Monthly Archives: July 2018

Climbing

Watch your warm up!

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31st July 2018

Predannack Head

Kangaroo Crack – E1 5b – Lead
Kurangh – E1 5a – Lead
Aoetearoa – HS 4b – Second

So Dave and I have been getting out a fare bit recently. Back on the climbing big time, so we were due a bit of an epic day. And by that I don’t mean our usual “epics!” , rather a day of pushing ourselves and climbing hard. See here for a short vid

Tasmania Block

So this was it. An eye on Kangaroo Crack sent us straight to Tasmania Block in Downunder Zawn (too many ozzie references for me), This is a block of rock cleaved away from the main cliff with a channel in between. On the main face are a series of good routes including ‘Down Under, Up Top’ but on the block itself is a striking right to left crack running the full height of the block. It looks sooo inviting. Getting down is through the usual grassy bank and boulder scramble (for those trying to find the zawn it is beyond the pinnacles as you walk towards Mullion direction. Go past the Pinnacles and then look down to the left. There is a point which is off the main path. The descent is to the right of this point facing out to sea.

Dave on Kangaroo Crack

However, the spirit of enthusiasm pushed me into a rash decision which was to start on the steep crack before warming up. So it just spat me off in disgust with pumped arms and torn hands. That’ll teach me.

Dave finishing off Kurangh

So on to Kurangh, an entirely different proposition. On the main face this time taking a line up over the bulge onto the blankish face. I knew it would be quite bold as it was E1 5a, but actually this climb suited me to the core. Small wires and a few dodgy small cams protect it, but the climbing is totally engaging, with small crimps, odd facing holds and the need for extreme delicacy as the you never knew what would remain and what would come of under your feet or in your hands. There is a crux move with two poor wires to protect it, but you know, I didnt find it half a scary as the HS I did at Butter Hole. I thought it was an excellent route.

Kangaroo Crack belay

So back to Kangaroo Crack with confidence fully restored. I breezed the opening section this time (now thats why you need to warm up) and found the whole route thoroughly enjoyable. It does not go the way you think its going to. Anyone who’s done Acid Test at Tregiffian will know exactly what I’m talking about. You need to be ‘thoughtful’ as the guide says. The crux is near the top in fact, not the opening section as I had thought. That does take commitment, but the gear makes the route very safe.

Having completed Kangaroo Crack

So onto Dave’s search for his first proper lead in a while. The fact he made both the E1′ look so easy was full indication he was ready to go. Dodgy hands working fine in my opinion. And Aoetearoa was a classic to do. Just a shame the flake wasn’t 20m longer. It is the epitome of flake climbing. Positive, good pro and amazing moves. We also had an angry tide chasing us so it was my turn to get a bit of a soaking. Fortunately Dave brought me up out of the dank dark and getting wetter by the second, gulley. Dave breezed it as I knew he would and so ended our first mega day of the year.

Dave on Aoetearoa

We now need a few more. Mind you I have a list of E1’s at Predannack I want to do.

Climbing

True Grit?

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26th July 2018

Bashers Harbour

Cave Buttress – HS 4b/HVS 5a – Lead
Mince Pie Problem – V Diff – Second

Obviously the lack of traffic on this crag plays a part. In the Cave Buttress area the rock is actually quite sound (in contrast to the piles of rubble lying in the sea elsewhere), but it has a grittiness to it probably derived from too few climbers.

Cave Buttress is given HS 4b on UKC but in the guidebook it gets HVS 5a. The guidebook is the more realistic grade. The crux is a powerful move from an undercling with a long reach. Although the gear is OK you leave it below as you make the moves so a fall is going to result in a bit of a whipper. It is definitely easier for the taller.

The VS Dave had been looking at (Cave Groove Direct) has suffered from a rockfall in its lower section. Its probably still do-able but the fresh rock looks a bit brittle and I cant say it looks attractive. The Severe next to it which Dave top-ropped does look good if a bit bold. It seems unlikely at the grade but dave found it OK if a little gritty.

Mince Pie Problem, which I’d already done was just as good the second time around. Its not easy, with a few tricky moves in the lower section, but in all its good climbing working your way up a corner and using all faces.

Climbing

A return to the halcion days

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20th July 2018
Carn Gowla – Indian Buttress

Alex of Gowla – E1 5b – Lead

OK, so I’ll admit that its been a while since I’ve led E1 and I was decidedly mentally rusty. Its a benchmark grade for an average climber and marks a transition between Hard but safe, to hard but maybe not so safe (excluding horror killer HS’s from hell).

Looking across at C Buttress

So for Dave and me to decide to head for scary Gowla and get straight onto an E1 was a big deal. In this case it wasn’t just the climbing. The logistics of setting up on Alex of Gowla were complex, as was the rope management and setting up belays. No wonder it took a while to get going. Even then, Dave couldn’t avoid a bit of a shower as the dropping tide suddenly created some turbulence. Still, its all part of the adventure…

Dave descends

The route itself is solid climbing. Not too hard, but committing and with an atmospheric crux. The bottom section is protected with small wires and some smallish CAM’s come in useful higher up. Definitely worth the effort and one of the more solid (as in less crumbly) routes at Gowla.

After the traverse under the overhang

Dave was chuffed because the route help to give him a benchmark on where his improving finger strength has got to. By the way he was climbing, he has no problems so its a VS at Predannack for him!

Now I’ve got a taste for it again I’m going to hit a few more of the E’s I have on my list.

 

 

Climbing

Back to reality

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9th July 2018

Butter Hole (Suntrap Slab)

Sally – Hard Severe – 4b Lead

Eminems lyrics spring to mind when describing this evening.

“He’s chokin’, how, everybody’s jokin’ now
The clocks run out, times up, over, blaow!
Snap back to reality, oh there goes gravity ”

The usual Brexit discussion fueled by the governments overwhelming incompetence consumed our drive out, meaning Dave and I were ready to blow away a few cobwebs when we arrived out at Stepper Head. Fortunately the balance was that the views and atmosphere soon pushed all thoughts of Brexit to where they belong (the deep dark recesses of our minds).

We abbed in down the usual gully into Suntrap Slab (using our almost cable like ab rope… this needs replacing fast. It’s like abbing on a crusty loaf) and mooched around a bit checking out Cove Buttress. The Weaver looks awesome. Really exposed, hard climbing in a dramatic situation. It ticks all my boxes!

The line of Sally. The arete behind Dave.

But ultimately we needed a route and as the tide and the fact we abbed into the wrong place, meant the Hidden Amphitheatre was out, I decided (stupidly as it turned out) to give Sally ‘a go’. Never has a decision been taken so lightly that results in such an epic. From below all looked good. Me and Dave even sussed some possible gear placements. ‘What ‘s the worst that could happen!’ I think we soon found out.

Abbing

Thin delicate moves lead to the top of a rounded arete where you are faced with a swing onto the right side to be made on rounded crimps and trust in the friction of your shoes. Everything points the wrong way and I felt as if I could barn door at any moment. Of course there was no gear here. This leads to a sloping ledge of sorts (phew) but once again a tenuous cam placement is all that you have which is 4 ft below you when you make the next crux move. This all added up to a very nervy climb with the feeling that a fall of any kind would only end in disaster. I’ve done E2’s that inspire a lot more confidence.

Of course once complete I had that slightly euphoric feeling of escaping a nasty situation. Unfortunately Dave wasn’t to get off so lightly being shrugged off at the first crux on the barn door move. I think both of us left the crag with a certain amount of humility. It’s easy sometimes to forget that you really can end up in some dangerous situations (particularly when the guide book screws you over). However much you plan, sometimes events take control, like today.

But maybe that why I climb 🙂 Remember…… RULE 4