Climbing at Giggleswick Scar

Started the day with a visit to Giggleswick South. Still rather parky for late May with a definite numb fingers vibe. 

We did a pretty tricky 5+ which felt like a bit of a sandbag, but then some much better routes afterwards. Quick a nice little crag for a quick hit. Our first taste of Yorkshire Limestone.

Giggleswick South:

- Match Play - 5+*

- Chip off the old block - 6a+*

- Black Swan Rising - 6a+**

- The Mute Finish - 6a+**

Malham Cove and Gordale

Woke to the sound of heavy rain, so took our time getting up. As the clouds broke up, we drove up by Pen y Ghent to get the views on the way Malham Cove.

There is a climbing ban until July 1st on the right hand side of Malham (the area we wanted to climb on), but just as we arrived at the cliff base, the heavens opened anyway! We could have had a go at climbing some of the overhanging routes which were staying dry, but with temperatures below 10 degrees, and considerable wind chill, the psych for trying was low! I felt quite content to be a sight-seer today and marvelled instead at how the river 'appears' below the cliff.

On the walk back to the van we got soaked, so had a little drying out session over coffee.

Dried out and re-fuelled, we set off to walk to Gordale. It was a lovely little walk through meadows and woodlands filled with wild garlic which smelt great!

Gordale was impressive, but again, low temperatures were quashing the desire to climb. Then, to affirm our decision, another huge hail storm arrived and soaked us again! 

 

The very enjoyable drive down to Settle was something reminiscent to a scene from Postman Pat. 

Then we had chips in the sun in the funky old town of Settle, before finding a campsite nearby. 

The sun came out once we'd found the perfect little campspot. Brewing up in van, in the evening the sun with a reduced price pastry from co-op. What more could we ask for? Bliss.

The Maiden Van Voyage

Simple living is back! Armed with climbing packs, a bit of food and a bouldering mat to sleep on, we set off from The Cottage to give our new van its first proper test run! 

First stop (after a few jobs in Colwyn Bay) was Castle Inn Quarry, where the sun was out! We were surprised to find that we had the place to ourselves, but soon found out why - a strong cold wind was whipping across the crag! Still, the rock was warm so we blasted up four great bolted routes.

Then it was back on the road - destination Yorkshire! It's been many many years since I'd been there, and given a showery forecast across the country for the next few days, it seemed like a good bet. We arrived in the town of Settle a few hours later, just in time to enjoy a good sun set and the last of the light while we cooked up. Felt exciting to be away somewhere new; in the van with just a few possessions and a climbing guidebook to lead us to our next adventure...

Castle Inn Quarry:

- Route 1 - 5a

- Route 2 - 6a

- School Mam - 6a

- Finale - 5+

Moel Wnion (580m) and Gyrn (542m)

With the threat of rain arriving by lunch time, we made time for a quick little local walk into the hills above Bethesda. Overcast and with a strong wind, but really nice to stretch the legs before the wet weather turned up. Got back just as it started spotting!

The Traverse of Gogarth Main Cliff

It's great having friends who call you up, come and visit, and then talk you into doing crazy stuff. The traverse of Gogarth Main Cliff wasn't exactly high on my priority list (or any list, come to think of it), but soon after an enthusiastic sales pitch, I found myself walking along the cliff tops from South Stack, Anglesey in search of some coastal based tom-foolery.

Psyched up and sweating! Ready for the 'sketchy' walk in!

The weather was promising to warm up and dry out. Having walked as far as the climbers 'gearing up area', there did seem to be a band of blue sky heading our way. Sensibly, we'd carried our wetsuits thus far and now got changed amidst an atmosphere of anticipation and mild concern. The sea was looking calm(ish) and the weather was certainly warming up. In fact it felt very warm, once we'd struggled into our wetsuits! 

The scramble down to the cliff base is certainly the crux of the route and was exactly as Clare had described - 'sketchy'. Made all the more exciting/terrifying by wearing a sweat inducing wetsuit and oversized trainers with the soles flapping off. After negotiating the steep slippery grass slopes of doom and the final exposed rocky down-climb (no slipping allowed!), it was a sweet relief to finally cool down by the water!

Gogarth Main Cliff

From the cliff base we traversed northwards towards Parliament House Cave. I managed to get a decent way along, before the combination of pumped forearms and heat exhaustion sent me into the drink! The sun was fully out by now, but the water was still cripplingly cold to exposed skin.

A combination of floating, climbing and swimming ensued as we inched our way along the base of the huge cliffs. I was great to spot some of the classic rock climbs as we passed by them.

As we passed Wen Zawn (of 'Dream of White Horses' fame), We stopped to watch a few climbers then swam through a big sea arch. The water was a deep, deep green colour and would have felt tropical were it not so cold!

Eventually, we dragged ourselves up onto the beach at Parliament House Cave and to my delight, found that Beth had had the good sense to bring some chocolate and jelly babies to perk us up for the final 'seal tunnel'. The exit from the back of the cave, involves a squeeze/swim through a narrow slot, that we were told often involves negotiating right of way access with a large resident seal!

I (very bravely) opted to go last! Luckily, the seal must have been away on holiday as we passed though without drama. Shortly after, back in the daylight, we found an exit route that involved scrambling up the cliffs to the lighthouse on North Stack. All that remained was a long tiring walk back to our clothes, via Holyhead Mountain. What a glorious way to spend a Tuesday! Great adventures with great friends! Bonkers!

Slate Climbing as it should be

According to Paul Pritchard, the slate is best when it's showery, and today I'd probably have to agree. It was a dreary, damp and misty start to the day, with thick low clouds. After a sociable tea drinking morning, the slates had started to dry at The Cottage; an indication that it was time to climb. Despite the remaining grey skies, our instincts were correct and the slate was in prime climbing condition.

It's now our third day in a row re-climbing some slate classics. For me, there's a real buzz about climbing a route with a real 'line'. Especially trad routes like the one we started out on - Bella Lugosi is Dead, E1 (5b). Routes like this are some of the best of their grade in the quarry and have history for me, as I remember them being a big deal when I first started climbing there. Even the fact that it involves a bit of effort to walk there adds to the adventure feel. 

It felt very refreshing to do a route where you decide when and where to place protection, having climbed a lot of bolted routes recently. But better than that was the way that the moves really flowed together, making for such an enjoyable feeling as I climbed. The route follows the central crack in the photo below. 

Next to it, an old scary 'slate trad' route has been retro bolted to give a good 6a+. There are some pretty thin moves and the first bolt is clip-able only once you're quite high on the face. The top 'Horsin' Around' finish also involves an exciting/brave step around the corner!

Rainbow Slab Area:

- Bella Lugosi is Dead - E1 (5b)**

- Horses Latitude (6a+)* - with the Horsin' Around finish (6a+)*

Slate Slabs - Gnat Attack E1 (5c)

Back in the Slate Quarries today. Started off with a little multi-pitch route on the Never Never Land slab. Bummer to find no lower-off and had to walk off in our rock boots! Glorious sunshine this afternoon, despite the damp start.

Got to watch some guys high lining though! 

Then on the way out, we stopped at Bus Stop Quarry. The main wall had gone into shade, but the slab opposite looked lovely in the late afternoon sun. The only trouble was, all the routes are a bit hard and/or run-out. For some reason though, I suddenly fancied the challenge; a few minutes later I was tied on. 

I almost came down after the first few moves. It's a classic slate bolted route - meaning the first bolt is about ten metres off the deck. Concentration and a steady head are required. The climbing is splendidly absorbing though and I really enjoyed it. To give you an idea, this is the view back down the route from the lower-off - the last bit of protection is a long way down!

Never Never Land:

- 362 (5c)*

Bus Stop Quarry:

- Gnat Attack E1 (5c)**

Slate Climbing on Plateau Slab

Bank holiday weekend and the weather is feeling warm in Wales for the first time in ages! Despite the crowds in Llanberis, we managed to have the little visited Plateau Slab to ourselves. A very peaceful place for such a busy weekend! That fact that it's not in the guidebook means that it off the radar except to those in the know - thus, perfect for escaping the crowds!

The walk in is an easy 15 minutes and ends with great views of the quarry and the famous Rainbow Slab. We started off with the pleasant 'Carp Diam' (5b) for a warm up, which leads up to the highest part of the slab.

The next route was a little harder with thin moves at the top, then finally we did the big traverse across the whole slab called 'Pick and Mix' (6a+), so called as you can pick and mix what ever bolts you come across along the way! Totally brilliant!

Stopped off at Llyn Padarn on the way home to give the view of Snowdon some appreciation!

Plateau Slab:

- Carp Diam (5b)

- Celtic Warrior (6a)*

- Pick and Mix (6a+)**

Grand 'Van Life' Designs

Had a bit of time today to try out some new designs for the van. I'm keen to try and create some kind of in-situ sofa that can be transformed into a bed. I've borrowed a mega sized bouldering pad which almost fits perfectly! 

It's not the exact solution, but has certainly giving me a few ideas...  Storage is the next phase...

Slate Climbing in Vivian Quarry

Despite the darkening skies, we took the gamble to try and get a climb done in Vivian Quarry today. We were working on the theory that if the heavens opened, at least the routes are single pitch and with only a short dash back to the car park. We climbed 'Mental Lentils' HVS (5a) which is part trad and part bolted. It's very polished these days but has all the holds when you need them and is a great little route. Just what we were looking for.

After lowering down, we were keen for another route though! 'Psychotherapy' was looking tempting, but I couldn't remember what grade it was and was also concerned that we didn't really have time to go for it. With Tim's persuasive powers at work, I soon found myself tying in and making the first moves. 

The first bolt is rather high, but I'd managed to get a small wire in to help things along. The route is fantastic, with great holds - it's just that most of them are very small! With the threat of rain, the pressure of time and the fact that a small crowd of spectators had gathered over by the dive centre, I had to climb quickly!

I was soon back on the ground having climbed the route and recieved a round of applause from the crowd for my efforts! An all before the rain arrived an hour later!

Vivian Slate Quarry:

- Mental Lentils HVS (5a)

- Psychothearpy E2 (5b)

Llyn Crafnant

Had a gripping drive up to Llyn Crafnant toady. It's a three or four kilometre drive up a steep, tiny and winding road that was quite simply not designed to accommodate a brand new, long wheel base Transit, such as the one that I unfortunately found myself at the helm of. Crawling along at a pace just faster than walking speed, I made slow progress along the road as the perspiration built on my brow. Wheels hung alarmingly over the edge of the Tarmac at times, dry stone walls threatened of relieve me of the wing mirrors and low hung branches did their best I attach the paint work. All of this was realised too late. Once set upon the course, there was no option for a turn around until reaching the end of the road! (Half way up the mountain by this point, where the Tarmac thankfully ends!). 

I've been assessing a Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition. Thankfully they all passed by my check point in good time and in high spirits, leaving me to steel myself before taking on the return journey back down into the Conwy valley.

On the plus side, the views were lovely up by the lake! 

Surfing and Almost Climbing

An eight o'clock high tide, with forecasted light winds and nice waves necessitated a bleary eyed exit from The Cottage this morning. The predictions turned out to be a tad optimistic though, as we arrived at the beach to find a howling onshore wind! It was a beauty blue sky morning though, so we got in anyway and managed to catch some respectable rides amidst the choppy waves. Even after a stroll through Rhosnigr in the sun to warm up afterwards, we were still back at The Cottage for coffees, served with sausage and egg butties by 11am. 

After some further lunching we hiked up into Cwm Idwal to try a climb called 'Pocket Wall' (Severe 4a) on the edge of Idwal Slabs.

It's definatly one to save for the end of a dry period as it looked green, greasy and like it had not been climbed in a very long time! Despite it's less than attractive appearance, I was about to go for it when it started raining, which I took to be a sign. Sometimes things just aren't meant to be. Having not really shrugged off this mornings lethargy, I was happy to return to the sofa and the fireside. Might not have got a climb, but in Cwm Idwal it's always a nice walk at least...

Skyline Slate Climbing

After a wet start, things brightened up enough this afternoon for a little foray into the Skyline area of the Llanberis Slate Quarries. 

The wind chill was even colder than previous days, so once again we were all layered up. We climbed 'Harri Bach Llanrug' (6a), which was nice but cold on the pinkies! 

I've got a few of the new Grivel 'twin gate' carabiners to test out, but we didn't hang around long enough in the cold to give a full review! They look wierd to use, but I think with a bit of practice I might become a fan? What this space for a full review next week...

Climbing on Bochlwyd Buttress

Had an excellent evenings climbing in he Ogwen Valley. Bochlwyd Buttress is only an easy twenty minute walk from Ogwen Cottage and catches the afternoon and evening sun. With not a cloud in the sky, or any other climbers about, it felt like we had the whole valley to ourselves. Although the skies were clear, temperatures are still well below par for this time of year and the wind chill made sure we were well wrapped up. We climbed as a team of three this evening which made for a sociable catch up.

There's a great range of routes of all grades on the crag, all of which can be climbed in a single pitch or with multiple belays if preferred. In my opinion, the best route is the 'Bochlwyd Eliminate' HVS (5a) which is intimidatingly steep, but provides both gear and handholds just when required - you just can't see them from below!

We started off on this route, topping out just as the sun hit the horizon. The temperature dropped instantly from 'balmy summers eve', to 'ice cold fingers'.

Even without the sun, it was a beauty of an evening to be out climbing so went back up 'Two Pitch Climb' S (4a). 

Climbing as a team of three at this grade proved rather sociable as well, as we could chat as we seconded the climb! 

After a few routes (and discovering it was now 9pm), we thought we better head back to The Cottage for some dinner! 

A great evening, with great company in a great place. All we need now is the temperature to pick up a bit!

Bochlwyd Butress, Ogwen:

- Bochlwyd Eliminate: HVS (5a)

- Two Pitch Climb: Severe (4a) - climbed in one pitch.