Giveaway Project of the Month - June

With all this rain, thoughts once again turn to slate and its quick drying properties..

And speaking of Props, major props due to Tim Neill for restarting the re-equipping program in the quarries with some quality additions. I'll echo Simon's thoughts and point you at the to-do list as there are still 3 star routes with manky bolts.
Speaking of 3 star routes, here's one waiting to be born..

This impressive shield of rock is hidden away in the Lost world, and has, as they say, "nay grips". Well, some teeny tiny slopey ones. It doesn't go full height, as Rosen the Chosen canters overhead from the left, but there is an obvious spot for a lower off. I've never seen it seeping and its very clean for a wall in the hole.

Enjoy

you are here..

Its that time of year where you take a frank look at where your at, and where you want to be.
Kind of MJ's man in the mirror, only in your socks..

The last week in May saw two great opportunities; a Day's climbing in Cwm Glas Bach, and my First proper Bouldering competition.

The cragging was mid week, perfect conditions, with young gun Calum Muskett. We weren't out to tear it all down, but got two particularly fun Climbing experiences. Calum led Pretty Girls Make Graves, a well protected and fiercely powerful E6 6b. He got it second go from the deck ( would have been onsight bar a failed slap..) I then had the oportunity to second it and suprised myself by doing all the moves. I chose however to get copious rests and fully dog it, as the comp was in a couple of days. I probably would have still dropped off it if I had given it full guns, but at a cost to me being able to move for the next few days.
Next was finally stepping up to the plate and getting on the sharp end for Fear of Infection. This is a classic E4 offwidth and Welsh testpeice, that I should have tried years ago. My first proper lead since the twins were born really, and it showed, with many gibber rests when the size six tipped out a bit or a foot skated. This was not a clean lead, but I was very happy to top out and will return to clean up a bit.

Basically my climbing at the moment is sporadic and depends on demonstrating during coaching sessions or during route setting (currently fishing for more Freelance setting if anyone needs owt..). At the moment this probably averages at about 2-3 hours effective training a week. This translates to maintaining a reasonable power to weight as I'm skinny, but zilch stamina. I'm ok for 20 moves to a shake, 40 to a rest, but on a squeeze chimney like Fear, thats only about 4 metres!


The Comp was at Rockover in Manchester, great atmosphere and a heathly prize fund, which meant a very strong field. The qualifiers were 30 problems from font 5 to hard, and 3 hours to flash them in. There weren't any points for  more than three goes so it was an onsight test. We'd brought the North Wales Youth Climbing Academy for some comp practise, and some of us coaches entered the adult open for some fun. It was certainly fun, and hot, very hot. I managed 183 points which means I flashed 18 of the 30 problems, got to the bonus holds on 3 further problems, and couldn't do any better on the remaining 9. A massive blood blister on my middle finger stopped play, so I know I was trying hard. I ended up 26th out of 50 so I was well made up. I may even get a chance to train for next year...

All taken into account, Bouldering is going ok, with a few Font 7a+'s going on the wish list, but if I want to make any gains on the ropes, I'm going to need to devise some cunning endurance training ploy. Whilst looking after 3 toddlers. Could be tricky.

Giveaway Project of the Month - May

Having spent a fair amount of time (during those few instances when in climbing mode anyway) on highball projects lately, I thought I'd pass some on..

This baby is a suitable height with an okay landing and a reasonable short walk-in.The, ah, obvious seepage issues shouldn't effect a summer ascent (this was taken in November). You could lead on it as there are cracks,   but pads would make it nicely exciting. Its located on the old miners path into the quarries from Nant Peris, the high one, not the tourist drive through, and is visible from the car as you're treking off to the pass. Nowt too tricky, but a slopey topout.

Enjoy

Hosey's Crack?

Now I know. I'm supposed to be laying off the projects, doing more classics, finishing off the Beast, sending the Shed f8 project*

But...


Its great to be hanging by my feet again, and bouldering projects are a bit like glue sniffing, easily accessable and highly addictive. Although so far, I haven't got all spotty or choked on my own vomit.

It probably isn't going to be cutting edge, but Damn its fun.


watch this space


*keeping it clean, dragging the kit all the way up the hill, watching conditions, getting proper fit, like really proper fit. Or taking out a brush and a pad......

Return to Mymbyr

All this reminiscing led me on Thursday  to don wellies and stomp back up the hill to photo some stuff and try something new. It was really good to feel unfit (the stomp) and also to see these problems were still pretty cool.

Mighty 'Tashe From Left

Mighty 'Tashe From Right

 Front View with Pad for Comparison

The Central Arete (The Snip F6A) went as a sitter with hands in the crack and gives some nifty finger locks, Imhotep F6B+ starts from a sitter on a side pull and a sloper on the ramp at the back of the roof (where dark meets light).

I Then went to revisit an area I explored with Fraser in 2009. This undisclosed location was due for some joint development between Team Ball and Myself. However the kids have yet to embrace the slog up the hill yet.

I couldn't resist pulling my boots on:

This is Man like Me, about F6B and goes from a sitter with feet on the block on the bottom, and hands clamping, more clamping proceeds until a lunge for the sloping lip leads to a big swing and a top out.

More details to come in the future.

Giveaway Project of the Month - April

This kind of follows on from the Dyffryn Mymbyr post really. With my new found interest in the convenience of  classic bouldering, various back burner project are being neglected. With a new bouldering guide on the horizon, its always fun to through some new areas in the mix and see if anyone can establish some quality.

This time its Cwm Ffynnon, source of the first ever Giveaway back in 2009. Now, on the ramble to get to the Super Prow (still unclimbed folks!) I passed this wall.

To help location, contour in round the lake from turtle rock, rising towards a wizard's hat of easy angled slab (seen in the background). Its a shortish wall with a slopey top out and lots of very small directional holds.

Continuing the contour to the super prow, you cross a obvious stream. Now on google maps around this point you see a circle of lighter grass within the heather with a dark dot within the circle. This isn't the next boulder but its in that vicinity (its another 100m or so to the Super Prow). This is the next boulder:

Looking back on these pic's I'm amazed I didn't even pull on. Back in 2009 I was a bit injured and concentrating on cracks, as my pulleys were fairly knackered. I'm actually keen to revisit these bad boys if I get a chance, but that may mean this year or the next. So rather than being greedy and secretive, consider them open projects and get them done (if you want to) less brushing for me....

Enjoy 

Looking back at Dyffryn Mymbyr

I've been getting excited lately. I've been climbing outside twice already this month, and I may get out even more before we hit May. I've also been riding the buzz of the forthcoming North Wales Bouldering Guide. Since Llanberis Slate came out I've got excited about sport climbing, something I never thought I'd do, and the bouldering guide is also getting me thinking. I've indulging in atypical behaviour, like ticking classic boulder problems rather than scratching for something new, and thinking about what makes something good..

Ages ago I spent a lot of time scratching around Dyffryn Mymbyr, first seeking cracks, then just looking for fun. A lot of what I played on probably doesn't deserve to clutter up the forthcoming guide, However, due to unfinished projects and what-have-you, it never got recorded. Rather than let it fall down the back of the cupboard of history, I thought I'd record some stuff here.

I'd nicknamed the place Feidr fw as a homage to Vedauwoo a fat crack honeypot in Wyoming. My first foray located a collection of boulders between the pen y grwyd and plas y brenin at SH671 568. These are a long way from the road (gasp! 400m) and to get to them park in the first lay-by on the right after the chicane from pyg. Then go through the gate on the other side of the road and quest up the hill along the wire fence to the stone wall. Feidr fw is visible a little further up the hill.

The rock in this area is good quality and often Dartmoor rough. It has to be said they're diminutive in size, but they gave a good struggle from a sitter..

1. The Heel Keel F6C. start with a hoof in the adjacent offwidth which is..
2. Hug it and Squeeze it and call it George F5. heave in and swim up. Block below is in.
3. Weaklings Arete F5+. Start with toes cammed in block below, finish as for Hug it..
4. Rib and Slab F4.
5. The Kingspan Traverse F6A. An eliminate eschewing the edge of the slab, spanning from undercuts to a series of layaways to arrive at the Sterling Mantle block.
6. The Foot locker F6A+. a counter diagonal to King span, starting with hoofs jammed in the chockstone.
7. Happy Feet F6B+. start at the back of the cave facing out. Kick feet up into the wideness, and struggle out onto the Sterling mantle block.7a. Happy Feet Lefthand F6B. Start facing in and jam around the chockstone to exit above.7b. Widefetish Eliminate F5+. Tackle the wideness direct from the right.

8. The Sterling Mantle F7A. Slopes and nubbins provide the way to pull onto this hanging block. Start facing out. FA. Joe Sterling

This was just a groovy place to chill in the sun and hang by my heels really. Happy feet was the star, although Big G visited and didn't get his boots on, probably due to dwarfing the boulders and having too big a chest to swing under the suspended boulder i.e

Yes that is a carry mat, or otherwise its back dab central. However it does allow you to make moves like these without recourse to a spotter..

Invert elevator off flared heel toes anyone?

50m further up the hill is the glory boulder, so named because of the widefetish motto "Glory starts at 4 inches" as does the back of this crack. Again the inverts are hair scrapers but a lot of fun and even allows a kick through.

 Glory F6A. Has a lying start facing out in the utter bowels off the fissure, with off two handjams in a chockstone in the cave to the left. This provides good inversion and some sweet hanging jams. Further interest include Lumpy Arete F5+ (the right arete of the fissure) and the Trio Traverse F6B, Which started on the third boulder just in shot right, followed the horizontal seam, and continued all the way along the slopey boulder no.3.

Just East of feidr fw is Giveaway project March 2010 .Over the stream to the West are some lost gems, Paul Higginson's mega F7a traverse and Julien Lines Highball slab.

I stumbled over the 30ft of slopey boulder shortly after Feidr Fw, and not knowing its history, christened it The Mighty 'Tashe, as it looks like Zebedee's face fuzz.

 As well as Higg's traverse I did the central arete from a sitter (about F6A) and broke out from the concave lefthand section from a sitter giving Imhotep F6B+ which features an evil egyptian. Behind the 'Tashe is the highball

 I have to return to try this..

Lastly, those of you who've delved into the bowels of this blog may remember Quack Crack F6C, which is by the wall, a little further west.

There's more to find in these hills, some of which I'm sworn to secrecy (although is bound to have been done by Mallory or summit) others are below Craig y Haul

Enjoy