Monthly Archives: July 2015

Climbing

The Sea is full of diamonds

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31st July 2015

Chair Ladder

Kittiwake – HVS 5a – Lead (dogged)
Excelsior – E1 5b – Alt Lead

Ok, before I get started… the most surprising part of the day was when Joe told me he had never tried Marmite! That is something I intend to resolve the next time out so be prepared for Marmite Sandwiches.

Always beautiful Chair Ladder
Always beautiful Chair Ladder

Sometimes when you are out climbing you realise how blessed you are to live in Cornwall. Chair ladder could only be described as magnificent on this day and the sea rippled with millions of refracted suns making it look like it was covered with diamonds.

Eulogy to Cornwalls coast over… now to some important stuff. It’s been a while since I’ve climbed at CL and I wish it hadnt been so long. Its such a good venue. Kittiwake was one I had looked at before when on Seal Slab, but I must confess I had forgotten how steep it looked.

Joe contemplates Excelsior
Joe contemplates Excelsior

It didnt disappoint. The slab is fairly staright forward, but as soon as you hit the diagonal split it steepens and from then on until you clear the overhang it’s ‘power on’. I was doing great until I arrived at the overhang. Its a little run out, but to be fair I bottled it, and instead of pushing through ended up slumped in my gear. Disappointing to say the least, but this year has been a bit like that. I think I’ll get on it right away next time and proove to myself that I can do it. Strangely the wall below the overhang is littered with good holds, just a bit crumbly as you move through the overhang.

Sharing the climb with the gulls and diamons in the sea.
Sharing the climb with the gulls and diamons in the sea.

Joe and I have not done many climbs together recently, so it was brilliant to set ourselves up for Excelsiour. With Joe’s recent run of form in the E3 catagory, I left the two 5b pitches to him. A bit of a cop out, but I’ve been a bit up and down, so a bit of cushty seconding seemed a good idea to me.

Me moving into the corner
Me moving into the corner

True to form Joe blitzed the lower cracks, which are by far the hardest sequence of the route. OK until you have to make moves into the left hand crack and then push for the horizontal break. That’s where they become a bit desperate, but if you keep moving the good holds come.

I had the honour of the 5a corner. Great fun! A bit tricky and more than one way to go abut this pitch as Joe and I did it in very different ways. Joe also found the hidden hold deep in the crack, which I missed. Bummer as it helped to increase the pump for me.

Joe on the tricky final pitch
Joe on the tricky final pitch

The final pitch is not so much hard, but freaky. Good lower gear leads to thin moves with little or no pro until you make the upper section. Good lead by Joe as it is out there and scary. And so finished our E1 multi pitch and well worthwhile it was. 3 stars!

Dots. And yes the tops pink
Dots. And yes the tops pink

There was enough time left for us to barrack Dave and Tom on ‘Red Wall’ as we sat above Carn Guthenbras looking across to the Western Buttress. And yes, Tom also has a Pink top. Welcome to the club Tom.

Climbing

25% Pink??

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17th July 2015

Oldwalls Point

Matchless – E1 5b – Lead

According to my DNA listing I am roughly 5% Irish, 2% Iberian, 2% North African, 46% Western European, 20% Anglo Saxon and 25% Viking or Pink as the boys put it. I prefer the analogy with hairy arsed, ax wielding, pillaging fellas from up north personally.

View north from Oldwall
View north from Oldwall

Mind you, being part viking would help on a day like this, where the walk in was equally as terrifying as the climb. Teetering pile of choss is a good description for the area around Oldwalls Point. Looking at the huge fin of rock I wonder how long it can survive. I’m glad I got on it now.

The fin of Oldwalls Point
The fin of Oldwalls Point

After a sketchy traverse onto the ridge above the wall/slab you are faced with an abseil down a grassy gully and down to the beach. Pete, using his particular branch of warped logic felt that extending the gully out onto the wall might create a fun situation. It duly obliged, launching him into an arc across the face resulting in ‘resistable force meets very immoveable object’. Hence Pete spent the rest of the day bleeding over the beach and anything else that came close to him.

Pete, post abseil
Pete, post abseil

Chris and I set up for matchless, which was … well ‘matchless’. Its quite unique in the climbs I’ve done, with a full on wall experience which makes mincemeat of your toes. The crux is fairly low down ( I always hate that) with a series of difficult moves past a rusting old peg. The committing part is starting off past the peg. Tiny holds and smeary foot placements get you into slightly better territory, but not enough to set and place gear, so I had to push on a ways until a nice thank god hold appears allowing for everything to calm down.

A rest of sorts but your feet are screaming by now!
A rest of sorts but your feet are screaming by now!

From there it just keeps coming at you, consistently good climbing with pretty good gear up to the pancake. The next dilema is ‘push on through the veritable forest’ or take the clean unprotected arete. I took the arete which is fairly easy but needs to be treated with real care.

Chris about to find out the Pancake isnt any easier
Chris about to find out the Pancake isnt any easier

All in all, a fantastic route which Chris smiled his way up, with a few cheek puffing moments. I think this one suits both our techniques which is why we were so chuffed with the route.

Joe on More than a Match
Joe on More than a Match

Meanwhile Joe was fighting his way up More than a match, the E3 next to Matchless. It looks to be in a similar vein except for some grunty moves at the bottom. It does have a 5c move so one to consider for the future maybe. Thats if I can be pursuaded to clamber back across the nightmare that is the walk in and out.

The treacherous escape
The treacherous escape

Pete, Chris and I exited off the beach, saving the most dubious climbing until the end with Chris nearly getting stuch in a pile of shale and Pete threading his way up through a boulder field and remarking on how one particular boulder the size of a Mini was loose. It happeded to be right above me and thankfully he treated it with kid gloves.

Now the most scary part. Explaining Pete’s injuries to Melis!!!

Climbing

Into the gloaming

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9th July 2015

Carn Gowla – America Buttress

Deceleration Lane – VS 4c – Alt Lead

The fact that Dave and I had arranged to meet at 6 pm should have rung a few alarm bells, especially on a trip to Carn Gowla. A route we’d not done; had no idea where the ab spot was or how difficult it was. Only two entries in UKC and both of them a while back.

A rare view
A rare view

Still, it was Dave who found the ab point. Left to me we would have been into some serious E stuff and probably prussiking out. And the ab was long too! Very scary, especially when it is into the unknown and only one way out. On the descent I noticed that the route was abit run out but it looked good climbing. Mind you the white blocks at the bottom and the green shit seeping out of the rocks made the first few metres a bit unpleasant.

Dont step in the guano
Dont step in the guano

Dave conceded the lead of the first pitch to me (many thanks) and it was off on a great adventure. A disgustingly smelly corner leads to a run out slab, in turn to overhangs and finally an amazing (although very dodgy looking) flake crack to finish on. Wild positions, wild atmosphere and all the beauty of Gowla thrown in. Very magical with an amazing setting sun as the backdrop.

Dave starting the flake
Dave starting the flake

Dave was clearly enjoying himself when he arrived at the flake with that wild Gowla look in his eyes. Gowla does that to you. Its a sort of a ‘thank God, we’re still alive’ look. Mind you with the light fading fast he didnt have time to reflect.

Dave looking good on Deceleration Lane
Dave looking good on Deceleration Lane

The second pitch is a bit of a mare. It looks like you can go straight up off the slab. Uhhmm… no. Dave tried that. No gear; teetering rock and plenty of grass made him decide to traverse up right facing in. This led around a corner to an equally tricky step up. Added in was the potential for a hideous Gordian Knot in the ropes so Dave belayed and I came around to do the final bit.

Looking North
Looking North

At this point the light was gone and we were in the gloaming. Head Torches on and gear stuffed haphazardly into our bags, we mooched off, with me having an interesting conversation with Chris on the mobile. It was nearly 11pm!

This one will be seared into my brain for a while I think.

Climbing

Jet Wash

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3rd July 2015

Penberth Cove

Nicks Niche – Severe – 4a Second

Horney – VS 4c – Second

Penberth was of course the original venue at which Iwas introduced to climbing by Bart. It therefore holds very fond memories for me and returning there is never a chore.

DSCN0927

A new member of our group came along. For Harrison it was his first experience of outdoor climbing and my thought was that Penberth provided a good venue where we could tackle a few reasonably graded routes while at the same time introducing him to the safety routines and climbing protocols that he’ll need when we go to the more serious venues like Bosi or Chair Ladder (no I wouldnt… not yet anyway).

Harrison warming up on Excalibur
Harrison warming up on Excalibur

So during the course of the day we visited some Penberth classics such as Nicks Niche and The Hornet, as well as spending some time in Area 5 which needs a low tide. It was good practice for Chris and I as well as we went though some of the basics, which we always need refreshers on.

 

Harrison on Bionicle HS 4b
Harrison on Bionicle HS 4b

The rising tide, which almost caught us on Nicks Niche ( a wave actually spat just past me soaking the whole climb but miraculaously missing me!!) eventually pushed us to the Hornet where Chris and Harrison on his first attempt, made short work of of what I had always found a difficult climb. Must have been me then…

Chris, pre wash
Chris, pre wash
Harrison on the face left of Nicks Niche
Harrison on the face left of Nicks Niche

 

Meanwhile Joe and Tom had mooched over to Porthguarnon  to something very hard (around E3 I believe), but did return for a quick run on Groucho.

Tom on Groucho
Tom on Groucho

There are two E1’s here at Penberth which I would like to try, so I might pay a mornings vist on the way through on one of our outings and try and get on them.