Tag Archives: Dexter

Climbing

Days of the week.

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22nd February 2013

Sennen
Sunday and Monday Face

Dexter – VS 4c – Second
Slim – VS 5a – Lead
Vertical Crack – VS 4c – Second

OK. The thin snow drifting around when we arrived gave a clue to the days conditions. Cold. And i therefore offered myself some advice. Stick to climbs with big holds and stay away from finger routes.

Looking across Monday Face with Dave on CWD.

It’s a shame I cant follow my own logic then. But over confidence will do that to you forcing a disregard for the blindingly obvious. Your hands are going to get cold!

Tom leading the tough bottom crack of Church Window Direct

Tom and Dave kicked things off with an attempt on Church Window, Tom preferring the direct and harder start to the traditional flop onto the high shelf. For an initial pitch it is a pumpy start, but Tom made good work of it, finishing via the corner in the alter niche.

Chis hangin.. on Dexter

Meanwhile Chris was leading the tricky and exposed Dexter. This route is all about the top traverse and finish. Moving off the pinnacle at the top of the crack you’re faced with a swing out onto the main face using the rising flake as a rail. It feels very bold, but not as bold as the step up at the end. That’s special. All in all a great lead by Chris in the conditions.

Pete on Dexter.

Pete found it difficult, but to his credit he stuck at it and made it through. I also found it exposed. The conditions meant your hands felt cold and it was difficult to trust your grip at times.

Chris about to go for the top move on Dexter.

Which is why it was all the more surprising that I chose a tasty finger crack  Slim for my lead… which proceeded to remind me that I was not as good as I thought I was. More of a mental state though, than a lack of physical ability. Four attempts later I finally cleared the early 5a move and the remainder of the climb was stright forward. Looks like I’ll have to come back and repeat this one.

Dave on the top cracks of CDW… just after taking to the air.

Both Dave and Chris lead vertical crack on this day. It’s been upgraded now to VS which is understandable so Dave has now bagged a VS which is brilliant going for so early in the year. It is well protected so it helps to settle the nerves, but is still technically a challenge.

Tom on CWD.

The same can be said for the top section of Church Window Direct, although Dave decided to put in some air time after peeling off on the tough top moves. CWD is one of my favorite climbs at Sennen. I want to give it another go next time we’re back.

Dave looking relaxed on CWD. He shouldnt have been???

Hopefully things will now warm up for the rest of the year. I’m definitely looking forward to summer.

Climbing

The three faces of Wednesday

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7th April 2010
Sennen

Dexter  – VS 4c – Lead (Variation finish up Double Overhang)
Hayloft – VS 4c – Second

Joe, Alex and I set off for Bosi to climb LBJ but for a change the normally reliable BBC weather got it wrong. The wind should have been from the North so Bosi would have been sheltered, but instead there was a lot of West in it which mucked it right up. Too cold to spend time on belay ledges we figured shorter pitches at Sennen and a bit more shelter would be the order of the day.

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And so began a catalogue of misjudgement. Of course Sennen would be no more sheltered than Bosi, but this seemed to bypass us all, right up to the point I was hauling my freezing cold butt unto the spike of Dexter and wishing I was anywhere other than on this cold piece of granite. Joe couldnt feel his hands and I abandoned the airy traverse on the grounds that I would die from hypothermia, choosing the grunt up the top bit of Double Overhang.

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In a bid to escape the wind we mooched down Irish Lady Cove. A good idea, but not when there is 8 – 10ft of swell running. We stood looking at Commando Crack, but I was spending more time looking at the waves smashing inbto the cove and remembering Pendeen, when a rogue set tried to eat me. Not happy, I refused to climb the crack, much to Joe’s derision, so I pursuaded him to have a go at Grot.

Never has a name been more deserved. As lumps of rock broke off in Joes hands and Alex launched lumps of it into the cove which exploded like grenades and threw another strop and demeanded we leave ILC immediately. By this time I was completely frazzled and the decision to climb Hayloft was the one good one of the day.

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Joe led which was fine by me, and he had fun on the unprotected second pitch, always a pitch to focus the mind. By time we finished the day didnt seem so bad, but not one that will go down as a classic.