The Beast Is Caged..

On an exceptionally sunny day, I found myself set free by my better half, plied with big drills and lashings of static rope. Thus equipped I was off to the quarries. Arriving at Bus Stop I was greeted by Carlos himself, off for a spot of slacklining. Spurred on by this fortuitious meeting, we walked in together, him under a load of wide tape and rigging ropes, myself under about 25kg of spaff.

Unfortunately, I'd forgotten my hammer..

Fortunately, I was only 100 yards from the car when I realised this, and as I got back to vehicle, Ian Lloyd Jones appeared and presented me with one. The Slateheads were smiling down....

As was the sun, water, sweating and panting breaks were required, but I eventually staggered to the weighing hut at the top of the yellow wall steps. It was here I promptly got lost and staggered up and down the scree like a numpty, trying to find the Razor's notch. This col is one I frequented and owned godamit, back in my freer days, a calling point on many of my wanderings. However, I turned up eventually and sought my solution to getting all the gear to the Twll Mawr Summit. After tossing Ian's hammer repeatedly into the void (tied to the static) I bit the bullet, paid out lots of slack and lashed myself to the rigging. Its a fairly simple solo to the summit, But negotiating it dragging a rope, which in turn needs to run free enough to allow me to get it back to the hauling point meant some thoughtful moments.

Still I got to my sunbed eventually....

The picture shows all the gear I pack horsed up:

36v drill + 2 batteries

40 bolts

100 of Static Rope

Lunch and water

assorted climbing and bolting spaff.

The view down the beast.

As usual things didn't go to plan, the hollow bit took a hammering, wouldn't fall off, but merely wobbled. I was concious that the bolting should prevent the rope running over the sharp fins on the upper section, or bringing the rope / protection in the firing line if it did shed. The solution was one bolt in the closed out upper section, keeping it bold but safe. The upper groove remained Cam #2 protected, keeping the rope away from danger, but you never get far above them, before getting to the bolt.

The Lower section is bolted well out the way, and is pretty overhanging anyway (the rope here is hanging plumb vertical) and the belayer is in a tunnel.
Everybody safe.
That done, I proceeded to the main event. Rebolting Journey to the centre of the earth. a F6a+/E1 that gets three stars and ends 30m up an 80m wall (hence 100m of static).

As you can see the daylight was beginning to go at this point. With the old rusty bolts being imperial and slightly under drilled, I soon abandoned thoughts of removal, and pushed on. 7 bolts in 30m looks pretty spacey, but at least they're good ones now. At the bottom I started to prepare to rebolt Full metal jack off. Basically I dumped all the kit below it and tied it to the bottom of the rope.

Up I Shunted until a pendulum into the belay was possible without slicing the line. It was proper dark now. I abandoned optimism, replaced the belay, and fixed a handline to the lost world ladders. Once I'd stashed the gear on the ladders, I set about shunting back up, stripping the rebelays and getting back to my head torch.
Proper Dark, Proper tired. I stacked the rope back in the bag and packed everything I could see. Rebolting Full metal and the porphory chair will have to wait until I get another bolting window (or someone else is inspired). They can be done with a less bulky kit list however, as both belays are accessible off the Mordor ring path. I'll probably put in a belay for the middle earth ladder too, so the nervous can rope out to escape the pit.

So the Beast is now ready for me, Caged but not fully tamed (the hollow jaws..) a sport grade or a sporting tradish? My heart tells me it'll be HVM  (f7ish)


Watch this Space

Hat Report

Hat wearing commenced on the 30th Of October.
Comparable to last year's winter (which was rubbish) and 3 weeks earlier than the previous one (which was good)


not sure of the forecasting value of warm head gear, will see how this winter pans out..

Giveaway Project of the Month - October

I feel like I'm out of the game, with only two of my projects in my back pocket, I'm needing a flash light to scour the vaults for more treasure. Its not all gloom and doom, however, and there are a few virgin lines that I have caressed that I have not already thrown over to you. Once these last titbits have been offered, if I have not been out gathering more, I'll just have to give someone else's projects away (any offers?).
Anyway, here's today's offering. Back in the slate quarries where most of my wandering and tinkering has occurred. This item is on one of my wet day circuits; pen garret, oildrum glacier, braich ladders, upper dinorwic and back to the car..

The Item of my interest is found on G'day level and is spied on page 91 of the current guide, glinting in the sunshine just left of the rust red climbing frame. This blunt curving arête is slight, maybe only 8-9m, but a bolt or two would make it more attractive than a patio as its a long way to drag a pad stack. A little play a year or two ago certainly revealed its technicality, a nice little mover.

enjoy

Back on the Beast

As you have probably noticed, life has mainly been about earning money and looking after the family rather than wobbling up 400ft of virgin horror show. I got out twice in August, and this Tuesday was my first day out since then.
Acting on some stiff words from chief Wideboi Messr Randall, I stopped fooling myself with the pursuit of well trod classics, and got out on a damp day to revisit the Beast. The plan was to wander up via the fox steps, across the slipped shelf and drop down to Kyber Pass. A short shimmy later and I was at the top hut retrieving the carpet to protect the ab rope. I had in mind a thorough reccie, place all the necessary gear on the way down, give it a spring clean (it'd been a year and a half) and suit up and shunt my way back up.
With the lay off from this kind of silliness I wasn't sure I'd even get over the edge. However, the fear didn't come and I was able to absorb myself in the minutiae of project prep. Once I'd reached the ledge that separated the scary finish from the meat of the overhanging flare, I was able to assess things so far. This 9m section was harder than I remembered, the two clusters of gear, one of three rp's, one of four cam #2's. Both of questionable quality; the rp's shallow, the cams shallow and a bit hollow. I'd forgotten the first 5m of dirty baggy shallow hand jams / shape throwing, that made this bit more E5/6 6a than the E4 5c I had in my brain.
I swung into the lower section an immediately felt amongst the sharks. A lot of the gear I'd placed for the initial clean was just not feasible to place on lead, and mostly not worth more than an aid piece. My initial swing gained the rest niche and I confidently placed a key slider into the 7-8mm parallel crack that provides all the gear bottom to top of this section.
It ripped under less than body weight. Five or six attempts followed, eventually much lower down a cam #00 held enough to pull in on and continue down.
The game had changed, there was only a few spots in this 9m section where protection worth more than aid would stay, and it still would probably rip if I fell in anger. I arrived at the base a bit narked, with the groove having had a barely adequate clean. This section stays out of the rain, but being dark and enclosed sucks in and holds all the mist and condensation. Once damp, the algae turns to pure lubricant. Properly clean, I reckon this section is somewhere between f7b-7c+, so I wasn't expecting a lot today. I did at least establish some technique ideas, and identify some nicks that could be imagined to provide some purchase for the left foot.
The meat of the Beast is this undercut section of v groove; tighter and less featured than the quarryman, once inside (a brain masher in itself) the right hand does some finger barring, the right foot does some sloppy torques, left arm snakes into ineffective bars, and left legs swims for its life.

I'm totally sold on the Beast, but Its needs about 10 bolts. None of the available protection after 5m guarantees you'll survive, combine that with hard f7 climbing where you can fall off any move, and it indicates a level of commitment that is completely unjustified by the experience of the route.
As a sport route, you'll be able to clean it well before climbing, and you won't need 5 sliders, 4 cam #00's, 4 cam #2's and an array of RP's. Hardly standard rack.
The climbing is good enough to encourage repeats, the hollow section by the cam#2 cluster is going to fall off someday, so as standard sport route prep has got to go.
One Winter day I'll get it sorted so I can condition myself for the spring.
One last Hurrah?

Giveaway Project of the Month - September

Clearing out the Shed, this ones now a Open Project.

4 bolts to a lower off, 10m overhanging by 1.5m
 V4/5 into V5/6 into V7
3 good shakes
Prone to seepage, but nothing some Vaz couldn't solve.
I don't expect this one to go unclaimed.
Bottom of Chwarel Fawr, round from Way Down in the Hole, see Ground up Guide

Enjoy

Giveaway Project of the month - August

Ok, once again a bit rushed and no pics. Life continues to be busy and adventure seems very laborious to uncover. One recent ramble led me to the Shores of Llyn Peris; in between Dolbadarn castle and Fishskin Wall.a chance glance over the wall from the road while walking to Nant Peris spotted a rock. Further inspection allowed a nice heelhook like traverse to be performed on a remarkably clean and quite sizeable boulder that has obviously been used as a doss. Repeat ascentionists may like to look below the 30 mph signs. I continued to meander towards fishskin wall, past the egg with the crack and rather tasty DWS potential, and just before the bay of FSW itself..

This Months giveaway. A little inlet with a couple of sizeable dolorite boulders, I even made one a rudimentary terrace, but not carrying a mat I walked on and filed it for later. Don't wait for me, go and do something.


Enjoy

Birthday Climb!

With another lap soon to be notched up on the "Its a Knockout" of life, a weather window was spotted and duly sanctioned by the boss (missus HoseyB). A climbing partner was a bit more problematic but at the close of play the night before, the pub provided. Ali volunteered his services and a table of encourager's and dispeptics suggested Cloggy as a target.
Ali is fairly new to the adventure game, so a gentle classic was selected for kick off, Great Bow a HVS combination of the best of two routes, weaving up the big slabby bit of the cliff. Our table of peers concluded the evening by drawing attention to my lack of walk in expertise and dislike of sensible climbing. Ali could not be put off, however, and by 10am the next morning espresso's were downed and the game was afoot. I'd like to think I didn't disgrace myself on the walk in; I carried half the gear, a handful of pauses to my amble occurred, with only one significant collapse at the first rail crossing for water and sustenance with a lean against the halfway cafe to regain composure.
We shared Cloggy with 3 other parties, Stanage popular this isn't, despite the greater value found at this lofty height. I've only managed a handful of visits to the black ruby of Yr Wyddfa, only one of those being normal. (Black Cleft and belay duties on Authentic Desire don't count) and I felt my own shame as it rose majestically around us. There isn't really a better mountain crag in North Wales (just more convenient ones).
The route was Ace. An obvious line, yet one intricately linked. The rock was full of character and gravitas, solid and accommodatingly featured, apart from the unexpectedly truculent or wobbly bits.
The belays all seemed to be perched on the edge of an abyss, and with Ali not yet at the trad leading stage of his apprenticeship, all quite thoughtful. Its been an age since I've led multipitch, let alone taking all the leads, so a system of gear sorting and re-stacking the ropes was hurriedly botched together. I managed at least one textbook belay to show what it should look like, and 4 makeshift ones that were enough to prevent utter disaster. Apart from a slight lag on the last pitch, where unable to banter due to distance and wind, there was an awkward pause (I set up belay, belayed in as he belayed out, and kept the rope tight until he got the idea), we went well and fun was had.
Having never bothered to summit at the Cafe, the view across to Nantlle was refreshingly stunning. It was unfortunately 7 o'clock, so another route was not really going to happen, but all in all, one of the best days out I've had as a Dad.

Thankyou Ali and Happy Birthday Me.