The Last Year 2016 - 2017 ... Sorry for the Silence!

I must admit, I have been pretty useless at updating this blog over the last year. Not because I haven't done anything though! It's been a busy year with a lot going on. So I will give a quick 'Photo/Caption' of what I've been up to over the last year with more detailed, individual posts to follow soon!

The Tranquil Avon Gorge

Our day didn't start to well. I picked up Chris and drove him to Weston so he could pick up his new bike and then ride to Avon. However, we got a few hundred on our way from Weston and his bike kept stalling. We turned around, took the bike back and was soon on our way. Little did we know that the Portway was closed due to a Triathlon. I don't know Bristol very well, so had no idea where else I could park. After driving round aimlessly, we finally ended up at the park at the top of the Gorge. Right, lets get climbing.

Daddyhole Main Cliff - Some lessons learned

Our initial plan was to head to North Wales this weekend to do a series of link ups in the Llanberis pass and Idwal valley. However, the weather up north wasn't in our favour. So saving this idea for another day, we stayed local and headed to Daddyhole in Torbay.

Popping my Cloggy & Dinas Mot cherry

I've always hated the drive up to North Wales, it's always at night, I'm always tired and the drive is always boring. Except for the time I was sideways on the M56, that was an interesting drive. But every time I make the journey up north, I know that I'm about to escape from reality and spend the weekend in a place where I'm truly happy and where I feel I belong: In the mountains.

Wintours LEAP

My second attempt at Wintours. Harness packed the night before! Me, Chris and Dave now heading towards a vertical world of fun and adventure. First up, Surrealist (E1 5b)

Rocking the Haytor Lobster

After my last fail forgetting my harness, I was determined to set things right! And so, I set off to Haytor on Dartmoor with Dave and Chris and met up with Pablo at the car park.

Seven Mile throb (E5 6b) Cont'

The route pretty much follows the line of the biggest tree sapling in the bottom left of the picture, through the overlaps/roofs and onto the top section of the slab at the obvious stepped corner.

Some readers of my blog may remember this Post a few weeks backs about an E5 project at Fairy Cave Quarry. Well, curiosity got the better of me, and so i abseiled down the route to inspect the route at close hand. And how very pleased I had!

Fairy Cave Quarry

I had mentioned this place in the past to Chris, and so I decided to take him there to introduce him to some technical, run-out, limestone slab climbing. Needless to say, I don't think he'll be returning...

Craig Bwlch Y Moch

After my long drive down to North Wales, I pulled into Betws Y Coed for a bite to eat and a drink while waiting for Chris to drive down from Scotland. At 22:30, I left the comfort and crowds of the pub, £20 lighter after buying a burger and a few drinks, and made my way to the car park behind Joe Brown's in Capel Curig. No soon than I arrived, Chris pulled up. We packed kit fro the following morning, discussed where to go and finally settled in for the night. Sleeping in my car was now a norm to me: Slide back the passenger seat, put it down, fold out duvet and sleep.

White Ghyll Crag

I met up with Chris after had driven down from Scotland earlier that morning. We met in the New Dungeon Ghyll carpark, then set off up the hill towards White Ghyll crag. The morning was cold. A thin film of mist hugged the ground of Great Langdale. The scrammble to the crag took only half an hour. But the time took longer. Upon breaking through the mist, we gazed out across the glaciated Langdale valley The temperature invertion, glazed in the deep reds and oranges of an Autumn sunrise stopped us in our ascent to the crag. We took the time to take in the view, take off a layer, and then to continue on our way.

Fall falls and man love

Chris on 'Outward bound' HVS 4c

A posting on the Taunton climbers facebook page was all it took to begin, what was quite possibly, one of my best cragging days. The cold October morning started with a gathering of four adventurous climbers in a Taunton car park, with the joint decision that Chudleigh will be our desired destination. However, upon arrival, the crag was still running with water from the previous days rain. Wet limestone + polished limestone = No climbing. So we took off and headed for the moorland crags of Haytor, with the hope that Mr Sunshine and Mrs Wind would have dried the crag. Thankfully, they had....well, the south faces anyway.

LOST: Virginity

A swift phone call to my climbing partner, Mark Stevenson on Friday night ended with the destination set: Swanage. I've never climbed on sea cliffs before, so naturally, I was a little nervous. I'd become so attached to the shy little quarry of Fairy Cave, knowing what i was and wasn't capable of climbing, I was worried that the sea cliffs of Swanage would dissolve my ego, built by the many slab routes of the quiet, tranquil quarry, and watch as they wash away into the English channel...

The first of many...

I've decided to start this blog, not only to incite those who may be the slightest bit interested, but also to log my adventures, memories and to remind myself in the future that there is a limit...which has yet to be discovered.