Here be Really Tiny Dragons

 Well I'm now free of the boot and hobbling free. It's still early days, I'm certainly miles away from actually climbing again. However, I have discovered it's all in pretty good shape considering. 

I took it for a test drive.

Turns out with appropriate footwear I can get around a bit.

Yep I also used a walking pole, and had to sit down occasionally, but with care and caution..

I even coped with a little wilderness terrain.

So early days, but the joy of going somewhere I haven't been before, (especially as it felt like somewhere people didn't go often ) Well. It made me feel myself again.

The same time I was filling in the blanks on my personal map, a good friend and wind up merchant James Caff McHaffie was polishing off the original Giveaway Project of the Month from 2009.

I was incredibly made up, as I'd been banging on about the Superprow for, well, 13years. I'd even tried it myself ( too scary) and was building a patio for future highballers. Caff of course added a couple of token stones and cracked on regardless.

Since lockdown Caff has polished off four of my "Too much for Hosey" projects.

It's been really gratifying passing them on and seeing other people catch the vision I had.

This got me thinking about how much I've explored versus either finding anything, or if I do, actually getting round to climbing these lumps.

From the new perspective of temporary crippledom I'm realising that the hunt is as valuable (sometimes more so?) Than the capture.

A bit of a Google search found I was not alone. Micro exploration has been coined to describe these events. In the past adventurers were drawn to the blank bits of the map. In the modern world, the blank bits are still there. You just have to zoom in a bit, basic chaos theory innit?

All this is weighing on my mind, as climbing seems a long way off ( my gimpy toes only can take about 30% bodyweight). I'm coping with this by concentrating on being an explorer.

My project book is all full of ticks ( mine and other people's) and some unclimbed rock has to be discovered to refill it.

Today I went here:

Random woods on the edges of the map. Not so much a blank bit, as a bit that's been doodled on, had some tea spilt on it and then dropped down the back of the bookcase.

It's these forgotten places that occasionally turn up treasure.

So the gimpy foot generally behaved, apart from when a hidden stick snapping under my heel and shocking the system a tad.  I can keep exploring and finding new happy places.

There's treasure everywhere

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.

I Never Fell

So Ben, Derw and myself went and did the Deed Today...

Job one was chalking the line, which went well until I started brushing the holds off. Turns out the winter had loosened some flakes, which in the cause of self preservation, I removed and made right. This deleted the jugs from the top section and added some in the middle. Hard bottom, steady middle, thin top. and a grade reduction, Happy days.

Job two was warm up at Suncharm Ledge. Derw and Ben hadn't played here before, so it was a chance to introduce them to Maurice Chevalier...

Job Three.

Three Ascents. No Falls.
Neverfall F6B+! M.Dicken 27/2/15

Three strikes and yer off...

Beautiful day today so went up to the cube, on my lonesome (boo hoo)

My plan was to try a snow platform, my lake of shovel didn't put me off... fortunately the remaining snow had hardened and as it had never been trodden on, was easy to peel off the heather in huge chunks.

when I arrived the pit was looking ouchy with that big boulder..

soon buried under hard snow...

I then started working the Backside Arete project (should that be Goofy Arete?) and it certainly was exciting. No falls but plenty of jumps. Failing due to being too scared is a hard thing to accept, better to back off due to it feeling too difficult to attempt safely. I know, its a fine line.

Here are my last three attempts:

I think I won't be returning without 2 spotters and maybe 4 more mats.. I don't think I can get back up this month anyway, so if anyone wants to make use of my snow platform, be my guest.

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!

Aims for 2015

Hee hee I just wanted that to pop up on UKB...

Anyhoo, This year has been one of trying to be normal, then tentatively getting back in the saddle of the new. Twelve open projects, well... Opened, and new routes in Twll Mawr.
Next year is simply the logical continuation. Complete the projects to a level of personal satisfaction, and get happy in Twll Mawr.

Today I got out for a visit to Open Project June:

Unfortunately I chose to ignore my advice about walking along the inside of the wall, as the path outside looked so easy and flat. I obviously forgot about the bottomless blubbery bogs....
(socks, trousers and wellies drying in the sun, went above knee but not as far as groin..)


Time was limited so I rigged a rope and cleaned the next toy; the left arete.

I only went and got it 1st go! and enjoyed it enough to repeat it for the cameras:

Frontside Arete F6C! (thinking the cube needs a sk8 theme...)

 

So as well as The Cube, Tosheroon, Neverfall, and of course the SuperProw are in my sights..

Roll on 2015!

Neverfall: First Lob

Finally got here to actually climb, After a bit of a drive round rustling up pads, Ben, Charlotte and myself rocked up with 4 pads, and Charlotte's posh camera...

(Spot the foreshortening)

Stack of Nu Pads..

First try, arse high...

Hold Checking / Cleaning

Throwing Shapes

Engage reverse thrusters!

Ben's High Point

So close... my highpoint one move from completing the first section, which would leave me standing on the big hold. Section 2 looks to be a wiggy layback section to the finger ledge. At this point hands are at about 5.5m. The final section is the push from here 1.5m to the top.

Notes for next visit:

Warm up at Suncharm ledge first

Take abb gear for any further cleaning

6 pads would give the breadth to the pads to reassure on the layback moves, as well as stack up for the final section.

Thanks for the pics Charlotte!

Open Project of the Month - November

Having confirmed the mythical status of bouldering on Carnedd y Filiast, I once more quested into the woods and riverbeds to bring you this:

The Whale of Galedffrwd

Or should that be a Carp as its freshwater? Galedffrwd translates roughly as the hard stream, and it certainly has its fare share of bedrock, as well as these lovely smooth erratics, nothing else as useful as this though.

The fishy juts out over the torrent with its snout over white water..

The side however is above a bedrock shelf. a spotter to steer will keep our intrepid boulderer dry.

(best to pick a dryish period though...)

Finally the scale. Here is my hand firmly grasping the starting jug. This is the incut triangle seen in the middle of the previous piccy.

Standing on the top.

Its the top that its all about, and makes this boulder pretty cool. Its not a small boulder and below the starting jug its undercut and almost completely devoid of holds.

Basically its all top out, lovely smooth holdless font top out. Its surface is extremely tactile, almost animal in substance and I found myself giving it a good rub and slap. Think heels, drags, press downs and piloerectile locomotion....

This boulder is located off the Tai Duon road out of Mynydd Landegai. Best to park near the top of the hill, don your wellies and wander down to these chaps:

The Holly and the Ivy (well it is nearly December) carefully hop the fence and squelch down to the stream and the Whale.

Enjoy

Neverfall November visit

Its still there.
It seems quite high, but at least the landing is flat...
(ok I'm bricking it and quite happy to complete my physio rehab first)

Some Photo's:

Nice angle, nice flat landing pad, easy exit.... Just a bit High 

The new improved top out is friendly enough to wander down now in my trainers, the holds of the easy line and the finishing jugs catch the eye...

As does the height (half buried chair for scale).

Think I'll take my time on this one..

Open Project of the Month - October

Well October is here and so is the weather. The ridiculously dry September spoiled us rather and, I got loads done, eschewing bouldering for the spicy adventure of Twll Mawr. Well October has brought, not only more Autumnly / Wintery weather, but a return a more normal work pattern (I've got some hours to make up) and to bouldering. This means more safety, and a chance to follow up on some leads from the Summer.
Last Open project I mentioned exploring Penrhyn Glas quarry, Well I made it in the last of the sunny weather, and found a little gem tucked away in its depths:

Porth Howel

Obviously I was drawn to the big cave at the back, after a bit of a death scramble down the scree at the back, I got to explore the cave itself:

This was at the end of the drought and you can see its still seeping in a lot of places, its also massive, (those are truck wheel hubs in the wreckage) and will need a nominated finish rather than top outs I feel. 

However, on the other side of the beach: 

The Wall of Something Dead. (There was a bad smell under the pebbles that day)

The ramp also provided a safe way in and out of the beach. I didn't have pads with me that day, so the only thing I got done was The Rail, this is the obvious break that comes out the alcove on the left and cuts into the ramp at sort of half height. The climbing was suprising in that I couldn't always predict if the holds would be incut or slopey, the directional nature of the holds also forced good (better maybe..) footwork. I was keen to return. This time via the Craig y Llam approach, as walking to and from Nant Gwtheyrn was a ball ache.

So, as I said October meant more changeable weather, and work meant less days to choose from. Yesterday came around and off I went on my lonesome (not everyone has my optimism) and made the long winding trudge to Porth Howel. The ramp was seeping and I chose to slide the pads and bumslide down...

Then the drizzle started. As you can see the pebbles have dropped and leveled off a bit. You can also see how much the Wall of Something Dead overhangs. similar to roadside face I reckon.

Optimism prevailed ( I'd bought a book), and I settled down under this handy overhang..

A couple of hours later the drizzle was sort of abating, and I thought I'd try to make something of the day... Then it started again, so I went for a walk

Above the beach, give a bit of scale and better explains the ramp approach.

 The other side of the bay has some potential, but the turf means it takes a bit longer to dry, especially in the drizzle....

Eventually, I decided to pull up my trousers and get on with it. Didn't Joe Brown climb in the rain? The wall overhung, and as the ramp projects out it seemed to deter a lot of seepage. Starting on the easiest lines with the biggest sopping holds, I clambered around. Then the rain stopped, and the wind picked up. Yippee!

The wall is quick drying and high, It does have some drainage on the left, but within an hour of the rain stopping it was pretty mint.

Here is what I got done:

6. The Ramp. F5+ Starts off jugs on the front of the ramp, swings round to lip traverse up to The Rail exit.

5. Up the Junction. F5 The obvious jug fest up to The Rail exit.

4. Rockaway Beach. F6B! A crimp line up to the rail, taking the brick with your right hand. A long reach to a crimp then a flick will gain the top.

3. The Wall of Something Dead. F6A+! Starts of opposing sidepulls (left on right margin of alcove) to blast up the seem to pull out at the "peak".

2. The Rail. F6A Starts of opposing sidepulls (left on the overlap in middle of alcove) to pop for the start of the break, follow this on improving holds to pull onto the ramp.

1. Blitzkreig Bop.  F6B+! Starts off opposing side pulls as for The Rail and after the pop, swerves left to follow the seam (big move to hidden jug) to the sloping rail. scamper right into The wall of Something Dead.

Here's a video of the FA of The Wall of Something Dead:

The wall is far from worked out as the pillar on the left of the alcove was too wet to go all the way (Nice moves up to the wetness BTW), and the below rail traverse looks mint! (more tidal stuff to the left)

To the Right of this was The Flail Rail F6B+, here's the FA video:

The shelter dried last, I tried the left hand standing line first, easy enough and I proceeded to top out. Don't do this, especially if its just been raining. Nominate a finishing jug (there's an obvious one), unless you really like XS death. The right hand line was also really fun (cool kneebar), and I finished this time at an obvious finisher Jug:

The obvious challenge is to do these line from sitters, Although the Left Hand line will need to wait until this young ladies brood have flown the nest:

The open project refers to anything unclimbed here. Please visit, as its ace. Park as for Craig y Llam (Fantan B) and follow the path all the way down to the top of the ramp scramble. I didn't bother to note how long it took to get there, as with these sea level spots its the getting back up to the car that bothers people. From the top of the ramp to the car took 25 mins, I am rubbish at trudging, but I was being earwormed by The Ramones. (Hey Ho, Lets Go)

Weirdest bit of detritus on the Strand line.....

Enjoy!