It's been good to be back in a kayak

I've been back in a kayak for the first time since November this weekend! Since it got nice and cold and winter climbing really got going, I couldn't think of anything worse to do then to get in a boat, but with these warmer conditions and a fair bit of water about, one would become very depressed just waiting for good summer or winter climbing conditions without any backup plan. That's not to say kayaking is any lesser a thing to do mind you.

I've had a very busy week in terms of work, it was nice to have a chilled out day on Friday. In the afternoon though, I really wanted to do something, and I've had a little local mission in mind that I've really wanted to do for some time. So I managed to rope Rory into it, amazingly, because it involves going in a canoe. And Rory would like to claim he wouldn't be seen dead in a canoe or kayak. So here he is:

He loves it really

It was quite an interesting mission, underground exploration in a canoe, with lots of darkness, tunnel, and eels. Nice. Enjoyable though, even for Rory!

Yesterday, I went out paddling with friends Gerwyn and Paul, and a few other friends of his, John, Harry and Rommie. After epic driving epic miles all over north Wales, we met the other lot at the 'Twrch', at the end of Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake). Although it has some gnarly bits in it that I would not have run it did look good, but the water was dropping so fast by the time we had inspected it from the banks it was getting a bit on the low side. So a bit more driving later and we were ready to paddle the 'Wynion' instead. I was the only one in the group to have never done it, but have wanted to for a while.

Harry on the Wynion

It was a great stretch of river. Continuously interesting, loads of waves, drops and great rock features. Not an easy paddle, and very committing once in the gorge, also difficult to lead, as in some places there is no line of sight between the eddies. I really enjoyed it. I did portage one section that I didn't want to take any chances with, as getting it wrong could result in a very serious pinning, not my cup of tea. I did get some photos of Harry, Rommie and Paul who ran it though.

Paul smashing it in on the Wynion

Today, following a really early start I met up with John and Rommie again to head over to the Dee, where John was being signed off to run 4* assessments and Rommie and I were being guinea pigs for it (in preparation for our upcoming 4* assessments). We didn't do the Dee though thankfully, and went over to the Vyrnwy and ran that instead.

Although its boring as sin being led the whole time, and my hands were totally freezing after being tricked by the sun that it was going to be warm, it was a good run, and I have picked up on a few things to do with leading groups on that sort of water. So it will certainly be beneficial. I fancy trying it in an open boat next, it's just a mega drive to get there.

All work no play

I'm not posting because I have anything interesting to say, just that I'm alive. This last month has been very busy for me work wise and I have done little outside of work really, partly because I have had a stubborn cold that wont clear, and partly because the weather has been miserable a lot of the time. 

Chris on the new steed 

I did manage a good open canoe trip down the Elwy with Dave the other week, and a good mornings mountain biking with Chris and Gareth on the Marin trail the other day. And now I have quite serious bike jealousy for seeing Chris' new shiny Kona! It is very nice indeed and I want one. Still, some of the sections on the Marin I don't know if I have ever ridden so quickly, so pretty happy about that considering I so rarely ride at the moment. And I have just rode home from work through the woods in Parc Padarn, on the more technical route I know, in the dark with just a head torch and not a foot down! So I'm now really keen to get out biking more, especially if the weather is going to remain so grim. 

Gareth firing on down

Scottish Weekender - Sunday

After an epic beasting yesterday, we decided it would be really nice to not have to walk too far today. So Aonach Mor sounded lovely, wit ha lift to take you most of the way up. So we got on the 8am lift, and then the chair lift up as high as climbers can go. The followed the parade of people up to the top. Neither Jon or I had been there before, and both of us were amazed by how busy it was! Loads of people. We just followed the crowds which was handy, as you couldn't see much, and lots of people there were obviously working with clients.

The pilgrimage to the summit

Kitting up with every man and his dog

So we geared up with everyone else too, and headed to the top of the crag. We were not at all psyched when we got there. Snow bollards. There were about 30 people cutting them out, a few decent ones already made, but most were being excavated. We didn't bargain for this sort of faff, it was really cold too. With not an adze between us, we had to wait for another party to finish with their bollard, and we moved in fast and got down over the cornice quickly.

Jon on 1st pitch of 'Typhoon' (IV 4)

We wanted a short-ish route, one we could do quite quickly too, with the shortest walk in possible. We narrowed it down to 2 routes, I don't remember one of the names, but the one we ended up on (as the other one was already taken) was called 'Typhoon' (IV 4).

Jon on the second pitch

I took the first pitch, I guess grade 3 climbing, but the ice wasn't great, dinner platey, and there was no gear for about 30m, so it felt very serious. I was fairly gripped on the tricky step, with a 100foot fall potential! I brought Jon up, who was still pretty worn out from the day before, plus being cold, and he didn't fancy the lead on the next pitch, which did look pretty desperate. So I did that too, and it was fairly desperate. A tight chimney, and then a steep pull through an ice bulge. Very well protected though, and a bomber belay at the top. Jon got up it much easier then I did, thankfully he found a second lease of life, and proceeded to fly up the third pitch to the top.

Jon leading the third pitch of 'Typhoon'

It was a really good route, hard for the grade, definitely the hardest route of the weekend, and I would go as far as saying my favourite route in terms of the climbing of the weekend. I am a big fan of the sort of mixed stuff, I find it more involving and interesting. Though Zero Gully and Point Five definitely win in terms of size and general amazingness. But Aonach Mor is definitely somewhere I will re-visit sometime, there is loads there. What I found very weird is that for a pretty large crag, with loads of good starred grade 3 routes on it, a route called 'Left Twin' (III 3 I think), had about 20 people in it, 4 groups at least queueing! I'm guessing there is something I don't know about that route, either that or people have no imagination or sense!!!!

Scottish Weekender - Saturday

Following my very disappointing day at Tremadog on Thursday, Saturday has made me feel good about myself once again! Phew!

Happy faces after a long day

Jon and I had plans to go to Scotland for the weekend, it never happened last weekend as the weather became rubbish last minute. This week though, it was good. So off we went on Friday evening at about 5. Jon drove the whole way fair play, and we got to the North Face car park of Ben Nevis at just before midnight. Nice clear roads! Jon's van is amazing, and we slept like logs on the comfy bed.

Jon on the 'Chute' pitch of Zero Gully

We woke up, switched the heater on, and after 5 minutes got out of bed to a nice warm van. Stuffed some food in us and left the car park for the epic walk in at about 7. The walk in was nice in some ways, the views, and being somewhere new for me, but horrible in other ways, like how it goes on forever. By 8:20 we were at the CIC hut, and we kitted up just beyond this where the snow slopes started. We decided to head over to 'Zero Gully' (V 4), hoping we might be the first there (as we were the first from the car park to this point). We got to the base of the route at 9:50, just before 2 others, to find there were people on the route above us. Apparently moving very slowly too. As the ice was not cracky, dinner plating water ice though, there was little in the way of badness coming down, so we proceeded. Soloing the first pitch to the base of the Chute, where Jon lead up, with little good gear, bar one well frozen in stuck cam by the hard move, very handy. The Chute pitch was probably the crux of the route, with one difficult move stepping right on the steepening. Jon's belay wasn't much cop, axes and bulldog, with a screw in snow ice. We had no choice though.

Climbing the summit shelter

My next pitch was also pretty good, with a little cheeky step, to a good solid belay. We were just under the party ahead by now, who were a little higher as their 60m ropes gave them a 10m advantage over us. Jon lead past them though, on easy ground, and then we moved together, full on Ueli Steck style to the top. With our lungs hanging out our backsides we summited in the fog, under 2 hours after starting. Which we were quite pleased with.

A short stroll lead us to the very summit, and the shelter there was so fatly hoared up I climbed up it for a photo. It was only mid day now, and we had loads of time for another route, so we wanted to head back down. We knew number 4 gully was the best place, but wondered if there was anywhere nearer. In the clearing fog, we knew which way to go but didn't know how far, and it was at this point we realised that we had left the map somewhere (under the Croissants it turned out in the van!). Lessons learnt about not trying to weight save too much by taking only 1 small laminated map piece!!! Visibility wasn't too bad though, so we followed the right sort of general direction, until we found the post conveniently marking number 4 gully, and we descended that. All the way down to the CIC hut.

Jon walking down from 'Number 4 Gully'

On this descent we decided to do 'Point Five' (V 5) as our second route of the day, as by now anyone on it should be near the top, the weather was improving, and of course its such a classic we didn't want to miss an opportunity. Slogging up to the base of it was one of the hardest things ever though. And we both wanted to die. It took ages too.

The horror slog up to Point Five

We started climbing at just gone half 2. I did the first pitch, which surprisingly was the crux of it, the step being a lot steeper then it looked, to a peg belay. Jon then lead the second 'Narrows' pitch. He was unusually exhausted by this point, like I have never seen him, a result of a weeks teaching, a massive drive, 6 hours sleep and a long walk in at a good pace I think. He got cramp half way up, about 7m from the belay with no gear which was scary I must admit. Even for me. But he got rid of it and finished easily. The next pitch, the 'Rogue pitch' was my lead, and wasn't half as steep as it looked from the base of the route! After that again we moved together to the top, topping out two and half hours after starting at 5.

Jon on 'The Narrows'

Me on the 'Rogue Pitch'

The top out was stunning. Absolutely amazing. All south of the Ben there was a cloud inversion, as far as you could see, and over the top of this a perfect orange sunset. I have never seen anything like it. I wanted to film Jon's expression as he topped out behind me, but my camera died. It was priceless though! A quick pack up, walk back to number 4 gully to descend, and then an epic trudge out got us back to the van for 8. 

Sunset on the top of Ben Nevis

What a day, I have never climbed in Scotland before, and to have done those 2 classic routes, in perfect conditions, and catching that sunset all in my first day was just something else. Really special. We were totally knackered though, an Indian meal down in Fort William, a quick celebratory pint and bed is all we managed that evening. 

Being weak at Tremadog

I meant to write this on Thursday evening but never got round to it. I had no plans for Thursday, weather looked alight though, clear and cold, so fancied going rock climbing somewhere. I was going to Join Rhys and Ifan in the slate quarry when an old friend of mine Jason gave me a bell and asked if I fancied going climbing. So we set off down to Tremadog, where it looked really nice, cold too.

We climbed 'One Step in the Clouds' (VS 4c) first, as I have always wanted to do it but never have. It was a great route.

Jason on the first pitch of 'One Step in the Clouds'

After that I cant say I climbed it, but I had a go at 'G String' (HVS 5b). What a complete piss take that was!! Never before have I failed on getting up a trad route on lead, never fallen off on lead, and only once before have I had to pull on gear, and that was on Valkerie at the Roaches where I took the E1 5b line by accident years ago. But on this 'G String', I made the difficult move left, thinking it was hard, but seeming as it was a HVS I expected a wonder hold after passing it. There wasn't one. And it just freaked me out a bit, like never before I don't know what was going on. So I placed a cam and grabbed it in desperation. Then made a move up and couldn't see where to go next. So I came back down and had to rest on the bomber cam. I was so angry with myself, so frustrated. I then moved up again, got some higher gear on and had to rest again! In the end I just couldn't for the life of me come to committing to these moves and I couldn't feel any good holds or even see any good ones coming up. So I had to lower off. Jason had a go too thinking I was being pathetic and couldn't do it either, which made me feel a little better about myself. So we re-climbed One Step from the left side and abbed down G String to strip the gear.

Jason on the second pitch of 'One Step' 

I have never been so hacked off with myself climbing before. I just had a total breakdown, I don't recall ever being so scared even on considerably harder graded routes with run outs. I was shaking like a leaf and got pumped really quickly. I don't know what was going on, but I didn't like it. I like to think that my cold hands didn't help, and there definitely was moisture running down the groove, but still I have done other HVS's in these conditions without issue.

I guess everyone has their bad days. I'm hoping when I next get on this route I will walk it. But at the moment I feel totally sandbagged. I cant see how its HVS. On abbing it I couldn't see many holds either. I'm baffled.