Action packed traverses

Here are another couple of problems on video. Both of them are top quality lines with awesome moves although I made hard work of climbing them when I forgot the sequence!! Typical.

The slopey traverse at Pentire (The Brazilian Traverse) seems to be a new line as the rough brittle holds took a few pulls to stabilise, I was happy to tick that problem (as you can tell from the video). As for the traverse at Blackchurch, it's another good one that might have been climbed some time in the past (both Martin Crocker and Si Young have climbed routes on the other side of the bay)(13 years on: Martin and Si probably had bigger fish to fry! and apologies to everyone else). Probably not in its current incarnation though as it seems that problems below the high water line change quite quicky if the beach is high or it gets battered by a storm. I'm not really bothered if it has been done previously as the moves are ace. Thanks to Stu Morris for the camera work and inventing the route name.

Broken flash player??

Must be climbing ok now as this evening I managed to tick a problem at Blackchurch West (proposed name Metamorphosis and I'm giving it 7b). I have had 4 or 5 goes on this spread over a couple of months during which time holds have fallen off sometimes making moves easier somtimes harder. After a warm up consisting of carrying mats to the beach I pulled on to the starting holds and proceded to haul my way up the problem which felt like grade 6 something!! why can't that always happen? but true to form I found myself embroiled in a wobbler trying to get my foot on to the final hold. Another very good route I have had the pleasure of climbing.

dull photo! sorry.  The chalked line is Evolution 7a.
Metamorphosis starts on the same holds
goes left and up to mantle on to the slab.