Tick Report - January

Well happy new year folks, I wish the weather would make up its mind...
My first tick report has good news; Tick no. 8 has given me an ascent! Of course this leads me to want more...
The direct sitter is blatant, and a better problem, and a lot harder. Things to do: Patio, after last time I'm not repeatedly hitting that landing. Also, try a scooter rather than a trike for the descent. I'm not in the mood to patio right now, so 8 is on the back burner unless someone joins in.

As an aside I'm a little happier that the grade of Tumbleweed is somewhere between 6C+/7A. This is due to a lovely weekend with a sadly aging Fatneck (at a rate of 60sec/per minute no less!) I ventured past Pwllheli for the first time in over 2 years to enjoy the boulders of Rhiw, mucking about at the Shelter Boulders (invert off a wing) and flashing Gwefus Ddreinog 6C+ and eventually getting Berrial 7A after 5 goes. lots of fun to be had here, although Mr Hayward has hoovered up most of the plum lines..

Looking along Berrial at Mr Crouch dwarfing the Ddreinog boulder. Given that these are being bigged up as a class venue, it makes me even more proud of the blocks of Dyffryn Mymbyr, which definitely withstand comparison...

Right this month has not all been about Tick no. 8, I also visited Tick no.12 lounging near the bottom of the list. I got agonisingly close to this once, only to be thwarted by elbows, so I was keen to asertain exactly what I was up against.

A respectable angle

These are the starting holds people, a bounce off poor feet off to the side latches another poor hold (did this once), matches and bounces again for the boss on the lip, mantle, and sip champagne.

Working Title of the project: Skadoosh

 As ever with fatherhood...

We really want to see those fingers folks

Specifically, we want to see them stronger, now with all the shoulder stuff going on at the moment, I want to have to maintain form as perfect as possible, and work intensity for as little as possible. Hence I screwed these slivers either side of the Beastmaker at work:

Shaped for as open a grip as possible (no thumbs!) I can hang them long enough to pull up, but not lower down. 3 reps and I'm done. Unfortunately, I've been so busy at work, there has not been many safe windows to do this, but I'd prefer a long term slow gain, rather than, going at it like a randy dog and breaking myself.

Other schemes and plans. I get a window to play, most Monday and Friday mornings, so a dry day goes through the plan sorter. If warmer than 10 degrees, get a posse for Neverfall, if no-one about then reccy Tick no. 14. If colder than 10 degrees, get a posse for the cube, if not enough peeps then go to Georges crack; to my shame I still haven't done it....

Slow start, but a positive one.

Tick Update - Tick no.8

I had an hour to play today that I managed to stretch to 2, this meant that I could pack a mini adventure and March up to Marchlyn Mawr Reservoir to try tick no.8
My coat contained drinks, sweeties, brushes and fingertape, My boulderpad, just shoes, chalkbag and a kids fold up trike for the journey down(no, it didn't work out too well). I was travelling light.

It took 30 mins to get to this view:

...And another 15 to slip and slide over the verglassed rock to get to the boulder

This is a screen grab of the boulder, the landing was a little rougher than I remembered (3 pads and a spotter folks, unless you want to patio it properly first). However, I was tight on time, and I didn't want to turn round and go home.. so it all got a bit trad.

an older pic of the boulder showing off the arete

I pulled onto Erodeo for a warm up and then had a pull on the stand.

Scary.

Pushed through the fear.

Nailed it.

Then the silly thought came, what if I came in from the Erodeo sit start? It would make a less morpho and consistent problem, but I'm going to be blowing above a less than perfectly managed landing..

This is the result:

Think I'm calling it Tumbleweed. As for grade, I'm having a crisis at the moment as I haven't tried anything established for a while, somewhere in the F6C/7A ballpark anyway. The conditions were mint, dry windy and just below the snowline, so things were stacked in my favour. Enough for me to consider the direct sit next winter....

Watch this space

The To-Do List

Happy New Year and all that.
This post is a way of collecting all last years Open Projects in one place,  throwing a couple of other aims, and putting some strategy in place. At the end of each month I'll report back, reflect and mentally kick my own arse into gear.

Here's the list, in some order of personal excitement.

Tick 1 -The Joe Brown Project
Location: Twll Mawr
Requirements: Dry rock, Determination, Courage, and possibly a Rope Gun.
The Sketch: Wait until spring and coerce the Keen Calum.

Tick 2 - Neverfall
Location: Neverneverland
Requirements: About 6 pads, some spotters, some courage, some skin
The Sketch: Warm up at Suncharm ledge, take some abb kit if some of the holds are too loose/sharp

Tick 3 - Nant Gwrtheyrn Bloc and DWS
Location: Nant Gwrtheyrn
Requirements: Summer! the bloc needs low tide and better hip flexibility for the last line, the DWS requires courage, and a few changes of kit.
The Sketch: Wait until Summer, and assemble a team of like minded souls.

Tick 4 - The Super Prow
Location: Cwmffynnon
Requirements: Top rope kit, a brush, an increase of personal ability
The Sketch: I'm not looking for a personal ascent off top rope, although I'd been keen to assess the feasibility for others, but I want to get the direct and make good links on the true line, we'll give the visit a whole day (get the bus or a lift?) and take pads for satellite boulders.

Tick 5 - The Tosheroon
Location: Benllech
Requirements: old tough jacket, stout socks and lots of tape, 2 mats for the top out, warm conditions for barnacle wrangling. a Low tide below 1.5-2m.
The Sketch: Wait until spring then get Ben psyched again.

Tick 6 - Porth Howel
Location: Llithfaen
Requirements: A few mats, some company, some dry weather for some of the walls
The Sketch: Just keen to re-visit with a crowd, if I get a bit better (as planned) the low traverse may go, also have a cool trad project to try which requires a low tide.

Tick 7 - The Cube
Location: Dyffryn Mymbyr
Requirements: about 6 mats and a couple of spotters, a bit more ability
The Sketch: There are 2 lines left to do, and they are both above the most complicated landing; the Backside arete (left arete of Manly Groove, right arete of the Cube, climbed on its left side) and Gleaming the cube - the direct through the steepness and up the slab. The arete is totally possible now given suitable fall management, the direct is proper boss, and will require steelier fingers.

Tick 8 - Marchlyn Grit
Location: Marchlyn Mawr reservoir
Requirements: Pads and probably a spotter, a low tide(!) for some of the satellite boulders
The Sketch: I really want to climb the central stand, the sit is well beyond me, but some feasibility studies for next year won't hurt

Tick 9 - Trixibelle
Location: Dyffryn Mymbyr
Requirements: Pads, a belayed spotter for the moves after the crux dyno, a hike up in ability.
The Sketch: Start with some solo visits, take some abb kit for cleaning and feasibility studies, when happy return with a crew.

Tick 10 - The Old Pier Prow
Location: Trefor
Requirements: Low tide, possibly spring tide to get a better pebble level, healthy elbows, dry windy (warm?) conditions. A rise in ability.
The Sketch: I need to be sleek and steely, and I'm not sure when the best conditions would be. Access is quick though so maybe a series of test visits once I've beaten myself into shape.

Tick 11 - Caedafydd Boulders
Location: Nantmor
Requirements: Many pads, a good spotter / patio team.
The Sketch: I'm not putting myself forward for the Koyamada roof, but I have a little line in a backwater to deal with. The main thing is to get some psyche and buzz going for the place. a visit will be made at some point with a enthusiastic crew.

Tick 12 - James' Boulder
Location: Cwm y Glo
Requirements: Myself in peak form
The Sketch: get myself in peak form and do it!

Tick 13 - The Whale of Galedffrwd
Location: Mynydd Llandegai
Requirements: A bit of dry weather to lower the stream, a spotter, some good sloper conditions
The Sketch: This might be an Autumn project.

Tick 14 - Craig Bach Cwm Uchaf
Location: Cwm Uchaf, Llanberis Pass
Requirements: A bit vague this one as its just something I spotted from afar, but it certainly looks intriguing...
The Sketch: A walk with Abb kit, possibly coincide with a look at this.


So there it is, a full list for one year, but with lesser pressure targets such as more obscure spots, and possibly some classics at Tremadog, and Gogarth (do my first Big G route...) to fill the gaps I expect to be happily occupied in 2015.

Have a good one!