Cae Dafydd Quickie

Quick sprint up to the Cae Dafydd Boulders today with this man and the lovely Rose.

Mikey G

Mikey G feeling rocks

Mikey G Climbing rocks..

The flying nature of the visit, meant that a lot of spaniel like running around was done, (with Rose looking on patiently) before Mikey duly dispatched this no. If it hasn't been done before, He'd like to name it Zebradillo's Earlobe. Unfortunately, the video missed the sit start of the annoyingly perched flake and starts 3 moves in:

(Somewhere in the 7A/7A+ region)

We then went into a canyon to tackle a rather overhanging wall with an opportunity for a rather special low start. I got stuck in with the ordinary standing start (after the mats were jigged into some form of safety net) and surprised myself by getting maybe two moves from the topout. Fear, sadly, and running out of ideas saw me stabbing legs across the canyon into a bridge too far.

The two chalked edges in the horizontal slanting seam were my highpoint. The wall overhangs  by about 30ish degrees. More mats required....

After that Mikey and Rose had to dash, and I went to seek out some titbits I'd seen further over above the woods. Much crawling under trees later, I rediscovered them.

Here are a trio of done-years-ago's:

Starts sitting on the flake boulder underneath..

Tiered slopey ledges

A dark video of jams, scrabbling and dirt

Walked out passed this and down into the woods. Don't really know why but it seemed like a good Idea at the time...

(may visit these walls again, if I can get to them a bit more amiably)

Much clambering over, under and along logs....

Its all training.

Tosheroon - Opening this Year's Account

Took a swift trip to Benllech today, as although the chances of getting a tide window was slim, it was sunny, and Friday may not be climbable..

So the tide was in. Took this picture at 0930 and from what I can work out, Tides for fishing say this is at about 2.75m. It seems clear that a sub 2m tide is required..

Rather than go home, I set about down climbing Tosheroon from the finish, to see how close to the crux I could get.. 

Note my Sportiva Hightops, just the job for spikey offwidths. I took my time, and although it was rather startlingly overhanging, the jugs were in the right places..

Here I am perched on the niche shelf, looking into the rather beautiful crux section of Tosheroon. This shelf can be seen here on an earlier photo shoot. I was now confident I wouldn't need a mat to protect the highball top out, but I was keen to inspect the crux further (without getting wet!)

I managed to shuffle down to this squeeze chimney section, just beyond the jug shown at the top of the picture. The crack in the background is the forearm jam shown here on a another previous attempt.

When going ground up, the key at this point seemed to be flicking my body back to gain a high foot, and switching to pure left side of the cave, My reversal of the route seems to recommend kicking through and locking off the forearm jam to gain height and enter the squeeze section.

So psyched to have a proper go from the start, but not enough to wade, however. I also think I've convinced myself that dragging a mat is a waste of time, so the approach will be easier. A spotter helps, but I think I can just get on with it. As for what grade it may end up, It feels like a more involved Brutaliser, but I think its getting an XS grade as its still fairly unique...

Watch this space

Back to Llugwy

This morning I woke up with a cricked neck. However, it was Friday, and that means adventure day, regardless of owies, the sun was up and I was going out...

King Arthur's film set in full swing.. I decided to go up the Llugwy reservoir again, to give an appraisal of the "not worth it" boulders, hopefully find some worthwhile boulders (I'd brought my pad), and finally -Thrash the worn back wheel of the scooter to see if it'll last in its present state. Just inside the gate was a poor film guy in his landrover. He'd just installed this:

So the film guys can communicate with the mothership, and someone had in the meantime switched the locks on the gate! paranoia grips the waterboard... Maybe, anyhoo he was waiting patiently for the key holder...

Target no. one. I surveyed the mighty field of boulders below the reservoir, and Low as was foretold.. They were a bit rubbish.

Next I ventured across to Booze buster buttress, as the crag just uphill from Mianog is apparently called

Bit more promise here with one steep face and a highball wall for those willing to venture

With damp feet I trudged uphill in search of Tarmac and was instead greeted with this:

Somewhat hidden in a re-entrant, a selection of not-that-rubbish boulders. by this point my neck was getting rather agitated with the straps of the pad and I wasn't sure I could even weight my shoulder, let alone climb. However, after all this bog trotting, there was no way I was going to walk away empty handed.

This is the Mop top boulder. Its very big, has a heather hair do, and is fairly overhanging on all sides, at least at its base.

I chose to kick off here with a couple of easy lines, this arete I climbed on both sides the one in the video is "Potato" and is about F6B, the right side has a lower start and is a bit easier. The name refers to the first big hold on the slab, a big potato.

Wandering out further up I came across this overhanging arete...

 At first I couldn't hang the starting holds without a series of minor explosions from my neck. A fair bit of stretching later, I set about working it. It was diminutive, but the move required a lot of grip and aggression. I ended up getting the first 2 moves, then flailed a lot starting in the middle before getting two overlapping halves. a good rest and time spent propping up my mobile phone meant it went down next go.

"Bog Trotter's Lament" is somewhere in the F6C to 7A region

Here are the main holds:

Took 20mins to get from the reservoir to the car, mainly because the wheel melted on the steepest bit, which led to some interesting fishtailing and a running stop. A more durable wheel is now in the post...

Wild Wales with a Scooter

Well sort of. I walked up a tarmac road and scootered down, but Cwm Llugwy is a wonderful solitary spot, apparently devoid of worthwhile bouldering, or so I'd been led to believe..

The tarmac road was steeper and straighter than the Marchlyn road, but felt less of a slogg. I think this was because I was enjoying the scenery.

Carreg Mianianog; home of lots of boulders of varying quality, with only 4 or so being recorded? it that little crag to the right part of Mianiog? It appears to have some good lines.... Not today's destination though.

The boulders below the Reservoir. I have been informed they are not worthy of note (apart from as a platform to jump into bog) however some look quite big? the wall is tall, and thats a 1.5 story shed in the background.

Nonetheless. I was keen to wander beyond the lake, to where the sceptics had't wandered and Bingmaps hinted. Secluding my trusty scooter, I contoured around the shorter (far)side of the Llyn. 

Sneaking  look into the cwm (nice pool side craglet) the rock encountered was everything from dolerite, rhyolite, to stuff full of potatoes.... Curiouser and curiouser.

First Look. Its not Font. but boulders on dry ground (some not) some a good size (some not) and a real desire to drag a tent up here and cozy down.

Craig y Tri Marchog. called Craig yr ogof (the other one) in the guide I think. Looks dead good, and home to a couple more boulders I reckon.

So there we go, a wild place, in easy ascess of those with legs and Light luggage, and an opportunity to bag a wild boulder. Yes I think I will return....

Two Views of the same boulder.... Probably only 3m high.

The New scooter took a little battering, as the rear wheel got a little hot (its very steep) a more expensive wheel might help (the brake was fine this time), but its still going strong for now, just a little lessened in diameter. I was in a rush and didn't time the decent, but it was well under 10mins and involved 3-4 stiles....

Tick Report - March

Well I guess I should start with the most significant news of March:

The scans have confirmed that No. 4 is not No. 4, 5 & 6... Sam's been wanting another one for a long time now, but after the Twins rocked our world, I was keen to wait until the boys were all in school full time. Super psyched as (shock horror) kids are cooler than climbing.. 

This has meant while Sam has been in the knackered, nauseous, and ...Irritable stage, my adventures have been curtailed to 4hrs each Monday and Friday morning. Now if the Welsh weather is not cooperating, then I get a little crabby myself. Its due in September so this will have to be factored into the planning, there will be a sweet spot in the summer where most success can be had.

First of the months adventures was a trip up to the Marchlyn Grit. Yep, seems the pillar's of Elidir are some upturned seabed, so its sedimentary folks. 34 mins up with pad and scooter. I used a bit of patio improvement to use as a warm up, its almost a one pad venue now. Sent the Tumbleweed stand and moved into trying to work the sitter. Remember the Welsh weather, and those limited windows of opportunity? well I went up in the spotting drizzle, which turned out to be snow at the boulder (the joys of 600m) this meant the easier warm ups were collecting snow and wet. Attempts on the direct sit were informative but ultimately useless, as while I did manage to get my bones off the ground, my flesh was still sat on the deck. It is quite hard, and involves core, opposition and compression off slopers. exposing new weaknesses to work on, and reminding me of old ones; namely marginal slopers.

It took 8-9 mins to get down with a pad on my back, but Logan's scooter took a battering in the process. I'd melted through the flimsy brake, and this had grooved the back wheel... Off to Ebay for some upgrades.. it was certainly fun pimping his ride..

But I couldn't keep hammering his scooter, so I bought my own!

The pimping bug still lingered, because I'd bought a budget model, and it was ace apart from the wobbly cheap headset. One upgrade later, not only had I learnt to replace a headset(using the freezer and a wooden mallet), but my scooter was smoking... Only 2.8 kg too. I can see that in a years time it may have few original parts, but like my grandfathers axe it will still be my old scooter...

The other events of the month was physio. I have passed up the chain, and now have a punishing regime to follow, made worse by my current golfer's elbow. I'm having to leave the core workout I've been promising myself until they've got a handle on my back issues, so no more progress at Marchlyn for a while (but some team trips may occur to clean up satellites). and I've been sacking off actual climbing until my elbows are under control.

So the Next Month:

between body limitations and most of the month being the Easter hols, I'm limiting myself to three targets next month.

Tosheroon - There's a tide window lining up with my prescribed playtime on the 24th of April.

Non Climbing exploring - the Llugwy reservoir road needs the scooter test, and there might be some little gems left beyond the reservoir. I'm also doing some Clegir tours.

Twll Mawr - I'm super psyched to get this project done, especially as more sport has popped up on the back wall.

Watch this space.

Cwm Uchaf a Fi

Things have been a bit tricky this month, between the weather, work, life and physio. Golfer elbow, and a need to knock off the core training whilst the physio sorts out my hips and back, has meant I've had to rein in my desires for hard ticks, or much climbing at all really. More in the end of month report, but for now, did I let it get me down?

Hell no, I went for a walk!

Those that know me will understand its a little out of character, but as most of my recent bouldering has been above 600m, where there's a will there's a way. Last Friday's mision was to resolve some queries over various sightings in Cwm Uchaf. These were Giveaway projects for July '13, August '13, and December '13. Basically, a walk up there fired me with ideas based on rocks that were far away, and I was going to try and get something more concrete.

Looking up the hill, bit snowy up there

Looking down the new ugly hydroelectric pipe, shouldn't they be burying this?

Some nice looking boulders level with the base of the Skull etc. I'm sure they've been prospected before?

Ahh. July's giveaway, looks good here Eh?

Oops. bit broken, and well... Small

Did I mention small? bit dirty too.

Augusts giveway, clean and good climbing, only small, barely highball, and a bit to easy to warrant it. as for December's giveaway, the jury is still out as it was too high and snowy. Definately one to scope from Crib Goch, might make a sherpa trip and combine it with a Llechog descent and shufty. Might need to breakout a map for that one...

Not all grey skies. Another bloc found to join the Dinas Mot Summit Boulders. Almost enough up here to tempt a pad trip, although I reckon a good spotter could make padless attempts possible, and therefore tempt a route boulder combo.

Found this cave above the Hall of the Mountain king on my descent. paddable and lighter than that cave but maybe not quite as class.

So tick 14 remains elusive and kind of fills the A.N. Other spot. Two new things on my radar that may fill that hole, one involves my new scooter (more in the March report) the other I spotted on this jaunt:

In the centre of your screens is a big mahooosive roof, just left of Alchemy et al on Equator Walls. No further info as yet, but investigations are underway (I've texted Big G)

Keep Questing..

Patio Therapy

With projects like the Cube becoming more reliant on group management, I was keen in my remaining small windows of opportunity to develop stuff I can get psyched for solo trips.
Thus I chose to bite the bullet, and venture back to Marchlyn Mawr to construct a more managable landing. That and try out Logan's scooter from the top of the dam road.....

Marchlyn Bach lit up nicely, the ribs are all much of a muchness, but the end stubs in shadow often give some bouldering potential. There's also a groove and arete high up on the left worth seeking.

34 mins up and I was astonished to find the boulder in Sun (tardy time, must do better)

My new boulder approach takes in this random erratic deposit

The Bike shed, I didn't feel the need to drag it all the way to the boulder..

I arrived to find the tide in. Those wishing to boulder here, had better wait until after the breakfast leccy demand to let the boulder dry out. It must be lapping on it around 5 or 6 in the morning...

So I arrived at 11 and by home time at 2ish, my patio / retaining wall was certainly looking adequate. Very satisfying. Another foot of height and it could even be a 1 pad venue, but I was pretty knackered  by it today. I can see why there's a fair bit of crossover between drystone walling and uber wad climbing. I may also have found a sequence to join the Tumbleweed finish from below, creating a super tick.

Watch this space...

...Oops, almost forgot the ride back. 10 minutes Dam to Car, no wipeouts or wimp outs but stood on the brake a fair bit, certainly room for improvement. Thought I was going to melt my shoe at one point, but no damage done, although the hollow deck and mudguard brake did mean I filled up with gravel....