Friday, June 20, 2008
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Ho Hum Courtesy of Cumbria County Council, I just lost a whole big post to the ether.
Oh well.
Anyway, it's a murky morning in Ambleside, but the weather has been fab and have had three superb days in Langdale. Climbed at Hodge Close, Langdale boulders, Scout Crag, and made a protracted ascent of Bowfell with Tortoise Linda, detouring via a route each on Flat Crags and Cambridge Buttress.
Forgot to blog about Wales. I went there for the CC meet in Llanberis and that was a great weekend of climbing at Gogarth and in the Pass. Followed that up with a sprint up Slanting Buttress on Lliwedd, then drove to Pembroke to meet Bully and Shoe On the Road (seek them out, blogspotters). We toured some dolmens in the fabled Preseli Mountains (alleged origin of Stonehenge's bluestones) and, as 'Meat and Two Veg', won the pub quiz in St David's. On one frenzied day I soloed Red Slab, did 2 new HVSs (details below, somewhere), and deep-water-soloed about 8 routes on Barrel Buttres including the traverse (6c...NOT!). Then drove back to Llanberis to meet Tortoise Linda, who got lost (becoause of Uncle Satnav, she claims). We climbed some stuff on slate and walked around Ogwen for a couple of days until, finally, the rain drove us back to England.
After some downtime in Macc, and visits to Chester, Darwen and Barrow, not to mention Back Forest, Trevor Rocks, Wilton, Craig-y-Longridge, Ulverston Canal and The Strawberry, I'm back on the road and heading for SCOTLAND this afternoon! Hey Ho Let's Go....
Oh well.
Anyway, it's a murky morning in Ambleside, but the weather has been fab and have had three superb days in Langdale. Climbed at Hodge Close, Langdale boulders, Scout Crag, and made a protracted ascent of Bowfell with Tortoise Linda, detouring via a route each on Flat Crags and Cambridge Buttress.
Forgot to blog about Wales. I went there for the CC meet in Llanberis and that was a great weekend of climbing at Gogarth and in the Pass. Followed that up with a sprint up Slanting Buttress on Lliwedd, then drove to Pembroke to meet Bully and Shoe On the Road (seek them out, blogspotters). We toured some dolmens in the fabled Preseli Mountains (alleged origin of Stonehenge's bluestones) and, as 'Meat and Two Veg', won the pub quiz in St David's. On one frenzied day I soloed Red Slab, did 2 new HVSs (details below, somewhere), and deep-water-soloed about 8 routes on Barrel Buttres including the traverse (6c...NOT!). Then drove back to Llanberis to meet Tortoise Linda, who got lost (becoause of Uncle Satnav, she claims). We climbed some stuff on slate and walked around Ogwen for a couple of days until, finally, the rain drove us back to England.
After some downtime in Macc, and visits to Chester, Darwen and Barrow, not to mention Back Forest, Trevor Rocks, Wilton, Craig-y-Longridge, Ulverston Canal and The Strawberry, I'm back on the road and heading for SCOTLAND this afternoon! Hey Ho Let's Go....
The Lost Post rescued from the ether...
Ahem, I must apologise to readers for the lack of general bloggery on this site, in what is supposed to be a period of active BigTripping.
My excuses include lack of access to the tinternet, and not having much to write about that's of any interest to anyone but me.
For instance, I'm sitting in Ambleside Public Library, and it's a gloomy day in the Lakes. However, I've just had 3 days of perfect weather in Langdale, camping at the NT site. Climbed at Hodge Close, Langdale boulders, Scout Crag, and Flat Crags plus Cambridge Buttress on Bowfell and had an awesome time. I detect yawns out there....
However, I'm in danger of losing track of my own movements. So, for the sake of my own diarific records, I must stultify you further....
April 28 - May 5: Mallorca with Linda who claims to see tortoises. Pics below.
May 7-14: Dublin. Climbed at Dalkey; visited the Negrange and Knowth passage graves, drank Guinness, saw bands. Pics below.
16-18 May: Llanberis pass. Climbers' Club meet at the Des Res that is Nwys in the Pass itself. Climbed on Anglesey - True Moments/Freebird, Castell Helen (a long-standing ambition) and Dinas Cromlech (Cobweb Crack, Hoah's Warning, Cenotaph Corner) with CC types. Was good.
19 May: Soloed Slanting Buttress on Lliwedd and a Severe on some slabs I forget the name of, then drove to St David's in Pembroke to meet with Bully and Shoe, who are on the road here: (link to be added)
20 May: visited about 5 dolmens and a stone circle dotted around the Preseli Mountains in Pembrokeshire. This is where the bluestones at Stonehenge are supposed to have originated. As 'Meat and Two Veg' we won the pub quiz in the local that night.
21 May: Soloed Red Slab and did some new routes(more below), then went deep-water-soloing at Barrel Buttress - did about 6 routes including the 6c traverse.
22 May: Drove back to Llanberis to meet Tortoise Linda, who got lost because of Uncle Satnav.
22-29 May. Climbed some routes on slate and walked about in Ogwen. Went back to Macc to sort various thing out. Climbed at Back Forest. Went to Chester to socialise.
30 May...blah yawn who cares.
Ahem, I must apologise to readers for the lack of general bloggery on this site, in what is supposed to be a period of active BigTripping.
My excuses include lack of access to the tinternet, and not having much to write about that's of any interest to anyone but me.
For instance, I'm sitting in Ambleside Public Library, and it's a gloomy day in the Lakes. However, I've just had 3 days of perfect weather in Langdale, camping at the NT site. Climbed at Hodge Close, Langdale boulders, Scout Crag, and Flat Crags plus Cambridge Buttress on Bowfell and had an awesome time. I detect yawns out there....
However, I'm in danger of losing track of my own movements. So, for the sake of my own diarific records, I must stultify you further....
April 28 - May 5: Mallorca with Linda who claims to see tortoises. Pics below.
May 7-14: Dublin. Climbed at Dalkey; visited the Negrange and Knowth passage graves, drank Guinness, saw bands. Pics below.
16-18 May: Llanberis pass. Climbers' Club meet at the Des Res that is Nwys in the Pass itself. Climbed on Anglesey - True Moments/Freebird, Castell Helen (a long-standing ambition) and Dinas Cromlech (Cobweb Crack, Hoah's Warning, Cenotaph Corner) with CC types. Was good.
19 May: Soloed Slanting Buttress on Lliwedd and a Severe on some slabs I forget the name of, then drove to St David's in Pembroke to meet with Bully and Shoe, who are on the road here: (link to be added)
20 May: visited about 5 dolmens and a stone circle dotted around the Preseli Mountains in Pembrokeshire. This is where the bluestones at Stonehenge are supposed to have originated. As 'Meat and Two Veg' we won the pub quiz in the local that night.
21 May: Soloed Red Slab and did some new routes(more below), then went deep-water-soloing at Barrel Buttress - did about 6 routes including the 6c traverse.
22 May: Drove back to Llanberis to meet Tortoise Linda, who got lost because of Uncle Satnav.
22-29 May. Climbed some routes on slate and walked about in Ogwen. Went back to Macc to sort various thing out. Climbed at Back Forest. Went to Chester to socialise.
30 May...blah yawn who cares.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Andy Cave was on the Beeb tonight, taking Reet Gruff Jones climbing at Stanage, which reminded me of my obligations to myself in the self-promo dept now with me being a published author and all.
I met Andy a few months ago, over a cup of tea at Crispin and Nell's place. I told him I liked his first book, and admired the way he seamlessly and skillfully wove strands of working class social commentary into his narrative, creating a synthesis of climbing/mining realism hitherto untapped in the history of mountaineering literature.
He told me if you're promoting a book don't hold back on the testosterone-fuelled narcissictic chestbeating bullshit or you'll be selling yourself short. A bit of namedropping should be OK then, eh Andy?
So I thought I'd better record some new routes of mine right here...I've been busy in the last few weeks since giving up work. Not anything to do with the canyoning guide thing, but hey ho...
North Pembroke: 2 new routes at Pencarnan Slabs near Whitesands Bay - Locum Notion and Freelance Armstrong, both HVS 5a. More on the CC website, bottom of the page here: http://www.climbers-club.co.uk/newroutes_submitted/newroutes_pembroke.html
And on Staffordshire gritstone, new jewels to adorn tiara that is the Back Forest ridge, at The Western Outcrop also known as Double Overhang Butress (all solo May 2008), quite near the chasm of Lud's Church, hence the theme:
Lud Gang VS 4c
10m. Climb the buttress left of Burnham Crack: the lower bulge leads interestingly and delicately to a big ledge, upon which perches a block of finest millstone grit. Tiptoe off this stretching for good jugs, and monkey leftwards to finish. Escapable, much as every route hereabouts.
Ludyanka VS 4c *
9m. 20m to the right of Mr Creosote is an acute nose above a lower stratum, with an enticing crack and pocketed face on its left. Climb it with streches and glee. Lovely rock.
Yes M'Lud HVD
12m. 10m Right again past a heathery gully, and well before Suspended Sentences, is a slanting buttress with a cutaway base. Climb the tricky arete right of the cutaway and romp leftwards to finish.
Someone I know reckons half the reason I do new routes is so I can think up daft names - it keeps me qiet for hours.
I met Andy a few months ago, over a cup of tea at Crispin and Nell's place. I told him I liked his first book, and admired the way he seamlessly and skillfully wove strands of working class social commentary into his narrative, creating a synthesis of climbing/mining realism hitherto untapped in the history of mountaineering literature.
He told me if you're promoting a book don't hold back on the testosterone-fuelled narcissictic chestbeating bullshit or you'll be selling yourself short. A bit of namedropping should be OK then, eh Andy?
So I thought I'd better record some new routes of mine right here...I've been busy in the last few weeks since giving up work. Not anything to do with the canyoning guide thing, but hey ho...
North Pembroke: 2 new routes at Pencarnan Slabs near Whitesands Bay - Locum Notion and Freelance Armstrong, both HVS 5a. More on the CC website, bottom of the page here: http://www.climbers-club.co.uk/newroutes_submitted/newroutes_pembroke.html
And on Staffordshire gritstone, new jewels to adorn tiara that is the Back Forest ridge, at The Western Outcrop also known as Double Overhang Butress (all solo May 2008), quite near the chasm of Lud's Church, hence the theme:
Lud Gang VS 4c
10m. Climb the buttress left of Burnham Crack: the lower bulge leads interestingly and delicately to a big ledge, upon which perches a block of finest millstone grit. Tiptoe off this stretching for good jugs, and monkey leftwards to finish. Escapable, much as every route hereabouts.
Ludyanka VS 4c *
9m. 20m to the right of Mr Creosote is an acute nose above a lower stratum, with an enticing crack and pocketed face on its left. Climb it with streches and glee. Lovely rock.
Yes M'Lud HVD
12m. 10m Right again past a heathery gully, and well before Suspended Sentences, is a slanting buttress with a cutaway base. Climb the tricky arete right of the cutaway and romp leftwards to finish.
Someone I know reckons half the reason I do new routes is so I can think up daft names - it keeps me qiet for hours.
Neolithic art at Knowth passage grave. About 30% of the known examples of neolithic art in Europe are situated at Knowth, Newgrange and the other passage tombs in the Boyne valley. 
This is one of the many kerbstones surrounding thr mound, which has an opposing twin-corridor layout. It was built before stonehenge and the pyramids, and has the most art of any neolithic monument. Christians had a good go at wrecking this place in about 1000 CE, but Newgrange remained undiscovered until the 1900s.
This is one of the many kerbstones surrounding thr mound, which has an opposing twin-corridor layout. It was built before stonehenge and the pyramids, and has the most art of any neolithic monument. Christians had a good go at wrecking this place in about 1000 CE, but Newgrange remained undiscovered until the 1900s.
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