It's been a while!

For all of you 1 or 2 avid followers I can only apologise for the lack of recent updates, I hope you've found some other people to stalk on the webz!

This is going to be a mammoth post given the time since my last post, and also I'm on a rest day so I've got nothing better to do.

kind of in order
The Cave again

A return trip to the cave saw Wiggy dispatch trigger cut, a very impressive send, and from my perspective at least I think a good contender for his hardest to date, I also managed rock attrocity (unexpected, my anti-style, VERY pleased, and sent at the end of the session :))

The video of danny is of epic quality(ish) and will take forever to upload, head over to my vimeo for a look, also got some videos of stuff that I'll mention further down this epic.

Pantymwyn, 3 weeks ago, session#1

It turns out that about 35/40mins down the road I've got some quality limestone bouldering! Easy motorway route there means that a return trip works out just under a tenner, massive win!

Headed down with wiggy bob and gav, it's basically a limestone churnet valley, needless to say I think it's the tits, could do with a few more problems, but what's there's great!



Bob was on pretty mental form, as it was his first post-font outdoors trip, he was looking pretty strong and light, and most importantly dressed smart and looked so french that a genuine frog actually hopped close to him while he was psyching himself up to send whatever this one above is :)

proof of Bob's suspected French roots:




We all sent pantys down, brilliant route, which in true welsh limestone cave style has a sitter, and an extension, and another extension, and a left hand version x2, megawin! Unfortunately this place is apparently no good as a winter venue, which is a bit gutting given its proximity, plesentness, and night-time-climb potential :(





Pantymwyn trip #2 that Brum lot

Shortly after that JK and Rose came down for a bit of climbing, given their late arrival we opted for a bit of evening climbing, it was brilliant, got some good use out of the gaz lamp, probably going to get another one of these if I can lay my hands on one, again it's such a shame pantymwyn (aka devil's gorge) isn't a solid winter venue!

It was immediately apparent that Rose has decided to become a beast, as she burled her way up the completely sandbagged 'problem 8' which is meant to be v2, which seems pretty stiff.



James Did Pantys, we both had a couple of goes on thug mentality (appropriately named, probably one of the burliest v8s I've ever tried, and prob wouldn't go without a fair bit of work, we then turned out attention to the sitter of pantys (possibly, starting hold confusion :)) and (possibly) both sent it by lamplight, que gratuitous high exposure night shots:









Brum Lot day 2 - Churnet!

En route to birmingham (I stayed at
the wonderful James Kay hotel for a few nights to get in some work at creation wall) we stopped off at the ever idyllic churnet valley, rose dominated cottage rocks in general, sending 3 of her hardest boulder probs to date in less than 40mins (they're going to have to remain nameless as I don't have a guide :|). However I did snag a vid and snap some pics.




James and I were unfortunately not on the same form, both making rookie mistakes on the nemesis that is simple simon, my foot wouldn't allow me to do it any way which involved technique, and I wussed out on the campus on a number of occasions, definitely should have stuck the penultimate hold, James' attempt was just as frustrating, missing out on doing it first go, and not getting as close as he had on the following attempts.

To be honest it's a shit problem in campus, I'd much rather do it with feet, but it's a very specific problem/angle for my right toes, if I do get it at some point in the near future it'll be in campus, and then some point later I'll have to return to do it the footsie way, which is simply miles better.







Yorkshire Grit Trip, courtesy of Cocky hotels ltd

Before I even talk about the climbing it's worth mentioning what lovely types Cocky's family are, who put us up(and put up with us) for 4nights, and tried to feed us at every available opportunity, much appreciated.

It's been a long long time since I've pulled onto grit, things haven't changed in the slightest, it's still coarse, it's still elbow-wrenchingly burly, and I still loose 2 full grades when I climb on it.

However it's still got that distinctly British charm, and some amazing problems :D

Monday - Day#1 - Almscliff
James sent Dolphin Belly slap, I repeated it, cocky 'slab master' had a few goes.

Tuesday - Day #2
We headed to Ilkley, James and I did a ridiculously hard v6 on the calf boulder, had a look around, what a spot! Crazy windy, bloody hard, welcome to grit country!




Really can't complain about the walk in, what a pleasure! Due to wind we had a very british car-picnic.

We took a little trip to Caley, where I onsighted and James flashed 'New Jerusalem', exactly the same as the problem below, was basically an indoor-style slap on grit, nice moves, but lost all of its complexities because of thuggary.

Evening - James and I sent Red Barron, brilliant problem, completely thugged it I believe though, one of those increasingly familiar situations where I find myself pleased that I've worked out my own beta, but wondering if the climb would be better done slower, with more handmovements/holds, still completely brilliant though!
Wednesday - day#3
We opted for a day off, glad we did, orange wednesday's to the rescue!

Thursday - day #4
Cocky, the overhang burl hating 'slab specialist' crushed dolphin belly slap, completely amazing effort, given that the hardest he's bouldered outside was v3 previously to this, doubling your grade isn't something you often hear about in bouldering :)


Adam Coxsell, Slab Specialist, and hater of all things overhanging and burly:



Needless to say we didn't stop taking the piss for the remainder of the trip :)



I also discovered how to keep warm in yorkshire:



And James demonstrated the correct way for one to go about kitting u for soem serious trad climbing/epic cacking yourself.





James and I also sent Demon roof, not a bad problem.

We opted to head back to mine the following day, via rubicon, after a couple of goes JK sent rubicon roof, and I got close, both of us suffered terribly from freezing cold fingers, what women!

For the first time ever I can honestly say that I want to go back to a crag to try a sport climb, as opposed to a boulder problem. This is not just because the bouldering at rubicon is pants compared to every limestone bouldering venue I've been to outside the peaks, it's purely on its own merit, a brilliant route, looking forwards to giving it another go.

Disclamer: I don't like 20degree walls with crimps I am thoroughly biased, I'm going to send every stand start problem on that wall at some point so I can be justified in my opinions, and never have to do them again.




The following day, after a night spent at mine we headed to Maeshafen for some trad (I know), unfortunately the moment james easily topped out the first ascent of the day (the minstrel, E1, he made it look like a doddle) it started to rain, so i bombed it up after him, took out the gear, and we scuttled back to the car complete with litter pick, like the absolute crag legends we are.




Prob going to head back there some time, as it's a sweet spot, and I actually like the look of some of the climbs!


Bored of writing, will update about lake district trip some time soon, it has unfortunately resulted in a very dubious feeling left elbow, but some hard work was put in, and fun had by all, fingers crossed it's nothing serious :s