Benchmark!

April 21, 2011 dillwat Leave a comment

19th April 2011

St Loy Cliff

Monochrome Men – E1 5b – Lead

The previous Saturday ahd reall been bugging me. I was hyped and ready to go for M Men, but the weather put paid to any chance then. Feeling slightly deflated I spent Sunday winding myself up to the point where on Monday morning I collared Pete and begged him to come and belay me.

Given that Pete had a bad finger this was a little unfair but Pete with his usual generosity agreed immediately. And so I spent a nervous Tuesday Psyching myself up for the climb.

Whilst Pete spent the walk in gazing at the fantastic views I was very much pre occupied with working out how I was going to approach my first E grade lead. As it happened, events have a way of just taking control and in double quick time we were set up and ready to go. Monochrome Men did not disappoint. It’s an amazing climb. A tricky initial mantleshelf followed by a strenuous pull onto the face and then the best bit. Twin cracks leading up a fantastic open face. Lots of holds and pro right up to about 8ft from the top when suddenly I was faced with a very hard finish.

My recent use of hand jams came in ‘handy’ so to speak, enabling me to pull through to the thank god rim of the slab. I spent the next ten minutes thinking I was going to be sick. All that adrenaline had to go somewhere, but what a fantastic feeling.

I’ve now achieved my aim in climbing for my 50th year on one of the best climbs I’ve evr been on. It cant be bad and many thanks to Pete for his time.

Climbing

The sunniest and warmest place in Britain….. or not

April 21, 2011 dillwat Leave a comment

16th April 2011
St Loy Cliff

Sabre Dance – E1 5c – Top Rope
Smear Fear – E2 5C – Top Rope

St Loy has a reputation of being one of the warmest places in the country. The old bronze age field systems were said to be the first in the country to be harvested. So therefore why was the only place in Cornwall not to have sunshine and warm weather St Loy! Look either way along the coast there was blue sky, but ovel the crag there was a nasty dark cload which proceeded to unload an hour and a half’s rain on us.

This was going to be the day I did my first E1 lead but having been forced to top rope for the morning and with the pm feeling chilly in the wind we chose to spend the day top ropping. There is something to be said for top roping though, in that it allows you to climb with complete focus on the climbing without the responsibility associated with placing protection. Not as exciting or challenging, but equally as enjoyable. Under these circumstances and with Steve along with us on his first outing on Cornish rock it was eminently sensible.

We moved to the Test Piece buttress because of its accesibility and also the variety of climbs available. Starting on the East end we tackled a few un-named climbs which gave Steve a chance to test himself out. On my go I drifted left from a starting crack and ended up on Smear Fear an E2 5c with small holds and foot placements. It was hard work but I made it. It’s amazing how grippy the rock is at St Loy. The guidbook calls it immaculate granite and for good reason.

St-Loy_Apr11-002

Then the anti was upped as Chris tackled Test Piece another E2 5c with a thuggish final sequence. The holds are their but it pays to keep moving as your arms tire quickly.

The best of the E numnbers though is Sabre Dance. Graded E1 5c it is hard and very fingery. Again good foot placement helps a lot. Having been grossly unfair on Steve with the E climbs we moved West and finished on a couple of grooves. These were made much harder by the fact they were so covered in moss and lichen. Its a shame because under all that growth there are a couple of good climbs here. Again not in the guidebook but, worthy of being listed. I’m sure someone has recorded these as first ascents, but they need a lot more traffic before they came into condition.

The walk out as usual sapped our strength, but the beauty of the area is always inspiring. My only regret was that I didnt get to do my E grade on the lead.

Climbing

Benchmark!

April 19, 2011 dillwat Leave a comment

19th April 2011

St Loy Cliff

Monochrome Men – E1 5b – Lead

Given that Pete had a bad finger this was a little unfair but Pete with his usual generosity agreed immediately. And so I spent a nervous Tuesday Psyching myself up for the climb.

I’ve now achieved my aim in climbing for my 50th year on one of the best climbs I’ve evr been on. It cant be bad and many thanks to Pete for his time.

Climbing

The sunniest and warmest place in Britain….. or not

April 16, 2011 dillwat Leave a comment

16th April 2011
St Loy Cliff

Sabre Dance – E1 5c – Top Rope
Smear Fear – E2 5C – Top Rope

St-Loy_Apr11-002

Then the anti was upped as Chris tackled Test Piece another E2 5c with a thuggish final sequence. The holds are their but it pays to keep moving as your arms tire quickly.

The walk out as usual sapped our strength, but the beauty of the area is always inspiring. My only regret was that I didnt get to do my E grade on the lead.

Climbing

Old woods and suntan lotion…. but no Devil!

April 10, 2011 dillwat Leave a comment

8th April 2011

The Dewerstone

Central Groove – HS 4B – Alt Lead
Leviathon – VS 4C – Lead
Climbers Club Direct – HVS 5Aa – Second

According to something I read on the net (not always the most reliable source of ‘true’ information), “The Dewerstone, on the southern edge of Dartmoor is supposedly a favourite haunt of the Devil. With his pack of wisht hounds he would drive sinners to the edge of the cliff, never once touching them, where they would then fall onto the jagged rocks below.”

Well, from my perspective the woods would be better described as stunning and mythical. A beautiful stream flowing through and sunlight beaming through the gaps in the trees does not make them threatening at all. And the climbing is amazing. This must go down as one of my favorite days. Three contrasting climbs, gradually building in intensity.

Bart, Chris and I turned up early and set about Central Groove straight away. This is an amazing line following the main groove and then breaking right for a final finish up an amazing corner. Unfortunately I forgot that the 1st belay point would be in the full sun and so I paid the price with a thorough ‘cooking’ on an exposed ledge. The views though made up for it, with a vista across the tops of the trees across and up the valley.

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The climb itself is slightly polished, but not so that you notice. It is so compelling with good gear throughout. Just complete fun climbing and one of the best routes I’ve done. Bart enjoyed himself as well – his first multi pitch route for a while, but he breezed up it as did Chris, who led the second pitch and the final corner/crack, which is the icing on the cake.

Dewerstone_Apr11-031

Leviathon is a bit more committing. A tough Groove which I found best to bridge. More powerful and needs more thought, but fine at the grade with adequate pro. I loved it and I can understand why it makes it onto the list of top VS’s in the country. A little slip got my heart going and the final pull over on slopers made me nervous.

OK. Now Climbers Club Direct is a different kettle of fish. Many of the climbs at Dewerstone need jamming, but CCD needs lots of it. Nick did a brilliant job of leading it and made the initial crack look straight forward. Which it is, until you actually try to climb it. Chris joined my ‘keep trying’ club from the previous week. I struggled to work out the way to move up, but it boiled down to a small foothold and plenty of faith.

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For me though the suprise was the second pitch which turned ut to be exceptional. Given 4c in the book this is better thought of as 5b territory and very bold in places for the leader. A series of amazing jams and bridges got me up and a pitch I will not forget any time soon.

So ended an exceptional day and all I want to do now is get back on the rock. Role on next FRiday.

This links to all the photos

Climbing

Old woods and suntan lotion…. but no Devil!

April 8, 2011 dillwat Leave a comment

8th April 2011

The Dewerstone

Central Groove – HS 4B – Alt Lead
Leviathon – VS 4C – Lead
Climbers Club Direct – HVS 5Aa – Second

Dewerstone_DSCF0011

Dewerstone_Apr11-031

Dewerstone_Apr11-059

Dewerstone_Apr11-095

So ended an exceptional day and all I want to do now is get back on the rock. Role on next FRiday.

This links to all the photos

Climbing

If at first you don’t succeed…try, try at least 6 times!!

April 4, 2011 dillwat Leave a comment

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.

Rosemergy-Towers_Apr11-047 Rosemergy-Towers_Apr11-038

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.

Climbing

Will everyone stop bleeding on my ropes!

March 27, 2011 dillwat 2 Comments

26th March 2011

Hawk Tor and Trewortha Tor

Just Good Friends – VS 5a – TR Cat Nap – Severe 4a – Lead

Theres VS and there’s VS! JGF was the latter. Described as well protected and 5a I arrived with all good intentions to lead it. In fairness, had I brought my bouldering mat I would have had a go, but with my knees falling off the crux at 12ft with no pro would have led to old bones busting.

Its a great climb and it is well protected once you are through the to the horizontal break at about 12ft. However the move to get here is hard. Harder than 5a imo. I would put the climb as HVS 5b. What starts out as a pull up on a flake finishes with a hand jam and one handed mantel. All on small foot placements. The footage here shows my attempts at it.

Follow these links:-
https://picasaweb.google.com/102957968597737194984/TreworthaTor_Mar11?authkey=Gv1sRgCMX439z8pfba1QE&feat=directlink

Unfortunately we should also have Barts try, but Dave’s ace camera work meant we had lots of footage of his feet and legs and little of Bart climbing.

Shame because Bart left bits of himself on the rock and my rope on the way, but to his credit made it. Great determination. Considering how long its been since Dave came climbing with us, he made a briliant job of JGF. I need to work on him to get out climbing more often.

Trewortha-Tor_Mar11-006

Bart and I were joined by Dave and Billy for what was a great day. Nice and relaxed for the most part and Billy provided the perfect audience, barracking all three of us and ensuring the preassure was on every time we climbed. This part of Bodmin Morr is my favorite. Considering its proximity to the A30 you feel very remote and you see almost no body. It also helps to have a warmth sunshine where shorts and tee shirt were the order of the day.

The walk over to Hawk Tor is a short one and having exerted ourselves so much (being old men) we figured a nice straight forward Severe would be be good. Like Cat Nap…. a nice straight forward Severe going on HVS. What is it with the grading in my guidebook! It did look tough, but my mental approach was “Severe. Shouldnt be too bad and there’l be gear and good holds. “

None of the above. It was pinchy, with sloping holds and a wicked step over using a finger jam to keep you on. A good low nut followed by ‘iffy’ Cams. Definitely Severe. The two fella’s near us said their book gave it HVS 5b. Probably explains why I had to work so hard to get up it. Still, I made it, leaving blood on the rocks and my ropes….again. Dave followed me and even on the second found it awkward. I’m going to try more climbs here but I hope they’re grades are a little more realistic.

Dave led us back to the car, through the gorse and bog (it doesnt bode well for his navigation skills in Corsica in June) and the day ended still bather in evening sunshine. Ihhope this doesnt turn out to be our summer again.

Climbing

Have Faith….

March 25, 2011 dillwat Leave a comment

22nd March 2011

Zennor Cliff
The Royal Forester – VS 4C – Lead

With thick mist around on the North Coast we wernt sure what the conditions would be like at Zennor. However after the walk in we discovered that the coastline itself was clear. A hundred yards further landward and you hit the mist.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Royal Forester the last time I climbed it so we decided on another crack at it. It was Gillians first time at Zennor and the suprise of seeing the cliff for the first time had its usual effect. Zennor really is spectacular and incredibly well hidden.

On this occasion I made a much beeter fist of the overhang, but still found the initial groove awkward. Once above the overhang the route eases but the final niche is testing as well. Trying to sort the ropes for the belay proved a challege as the anchors are set back, but we managed.

Gillian made the initial groove seem easy, but the exposure on the overhang had its usual effect. You dont get to see the zawn below or get an indication of how high up you are until you clear the overhang. Its always a revelation. Pete found the overhang sequence tough and decided to leave skin on the cliff as payment but as with last time I think he thorouughly enjoyed the outing.

Time prooved our unding for further climbs, but on a mooch I found another crack on the far left which will be my next target when we come.

Climbing

Going through my red phase

March 24, 2011 dillwat Leave a comment

4th March 2011

Carn Barra

Peel Crack – V Diff – Lead
Illustrated Man – E2 5C – TR
Dialectic – E1 5B – TR

I’ve been to Carn Barra twice and both times it tipped it down with rain… so arriving with a bit of mist and low cloud was a vast improvement. The fact Chris and I had managed to drive our way out of the blazing sunshine was not worth dwelling on even though it had taken a degree of skill to find the only cloudy place in Cornwall on this day.

The first hour was spent getting our bearings. We dropped down way too far South and had to walk back (fortunately it was low tide). Still, it gave us the oppportunity to check out classics such as Grand Plage and Crack in the Sky. The latter is a climb I would like to try. It looks like it could suite my climbing, but the proof will be in the tasting. For this day it was the take it easy approach, so we warmed up on Peel Crack.

Described as HVD in the guide I would suggest it is about right at this grade. It is a proper crack climb and and deserves stars being exposed and highly enjoyable. It definitely put a smile on Chris and my face.

So what next. Obviously a jump to E grade climbes but I was not confident to try them on the lead at this stage in the year. In hindsight I would probably have managed Dialectic (easy to say that in hindsight) but just focusing on climbing made the whole experience that much more relaxed. Chris made a good job of Dialectic. Impressive considering this was his first outing this year. Dialectic has a tough section just after the large ledge which takes a bit of thought and some balance to negotiate. All in all one that I will lead this year for sure and it looks well protected.

Illustrated man was harder. I’ve not done many E2’s and this one stood out as a truly great climb though. One day I aspire to be able to lead a route like this. For now just getting upit clean was my victory. Hard work, but I think it suited me with lots of levers and rock overs.

A great day out and the sun finally caught up with us. Oh yes…. I think I’m over red. Maybe I’ll go back to black.

The Magik Rock

Benchmark!

The sunniest and warmest place in Britain….. or not

Benchmark!

The sunniest and warmest place in Britain….. or not

Old woods and suntan lotion…. but no Devil!

Old woods and suntan lotion…. but no Devil!

If at first you don’t succeed…try, try at least 6 times!!

Will everyone stop bleeding on my ropes!

Have Faith….

Going through my red phase

Why it never rains on a Friday!