up the tower/tooth on huge holds to the final hanging slab at the top of the tower.

The only way down is to make a 20m abseil back to the cliff. A stupendous adventure and well worth the drive to the what feels like the end of the world aka West Penwith!

The first VS pitch of Terriers Tooth

1, The Grooves*** (E1 5b) - Cyrn Las
Simply the best route, with the best moves, in the best setting, with the biggest exposure! The route follows the obvious central line of weakness on the main face of Cyrn Las (mentioned above) up a series of grooves (how surprising). Before any climbing can even begin you have an hour walk in which includes a loose muddy scramble up the lower crag until situated beneath an initial overhang which bars the way to the face. I did this route with Rafe this summer after spontaneously deciding to go and climb it that morning in Aberystwyth.

I had the first pitch (5b), which tackles this overhang direct then follows the sustained jamming groove for a full 50m through two more bulges to a large ledge. The next pitch (5b/5c) is the crux, and follows the grooves continuation through a steep section to a larger ledge. From here we had a go on Overhanging Arete (E2 5b) but after a severe beating we opted for the normal finish (5b) which was equally outlandish as to start one has to crawl along a sloping ledge and step into yet another bottomless groove! If you only do one route this year, make it this one!

Rafe on the second pitch of The Grooves (E1 5b) just before the crux moves

The mountain crag of Cyrn Las in Llanberis Pass with the line of The Grooves viable on the right

So those are my top 10 routes from this year.. If you haven't done them, get them on your list or even better,
get out and do them!


There are a few extra that were equally amazing but didnt quite make the final list!

Devils Slide*** (HS 4a) - Lundy Island

Great Bow Combination** (HVS 5a) - Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, Snowdonia

Crimtphon*** (E2 5c) - Compass Point, Bude

Emulator*** (E1 5b) - Gogarth, Anglsey

Javlin Blade** (E1 5b) - Idwal Slabs, Snowdonia

Grey Arete*** (HVS 5a) - Idwal Slabs, Snowdonia

Sun, slabs and suspicious placements..

Workworkworkworkwork blah blah defiantly need a day off and I wish I was a dirtbag student still!

A very quiet Compass Point with a big swell running

So after a reasonably extended stint selling t-shirt and other middle class garments I finally got a day off from work.. To celebrate such a rare occasion me and Rob Steer headed in search of a quick trad fix and some sunshine on the North Cornish coast. The plan was to head for Bude, a place thought to be twinned with Barrow-In-Furness and looks like it hasn't seen a new building since the 1960s. Compass Point however lies just south of the town and is a south facing swath of carboniferous culm that juts out into the Sea.

So after a long drive from South Devon chasing a far off strip of blue sky on the horizon, we arrived at Bude with the sun being still covered by the clouds. Not to worry though, as it wasn't raining here so that's enough boxes ticked to go and at least check out the crag! As with most places on the Culm, the top is a crumbling mess of detached blocks precariously balanced on strata of soft biscuit like coal layers which you have to abseil off before you can even look at the routes, all of which adds to the excitement i guess!

Sugar Magnolia (HVS 5a) just before committing to thin section

With numb fingers and dry(ish) rock we cracked on and did the first route of the day which was Sugar Magnolia (HVS 5a). Not overly strenuous but with an action packed and surprisingly burly crux right at the end of a traverse along a thing crack above an overhang, spicy! Worth seeking out but is one of the closest lines to the ocean so make sure you do that one first!

Rob pulling some shapes on Crimtphon (E2 5b)

So after that warm up the next route was the classic of the crag, Crimtphon (E2 5b). This route works its way up a compact slab using a few runners and 4 spaced pegs (the FA climber must have been a bit strapped for cash presumably!) past some odd in-cut dishes. If you like crimping the shit out of creaky holds and smearing like hell this is the route for you! Not bad for a slab!

Me leading the upper section of the weirdly pocked wall of Tydomin (HVS 4c)

Since the tide was coming in which was bring the 6 foot breaking waves uncomfortably close we decided to call it a day and escaped out up another equally classic line, Tydomin (HVS 4c). This starts up an oddly pocked and indented lower sections which leads to the steep upper section protected mostly by very small wires.. Yet another spicy finish!

Looking up the ridge of Compass Point, see what I mean?

Its defiantly December..

After a warm summer they reckon its going to be quite a chilly winter. Well its certainly shaping up that way with all these storms! Desperate to tick some lines we thought, fu*k it! Lets go to Pembroke, its always sunny there! Sea cliff climbing may well be the warmest crags to be at this time of year however they tend not to be the most sheltered it would seem..

Me leading the first pitch of Diedre Sud (HS 4a)

After a long drive and with a soon to be setting sun me and Emma Smith nipped over to Mowing Word and did the Pembroke classic, Diedre Sud (HS 4a). Since everything else around this area is HVS and up its amazing a line like this can be found in such daunting territory! After abbing down into the boiling and frothing unknown we set up a belay about 10m above the water and the sea was so rough we still go a bit wet! The route is just pure pleasure with loads of sharp holds and jamming (apart from the bird shit covered ledge where Heart of Darkness joins!). Unfortunately this is all we could do as it got dark at 4.30 and neither of us had a head torch, think I'll save that kind of epic for a warm day thanks! 

Emma just before moving round the

roof seconding the 2nd pitch of Diedre Sud.

The weather turned slightly more unsettled after a bad start after driving to St. Govans only to find the red flags up (DOH!) and not wanting to be shot by tanks we went to St. Davids. A combination of big seas and high tides meant there was not a lot we could do but we cracked on anyway. After living the choss dream on the impressive Rosary (HS 4b) near Initiation Slab we then used the last of the fading light (again!) and climbed Vegetable Rights (VS 4c, which Emma seconded in the dark!) at Porth-Clais. *It looks like all the debris that was blasted down onto Dreamboat Annie (HVS) is now clear, so if you havn't done that route, get on it! Its amazing! 

  

Seconding Rosary (HS 4b) just after the steep section. 

Squeezing one more in at Porth-Clais (Vegetable Rights - VS 4c).

An epic adventure. Seems its not always sunny in Pembroke! Special thanks go to the Celtic Camping for the bunk house and massive stock of wood! Cheers guys! http://celtic-camping.co.uk/  

The English Riviera. Well a slightly colder version..

So over the last few weeks I have discovered Torquay as a climbing venue. If you have no idea where i'm talking about try this video, actually if you do you might enjoy it more! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ1NWtLK8aI . To sum it up briefly its AWESOME! Turquoise oceans and crumbling limestone, what more could a North Wales loving west country climber want?! Its like climbing on the Lleyn Peninsula but there is a cafe serving cream teas at the top of the cliff instead of an angry welshman waving a gun and shouting things you don't understand!

So the first place I tried out was Daddyhole Main cliff. 65m of soaring cracks, steep faces and hanging slabs rising straight out of the ocean. After an arduous approach consisting of steep slopes of mud and aggressive plant species topped with a boulder hop across large blocks which are surprisingly mobile we reached the base of the classic Torbay classic Gates of Eden (HVS 5a).

Gates of Eden (HVS 5a) It climbs halfway up the obvious soaring corner
then breaks left across the slab and up the corner on the left. The main corner line through the
final overhangs is Last Exit to Torquay (HVS 5b).

The route climbs up from a pinnacle followed by a short-sharp burl up through an overhang to a ledge. This pitch used to be easy until it fell down. However the rock is actually still quite solid, especially for limestone! After leading the first pitch Rob then followed initially with a massive bag but quickly decided to jettison it in favour of a more lightweight attempt.. The next pitch climbs a hanging slab via the main crack and then a delicate traverse and is unbelievably only 4a (which is pretty easy if you don't know!!!!). It is however, incredibly run out with no meaningful gear after you leave the crack, however its a HVS so its not too surprising.. or if it is to you then you should probably stick to HS's in future or maybe even bouldering?

The second belay is under a small roof at the top of a groove which overhangs, great view of the beach between your legs! Bad time to drop your belay plate! After this its a wild stride round the corner and up a crumbling crack to the top. Simples! Airy, burley and crumbling.. Fantastic!

Rob Steer on the crux wall of Pinaccle Traverse Continuation (S2)
just before the splashdown!

Pat nearing the end of the Pinnacle Traverse (S1)

If you're more into slabs (hey nobodies perfect..) Torquay has that as well! There are some pretty good slab routes over in Parsons Hole. The best way to get there is from Daddyhole is via the Pinnacle Traverse and Pinnacle Traverse Continuation (which go at HVS and E1 or S1 and S2 depending on the state of the tides..). These again are fantastic and great fun, plenty of 5a and 5b moves which are (most of the time) above deepish water.

Me on Midas Touch (HVS 5a) at Parsons Hole

Rob Teetering up Criniod (E2 5b)

Its a brilliant place and everywhere seems pretty quiet. If you're in the area its worth a visit! There is also some great climbing over by Berry Head near Brixham. The red walls area is a total suntrap. I managed to get burnt and we were only there a few hours! Although, that's not too surprising considering I got burnt in the rain in Snowdonia the other week.

Red Walls Area at the Old Redoubt at Berry Head

Snowdonia ML trip

Last weekend a large group of scouts descended upon the Ogwen valley in Snowdonia as somebody somewhere thinks we have what it takes to be trusted in the mountains with the lives of unknowingly innocent people... Good thing that the leaders responsible for our selection didn't know what we were up to before the course started (until now.. Oops!).

So after a late night of driving after work from Exeter a couple of us met Jed, Richard and Andy at the Scout owned Yr Hafod center in Ogwen. You could tell that there were no official leaders there and just lads due to the presence of Lucy, 23 from Cirencester (sourced from page 3) blue tacked to the wall below the clock.. Good work boys!

So the first day (after a massive gut-reshaping breakfast) me, Jed, Richard and Andy headed to the Llanberis slate quarries with the aim of taking on Snakes and Ladders (and Tunnels).. This is essentially a white-knuckle tour around/across/inside some of the biggest man made holes in North Wales using bits of old metal work like dodgy ladders and free-hanging chains, squeezing through collapsed/rotting tunnels, abseiling of rusted bolts or un-crag-swagable tat (so yea the whole thing requires a slight "ahh somebody has done it before so it won't break on me" attitude..). Probably not for the faint hearted, but otherwise a total laugh! In a nut-shell it weaves a clever line through California to Australia, finishing in the Lost World and Mordor (and no we were not eating mushrooms as we went, these are genuinely the names of the various quarries!).

The way into California

Andy stretching it out in Austrailia.. No need for sun cream today!

Typically at about lunchtime it started raining. So we went to Petes Eats and all spent our remaining money on cups of tea and climbing gear from V12... Who knew the Welsh weather loved the Welsh economy so much! If you want more info on the route there is a great blog about it here - http://snakesladdersandtunnels.blogspot.co.uk/

Wet 'n' wild Wednesday. Now that's an understatement! Because of a poor forecast (heavy showers, freezing temps and 60mph winds to be specific) we initially curbed our ambition but then decided fu*k it and set out to do Overlapping ridge route high on the East Face of Tryfan. It was still raining at the base of the route, and the rock was totally gopping. Unswayed by this as the grade is only Difficult we gave it a bash. The route follows a shattered rib from the heather terrace up to a large pinnacle and finally up some weirdly contorted rock strata toward the summit. 160m in total, every single inch of it was indeed under about 3 inches of water which felt at times as if it were actual ice (and i know ice!). Climbing as two parties we made good progress but not without Rob moaning about muddy holds as they were the following pair. He should be thankful, by the time us three at the front had been over them we had warmed up the hold removed most of the water at least!

Looking down the last pitch towards the pinnacle in blustery conditions

Because we made the executive decision to climb in big boots, and the fact the rocks were wetter than a nun in a sex shop, all technical footwork went out the window and a workman-esque approach more suited to a brick layer had to be adopted. So after topping out in a minor snowstorm we decided to head down, at which point somebody turned off the sun! After scrambling maps, head torches we eventually made it back to the center and all had a fight over who was getting the shower first. The only challenge that remained was the massive create of beer which needed defeating!

Some happy boys at the top! 

Tryfan with actual sunshine on it (yes it does happen sometimes!)

So the next few days was a mixture of micro-navigation, macro-nav and night nav as well as some rope work. A definite highlight was when Jed learned the 'don't use indirect belays if you can avoid it' lesson whereby having a rope round his waist tied to a rock, then again round his waist tied to me, which i then had to load at which point the instructor Steve, jumped on and loaded it as well which not only rearranged Jed's kidneys but also gave him a face not to dissimilar to a women in labor.. What a good sport ey! The weekend was finished with a swim in the river apparently practicing river crossings.. Funny that the instructors didn't feel the need to come into the water waist deep and have there nadgers freeze off..

The cantilever on The Glyders (how many pies was it again boys?)

All in all a great weekend! Well done boys!