On foot from The Fort

Left Wales and went east in search of sunshine! Found it while we explored down through the fields from Fort Martin with the little ones. Now I think about it, it’s literally been over quarter of a century since I lasted walked these paths, but the memories were still clear.

The cows tried to intimidate on the return journey, but we stayed stood our ground and they soon retreated. 

We set off further east that night, in preparation for the start of our next cycle tour. Found a great little camp down by the river near Huntingdon.

Cooked up and nattered away into the night...

Padarn Paddleboarding

Expedition paperwork took up most of the day. This particular one had crossed into three countries, so had three different currencies to account for! By late afternoon, I’d just about got things sorted and we popped down to the lake for a swim to clear our heads. 

We had a quick brew while Beth arrived - bringing with her a paddle board! I last used one in Fiji, where the consequences of lost balance we less shocking. Beautiful views of Snowdon from the middle of the lake.

Changing Skylines

One final morning of enjoying the Alpine skyline view from my room in Chalet Martin. I particularly like this view and it brought back great memories from when I climbed the 'tooth' (second peak in from the left), when I used to live here - a memorable day!

The day passed by smoothly and unremarkably. Made it back to The Cottage just before dark where Andy, Jonelle and Clare we’re making the most of the long light evenings. It was great to arrive into a different world and catch up on each other’s news by the chimenia. 

Then on Monday I was strolling familiar paths down by the river from The Cottage.

The weather was good, but I was happy to spend the day relaxing around our local area, washing clothes, sorting kit and finishing up expedition paperwork.

Racing the Rain - Climbing at Verchiez

Our last day of this Swiss climbing trip and the race was on to beat the incoming rain. Merlin made me a splendid coffee which I enjoyed while waiting for the team to get up and packed. Outside the sun was shining on the balcony and the geckos were out soaking up the warmth.

Down in the valley, near Ollon, we quickly hiked up to the cliffs, through the vineyards. Behind us, it was clear that the rain was coming our way!

We got three fast climbs up the technical slabs done before the first raindrops fell. I paused before packing away the ropes as it looked like it might ease but. But then the heavens really opened and we got a proper soaking! The group sheltered in the trees, while Emma and I sorted out the gear. Climbing was over for a while now.

At least it gave us a good excuse to have a mooch around Villars, get some souvenirs and send a postcard. It's a small town and I even bumped into the parents of a student that I used to teach when I lived here in 2005! Things dried up again later in the afternoon, but we couldn't persuade anyone to get back out on the rock, so hung out at the chalet instead.

Swiss panorama & some climbing at Les Plans, Leysin

Awoke to a total stunner of an alpine morning.

To make the most of the warm weather and amazing views, we drove up to the col of Pierre du Molle, where some of the best limestone lead climbing is situated. In the guidebook, it said that the views are almost as good as the climbs and it's not wrong. There was a lot of late snow still lying around, but looked like we could dodge a lot of it and more importantly, it could provided some good sliding on the way down!

The grass was literally carpeted with crocuses.

The hike in takes about half an hour, but progress was slow. After a lunch looking out over the snow capped mountains, the team sadly decided that they'd rather go do than walk the last bit (uphill of course!). It didn't matter much though, as there was another crag lower down with only a 5 -10 min walk in. A short scenic drive later and we were walking up to our next objective. Five minutes would have been pretty ambitious to walk up to it, as it was a short, steep ten minutes of effort. Some of the group made it and enjoyed some of the pocketed limestone.

The rest enjoyed the views instead....

Les Plans, Leysin:

- Gentian, 5a (more like 5c)

- Edleweiss, 6a (more like 6b!)

Climbing at Dorenaz, Rhone Valley, Switzerland

Our hire van for the week was not quite as large as advertised, so it took quite a while for us to pack up and leave the Gite in Liddes! It was still cool, but the sun was trying its best to come out. We headed downhill and as we did, the temperatures rose.

It was windy (as usual here) at Dorenaz, but the rock was dry and there were plenty of routes to go at.

The bolts are a bit spaced and the grades a little stiff we thought, but we managed to tick off a good amount of climbs before moving on up to our new accommodation in Gryon.

I had to take a photo of this spectacular bit of belaying before we left! Very relaxed!

It was a real trip up memory lane as we wound our way up the hillside and through the village of Villars where Clare and I had lived in 2004. I've been back a few times since, but not recently. The place hadn't changed much and the view was still spectacular. We are staying in the splendidly named "Chalet Martin" which is a cool backpackers type hostel in nearby Gryon. As the sun went down, the mountains all glowed pink. 

Climbing at Vollein, Aosta Valley, Italy

I’m leading a climbing expedition to Switzerland this week and arrived in Liddes last night. It’s unseasonally cold and wet. In fact, we were due to stay in a hut above Champery, but the road is still blocked with snow!

It was still damp and drizzley this morning, so after multiple consultations of various weather forecasts, we drove through the Gr St Bernard tunnel to Italy, where the sun was shining and the temperature reached 26 degrees. (it was 6 at our Swiss accommodation!). 

We located the first crag with some difficulty and on reaching it’s base, discovered it swarming with bees! As well as having one student with a severe allergy to bee stings, I didn’t fancy getting too close, so we retreated to try a different place.

Some narrow lane driving, tight turns and vineyard negotiations soon saw us at the correct area, which turned out to be much better. Idyllic in fact. The perfect introduction crag, with great views a grassy base, some shade, some sun and a good range of grades. Best of all were the views though. Snow-capped mountains surrounded us. Stunning. 

Vollein, Aosta Valley:

-          Morgana, 5a

-          Pisolo, 4c

-          Mammolo, 4c

-          Gongolo, 5b

-          Cuccilo, 5b

-          Brontolo, 5b+ 

Anglesey Getaway

Had a mini getaway on the bikes over on the Island of Anglesey this weekend. After a morning run followed by some computer admin, we hurriedly packed panniers, bikes and camping kit into the van and drove across the bridge. A brief stop in Waitrose meant that we would eat well for Clare’s birthday celebrations.

Starting in Llanerch-y-medd, we cycled north to the coast and following a tip-off from a sea kayaking friend, discovered the most amazing little bay and secluded cliff top camp spot. There was a cool breeze on the cliff top, but the bay was flat calm and sheltered. Following our noses, we scouted out a few potential area for the night, amid huge swaths of vibrant Bluebells.

With the blanket laid out and legs tucked into sleeping bags, we tucked into a banquet of food, complete with cold beers and wine while looking out over the bay. Magic. It was getting dark by the time we got around to putting the tent up.

There was rain during the night, but in the morning, we could see that the birthday blue sky was on it way. Opened cards in the sun with a hot drink, before cliff top croissants.

With the tent packed away and the sun fully blazing, we left our bikes and walked down to the waters edge. A few fishermen were camped up by the buildings, but we found a tranquil spot to contemplate a birthday swim. 

The water looked so inviting, but turned out to be painfully cold. Sitting back on the rocks, we almost walked back to the bikes, but the crystal clear waters drew us in! In we got and shrieked as it took our breath away. It was more of a birthday dunk than a swim, but it had the desired effect.

We dried off in the sun and returned to the bikes. The cycle up to Parys Mountain, where we stopped for a picnic lunch soon had us warmed up.

By the time we reached the van it was mid afternoon and a delightful nineteen degrees. We’d arranged to meet friends in Llanberis, so set off for the mountains, which were still shrouded in mist and dark clouds. By the time we arrived, the temperature had dropped by eight degrees and it was trying to rain! Luckily not enough to stop us enjoying some birthday cake outside the café on the high street with Emma.

After a quick freshen up at The Cottage, we finished the celebrations, with Stu and Rachel with a meal back over in Menai Bridge to conclude a fantastic birthday adventure…

Jelly Roll E2, (5b) - Colgwyn Du'r Arddu

Stu is visiting from France this week, so we decided to catch up over a hike up to Cloggy. It has been years since we'd both visited this crag, so given the conditions and both having a free day, we decided to check it out. After a leisurely start and a brew at Pete's Eats, we hiked up the Snowdon path in the sunshine, to the base of the shady crag.

After abandoning plans for our initial objective, we set our sights on Jelly Roll. I led the first pitch and Stu took the lead on the top two. A climber in front of us took an impressive headfirst fall off the top pitch, ripping out bits of gear along the way. Thankfully, he came to a halt before making contact with the belay ledge and avoided any major injuries. Another climber took a huge fall down the Great Slab, on some marginal protection, which thankfully held, although his helmet was smashed. We stayed steady and secure!

The final pitch was the finale of the route and required a good amount of stamina to hang on. Stu looked solid, but when I came to follow, it soon became apparent that I only had a limited amount of time until my fingers would hold me no longer! 

There was a good amount of grunting, straining with a general sense of urgency as I ploughed on up. Some sneaky bridging moves gave my arms a rest in the end, but it was a close run thing! 

While others were sweating their way up Snowdon in the sun, I had my hat and fleece on in the shade of the cliffs. After negotiating the eastern terrace descent route, we decided to stroll back to the village for a pint (of tea, at Pete's), rather than turn a nice day out into a late evening return!

It was good to have been up at Cloggy and it kept it's reputation for being hard and cold! Much more to do, but I'll have to drop the grade a bit or get stronger!

Cloggy:

- Jelly Roll, E2 (5b)***

Slate Quarry Sunset

After a very long and busy day organising expedition logistics for several teams of students, I dashed out to the Slate Quarry to climb in the last of the light. Nick and Rich were waiting for me in the sun at Bus Stop and we walked into the Australia area. According to my guide book, it had been two years to the day since I last climbed the classic of the area, so I set off up the familiar small handholds, enjoying myself immensely.

With the offer of tea and freshly baked cakes just a few minutes away, back at their house, we quickly settled on having done one route and strolled back into the sunset. 

Nice to be making the most of this good spell of weather.