Tag Archives: Tom

A Tough Crowd to Please

February 1, 2024 dillwat Leave a comment

1st February 2024

Bass Point

Meteor – VS 4b – Lead
Three Tiers (Variation Finish) – HVS 5b – Lead

If I’m honest, my target for this day was Kafka’s Wound, an HVS in the Micronut Wall area of Green Lanes Cliff. However the tide was still a bit full, so we returned to the Cull area.

I’m still struggling with moving up the grades. Confidence really, but time at the wall has helped me trust my endurance and strength, so jumping in at VS seemed ok.

Comet is a climb which gradually gets harder, culminating in a steep top wall with dubious rock and nervy gear. Its a great climb to get your head in the game and Dave and me were ready to up the anti.

Three Tiers is just that. A blocky but easy bottom tier which we solo’d. Followed by a steep wall with small holds and foot placements and little gear. Followed by a steep, slightly thuggy headwall which just completes a challenging overall climb.

Dave on the upper tier headwall of Three Tiers

Finding gear on the second tier was a real mission. I ended up with a shocking cam and a solid micronut in a split which didn’t look like it would last long under load. Still I didn’t need it, but the climbing is technical and thoughtful. I loved it. Dave also had the biggest smile when he topped out. And its testament to how much he’s come along since getting back into climbing, that he got up an HVS. And 5b no less!

Meanwhile Chris and Tom were also pushing, with Chris getting on Meteor as well and providing a very vocal audience for Dave while he climbed Three Tiers.

Kafka awaits……

Climbing

A Beast when its East

January 17, 2024 dillwat Leave a comment

17th January 2024

Carn Boel (Terrace)
Four Directions – Severe 4b – Lead
Carn Boel Cleft – V Diff – Solo

I really am impressed with how easy the Lands End facility make getting a locals permit for parking. It is a welcome change from those rip off bastards at Porthgwarra who are charging £8.50 a day! Disgraceful really for winter parking.

I know LE’s a tourist attraction, knocked by many, but it has always had its own charm and I have always enjoyed going there. Not least because it is situated on one of the most stunning bits of coast in the UK. The walk in always sets the mood and despite the cold Tom, Chris and me were looking forward to getting on the rock.

I had tried Four Directions with Barry a while back and backed off for a number of reasons. The main one being that it felt quite tough and it was one of Barry’s first outings. Strangely, it was even tougher when your fingers and toes were numb and you are dressed up to the nines.

So it was on with the fannying around getting gear in and trying to sort the ropes out. The crux is about 8 meters up, above a ledge. Its a overhang and to get through it you have to move up left and into a short v groove. The problem is that holds run out as you get into the steeper area, not something you’d expect on a severe. But the cold definitely played a part. If I’m honest I couldnt tell if there were better holds. Once I latched something I had to trust I could hold it because my fingers were so cold. There’s also an interesting wall above the overhang with small foot placements and dubious looking rock. Oh yeh, and the gear goes thin.

Not selling it really am I. Strangely though I did enjoy it. I was also relieved when both Tom and Chris found it hard. It wasnt just me being a pansy.

The cleft was a great ending to the session. Squeezing between trapped boulders and bridging up the narrow cave like recess is so much fun. You emerge back into the light through a narrow opening in the roof. Straight forward as a solo, but dont fall off. You’d rattle on the way down.

Climbing

Second slab on the right after the obvious tuft of grass….

December 15, 2023 dillwat Leave a comment

15th December 2023

Penberth

Wavemaster – Diff – Lead
New Bionicle – VS 5a – Lead

I’ve been to Penberth so often its like my second home climbingwise. So it was strange to suddenly not know how to get to the crag. Clearly some coastpath shenanigans have been undertaken, meaning now it runs a bit higher up and the usual descent onto the slabs is bypassed. I think it is to preserve the delicate area just above the rocky platform so its fair enough. But the fact it is quite overgrown gives an indication of how long its been since we were there.

Its a V Diff… or an E1… cant quite remember

Forgetting the guidebook was a first for me. Spending too much time on UKC is a clear cause. Read the route reviews and forget to research where they actually are 🙂 . That wont happen again.

So Wavemaster is a gripfest of a climb. Very soloable, but good as a lead route. The rock is purpose made to be grabbed hold of, course, grainy and positive and was a good opener for the day.

New Bionicle was slightly different. Its very deceptive from below. The clear cracklines are actually shallower than expected, particularly on the right side of the upper slab. Turns out the upper slab holds two routes. The left is a HS and the right a VS, a bit contrived to separate the two, but if you do the right is delicate with few out and out holds and more about your feet.

Climbing on a single rope meant I had to pick a crack. I chose right because I ghought it might be more protectable. Jury is out on that one. The final move to the apex jug is ‘adventurous’ ( that one was for Barry). In the wet the whole affair feels a bit slippy but still great climbing. I was very please to see it through, as was Barry, who stepped up quite a bit on this one, into a land of side pulls, chicken heads and small edges.

Meanwhile Chris and Tom were having fun on the main HS which runs up the centre. Always challenging and probably more so given the conditions. The barnacle encrusted lower section is a bit nasty judging by the language coming from Tom. Main thing is we beat the Tide so no wet feet today.

The weather and light made further routes seem a chore so we headed off. Two more climbs bagged at one of my favorite venues. We’ll be back for barbeques and swims in the summer no doubt. Might even try the E1 (Thirty Something’) again haha. Fell off it last time.

Climbing

Red Stockings and Lipstick

September 29, 2023 dillwat Leave a comment

29th September 2023

Sennen

Skewcrack – Severe 4b – Lead
Black Jack – Severe 4b – Part Lead

The Chough really is the ‘tart’ of the Corvus/Pyrrhocorax family. They were buzzing around us all day, but on one occasion a flock of about 6 went by with one Jackdaw in the middle. He was clearly being upstaged by the much brighter Choughs with their red bills and legs. They clearly had their make-up on.

The numbers would seem to confirm the belief that this has been a really good year for breeding Choughs. I rekon there were between 6 to 8 of them buzzing around for most of the day.

The climbing also sparkled, although Chris may have a different take on the day after his epic battle with Black Jack. Fairly innocuous from the ground it has a very tricky section as you break out of the initial twin cracks. For Chris, this was a day his head was clearly not in the game. I have had many similar days. It just happens.

Both climbs were good though. Challenging and typical Sennen, at the top of the grade. The thundering surf below only added to the drama, with Tom even having a game of chicken with the spray shooting up over the main platform.

We all need to spend more time climbing to get back to our previous abilities and grades. It will come. The trick I think is not to rush or you’ll be listening to the little voices in your head going:-

‘This is too hard for me… just give up. Why do I climb anyway? I dont neeed to make this climb. Lets have lunch’………..

Climbing

Pick a rope… any rope

June 9, 2023 dillwat Leave a comment

9th June 2023

Dewerstone

Central Groove – HS 4b – Lead
Mambo Slab – V Diff – Lead

Climbing as a foursome, with one leader is always going to lead to a considerable amount of faff. The art of using 3 ropes isn’t easy either. On a single pitch you can get away with it. On a multi pitch with a snug belay… well to describe it as carnage would be accurate.

Tony below the impressive corner of Central Groove

For Tony, it was a return after a long absence. He is pretty much a natural climber though, due to his tree-surgery work. However to plunge him into a multi pitch was quite an introduction.

Mambo Slab is nothing exceptional. It has a tricky lower section because of polish, but overall fits the grade. It was why I thought Central Groove would be a good call. Follow average with amazing. And it duly delivered. But with a bit of a sting. Rigging a belay to accommodate 4 people was tough and despite careful planning, everything went out the window at the first possible moment. This led to coils of rope everywhere, kit scattered between all of us and a failed attempt for an orderly departure onto the second pitch.

Dave nonchalantly finishes laybacking the final corner of the second pitch of Central Groove.

Still, it was fun and by time we ended (with a very late lunch at 4.30) everyone was smiling, and also a lot more familiar with each other.

Climbing

Charlie Brown you Blockhead!

May 23, 2023 dillwat Leave a comment

23rd May 2023

Predannack Head – International Buttress

End of Daze – VS 4c – Lead
Chopper – VS 4c – Lead

Dave has a unique ability. Despite all of us watching him coil a rope, no one has yet to identify how he manages to get a mystery loop included. The result of the mystery loop inevitably concludes with a tangled mess and many minutes of fun having to re-flake the rope before it can be used. It reminds me a lot of the old Shultz cartoons where CB tried to fly a kite which always ended up in a tangle.

Looking across at End of Daze with the square cut niche obvious on the top pillar

Today of course proved no different, but once sorted I set off to conquer the innocuous looking End of Daze. However I could be accused of not reading the guide properly which might have helped. All went well until the traverse at the square niche. I would add that whichever way you approach this move it feels bold. All is at your feet except for a small bunch of micros in dubious cracks within the niche.

I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to move into the niche, which was hard and felt very insecure. It was only after moving along the rim that I realised I was way too high. The guidebook does remark on this. Having completed it, it all seemed obvious, however for me it was a minor epic and it felt like I was there hanging around for ages. It was good though to get confirmation of its difficulty from both Tom and Dave who found it unerving.

Dave starting out on the tricky traverse on End of Daze

Chopper was a contrast. No delicate traverse here. It was a get stuck into the wide crack and then go for it with a layback in the top half. Very satisfying and a fitting partner to the other VS because it was such a contrast.

We’ve now all but climbed out International Buttress with the exception of the E1’s and HVS around on the left wall (facing out to sea). We did drop down to take a gander. My advice here is go off the top block straight down the steep face. The rock on the left is a teetering mass of crap and should be avoided. We used it as an escape route, which didnt go well as big klumps kept coming off in our hands. Queue a saftey line from Dave to just settle the nerves. Avoid this if you can.

The East facing part of International Buttress

Climbing

Its not Witchcraft you know!

April 18, 2023 dillwat Leave a comment

(although by definition Wicca is)

18th April 2023
Wicca Pillar

The sloping ledge climb – V Diff – Lead
The Cracks – Severe 4a – Lead
The Little Mermaid – Severe 4b – Lead

Its not often that we go to a completely new venue, Why I’ve overlooked Wicca Pillar in the past I dont know, but its a really beautiful area. Surrounded by ancient bronze age field systems and on a not so travelled part of the coast it has quite a remote feeling. The walk in from Wicca Farm (bargain £2.00 parking) is lovely down lanes and tracks full of spring flowers and birdsong.

It was Tom, Dave and me today. Looking for some relatively easy climbing as Dave continues his rehabilitation and tests his body on what is and is not possible. To be fair it suits me, as I am still very much in ‘post op’ recovery so gradually easing my way back into things.

The Pillar is basically a volcanic plug, sticking out from the base of the cliff. Accessible even at high tide, if there is no swell. Be warned though, any swell and the spray is likely to get you wet. Queue Dave who took another soaking. Seems to be a habit at the moment.

The Pillar. Note the sling on the left which we used as a final abseil

The rock is pretty crystalline and definitely needs care when you pull on it. The higher you go the more fragile it gets. There is also a surprising dearth of protection. For V Diff’s and Severe’s you would expect a lot more. But the climbing itself is straight forward. Getting off again is not as straight forward as the guidebook suggests. We rigged a temp abseil so we could go up and down, but the final climb meant throwing an old sling around a spike and leaving it there. I think we could of done the downclimb of the southern end of the pillar, but sea spray made it a bit slippy so we took the easy option.

The gully containing The Little Mermaid is a good option when waves are spraying the main pillar. The rock on the flat topped ridge is even more unsound, but its sheltered and makes for a continuation of the day. The latter climb is given 4b purely for the opening moves. Its then all over. Again protected by micro’s which seem a bit extreme for a Severe.

The best of the routes I did was the V Diff in fact. Bold to start, but interesting technical moves. This is a good location for when you just want to rock up and get some easier routes done. Once again, Dave paid for past indiscretions with another soaking. You could say this is Karma. The sound of a raging sea around us definitely added to the atmosphere. Once a again a great day out with good mates.

Climbing

Losing Mementom

May 14, 2021 dillwat 1 Comment

14th May 2021
Black Carn South

Memento/London Bridge Combo – VS 4c – Lead Onsight
Chico – HS 4b – Second
Zeppo – VS 4c – Lead

Last time at CBS Chris and I got terribly lost. I knew from the guide book that there were plenty of mid grade routes, but we didnt seem to find them. So we returned intending to get our bearings and get on a few of them.

Well, getting our bearings using the guide book descriptions wasnt easy. For some mad reason the guide just ignores the blatently obvious features of the crag and does the usual ‘ to the left of the rounded arete’ or ‘just right of the obvious crack’. Well what about the fucking obvious massive chimney, or the huge jammed boulder or even better the startling diagonal quartz vein that slices through the top of the buttress.

Christ they make it hard. Even when we did find the routes, the descriptions still didnt tally properly. At least not in a clear way. So I’ve added some topos here which might help us if we go again in the future.

The described line for Memento looks highly unlikely at VS and I didnt go near it. 6 metres of unprotected tricky climbing doesnt seem in keeping with the grade. Two alternatives look better. Continue up a further two metres and go left at a horizontal break which may provide pro or go up the left hand side of the chimnet (again looks quite tough) but there are places for nuts/small cams. Then go right at the large ledge below the trapped boulders.

My combo was entertaining and the top part is nice climbing. The bottom is gritty and fragile but this is in keeping with many of the routes.

Chico and Zeppo were similar in difficulties. Harder at the starts and then pleasant climbing. But both are short and divided by a large ledge. Be aware that Zeppo now has a nice hold at the top thanks to the original rock fracturing and a large rock detaching. Fortunately not with me hanging on 🙂

Will return to do the harder routes once my fitness is fully back. But a nice venue to spend a day.

Climbing

Nothing Leffe’d in the tank

May 7, 2021 dillwat Leave a comment

Haytor
7th May 2021

Zig Zag – V Diff – Second
Aramis – VS 4c – Lead (Dogd)
Bridal Piton Slab – Diff – Second

Haytor always brings its fair share of strain and adrenaline. There’s something about the place that catches me out every time I go. Slopers, rounded horizontal pancakes, deep jams and sometimes tenuous gear makes for an exciting day out. It is ssooo different from West Penwith and maybe thats why we always think the grades are hard. Mind you people say that about West Penwith as well, so maybe its a South West thing.

Parking in the lower car park (cos its free) Haytor stands proud and certainly gets your calves and heart warmed up in the approach. It was meant to be calm and sunny conditions, but what we got was blustery and cold with the sun in and out all day. It didnt deter us though so Chris, Tom and I warmed up on Zig Zag.

There you go, that was straight forward. A bit of effort on the overlap but otherwise alright. Whats all this nonsense about hard grades. So I picked out my usual V Diff to start on as well. Except of course my recent shenanigans with interpreting the guide book kicked in and I plopped myself on a VS mistakenly.

I even knew it would be hard. Both Tom and Chris kept saying it didnt look VD Diff. On my third attempt to get through the crux I was kind of agreeing with them. What a beast Aramis is for someone who cant climb chimneys and who’s shit at cracks (even with my new Ocun crack gloves). Perversely I really enjoyed it. Shoulders pumped to buggery and energy levels drained I finally made the crux, a sort of contorted reverse hand layback move… my own invention methinks. And then carried on through to the end. One sit in the harness on my main attempt so not clean by any means, but fun.

The whole climb is a combination of hand jams, arm bars and smearing with your feet. One I’ll try again on my next visit. Low Man proved too cold in the end so we abandoned this as an idea and settled for an easy Diff on the north face. Now I remember leading this back in the day with Bart and Tony H. Why they put me on this one I don’t know because its fucking scary. As Chris found out as he led it in Approach shoes. Good effort as far as I’m concerned. Slippy, with only side pulls and dodgy gear its a Diff to remember. We all broke right at about the mid point. Finishing direct pushes this route into silly territory. I did notice that a chicked head which I distinctly remember from my first ascent was no longer there which could account for why if feels so bold near the top now.

That aside, the descent is just as harrowing. A mossy gully of certain death. Thank you to whoever left the tat to ab off. You are a saviour.

Toms surprise at the end of a great day was a bottle of Leffe each, so that we could mull over the ridiculousness of the grades and how much fun we had despite this. Even the Dartmoor Ranger and his guardians couldn’t alter this as they quized us on whether we were going to camp overnight. Good on them for keeping an eye on the moor.

Climbing

My names Carter…. Tom Carter

April 30, 2021 dillwat Leave a comment

Predennack Head
30th April 2021

Down Under, Up Top – VS 4c – Second
Aoetearoa – HS 4b – Second
Colonial Solidarity – Severe 4a – Lead
Boomerang – HVS 5a – Lead

Three always sounds like a problematic number when your climbing and if it involves multi-pitch routes I’d agree. But we’ve been finding three a good sociable number and todays shared adventure was a pleasure from start to finish.

I,ve spent a fair few weeks exploring Preddanck Head with Dave, but this was the first for Chris and although Tom’s been there a few times this was his first outing in Down Under Zawn. And for me, I had a couple of routes in mind, both of which were new. This early in the year I never quite know where I’m at with stamina and strength, so I knew Boomerang would be a test.

April in Cornwall is a special time of the year. The Gorse is in full flower, with its Coconut and Buttery flavour, Pink Campion is all around and everything just feels fresh. New beginnings. Its inspirational, which I’m sure spurs your overall sense of wellbeing along.

Chris on Aoetearoa. On the amazing flake.

So where to begin. I knew both Aoetearoa and Down Under, Up Top would be classics for Chris and Tom and despite having climbed them a few times I never tire of the routes. Chris is on form at the moment and sailed through both. The vid below time captures DUUT and gives an idea of how good the route is.

For me, I found a little gem in Colonial Solidarity. Although Severe it packs a punch. A burly opening move leads into a crack which provides great climbing. Steep and entertaining.

Tom working his way up Colonial Solidarity

But Boomerang was my main target. I had a feeling it might be a bit beefy for me and after a tricky scramble to get to the starting block, I looked up to have my beliefs confirmed. It was going to be beefy. From below you can see the curved line but it is obviously overhanging at the top crack. Gear looked good and with Crack Gloves on, I set off.

Chris psyching up for Boomerang…… or not!

Its one of those climbs where each time you think ‘This is it, I’m off’ another hold appears. Lots of hidden juggy rails and crimps. It was a case of keep moving and hope the stamina stays there. And it did 🙂 In the end it went well. No really desperate moments, and I always felt safe. A really good tick and a climb I can thoroughly recommend.

The way off is by means of an abb with a rope thrown around a rock bollard. You conveniently arrive back in the zawn just above DUUP. So it would have been churlish for Chris not to have led it.

What I can also say is that COVID seems to have had a devastating affect on the local pub population. Looking for somewhere for a pint on the way home proved difficult with pub after pub looking derelict and shut. Lets hope some of these get back going again.