Getting your tactics right

July 28, 2013 dillwat Leave a comment

28th July 2013

St Gova’ns Head and Stuntsman’s Buttress

Tactician – HVS 5a – Second
Big Sea Running – E1 5b – Second

Sometimes you just have to get on with things and take a chance. Today was one of those days. We woke to heavy rain rattling the tent; an unlikely start for a good days climbing. But once it stopped and we stocked up on breakfasts, the sun was out and everything was back on.

We dropped into St Govans at a different point this time. Aiming for a large ledge system at the base of Tactician. This climb seems innocuous enough from the bottom, but soon moves into tough territory. Despite being 5a, I found that the crux move was as hard as anything I did during the entire trip. Possibly I just didnt do it very well, but it was powerful and committing. V Good lead by Nick on this one.

We re located to Stuntsmans Buttress following this, watching a rescue going on off Stennis Head for an unlucky climber who’d taken a fall. By all accounts he was thankfully OK.

Nick’s enthusiasm for climbing never seems to wain. While I was admiring the spectacular Huntsmans Leap and keeping a close watch on the weather, Nick was contemplating having a go at an E1 near the mouth of the Leap. Passing by rather unusual litter in the form of a Starburst shell (This whole area is right next to a massive military range) we headed out onto Stuntsmans Buttress. My personal drive was on the ebb and the couple who’s ab rope we used to drop in on decided to sit it out and wait for the weather to improve.

This explained the disappearing rope once we had descended as they abandoned their climbing day. So we’re at the base of an E1 in the drizzle, with what looks like an approaching deluge. What could go wrong? Nothing as it happens. Nicks full on optimism came up trumps. The rain missed us, the climb dried out really quickly and the route turned out to be very entertaining.

Nick eyeing up the descent to Big Sea Running

The perfect end of a trip and proof that if you think positively you make the most of every situation. The drive back was a good chance for reflection on what had been a brilliant trip. My first experience of Pembroke will ensure that I return time and again. I feel another climbing trip coming on.

Climbing

The adventures of Jimmy Noropes

July 27, 2013 dillwat Leave a comment

27th July 2013

Mother Carey’s Kitchen

Crithmum – VS 5a – Lead
Joyous Gard – HVS 5a – Second
Rock Idol – E1 5a – Lead

Mother Scaries as Nick told me it is sometimes called is just that. Scary. You pitch up at the top of what looks like a shear cliff (it is) and abseil into nothing.

It helped that Nick knew the area because I would image it is hard work getting your bearings on a first trip. Today was to be a day of real highs and sort of lows. But mostly highs!

We started off on Crithmum, which proved to be a puzzling beginning. However hard we tried we couldnt match the guide book description with wht we were looking at. In the end I followed what I thought was the closest to the line described. The top turned out to be a real liability with loose rock and insecure holds. It turns out from online comments that Crithmum fell down around 2010 and the remains are graded at HVS not VS. I think this is more due to the precarious nature of the rock though.

Nick on the brilliant Joyous Gard after emerging from the cave.

Nicks lead on Joyous Guard was one of the most impressive of the trip. Strenuous with a really technical section high up, it was fantastic climbing. One of my favorite climbs of the trip to be honest. Moving out of the cave at the bottom gave a real sense of adventure and the suddenly appearing on a shear face gives this climb amazing exposure.

During the course of climbing Crismum I managed to chuck a whole set of nuts, krab included into the sea. My usual form in recent times. This seemed to cause me to completely lose my mind and led to an surreal moment back on the low tide platform where I frantically searched my body for the blue rope with the growing realisation that it was still at the top of the crag. In most places this would be a problem. In Mother Careys Kitchen it seemed a disaster.

Fortunately ‘Marine Boy’ Nick thought nothing of swimming across the bay to ascend and retrieve it, thus saving my bacon. This was after he had also found my drowned nuts. All he needed was a cape!

What Nick did sort out by his actions was my opportunity to climb Rock Idol – thank God he did. It’s an amazing climb which contains everything. From the bottom I was seriously thinking that I was out of my depth as the route soared up through the corner and overhangs.

But once on the route I found some rhythm and was progressing well until I arrived at the overhang. A crisis of confidence ensued which I finally overcame launching upwards and finding that the holds just kept on coming. It is a special climb and one I will not forget for a long time.

The day was capped off with fajita’s and ginger beer ( and a bit of Italian wine). All’s well that ends well despite my attempts to sabotage the day.

There are some pretty spectacular caves at Mother Ivys

OK so we’ve got three mediocre anchors… lets go!

Climbing

If Carlsberg made crags……

July 26, 2013 dillwat Leave a comment

26th July 2013

Pembroke – St Governs Head

Army Dreamers – HVS 5a – Lead
But Incest is Best – E1 5b – Second
Bomb Bay – VS 4c – Lead
The Loosener – HVS 5a – Second
The Arrow – E1 5b – Second

Pembroke is surprisingly further than you think. Looking at the map it shouldnt be so far, but a small matter of the bristol Channel gets in the way. Having said that Nick and I made remarkably good time getting up there on Thursday night turning up at St Petrocs campsite full of curry ( a re-occurring theme of this trip) and ready to get a good nights sleep in before hitting the crags the next day.

I had no idea what to expect from Pembroke except from Nicks comments on how good it was. In fact I didnt even realise it was limestone and not granite. So after a short walk in to St Governs Head we duly abseiled onto the high tide platform in Army Dreamers area.

View down the Coast towards Stennis Head

At this point I probably experienced what many new climbers do in an area of such steep rock. Awe. The whole cliff is vertical (it sounds obvious, but so much of what we climb in Cornwall is not) and when you look down the coast each way it goes on for mile after mile. I’ve never seen so much climbing packed into one part of the coast.

I kicked off initially on Army Dreamers mistaking it for a VS instead of an HVS. It didnt matter, The climbing is completely absorbing. A nervy traverse turns into some full on crack climbing. The whole route is excellent and was a brilliant intro to Welsh limestone. By time I finished my arms were suitably pumped. Nick said this would be good training for stamina and I was starting to understand why.

But Incest is Best is much harder. More sustained and overhanging it has a really difficult section at mid height which takes some working out and a bit of nerve if you are on the lead like Nick. Although shorter it too eats into your stamina. I was realising that one aspect of climbing here was to keep moving if possible.

I never go anywhere without having at least one mare. Looking down from BIIB I saw a crack running up the opposite wall. Believing myself to have suddenly turned into a crack climbing maestro I decided this would be a good challenge. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Saty hands and a lack of technique did for me and I had to hand over to Nick to show me how it should be done. I have a way to go before I get the hang of this ‘jamming’ thing.

The amazing The Arrow - Nick near the rising flake. — The amazing The Arrow – Nick near the rising flake.

Bomb Bay flattered to deceive. It looks brilliant from the ground, but a very loose top section detracts from it. I enjoyed it, but there were some worrying moments.

Nick just before the hard moves onto the upper slab. The Arrow

Now The Arrow is in a class of its own. Nick, not satisfied with picking a cracker of a route also wanted to see his belayer drown as entertainment. With the sun setting and the tide rising Nick set off up a great climb. A bold start leads to a rising flake. This in turn gives way to a thin section leading to the upper slab. A final traverse gets you to the top. It is a classic climb which takes advantage of all the features in that area. I loved it and managed to jump up onto a large rock to escape a soaking which looked inevitable earlier.

Tired we both returned to the campsite for a plateful of Rogan Riddell (minus the tomatoes which gave it a very un appetising grey colour). St Petrocs is a really nice site. Not too busy on this weekend, but with good facilities and a flat pitch. Definitely a good base when in the area.

Bomb Bay before the loose stuff near the top.

Climbing

Interplanetary travel

July 14, 2013 dillwat Leave a comment

13th July 2013

Carn Gowla

Mercury – E2 5b – Alt Lead

Guaranteed adventure. That’s what Gowla always promises and that’s exactly what it delivered on this day and by the bucketful.

This had been a long sought after route for Nick, especially as he started it a few years back but had to abandon the top pitch because of the damp. So on a glorious morning we set off to complete the mission.

Half of the difficulty in tackling Mercury is in the preparation. You need a pre placed belay rope because of the loose nature of the top out. This has to be positioned above the main slab. However you also need an ab rope which is positioned across to the right facing out. This requires an 80m odd diagonal descent to reach the starting ledge.

So it was some last minute skills training for me in how to pass a knot. To be fair I love all of this. It’s part of the overall event of climbing a route like Mercury. But what it does do is add to the nerves. Mercury is a serious route. Probably not the most technically difficult route, but the difficulty level is high because of all the paraphernalia that accompanies it.

The first pitch strikes up the corner crack aiming for a very convenient ledge at half height. A series of jamming and bridging moves gets you to the offwidth crack. This stopped me dead in my tracks. To be fair I initially didnt have a clue how I was going to get up it. A few nervous giggles later I launched into a series of udge’s and grunts (technical lingo) that enabled me to gain enough height to take advantage of a convenient foot placement and the placing of a ‘thank God’ cam in a small undercut. Dutch courage restored I gave it everything to pull up through to the flake making it by the skin of my teeth. How satisfying was that!

View from the crux offwidth having made it halfway. Little cam in!!

My work done I relaxed on the ledge as Nick came up choosing to completely reverse my technique facing left rather than right. It worked though and we both contemplated pitch two from the ledge.

The pre requisit pose before starting on the bold Pitch 2 of Mercury

Woo Hwoo. Pitch two is a different proposition completely. It didnt help that we’d left the guidebook behind and the line is not obvious. Nick set about making it ten times as difficult as it should be. Bloody show off! Commiting to a really thin traverse across to a dubious looking peg in the middle of the upper face I muttered encouragement. 25ft out with no gear, the peg decided to fall off as Nick clearly looked at it too harshly. Three rubbish bits of gear later Nick set off up the head wall finding little else in the way of protection and finally deciding to traverse back left a put some gear in the top of the original groove.

As it turned out this is where he should have started the traverse, but Nick clearly wanted to the crux moves at least three times to get full satisfaction out of the climb. It was an amazing effort in my opinion. Having made the same set of moves a bit later I know I wouldnt have been able to keep my head together.

In the end though it all turned out well with loads of whoops accompanying the completion of a really memorable route, probably the high point of my climbing so far in terms of an overall accomplishment and a fantastic day out at Gowla.

I’ve done Mercury for God’s sake!!!!

Top of the groove. Where we should have been.

The mist just added to Gowla’s awe inspiring scenary.

Nick disappearing in the fog. All we needed was pirates.

Climbing

More like a grin

July 12, 2013 dillwat Leave a comment

12th July 2013

Lower Sharpnose

Lunakhod – HVS 5a – Lead
The Smile – E1 5a – Lead

After checking the tides Tom and I had little hesitation in picking out Sharpnose as a destination. With no swell as well, we knew that for the majority of the day Sharpnose would OK. It was also a good excuse to check out a new destination and look at a couple of climbs I had wanted to do for a while.

Both Lunakhod and The Smile get 3 stars in the guide and equally they were two climbs that were realistic for us to attempt.

Lunakhod soars up the left side of the middle fin, following an easily identifiable line. Its a corner which just keeps on going. From a tricky start you get stuck into the climb proper with a couple more awkward sections following. It’s the last few metres which are the wildest though. The moves up through the overhang come at a point when your starting to feel the strain. Plenty of gear so it is more of a physical struggle than a mentle one. Look down though and you get a real taste of exposure. Tom clearly enjoyed it as much as I did but both of us felt the 42 metres of climbing.

The reams of tat at the top provide the abseil point. 5 carabiners and 5 slings are just about adequate given their condition. I let Tom test them out and when they didnt gice way figured it was safe for me to go. Ta Tom!

We had seen The Smile from above as we inadvertantly abbed off right above it. From above it looks overhanging although it is more of a bulging. We both found the start tricky, more so for Tom as he’s shorter than me. But once into the left trending groove you are on power all the time with only a few semi rests. It really is a stamina test and by time I arrived at the vertical crack I was feeling the pace.

This also holds the crux moves so it’s a case of get stuck into it asap and keep on going. I really enjoyed this even though I felt near to the end of my reserves. There is nothing like the feeling you get when you make it to easier ground and the sense of satisfaction. Tom remarked he preferred this route and I can see why. I’d give them both top marks though. Two classics.

The rounded boulders are refreshing after course granite.

Lunch sat above the fins just reminded us once again how lucky we are to live in the West Country. Sharpnose is pretty unique and awe inspiring. I’m sure we will return soon to take a look at some of the E2’s!!!

Climbing

It’s behind you!!!!

July 5, 2013 dillwat Leave a comment

5th July 2013

Carn Kenidjack

Seadreams Cliff and The Main Face

Seadreams – HS 4b – Lead
Great Central – Severe 4a – Lead
The Shield – E1 5a – Lead

The first time anyone goes to Carn Kenidjack it has the same wow effect on them. A near vertical wall which at first glance looks featureless is an intimidating sight. For four of the team on this day it was their first time and I’m sure it didnt disappoint.

We started on the Seadreams Cliff thinking we had plenty of tide and that there was little swell. Wrong on both counts I’m afraid. Plenty of swell which kept washing up the ramp below the routes and threatening to engulf our feet. Chris and I went haring off up a route each thinking that we’d only get one in, only to find we had time for a second and had only succeeded in cocking up the rotating leads. Oh well, it turned out well for me which is the important thing. 🙂

A killer belay..... at least it will be when that rock lands on Chris! — A killer belay….. at least it will be when that rock lands on Chris!

Both routes on the Seadreams cliff were good if a bit short in stature. We all got a crack at both pitches. Seadreams is the better of the two, but with a stunning view across to Cape Cornwall both seemed brilliant on this day. The pushing tide was threatening to swamp someone on the ramp. Chris as the last man standing confidently watched a surge miss him on the cliff side without realising that it nearly got him from behind although he was totally oblivious to this.

The it was time for the main event! We down climbed into Kenidjack. Its steep and is intimidating at first, but secure enough if you are confident. As you walk into the amphitheatre you suddenly realise how magnificent the main face is. A shear wall that seems blank at first but is full of holds and cracks.

First view of the main face for the crew.

Chris and Dave set up for Saxon Direct. This is probably my favorite climb of all time. It has everything. It seems unlikely at the grade but as it unfolds you realise there are holds a plenty. Gear can be hard to find unless you think carefully. It’s there, but it takes some finding.

Dave at the horizontal crack before the tough top wall of Saxon Direct

The same could be said for the Shield. The bottom pitch has spaced gear but its good. The climbing is pretty good too and no pushover. Tom and Pete seemed to really enjoy this pitch and we all ended up at a very cosy belay. From here the character of the climb changes. No longer good gear and larger holds. Now it becomes small crimpy holds and foot placements and poor gear for about 10 metres.

A very relieved me after getting through the bold section of P2 The Shield

Once you get to the groove of Thane there is something and you can breathe a sigh of relief. Up to that point the motto is ‘dont fall off’. We all made it though and a very satisfied team collected at the gearing up ‘hole’ to pat each other on the back a recollect at what was an amazing day.