Daily Archives: September 18, 2009

Climbing

Near Misses…

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Pen Olver
17th September 2009

Let Her Children Play – VS 4c – Lead
Songs From A Broken Heart – VS 4c – Second
Womb Tomb (Direct Finish) – V Diff – Lead

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A forced trip to Helston meant the Lizard was the obvious choice. I’ve never climbed at Pen Olver, but the guide book indicated there was good climbing so Chris and I set off for the unknown.

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Finding the descent ramp was our first issue. When you approach it, it doesnt look feasable that there is a way down, but its ther and being lazy I went for the first climb we came to. It didnt look too difficult although it was hard to tell as usual from the bottom. The first part is fine, good climbing and OK if hard to find protection. But as you go up the quality of the rock deteriorates.

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At the point where you traverse around the holds start to get brittle and pro scarcer. I possibly went a little high on the traverse but it was still tricky. At the top I was faced with a short shallow chimney which I decided to go for. Half way through pulling up, the hold in my left hand snapped of, bouncing off the face and going over Chris’s head before i could get my words together to shout below. I was busy trying not to fall off and in the end gave up on the chimney and scrambled up the ramp ( which the guide book suggested anyway). On the way I dislodged a foot log boulder which fortunately landed flat and didnt roll off to collect Chris.
Nerves fried I set up the belay, (what there was of it?) and Chris came up. The top of Let Her Children Play is a minefield of loose material just waiting to fall. Not my favorite climb.

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Then it was on to ‘Songs’ an altogeher different prospect. It looked good and it was good, climbing the small ‘island pinnacle’ up the main seaward crack. Good climbing, brilliant pro and an amazing belay spot on the top. Shame Chris left me at the bottom facing a rising tide with a moderate swell running. My wet feet indicated how close I was to being beaten by the tide, but it was worth the wait. Thats two weeks in a row that Chris has left me at the bottom of a climb with a rising tide. I’ll have to watch this.

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The final climb was Womb Tomb. A great chimney climb which we used as an escape route. ‘Songs’ finishes on the pinnacle recquiring a down climb down the landward face, which is easier than it looks. So you are back at the bottom. Womb Tomb is an obvious climb out being next door and higher above the tideline. Having climbed the chimney, I didnt fancy the traverse with its swing potential , especially after my encounter with snapping holds ( I was a tad nervy about this) so I finished on the V Diff and let Chris play on the traverse which in hindsight I probably should have done. But hindsight is a deceptive thing. I’ll leave it for the next time.

Still, another fantastic days climbing and a venue we will defintely be back to.

Climbing

Maelstrom!

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10th September 2009
Gurnards Head

Right Angle – HS4b – Alt Lead

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We’d checked out Right Angle a few months earlier on a windy  day with a big swell running. On that occasion the crag was intimidating, with spray blasting out of the mouth of the cave just below the route.

On this day it was different, with the sun shining and the route sheltered from the stiff northerly, although when I spoke to the pair in front of us he described the scene below the belay ledge as a ‘maelstrom’!.  The cave was still booming away, but it didnt seem so threatening, probably because the sun was out.. We had a short wait whilst two other climbers completed the first two pitches and then it was off across the long traverse into Right Angle.

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Right Angle has a serious feel to it, probably because once you commit into the climb it is not really escapeable, except by climbing back out. The first pitch woke us up, with Chris feeling a bit nervy at first. Probably because you go straight into full on exposure (that’s traverses for you). The climbing wasnt hard, but you had to constantly think about your second when setting pro.

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This became clear for me on the second pitch which I led. Again not hard climbing but the decent down to the ledge is tricky. The previous pair shouted down to me to go lower which I duely did, although I think that I should have traversed earlier across to the belay ledge. A tip here. Climb with two ropes. That way you can clip one when leading down and setting pro for your second, but leave one only clipped to the top piece of pro. This eliminates the swing potential when you finally traverse to the ledge.

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Unfortunately I went too low and ended up climbing back up to the ledge, which put a nice S in my rope work and immediately popped my pro on the ascent. This made my slip on wet rock just before I made the ledge all the more poignant with a possible 15ft  fall and a dangle in the sea.

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So the order of the day is good rope work. The noise from the waves was loud. A consatnt booming, with the odd set sending spray up to the belay ledge. The assault on the senses was overwhelming but added to the excirement of the climb. Chris made a good job of seconding to the ledge. Probably more threatening than leading because you are above the gear until the last few feet.

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Then it was off up the main crack. After all the traversing the ascent seemed less technical, with one tricky overhang. But the exposure and amazing climbing was just brilliant. it’s a long climb out which Chris led ( I intend to try it for myself at some point) and its only when you hit the top that you realise how sheltered you are down in the zawn.

One of my favorire climbs and a day that left Chris and I buzzing. Over 3 hours of high adventure!