9th May 2014
Logan Rock
Lightning Crack – HVS 5a – Lead
The Wormhole – V Diff – Solo
God I hate the guide book comments on Logan Rock. For the most part the Climbers Club Guide is brilliant, but they had an aberation when it came to Logan Rock. Normally I pick up one route and from there everything falls into place. Not here. Everything is so vague you cant even pick one out.
Still after a little tantrum early on Pete and I set off on one of our ‘Adventures’! It was so much fun. Abbing in with the tide pushing and swell charging into Castle Boot Zawn. Hanging just above the surge made for an exctiting belay and the initial moves meant dropping down to sea level and quickly moving back up before a wave got you. Speed climbing.
We negotiated the initial moves setting up an improvised belay part way up the groove to avoid rope drag. It’s all a little off balance but great climbing. Then the main event. The pull up into Lightning crack through an overhang. Well protected but scary. And after a few good holds its all jamming. My footwork was appalling resulting in me getting stuck lying along with my right foot jammed. After some serious grunting and heavy breathing I managed to untie myself and get some poise back. Then its a balancy mantle onto the face and its all done. Simples… Except I left blood all over the place in my desperate attempt to untangle myself. Its amazing how adrenaline masks the pain of jamming in sharp crystaline cracks. I’m feeling it today though.
Meanwhile Dave was finding out about Logan Rocks serious issue with undergrading. The two HS cracks are probably VS and E1. The whole place is full of great potential but a lot of it is hard.
The end of the day saw Tom and Dave working some of the hard routes on the short face in the main bay (Crack 1 and 2 area). Pete and I undertook some caving finding a bizarre route which worked its way from the bottom to the top via hollows between jammed boulders and narrow gulleys and chimneys. Probably not a new route but I call it ‘The Wormhole’ and grade it V Diff just because its so f@#!k#$g awkward and tight. Pete is coming along great guns and his confidence is soring. We both solo’d the whole route. Never high, but committing all the same. More fun than chasing cats!
The Logan Rock Inn provided a fitting end to an amazing day in a stunning breath taking location. How can you not feel happy when you have this on your doorstep.
