Ouch My Ankle

Well what can I say, ouch indeed.
Here's the run down Briefly pulling hard, fall, deck. Lol
So im up on my project just put the draws back on and all set up climb the easy bit to the first draw and clip in. I then pull on and straight into the first crux this goes fine and im clipping the 3rd draw ready for second crux which is a hard rockover up for a nice pad crimp so im pulling hard trying to gain the height when my hand pings and I fall. Next think im still falling and then smashing into the ground, Ouch WTF im shouting at my belayer whilst trying to fathom how I hit the floor.

What happened well we all no that assisted braking belays usually catch you and that's it, well this time it didn't and my unfortunate girlfriend ended up dropping me on the deck. Its not her fault but i was still pissed at her but as I now know all to well they are only assisted and not bomb proof so when the rope zipped through and she panicked no wonder i decked but O well just a very painful ankle the day before i go to the verdon as well !!! Never mind hope it heals soon.

Hylldrem even Bigger Link

Trying the Font 8A eliminate at the Hylldrem

Ok so my last post was on the Bouldering at the Hylldrem, but its so fun there i need to post again. Now I may be sad but it is good there you can make the most crazy links up down all over. So I did one big link there but the obvious challenge was to join the 3 traverses into one huge link. So i set to work linking the sections and moves until I could do the whole thing, It then took me probably 6 goes to get it over 2 or 3 sessions there. Im not sure if it has been done before i dont think so but who knows, so it starts on the far left   and traverses right until you can get on the center right hand line you then head back left through a hard sequence until a rest from here you pull high to the top ramp and traverse this back right until the finishing holds of the far right problem. Its around 18m long so very route like but as a grade maybe hard V8 harder than rampless on the cromlech boulders also V8 but its hard to say so around the easy 8a mark i think would be better. any way heres the video hope you get some psyche and try this awsome line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvKoNGnEqd4

Hylldrem Link

Well just a quick post on the bouldering area at the Hylldrem, I have had a few days here over the last few weeks and found it is an amazing place for long linkups. I did all the up problems and then started linking extensions for abit of training, but then i noticed an obvious link which happens to be quite hard so I had a few goes but never did the whole link then I tried it a few days later but only quickly. I headed up today with a few mates and managed the link on my second go. I said it was around Font 7A+ but i think its harder than rampless on the cromlech boulders so im still un decided but for now its better as a hard F7c because it is around 12m long so easier to give a route grade. Any way i have a video on vimeo https://vimeo.com/61424472

Recent Events

Well I think its time for an update as its been a while now.
So I took a nice Break over Christmas Giving my self chance to recover and rest. I headed out to Spain in January not for climbing though just a holiday, although I did get a little climbing done. I found a cool Wall of limestone about 20m long and around 6m high, There were a few bolted lines on it but i decided a traverse of the wall would be more fun. So I set to work on it and after working all the moves out and finding a good sequence through the last hard crux i thought I would give it a shot but fell on the last Crux. I was tired tho and left it, then 2 days later i went back and dispatched it first go. It was a really nice line that traversed for around 10m and then finished up a 6c/+ route. I gave it a Personal 7b+ but it would probably be better at around easy Font 7A+. So then I came back from Spain and hit the climbing gym hard building on my power for around a month. This proved to be a great benefit as a project of mine from last year needed climbing before the end of Feb when the bird ban comes into play. So I put the last bolts in and Started to try the route, I had worked the sequence last year but was not strong enough to link the moves. So I pulled on and managed the first moves which aren't to hard but then you press this smear and reach up to a horrid sidepull sloper, you then need to move your left foot high and reach up to a undercut half pad two finger pocket which needs to be static or its need on impossible to hit. So i fell here a load of times and eventually managed to stick the pocket which i had never done before, then you make a  slap to a pinch and the last few tricky moves of the lower section. but i fell here and needed to work those moves before I could do it. Then i pulled on and made it through the lower section to the semi rest. from here the grade eases to around 6b but i was pretty pumped after so many trys and struggled to make it to the top. I named the route Fractured mind as it follows a large fracture up the center of the face and is almost impossible to read from the ground so its a real mind game to find a sequence. I said the route is around 7c as the first half is very hard but then easier for the second half. its an amazing line though and well worth the effort. Also a bonus i have it on video here       https://vimeo.com/59895039 

Bouldering Topo For Barmouth Quarry

Here is a link to mid wales climbing where you can access my bouldering topo for the quarry.

http://www.midwalesclimbing.com/page9.php

Black Mamba

Finally, I knew it would happen eventually.
          So there's a boulder in Barmouth Quarry that i have laid siege to with 5 different ascents so far, only 1 to go. Today I climbed Black Mamba (FA)  a furiously hard Font 7B+ I have tried the line over 4 sessions or around 9 hours. I have never climbed such an awesome boulder before. So pure it only involves 5 hand moves, but trying to link the moves felt impossible. I found that each move needed to be set up for perfectly but each move needs a different body position which in there own are hard to hold never mind move. So after working all the moves and for the first time linking the first 2 and the last 2 i felt that it might be possible. All I needed to do was link the middle move which also happens to be the hardest, so after far to many trys and still no luck i was thinking of packing up for the day. I tried 1 more time and broke off a crucial foot hold   also tearing some skin from my finger, this disappointed me but by doing so allowed me to find a better sequence for the finish so after several attempts at the finish and managing the moves i was happy that I might get the line sooner or later. So I mooched about for a little while looking at a few more un-climbed lines and after about 40min decided i would pack up. But as we do I decided to have 1 more go, I pulled on and managed to stick the first three moves which I had never done before but then fell. So i knew i could do it and decided it was going down. I tried and tried getting the hard moves but kept falling on the last 2, so i took a long rest and had a quiet word with myself about how it was easy and that if i just keep the core tension i will be fine. So i took my try sticking the hard move, quick sort your feet out all that was left is the final hard move a cutloose slap for the final sloper I was slipping and just hauled my self at it catching the edge and squeezing for dear life. I pulled over the top and sat down for a long time just watching the sun start to set over the harbor.

But that is only the beginning as there is a Hard 6B+ start and a 6C finish that can be added to the line which i think will come in at around 7C+ so although the hardest part has been done I know it still has more to offer  :)  


If any one tries a repeat of this don,t be alarmed it its harder than the grade or likewise easier. My grades are terrible and usually tend to be (hard at the grade) But if you compare this route to Luminox a font 7A+ that I put up it is a huge step in difficulty but then I  think that Luminox is only around the easy 7A mark and its only due to another climber saying he felt it was more V8 that i gave it that grade. But if you do try the line and feel you have a more accurate grade dont hesitate to let me no.

Grit Week

So from the 9th of November till the 14th I spent a week up on the grit, had a really good time ticking classics and climbing in a new area for me. So i started the week by ticking a few classics such as flying buttress direct, and The Tippler, i also soloed so many routes i don,t even no where to begin. I then climbed Censor which is given E3 5c but dam i found it bold i placed a wire blind round the lip and it was the wrong size but it was to hard to get back out so I had to press on through the crux with a bad deck potential. I also managed to climb Moss Side E4 6a which was good fun got it on my second try after a little slip, but the real goal for me was to climb Strapadictomy at Froggatt so towards the end of out trip we took a walk up and scoped the route i felt confident i could do it so went for the onsight. I climbed the first bit easy up to the move right, placed some cams and the wire out right and down climbed. I took a rest and then went for it so back up to the move right which i did fine but i had placed the wire in my hand slot so didnt make the next move and fell. i then had to lower off and get the gear. so i tryed it on a toprope instead and kept slipping off a smear which is uber polished. So i eventually got to the top and was pretty nackered, we packed up and went to the pub. The next day tho we came back and i managed to get the route on my second try placing the kit. i found an easy sequence through the top which felt good for me. I do have a video of it but waiting for Bruce to send it to me so i can upload it.