Come August, it was about time for another trip to Snowdonia. The weekend in the middle of the month saw us gathered at the campsite above Llanberis on a Thursday evening (or 3am on Friday morning if you're Jack and Will!)
On Friday we took on Dolmen Ridge on the face of Glyder Fach. A vague tramp around the base of the cliffs led to a vague gully, above which a vague slab led to another vague gully. It started to rain quite vaguely. The route ahead seemed very... not clearly defined.
We started to get that familiar wet-loose-gully feeling, the one bordering on misery. The decision to leave wasn't questioned. We looped the rope over a convenient rock and began our orderly abseil retreat back down the gully.
It wasn't until Will had pulled the rope through that he remembered the cache of gear he had left lying up by the abseil rock. Up I went, retracing our footsteps and our abseil, only for the rope to come stuck the second time round. Clearly not our day...
On Saturday we had a much needed day at Tremadog. Climbing as a rope of three on multi-pitch trad is not efficient and it wasn't a day for breaking new ground. We first repeated Boo Boo. Then as a special treat I was allowed to lead all four pitches of Christmas Curry.
There was a lucky escape on the first pitch when, squeezing through a tight corner, I felt something dettatch from my harness. I watched in horror as my camera bounced away down the rockface. I shouted to Will who, without missing a beat, grabbed it out of the air.
The climb took forever. A major tangle with the ropes and an extra delay to allow a faster pair through probably wasted about half an hour. Nonetheless I had great fun. On the final pitch I felt an incredible sense of elation and would have happily deroped if it hadn't left Will and Jack in the shit. I don't know why I felt so strongly - it was after all our third trip up this route, albeit the first time was on an instructor's leash and the second time I went off route and screwed up badly. So it wasn't a major milestone. The fabulously exposed topout in the teeth of a howling gale certainly gave it an epic feel!
Wednesday 29 October 2014
Tuesday 28 October 2014
A day out on the Sella Group
We rose early on Saturday 5th of July, stiff from the drive but eager to get our first day's mountaineering underway. Wanting to get a feel for via ferrata-ing without sticking our necks out too far, we had chosen to start with the Vallon via ferrata on the side of the Sella Group. We packed our bags (more on this later) parked up near the cable car in Corvara (again, more on this later) and took the double lift up to a huge cwm. From here a walk, scramble up scree and plod across snow brought us up to the base of the route.
The via ferrata itself was fun but rather short lived, although some interest was provided by the sections where we had to dig the cable out from the heaps of snow, and higher up where a rickety bridge suspended right in front of a waterfall had to be crossed, subjecting the adventurer to a facefall of fresh spray!
Before long we topped out and despite sunglasses, found ourselves blinking in the bright sunlight reflecting off gleaming snowfields that still covered much of the upper plateau of the Sella Group.
From up here we realised that the summit of Piz Boe was neither that far away nor that far above us, and that a fairly easy snow plod would see us to the summit. I had in fact visited this summit before on my previous trip so not wanting to cut short the day and undeterred by the unexpected quantities of snow, we decided to 'give it a go'.
Some careful scrambling and a snow ridge crossing soon brought us to the summit where I happily tucked into some strudel at the summit hut (not a phenomenon restricted to Wales!) However our eagerness to get to the summit meant we had neglected to give any thought to our condition or the way back down. By now we were getting badly sunburnt and dehydrated, and the effects of altitude at over 3000m were beginning to tell. We decided it was time to plow on and began our descent down the other side of the summit pyramid.
The going was initially easy but soon easy scrambling gave way to more snowfields, at a steep enough angle to make crossing them precarious. It's here that I began to regret my decision to save weight by wearing hiking instead of mountain boots. Eventually these flattened out and we began to look for the way off the plateau, conscious that the last scheduled time for a return lift was fast approaching.
Our maps pointed to a couple of scree gullies with paths down and we headed for the nearest one. The gullies were still full of old snow left over from the heavy winter. However there was no other obvious way down without a massive detour so we resigned ourselves and went down, ice axes out. Adam went first kicking steps down for a couple of hundred meters until he reached safer ground.
It was only here that I understood the scale of my folly in not taking crampons and mountain boots. Desperately clinging to my axe, I tried kicking it only to find my less rigid boot ricocheting off the snow. I appealed to Will who graciously agreed to rope me down. Even with the protection I was terrified, facing into the slope and kicking my boot in 5 or 6 times with each step.
Time passed at an agonisingly slow pace. Each time I stopped to look, the safety of the scree seemed no closer than before. Each kick into the snow had me teetering nearly off balance. Each step left me in exactly the same danger as the previous one. The rope came tight and now Will had to follow, matching me for pace to try and keep the tension in the rope even. A slip now could drag us both down. I gripped the head of my axe in a claw-like vice. The heat in the gully was overwhelming and while my mouth went dry, the sweat poured down the inside of my glasses and into my eyes, leaving me half blind.
At long last I stepped off snow and onto rock and was able to unrope and Will swiftly followed. We quickly packed gear up and re-hydrated before breaking into an 'Alpine jog' around the base of the cliffs back to the cable car. With 10 minutes left the station was in sight and 5 minutes later we were lining up to catch a lift, out of breath but very much relieved.
On the lift I took a few snaps and internally debriefed. The lessons to take away are almost too obvious to bother typing out. Stick to the plan. Don't stick your neck out straight away. If you're going mountaineering, wear mountain boots. If there may be snow, take crampons. Duh.
We stepped off the lift only to find one final obstacle between us and a much needed shower, pizza and beer. We had earlier parked up outside a bar. Now our exit was blocked by a Hummer and as we arrived at the car, the very animated (I wonder how often that word has been used to describe Italians) bar-owner came out and started threatening to call the Carabinieri. Unsure about the veracity of his threats, we apologised and promised to bugger the hell off. This seemed to steal the wind from his sails and he moved the vehicle to let us out.
By comparison, we took the rest of the week pretty easy...
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| Approaching the Vallon VF which meets the skyline by the waterfall |
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| Will getting a faceful! |
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| Our first taste of via ferrata |
From up here we realised that the summit of Piz Boe was neither that far away nor that far above us, and that a fairly easy snow plod would see us to the summit. I had in fact visited this summit before on my previous trip so not wanting to cut short the day and undeterred by the unexpected quantities of snow, we decided to 'give it a go'.
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| Adam and Will plodding towards the Piz Boe summit, which can be identified by the huge square lightning conductor |
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| An easy snow ridge crossing to gain higher ground |
The going was initially easy but soon easy scrambling gave way to more snowfields, at a steep enough angle to make crossing them precarious. It's here that I began to regret my decision to save weight by wearing hiking instead of mountain boots. Eventually these flattened out and we began to look for the way off the plateau, conscious that the last scheduled time for a return lift was fast approaching.
Our maps pointed to a couple of scree gullies with paths down and we headed for the nearest one. The gullies were still full of old snow left over from the heavy winter. However there was no other obvious way down without a massive detour so we resigned ourselves and went down, ice axes out. Adam went first kicking steps down for a couple of hundred meters until he reached safer ground.
It was only here that I understood the scale of my folly in not taking crampons and mountain boots. Desperately clinging to my axe, I tried kicking it only to find my less rigid boot ricocheting off the snow. I appealed to Will who graciously agreed to rope me down. Even with the protection I was terrified, facing into the slope and kicking my boot in 5 or 6 times with each step.
Time passed at an agonisingly slow pace. Each time I stopped to look, the safety of the scree seemed no closer than before. Each kick into the snow had me teetering nearly off balance. Each step left me in exactly the same danger as the previous one. The rope came tight and now Will had to follow, matching me for pace to try and keep the tension in the rope even. A slip now could drag us both down. I gripped the head of my axe in a claw-like vice. The heat in the gully was overwhelming and while my mouth went dry, the sweat poured down the inside of my glasses and into my eyes, leaving me half blind.
At long last I stepped off snow and onto rock and was able to unrope and Will swiftly followed. We quickly packed gear up and re-hydrated before breaking into an 'Alpine jog' around the base of the cliffs back to the cable car. With 10 minutes left the station was in sight and 5 minutes later we were lining up to catch a lift, out of breath but very much relieved.
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| Enjoying the ride back down |
We stepped off the lift only to find one final obstacle between us and a much needed shower, pizza and beer. We had earlier parked up outside a bar. Now our exit was blocked by a Hummer and as we arrived at the car, the very animated (I wonder how often that word has been used to describe Italians) bar-owner came out and started threatening to call the Carabinieri. Unsure about the veracity of his threats, we apologised and promised to bugger the hell off. This seemed to steal the wind from his sails and he moved the vehicle to let us out.
By comparison, we took the rest of the week pretty easy...
Tuesday 21 October 2014
Dolomites!!!
Once Will had planted the seed of an idea in my head it wasn't about to be dislodged. I'd been hoping to make a return trip ever since I left 3 years ago, so I pounced on the idea and quickly transformed it into a plan. And so, on a Thursday evening early in July, Will and Adam descended on Watford, we packed my Skoda to the roof and set off for a 1am ferry from Dover.
Note to self - next time we're flying. The low point was being stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of Strasbourg city centre, having planned to avoid France as much as possible. But eventually we reached our apartment in Colfosco, just up the valley from Corvara and directly beneath the towering walls of the Sella Group range of mountains.
Via ferrata was the main draw of the week. The beauty of this style of climbing is that you can reach some incredibly exposed positions in relative safety and with minimal gear, and you can move many times faster than pitching as a pair and placing gear. And of course you can always haul yourself up on the cable, which results in aching biceps after a few days!
Highlights of the week include the Col dei Bos ferrata, which is also a military training ground. On our return to road level, we were greeted by a spread of soldiers advancing up the slope towards us, rifles out! Nearby are a preserved series of tunnels dug into the mountain during WWI to attack an Austrian position. These tunnels are open to explore and give a glimpse of the horrors of that war.
Towards the end of the week we also tackled the famous Brigata Tridentina, succeeding in climbing most of the route hands on rock only, and enjoying the final climax of the spectacularly positioned and slightly rickety bridge.
Other highlights include our midweek "rest" day, which we spent downhill mountain biking in the pouring rain, and a birthday trek across the Marmolada glacier, during Will couldn't quite work up the courage to jump into a [tiny] crevasse.
The biggest adventure however was on our very first day out, still tired from the drive the day before. More to follow on that...
Unfortunately, any designs on Civetta were put on hold by the large quantities of snow which lingered from a heavy winter. Civetta is not a mountain to be trifled with. Needless to say, I will be back some day to settle this score...
Ultimately it was a thrill to be back, climbing via ferrata routes and ticking off some summits. It feels good to have our first season under our belts and be back in one piece!
Day 1 - Vallon VF, Piz Boe summit
Day 2 - Sassongher summit
Day 3 - Col dei Bos VF and summit, Lagazuoi (WWI) tunnels
Day 4 - Mountain biking
Day 5 - Sandro Pertini VF
Day 6 - Brigata Tridentina VF
Day 7 - Marmolada hike and birthday drinks
Day 8 - Hungover hike and packing up!
Note to self - next time we're flying. The low point was being stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of Strasbourg city centre, having planned to avoid France as much as possible. But eventually we reached our apartment in Colfosco, just up the valley from Corvara and directly beneath the towering walls of the Sella Group range of mountains.
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| The Sella Group seen from Colfosco. The Brigata Tridentina VF skirts to the right of the series of waterfalls in centre frame |
Highlights of the week include the Col dei Bos ferrata, which is also a military training ground. On our return to road level, we were greeted by a spread of soldiers advancing up the slope towards us, rifles out! Nearby are a preserved series of tunnels dug into the mountain during WWI to attack an Austrian position. These tunnels are open to explore and give a glimpse of the horrors of that war.
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| Adam and Will on the Col dei Bos ferrata, military vehicle in the background |
Other highlights include our midweek "rest" day, which we spent downhill mountain biking in the pouring rain, and a birthday trek across the Marmolada glacier, during Will couldn't quite work up the courage to jump into a [tiny] crevasse.
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| A tiny crevasse on the Marmolada, which Adam and I jumped into. You can see the bedrock in this photo |
Unfortunately, any designs on Civetta were put on hold by the large quantities of snow which lingered from a heavy winter. Civetta is not a mountain to be trifled with. Needless to say, I will be back some day to settle this score...
Ultimately it was a thrill to be back, climbing via ferrata routes and ticking off some summits. It feels good to have our first season under our belts and be back in one piece!
Day 1 - Vallon VF, Piz Boe summit
Day 2 - Sassongher summit
Day 3 - Col dei Bos VF and summit, Lagazuoi (WWI) tunnels
Day 4 - Mountain biking
Day 5 - Sandro Pertini VF
Day 6 - Brigata Tridentina VF
Day 7 - Marmolada hike and birthday drinks
Day 8 - Hungover hike and packing up!
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| Tofana di Rozes from Col dei Bos |
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| Panorama of the Fanes mountain group |
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| The Sella Group, seen from the flank of the Marmolada |
Sunday 19 October 2014
Wintour's Leap and Avon Gorge
A brilliant sunny weekend in early May saw Will and I at Wintour's Leap in the Wye Valley. According to local legend, this was the site where royalist Sir John Winter, escaping on horseback from parliamentarian troops, leaped the cliffs and survived. The actual truth of the story doesn't seem to be quite so exciting.
We climbed Corner Buttress Route 1, or possibly 2, or a bit of both. The routes seem to cross halfway up so it's not clear.
We followed this up with the severe Central Rib Route 1, which has an excellent vertical corner groove. At the top I tried to lead the VS variant and spent quite a long time sitting on gear, so I don't think that really counts.
The following day we headed for the Avon Gorge in the heart of Bristol. I lead The Arete, a pretty tame scramble with one viciously polished mantelshelf move at about half height. This leads to Bob's Climb, which finishes with an impressive and thankfully well protected pull up through an overhang.
Thus concludes a fairly quiet first half of the year. June was a bit of a down month, apart from a trip with the family to Snowdonia, where Charlie impressed us all by tugging at the lead all the way up and down Snowdon.
However, the important business of June was turning the idea of a return trip to the Dolomites from a vague idea into a definite plan...
We climbed Corner Buttress Route 1, or possibly 2, or a bit of both. The routes seem to cross halfway up so it's not clear.
We followed this up with the severe Central Rib Route 1, which has an excellent vertical corner groove. At the top I tried to lead the VS variant and spent quite a long time sitting on gear, so I don't think that really counts.
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| Heroic pose at the top, with the impressive cliffs in the background |
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| Wonderful Wye Valley scenery |
Thus concludes a fairly quiet first half of the year. June was a bit of a down month, apart from a trip with the family to Snowdonia, where Charlie impressed us all by tugging at the lead all the way up and down Snowdon.
However, the important business of June was turning the idea of a return trip to the Dolomites from a vague idea into a definite plan...
Thursday 16 October 2014
April...
It seems an awfully long time ago now, but April was a pretty interesting month. I actually went on some holidays that weren't climbing related for once!
At the start of the month I went with Carl and James to New Orleans for Wrestlemania, obviously...
Pleased to report that New Orleans is also a wonderful city.
Towards the end of the week, we took a trip out of the city to go on a swamp tour. Quite refreshing to visit a beautiful natural environment teeming with life which is the complete opposite of my natural habitat. It was also fascinating to witness some of the damage wrought by Katrina nearly a decade ago.
Shortly afterwards, Will, Jack, Andy and I descended upon Newquay for a few days. A couple of wild, hazy nights out and a couple of days attempting to stand up on a surfboard and not submit to the freezing Atlantic chill.
We managed to snatch a couple of hours of climbing on perhaps the most unique crag you will ever chance upon. Roche Rock is a tiny crag with an ancient ruined chapel perched on top and partially delved into it. A series of rungs leading up into the chapel form the walk off. And the rock has a strangely grit like quality! I lead South East Buttress, a steep and enjoyable VDiff.
Finally it was off up to the Peak District with my dad and Anna for a third failed attempt to go hot air ballooning. Instead I showed them around The Roaches and we explored up through Winnats Pass and hiked up to Mam Tor to make the most of the disappointing weather.
So not much climbing this month and the hot air ballooning trip still proves to be elusive, but plenty of new places visited. Meanwhile, bigger plans were beginning to take shape...
At the start of the month I went with Carl and James to New Orleans for Wrestlemania, obviously...
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| The famous Superdome, home to the New Orleans Saints |
Pleased to report that New Orleans is also a wonderful city.
Towards the end of the week, we took a trip out of the city to go on a swamp tour. Quite refreshing to visit a beautiful natural environment teeming with life which is the complete opposite of my natural habitat. It was also fascinating to witness some of the damage wrought by Katrina nearly a decade ago.
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| A turtle chilling on a branch |
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| 9 years on... |
Shortly afterwards, Will, Jack, Andy and I descended upon Newquay for a few days. A couple of wild, hazy nights out and a couple of days attempting to stand up on a surfboard and not submit to the freezing Atlantic chill.
We managed to snatch a couple of hours of climbing on perhaps the most unique crag you will ever chance upon. Roche Rock is a tiny crag with an ancient ruined chapel perched on top and partially delved into it. A series of rungs leading up into the chapel form the walk off. And the rock has a strangely grit like quality! I lead South East Buttress, a steep and enjoyable VDiff.
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| Roache Rock, a unique crag |
Finally it was off up to the Peak District with my dad and Anna for a third failed attempt to go hot air ballooning. Instead I showed them around The Roaches and we explored up through Winnats Pass and hiked up to Mam Tor to make the most of the disappointing weather.
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| The view across the Hope Valley from Mam Tor |
So not much climbing this month and the hot air ballooning trip still proves to be elusive, but plenty of new places visited. Meanwhile, bigger plans were beginning to take shape...
Wednesday 15 October 2014
Oops...
I've been meaning to update this for months now, but somehow never got around to it. The longer you put something off, the harder it is to start. This was never supposed to be a chore though!
The effect is to make it look like I've had a pretty boring year. The truth is just that I'm just a hopeless procrastinator. There hasn't been quite as much rock climbing as 2013, and very little grade progression. However there have been adventures and set backs, days of glorious sunshine and torrential rain, triumphs and horribly close shaves. Over the next couple of days I'll provide a summary of the year's trips and highlights, and tell a couple of the more interesting stories.
From now on I'm also going to try and write a little bit more, both about our trips and adventures and about my inward discoveries.
The effect is to make it look like I've had a pretty boring year. The truth is just that I'm just a hopeless procrastinator. There hasn't been quite as much rock climbing as 2013, and very little grade progression. However there have been adventures and set backs, days of glorious sunshine and torrential rain, triumphs and horribly close shaves. Over the next couple of days I'll provide a summary of the year's trips and highlights, and tell a couple of the more interesting stories.
From now on I'm also going to try and write a little bit more, both about our trips and adventures and about my inward discoveries.
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| Chasing the light... The view southwards towards The Mamores from the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arete |
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