Rosemergy Towers
2nd April 2011

Flash Back – Severe 4a – Second
Go Shorty – E2 5c – Tope Rope

In keeping with riding my weather luck, our trip to Rosemergy turned out to be stunning. Mostly sunny and fairly sheltered from a stiff South Westerly it was a good place to be climbing.

Dominic and Sam joined Chris and myself for an entertaining day top roping and leading. For Sam this was her very first day climbing… indoor or outdoor! A short sharp introduction then, because none of the climbs at Rosemergy are easy for novices. Its easy to forget how daunting a first session can be and to be put onto an open, exposed buttress and then be expected to climb would tax most people. That said, Sam did amazingly well climbing both of the Severe’s we tackled in the morning. For someone who has not climbed she showed great technique and a lot of courage.

For Dominic this was a refresher day, to get him back into climbing and remind him how much fun it is. After a rusty start Dominic started remembering his technique. We both had flashes of “I should be able to do that…” but all in all it was a good return, culminating in a brilliant attempt at ‘Go Shorty’ the E2.

Considering the jump in grade this brought out the best in all three of us. Its really a series of long gaps between breaks in the rock. Employing various techniques we all approached in differently. Underclings were the order for the day for me, allowing me to extend up to each of the breaks. Chris made a brilliant effort, cleaning the climb on his first attempt. His first E2, and not an easy one either (if there is such a thing as an easy E2).

I on the other hand could not get the top move wired. It became one of thos moments where you think that if you repeat the same thing time and again eventually you’ll wear the problem down. In this case it didnt work and 6 attempts later I didnt seem to be getting any closer. A final small quartz crystal allowed me to hang on and make the step up, but to be fair I would like to return with a clear head and try to do it properly. Still, really entertaining and the scars on my wrists testify to some real effort.

Chris led Flash Back earlier, which as I rember has some great moves for a Severe. I would deffinitely give it stars on UKC.

Of course we spent an appropriate amount of time reminding ourselves how lucky we are to have this on our doorstep. All day we didnt see anyone else, beyond a passing walker. It sgreat to know that even now you can find remoteness in the UK, even if its only 100 metres from the coast road.