Tag Archives: Tony

Climbing

Deception!

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3rd March 2012

Rosemergy Towers
Flash Back – Severe 4a – Top Rope
Go Shorty – E2  5C – Top Rope

This was a bit of a team outing and a chance to go through a few of the basics of setting up a belay and abseiling. Rosemergy was deserted as it often is, so we had carte blanche to set up a couple of top ropes on the main face and Go Shorty, the tough E2 on the right.

Team Rosemergy

Flash Back is a climb in its own right, with a chimney start and then slab and crack climbing up the centre of the central slab. However it also provides a lead into a number of other variations on the arete and right hand slab. The biggest advantage of this is that it gave everyone a chance to climb on a bit of everything and practice their technique’s.

Pete coming out of the chimney - Flash Back
Dave, high on Flash Back

Now ‘Go Shorty’ was a different proposition. From down slope it looks almost as though it is about a 45 degree angle, but once on it you realise this is just your eyesight playing tricks. This gave a chance to test out just how well we were all coming along after a winter of indoor climbing. As it happens, not badly at all…

Tony working hard - Go Shorty

It is a climb with two crux sections, but is tricky right through with a succession of 5b moves leading to a final move for the top which is given 5c but I think is probably harder. Either that or my fingers are very weak.

Dave working through the perplexing lower moves - Go Shorty
Crimping on the top move - Go Shorty
It's not much, but its all there is.. - Go Shorty

Best of all it gave everyone a taste of what hard outdoor climbing is like and everyone duly donated blood to the cause. The granite here is very crystaline and some bits are like razor blades. Pete and Tom particularly felt generous on this day and all we needed was St Johns Ambulance here to complete the process.

Chilling between climbs

We all spent time falling off, but maybe that’s the advantage of spending time on a hard climb. It gives you an idea of where you are and what you need to improve. By the end of the day we were all knackered, but how lucky were we! Sunshine all day, a bit blowy, but ultimately a perfect day out on the rock.

Climbing

Another stolen day

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7th January 2011

Chair Ladder
Terriers Tooth- V Diff – Lead (top two pitches)

This was my first proper multi pitch climbing day with Tony and I figured Terriers Tooth would be a pretty good way to get off the mark. Given that the weather had been crap for the last few days and the forecast was equally rubbish, we picked this window as our only opportunity to get on the rock.

Terriers Tooth

I knew that the tide and swell would be against us so it was likely that we would start on pitch two, but the traverse across is not difficult, even if it is a bit airy. Terriers Tooth is an iconic climb. Its situation and isolation make it stand out as a V Diff. I’ve always thought that it is tough at the grade and the descent is worth adding a grade in its own right.

A fine view of suicide pool
Tony finishing off the top slab

The second pitch is steep but with good holds and gets you straight into the rythm of the route. It also opens up a whole world of exposure as you get higher. A precursor for the final step up above suicide pool.

Abbing off the tooth

Tony’s head for heights was fine though ( honed from years of playing around in tall trees) so this wasnt an issue. In fact he loved every minute and for a first multi pitch we made good work of it.

End of a stolen day

The final step up onto the tooth proved memorable as the wind had picked up and standing tall you felt very vulnerable. Still we both did it and finally abseiled off the pinnacle feeling very smug with ourselves. Given the cold conditions we decided to call it a day and turned our attention to our next outing…… probably commando ridge.