Time flew today as I was busy at work, hope it continues! (flying not work)
Not the best end to my climbing holiday as I took several spankings from a Portland 7b and everything in Font.
Nice work Dave
Leane @ Paradis 2nd go
2 June 2009
Rough with the Smooth
Time flew today as I was busy at work, hope it continues! (flying not work)
Not the best end to my climbing holiday as I took several spankings from a Portland 7b and everything in Font.
Nice work Dave
Leane @ Paradis 2nd go
30 May 2009
27 May 2009
Bolts
I was surprised to see a rope on the Nomad wall in Llanymynech quarry as it was early in the morning and i had not seen or heard anyone, as i walked further more of the wall came in to view and the rope lead to someone practicing Nomad on a shunt. When i reached the ledge we chatted about the routes on the wall and eventually i got to asking what he thought about the bolts? 'The people who retro-bolted the wall had put in a lot of effort and the lines were never climbed as trad routes and therefore dirty' i heard.
Initially when i heard about the bolts I was surprised that a trad line had been retro-bolted especially when the lines looked to be good and unusually long. Prior to the retro-bolting I had planned (probably over optimistically) to try some of the sport routes in the quarry then have a go at the similar trad lines (as a test for routes such as Right Wall).
Continuing the conversation I found out that the routes were originally lead using 6" nails for some of the protection, something that was not stated in the guide and might have lead to a bit of stress during a trad lead!!
Having decided to attempt This Wont Hurt I set off on what turned out to be a pumpy climb, as a sport route This Wont Hurt was good; interesting moves between good rests but the easiest line (eventually taken by me of course) uses Un-broken at half height and the right hand route at the top. I didn't stop to check too much during my ascent but those horizontal breaks seemed ok for cams and there was definitely another couple of slots for good gear.
During my pumpy sport lead I found myself thanking the kind bolter and thinking "I'm glad i never attempted that as trad" but thats the point: the route is easier with bolts. I'm sure it would have been a lot more memorable for me as a trad route.
Initially when i heard about the bolts I was surprised that a trad line had been retro-bolted especially when the lines looked to be good and unusually long. Prior to the retro-bolting I had planned (probably over optimistically) to try some of the sport routes in the quarry then have a go at the similar trad lines (as a test for routes such as Right Wall).
Continuing the conversation I found out that the routes were originally lead using 6" nails for some of the protection, something that was not stated in the guide and might have lead to a bit of stress during a trad lead!!
Having decided to attempt This Wont Hurt I set off on what turned out to be a pumpy climb, as a sport route This Wont Hurt was good; interesting moves between good rests but the easiest line (eventually taken by me of course) uses Un-broken at half height and the right hand route at the top. I didn't stop to check too much during my ascent but those horizontal breaks seemed ok for cams and there was definitely another couple of slots for good gear.
During my pumpy sport lead I found myself thanking the kind bolter and thinking "I'm glad i never attempted that as trad" but thats the point: the route is easier with bolts. I'm sure it would have been a lot more memorable for me as a trad route.
25 May 2009
wales
Comes the dervish
Another photo of Petes good side. The bad side was caused by a relaxed start to the route.
Lee loving the crimps
Ibex wall
Trouble brewing
Simon, who also did some climbing
sorry about the advertising
20 May 2009
back to the grindstone
as Canon bodged the repair of my lens it looks like its words only .....
after two weeks not climbing i received an invite to go to the peak for some routes so here i am on the grit for the first time in a few years. What an effort it has been trying to get anything done though! first thing i thought when i wandered along Curbar; is this it?! the whole place has shrunk while i was away and looked pretty uninspiring. Two days of drizzle and increasing wind didn't help either. But eventually i found myself on a couple of undeniable awesome lines. Problem was they were in the E7/8 range which was what Marcin was psyched for. I'm not sure i'll ever do a line of that gravity and as a gentle warm up in to a summers trad climbing? Barking.
To relieve the stress of top roping these grades, or worse belaying, i did a quick session on an old and very very long term bouldering project (hmmm retro flash or retro quick tick possible i wonder?) and much to my relief did ok on it. So at least i have not got any worse from 3 months climbing.
After just about ticking a couple of E2's (that had a total of about 5m of climbing on them but felt like a full pitch of WI6 each (only more pumpy)) I could see that a change of attitude was required or at least a new mantra as my old 'at least you wont hit anything' wasn't fooling me here. Maybe tomorrow will produce a breakthrough?
A small breakthrough came after finding some dry cool rock at Gogarth (Holyhead mountain so not really Gogarth) then crimping my way a respectable way. Then was getting psyched for millstone and of course it rained as i was half way up the warm up at least it was HVS jamming and i was on a second.
TOP TIP:
If you are going to hurt yourself it might as well be on an E7 rather than an E3. (Marcin P)
never did do that bouldering project either!
THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND..........
There is nothing like a good weather climbing day in the UK and today has been nothing like good weather, however the climbing has been memorable. Despite the piss pour forecast i woke to blue skies and after meeting Pete set of for Gogarth to take a look at Quartz Icicle (sans piolet). Eyeing the slab across the zawn for the first time lead me to suggest climbing Wen instead but once abbed in and gripping the rock agreed on Concrete Chimney. So as i traversed from the ledges on the wrong line unable to feel my fingers or toes with the salty spray blinding me and the wind blowing off balance i got the feeling it was not going to be an average day.
As i neared the edge of the slab something was prodding me in the ribs, looking down i was surprised to see a number 3 camalot floating about in the updraft! the tensest moments on this trip was when the wind stopped and in the quiet i would hang on doubly tight waiting for the inevitable gust. Later Pete decided that a quick trip across the last pitch of Dream was in order and set about steadily traversing above the foam packed zawn at this point the sun came round the rib and provided some slight warmth to my belay, on my turn across i looked down from the warm and sheltered final slab in to the zawn and watched the breakers roll in.
TOP TIP TWO:
If the coiled rope blows across the car park and the Coast Guard notice board mentions something about a Force 8 ..... go climbing.
back at the car a good looking wall caught our attention and I decided to take a look. The first bolt seemed a bit high and it was only when i reached it that i found out it was dodgy and now i was on a boulder problem with brambles for a mat. At least the bolt excuse allowed me to beat a dignified retreat.
As we sat in Petes Eats and watched the heavy rain we concluded there was only one place to go and climb in these soaking conditions. The Slate.
Ibex is the first Welsh slate dry tooling line (appx M8) it has been created on a steep wall on the RHS past Dali's by Owen and Rocio then, with their agreement, climbed by Pete. Good climbing on mainly drilled holds leads up the steep blank wall that luckily stays dry in the rain.
after two weeks not climbing i received an invite to go to the peak for some routes so here i am on the grit for the first time in a few years. What an effort it has been trying to get anything done though! first thing i thought when i wandered along Curbar; is this it?! the whole place has shrunk while i was away and looked pretty uninspiring. Two days of drizzle and increasing wind didn't help either. But eventually i found myself on a couple of undeniable awesome lines. Problem was they were in the E7/8 range which was what Marcin was psyched for. I'm not sure i'll ever do a line of that gravity and as a gentle warm up in to a summers trad climbing? Barking.
To relieve the stress of top roping these grades, or worse belaying, i did a quick session on an old and very very long term bouldering project (hmmm retro flash or retro quick tick possible i wonder?) and much to my relief did ok on it. So at least i have not got any worse from 3 months climbing.
After just about ticking a couple of E2's (that had a total of about 5m of climbing on them but felt like a full pitch of WI6 each (only more pumpy)) I could see that a change of attitude was required or at least a new mantra as my old 'at least you wont hit anything' wasn't fooling me here. Maybe tomorrow will produce a breakthrough?
A small breakthrough came after finding some dry cool rock at Gogarth (Holyhead mountain so not really Gogarth) then crimping my way a respectable way. Then was getting psyched for millstone and of course it rained as i was half way up the warm up at least it was HVS jamming and i was on a second.
TOP TIP:
If you are going to hurt yourself it might as well be on an E7 rather than an E3. (Marcin P)
never did do that bouldering project either!
THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND..........
There is nothing like a good weather climbing day in the UK and today has been nothing like good weather, however the climbing has been memorable. Despite the piss pour forecast i woke to blue skies and after meeting Pete set of for Gogarth to take a look at Quartz Icicle (sans piolet). Eyeing the slab across the zawn for the first time lead me to suggest climbing Wen instead but once abbed in and gripping the rock agreed on Concrete Chimney. So as i traversed from the ledges on the wrong line unable to feel my fingers or toes with the salty spray blinding me and the wind blowing off balance i got the feeling it was not going to be an average day.
As i neared the edge of the slab something was prodding me in the ribs, looking down i was surprised to see a number 3 camalot floating about in the updraft! the tensest moments on this trip was when the wind stopped and in the quiet i would hang on doubly tight waiting for the inevitable gust. Later Pete decided that a quick trip across the last pitch of Dream was in order and set about steadily traversing above the foam packed zawn at this point the sun came round the rib and provided some slight warmth to my belay, on my turn across i looked down from the warm and sheltered final slab in to the zawn and watched the breakers roll in.
TOP TIP TWO:
If the coiled rope blows across the car park and the Coast Guard notice board mentions something about a Force 8 ..... go climbing.
back at the car a good looking wall caught our attention and I decided to take a look. The first bolt seemed a bit high and it was only when i reached it that i found out it was dodgy and now i was on a boulder problem with brambles for a mat. At least the bolt excuse allowed me to beat a dignified retreat.
As we sat in Petes Eats and watched the heavy rain we concluded there was only one place to go and climb in these soaking conditions. The Slate.
Ibex is the first Welsh slate dry tooling line (appx M8) it has been created on a steep wall on the RHS past Dali's by Owen and Rocio then, with their agreement, climbed by Pete. Good climbing on mainly drilled holds leads up the steep blank wall that luckily stays dry in the rain.
30 April 2009
too much thinking time (From ice to Iceberg)
I guess it is actually a bit odd the level of significance that climbing up a boulder a specific way becomes. A strange hobby; bouldering, in fact climbing in general is fairly inane. Now that i think about it what is the point of any sport or hobby? skiing, football, cycling, train spotting. Not too sure i care as long as it's fun.
Difficult easy mantle made harder by trying to avoid headbutting the camera and smile.
thanks Richard
It's also funny how things turn out some times: one evening Pete and I agreed to take a look at my project if it didn't rain during the night. Later, after answering that the flashes were flash photos i was surprised by thunder and enough rain for a stream to form along the path from Isatis to the car park. So no project. But the following morning the sky was clear and a quick check revealed all of the boulders washed clean of their coating of Easter punter chalk, and dry. And grippy, game on .... no luck for me that day though.
for Allyn
I see why i was told i jump like a pregnant woman
It wasn't until my penultimate day in font that i realised what a burden of expectation my project had become, how much i wanted to stick that final hold. Stupidly right from the start i had assumed i would climb this line - not an un-reasonable assumption as i had done the stand and could regularly do the traverse in to the stand BUT I kept failing on the last move; slipping heal, slipping fingers or, worse, split tips. The problem was starting to slip through my fingers and on to the list of notable failures. A list of climbs that particularly get under my skin, climbs that I could have done but haven't. Brad Pitt and Musashi top the list, luckily they ARE the list.
So on my last full day in the Forest my belief that i would tick the problem was lacking, but I felt I had to try. Best to ignore the cakes and beer that had been creeping in to my diet over the last days of my holiday. Best to ignore feeling tired and achey. On the upside I had two handfulls of skin (the 8 day old crimp slice and 12 day old ripped tip had sort of scarred over).
After a warm up I started up (along!) the line and suddenly found myself looking at the finishing hold.
been here before.
slap.
as usual too low.
Second go felt ok but as I tried to gain extra height my heel slid off as usual.
Next go felt harder.
tired probably.
and the moves didn't feel quite right.
then my hand stuck the finishing sloper. It is a better hold higher up but i didn't have hold of that part, so now my heel is on a sloper that never sticks, my left hand is on a sloper and so is my right. As i feel my fingers slipping I struggle to place my left toe but succede. And that was that! my highest number tick and biggest bouldering buzz. Now if i would have had to walk away without the tick?
good fun
Difficult easy mantle made harder by trying to avoid headbutting the camera and smile.
thanks Richard
It's also funny how things turn out some times: one evening Pete and I agreed to take a look at my project if it didn't rain during the night. Later, after answering that the flashes were flash photos i was surprised by thunder and enough rain for a stream to form along the path from Isatis to the car park. So no project. But the following morning the sky was clear and a quick check revealed all of the boulders washed clean of their coating of Easter punter chalk, and dry. And grippy, game on .... no luck for me that day though.
for Allyn
I see why i was told i jump like a pregnant woman
It wasn't until my penultimate day in font that i realised what a burden of expectation my project had become, how much i wanted to stick that final hold. Stupidly right from the start i had assumed i would climb this line - not an un-reasonable assumption as i had done the stand and could regularly do the traverse in to the stand BUT I kept failing on the last move; slipping heal, slipping fingers or, worse, split tips. The problem was starting to slip through my fingers and on to the list of notable failures. A list of climbs that particularly get under my skin, climbs that I could have done but haven't. Brad Pitt and Musashi top the list, luckily they ARE the list.
So on my last full day in the Forest my belief that i would tick the problem was lacking, but I felt I had to try. Best to ignore the cakes and beer that had been creeping in to my diet over the last days of my holiday. Best to ignore feeling tired and achey. On the upside I had two handfulls of skin (the 8 day old crimp slice and 12 day old ripped tip had sort of scarred over).
After a warm up I started up (along!) the line and suddenly found myself looking at the finishing hold.
been here before.
slap.
as usual too low.
Second go felt ok but as I tried to gain extra height my heel slid off as usual.
Next go felt harder.
tired probably.
and the moves didn't feel quite right.
then my hand stuck the finishing sloper. It is a better hold higher up but i didn't have hold of that part, so now my heel is on a sloper that never sticks, my left hand is on a sloper and so is my right. As i feel my fingers slipping I struggle to place my left toe but succede. And that was that! my highest number tick and biggest bouldering buzz. Now if i would have had to walk away without the tick?
good fun
20 April 2009
Let the credits roll
This is my last few days in France as i'm returning to the UK to see what is in store for the next few months (hopefully lots of trad and maybe some work). After three and half months practically full time climbing it's going to be interesting going back to a more conventional lifestyle.
Font has been awesome, it was a good decision to drop in on the way home, but when I look at my tally of climbs from 6 weeks bouldering it amounts to what a lot of climbers would do in a week(end). Luckily I didn't have any expectations of how i would climb and have ticked some brilliant problems, a couple of 8's would have been nice though! (probably never going to happen). There seems to be lots of strong climbers in the forest and I saw a serious attempt on Partage, Cochinelle ticked and various laps of Carnage - Berenzina links.
Everyone who visited from the UK was quickly ticking 7a's (even Pete who had been training by sewing the interior of his van!). Conditions have been a bit special this year, tons of ice in the alps then basically all of March was cool and dry in Font. Lucky.
One of the many brilliant things about Font is the huge amount of rock, there are so many good problems as only the best lines have been cleaned and there is a lifetimes supply of new problems if you want. It was cool to discover a striking line i had never seen before only 15min from Cuisiniere, ok it was a 14m slopey 7a traverse so not everyones cup of tea! but still an awesome line.
I hope you have been entertained reading about my trip. With luck there will be more to follow ......... watch this space ........
Thanks Andy, Stew & Sam, Ramon, Matt, Lucasz, Pti, Dennis, Marcus, Pavel, Nick, Charley, Paul, Andre, Pete, Caroline & Eden, Richard.
Rob Adie, Anne Arran.
Patrice, Helen, Lohann & Allyn.
Fontainebleau highlights: (well basically, all-lights!) .... Festin de Pierre, Angle Bens, Retour Aux Sources, Zen, La Memel, El Poussif, Bioethique, L'abattoire, Les Monos, Belle Gueule, Iceberg. Most of these were ticked thanks to beta from Paul and then ticked faster by Pete!
Lowlights: Excalibur, Breaking my camera (lens?), L'impasse du Hasard, Weeks of weak skin, Gargantoit (assis), Red 1 at Roche aux Sabot!! 6a my sandy arse
8 April 2009
A question of style
I'm not one for making tick lists but over the last couple of months some good looking or challenging lines have caught my attention and i have been making a mental note of them to try and go back to them sometime. But then I arrived in Font and there are so many awesome lines (thanks for pointing them out Paul) that I started to note them down. Now i have a some problems written on a piece of paper as an aide memoir. This is not a tick list.
On that problem again today. The rain held off long enough for me to peel my finger on the crimp on my last (and best ever) attempt. I could not have been closer to climbing it; I felt the good bit of the finishing hold with my right hand before my left slipped. At least i have found a new way to fall off the problem as it is always the right heel that slips.
Good points
- i have re-learned the subtle moves I need to use for the finishing sequence
- i can climb it for sure
Less good points
- i forgot the subtle movements i used last time for the finishing sequence
- i knew as soon as i did the stand i could climb it from a sit
- today is the 4th session working the sit
- two split finger tips now (one split on a sloper?!!)
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