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Routes
Sept 19, 2011 1:32:26 GMT 1
Post by Browne-Bear on Sept 19, 2011 1:32:26 GMT 1
Lets make this the new thread for documenting routes of all varieties (Trad/Sport/Scottish Winter/Alpine/Bouldering).
Alek's Bouldering Tea Party failed to have proper recognition in the previoius forum, and with him no longer with us, a documentation of that "crazy" weekend is required.
Arrived down on Friday evening in the Janettemoblie at around 10 o'clock, heavy mist slowing us down significantly. Greated by a man in tweed bearing a pan of chocolate rice-krispie "cake." Tea and lots of banter (The whiteboard in the living room being testament to it all!)
Saturday Morning and we were greated with rain. YAY - a lie in! Up and moving at 10, geared up with ropes, trad gear, bouldering mats and 35 (yes 35) litres of water, we made for the top of Binnian.
Highlights most definately included witnessing John Monkey king of babylon in jeans and full 1920's "Mallory Everest expedition" attire climb a chimney with no harness, and with the rope attached around his waist with a bowline. Further to that, his reappearing at the base of the route with Alpine coils was hilarious.
Pockled about on some of the low level bouldering problems on route to Delta Tor, whereby we engaged in a spot of Tradding. Four routes attempted, none completed, with Monkey king of babylon backing off an E2, Janette backing off a "Severe" and myself backing off two "VDiffs." I use air quotes, because those grades where bollocks (well for the start of the routes anyway).
However, one route was further attempted by myself.
"McGuinness's Route" D - Niall Solo
Yeah, so I soloed a wet Diff. That's pretty much it, it was wet, but with a load of flakes and jugs. Grand
With our Trad Egos deflated, we went back to the bouldering, attempting several of the problems on the whale shaped boulder near Delta Tor. Nice, fun climbing was had! With the sun setting, we made our way back down, meeting Chris, Begley and Sinead on route. More banter had in the cottage, with Sinead acting the eejit and punching Begley and throwing tea over Rónán.
Sunday, and the weather was shocking! Rain and heavy wind meant the hopeful visit to Lower Cove was abandoned! Opted to head to Tollymore and use there climbing wall! Great craic! Their "Training Room" is brilliant - sort of what you want as a backyard/garage climbing wall!
With that, we called quits with the weekend! All in all, a craic filled weekend to send Alek on his way!
P.S: I apparently sleep talk! There are some cracker quotes to be had of mine, so much so, there is talk of replacing the now defunct "Alekism of the Year" with the "Niall Sleeptalkism of the Year."
A nice example - "Stop turning Anticlockwise, ye Jew!"
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Routes
Sept 19, 2011 10:20:49 GMT 1
Post by bojo on Sept 19, 2011 10:20:49 GMT 1
Lets make this the new thread for documenting routes of all varieties (Trad/Sport/Scottish Winter/Alpine/Bouldering). Alek's Bouldering Tea Party failed to have proper recognition in the previoius forum, and with him no longer with us, a documentation of that "crazy" weekend is required. Arrived down on Friday evening in the Janettemoblie at around 10 o'clock, heavy mist slowing us down significantly. Greated by a man in tweed bearing a pan of chocolate rice-krispie "cake." Tea and lots of banter (The whiteboard in the living room being testament to it all!) Saturday Morning and we were greated with rain. YAY - a lie in! Up and moving at 10, geared up with ropes, trad gear, bouldering mats and 35 (yes 35) litres of water, we made for the top of Binnian. Highlights most definately included witnessing John Monkey king of babylon in jeans and full 1920's "Mallory Everest expedition" attire climb a chimney with no harness, and with the rope attached around his waist with a bowline. Further to that, his reappearing at the base of the route with Alpine coils was hilarious. Pockled about on some of the low level bouldering problems on route to Delta Tor, whereby we engaged in a spot of Tradding. Four routes attempted, none completed, with Monkey king of babylon backing off an E2, Janette backing off a "Severe" and myself backing off two "VDiffs." I use air quotes, because those grades where bollocks (well for the start of the routes anyway). However, one route was further attempted by myself. "McGuinness's Route" D - Niall Solo Yeah, so I soloed a wet Diff. That's pretty much it, it was wet, but with a load of flakes and jugs. Grand With our Trad Egos deflated, we went back to the bouldering, attempting several of the problems on the whale shaped boulder near Delta Tor. Nice, fun climbing was had! With the sun setting, we made our way back down, meeting Chris, Begley and Sinead on route. More banter had in the cottage, with Sinead acting the eejit and punching Begley and throwing tea over Rónán. Sunday, and the weather was shocking! Rain and heavy wind meant the hopeful visit to Lower Cove was abandoned! Opted to head to Tollymore and use there climbing wall! Great craic! Their "Training Room" is brilliant - sort of what you want as a backyard/garage climbing wall! With that, we called quits with the weekend! All in all, a craic filled weekend to send Alek on his way! P.S: I apparently sleep talk! There are some cracker quotes to be had of mine, so much so, there is talk of replacing the now defunct "Alekism of the Year" with the "Niall Sleeptalkism of the Year." A nice example - "Stop turning Anticlockwise, ye Jew!" How about Niall Anti Semitism of the year....
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Routes
Sept 19, 2011 10:43:45 GMT 1
Post by Browne-Bear on Sept 19, 2011 10:43:45 GMT 1
It only happened once - a slip of the tongue...
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alek
Edward Whymper
Posts: 20
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Routes
Sept 30, 2011 0:04:34 GMT 1
Post by alek on Sept 30, 2011 0:04:34 GMT 1
Last week: Font! (Featuring, Kevin, Emma and Alek)
So last week, I was part of the experiment that set out to test whether you can keep fairly high living standards living as a bouldering hobo in the back of a van in France. I can say that the experiment was fairly sucessful- with the bouldering hobos both happily bouldering and staying fairly clean and respectable.
Trip started with a half-day in Wicklow, where it rained and the intrepid boulderers spent some three hours under (and on) a roof crack. Conclusion? Tape your hands up properly before starting.
Then there was the ferry and the drive to Font, with a band of rain moving at roughly the speed of the Van for the whole of it. The result? It felt like a full day of rain, and Font, when we arrived, was slightly on the damp side. This, in retrospect, allowed us to run around like headless chickens and 'scoout' the area.
After that it was sunny for the whole week and we climbed some brilliant poblem in both 95.2 (oh so tranquil- and it's on a hill so you feel like you can the whole forest) and Rocher Sabot (a lot of problems). With highlights being french weather, Kev's ascent of Graviton (7a) and some awkward double heel hooking bulging overhanging arrete like monster (6c), Emma cracking a wonderful arrete problem, a brilliant round the corner roof one meter off the ground (heel hooks unlimited) and Alek pulling a muscle on the second day and climbing like a one legged dog while whingeing like a baby for the rest of the trip (just you wait Font, just you wait!). Anyhow- an excellent trip.
Lessons: -Watch what muscles each problem uses and vary in order to maximise longevity. -Font problems have 'secrets', knowing these stops them feeling a bajillion grades too hard for the grade. (Aka, use your noggin). -French supermarkets close early. Sometimes they close earlier than you'd expect.
This week: Welsh three thousanders. (A walk covering all the 3000ft peaks in snowdonia).
So to swing to the opposite side of the mountaineering spectrum from the 'gay' activity of bouldering and to compensate for not doing the mountain marathon, myself and Nick and did the Welsh 3000ers. This walk is usually done in one push in the summer, with a 3am start and a late finish. We started at 12.30PM, bivvied on Tryffan and took way too long. Still entertaining however, with highlights (Alek blowing his own trumpets) of night/cloud Nav on the Glydders- which was interesting and the final descent to Bet-y-sy-Coed through the hypothetical farmer's fields. The hypothetical farmer is "Captain Deathbeard", he has legs like aircraft carriers and drivers an amphibious lander- because nothing else will go through his land. The gravel track that leads between the fields? A mixture of mud, canes and moss into which you sink up to your knees (if you're lucky). I half expected to lose my legs to carnivorous reptiles.
Do not go through "Captain Deathbeard's" fields. The rest of the walk s highly recommended however.
Now for the southern hemisphere.....
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iamjam
Edward Whymper
Posts: 21
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Routes
Sept 30, 2011 12:16:47 GMT 1
Post by iamjam on Sept 30, 2011 12:16:47 GMT 1
Oh dear, it sound like your year off has started a brilliantly. I'm so jealous I could kick you.
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alek
Edward Whymper
Posts: 20
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Routes
Oct 3, 2011 20:51:38 GMT 1
Post by alek on Oct 3, 2011 20:51:38 GMT 1
Please aim for the shins.
Little Jaunt to the Roaches on Saturday afternoon with a guy from keele called Glen (who likes trad, thinks that five pieces of gear in a route is a lot and speaks like Elliot). Nothing spectacular but a few nice routes:
Technical Slab HS 4a: Alek, Glen. A nice little route, though not too much gear in the first half. Got tangled with some Londoners (who were sound).
Central Route VS 4b: Glen, Alek. A nice slab- once again, not too much gear on this one, but it's fairly straight forwards for the grade, though has a couple of nice balance moves in the middle.
Right Hand Route (or was it Left hand route) HS 4c: Alek, Glen. A very enjoyable finger crack (if a little polished) patters out into a bit of a grovelfest and finishes with a bulging flake. Fun! Pity the crack doesn't go on for longer.
Scarlet Buttress? HS 4b? S 4a? Glen, Alek. Bouldery Start, followed by a nice move, followed by a ledge and another nice move. Hard to adaquately protect the top. Otherwise fun.
Crack and Corner S 4c, 4a (my ass): Alek, Glen. So I tried to start up some HVS 5b and couldn't, so went for the next route, which was this. It is an excellent route ofcourse, with brilliant starting move (laybacking with pockets on polish) and excellent topping out moves (overhanging/bulging corner crack that threatens to push you out of balance and off the wall). The grade however is a complete Sandbag full tics and pitchforks. This does not detract from the brilliance of the route.
Adios and Mournes.
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kevin
Jacques Balmat
Posts: 7
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Routes
Oct 3, 2011 21:55:56 GMT 1
Post by kevin on Oct 3, 2011 21:55:56 GMT 1
All the best in the Southern Hemiball! Watch out for you know who and always remember that things could be worse...
Enjoyed reading the trip report...just you wait to see what I've done with the video footage...dun dun dunnnnnnn :-) You're mouth features, as does your horizontal, half naked self. ALl very gay this bouldering, Ronan is right...must be why he likes it so much, and why McCLoy always wins the bouldering comps. gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaays.
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Rónán K
Anderl Heckmair
Piggly
President '11/'12
Posts: 180
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Routes
Oct 8, 2011 12:52:47 GMT 1
Post by Rónán K on Oct 8, 2011 12:52:47 GMT 1
Kev... I've come round to bouldering a bit:) Certainly beats not climbing hen you're out on your own anyway!
Alek... COME BACK We miss you. Apart from the pots thing on Freshers'. Don't forget your prussiks in Peru. Or failing that, your pen knife.
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kevin
Jacques Balmat
Posts: 7
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Routes
Oct 8, 2011 23:12:54 GMT 1
Post by kevin on Oct 8, 2011 23:12:54 GMT 1
At the risk of being pointed and laughed at, more so. Here's what happened after coming back from the mournes today...read on, at your own peril!!!!!
This is why traditional onsite climbing with leader placed protection is the best form of climbing. It feeds the body, mind and soul with the perfect balance of:
carbohydrates (fuel for the body and mind to figure out the moves, attempt them with all you’ve got and probably a bit more);
protein (to build a stronger mind and body for the future routes you are psyched to try);
fat (the tasty stuff that you know you shouldn’t eat too much of but man it tastes so good. Boldness);
vitamins (the wee things that bring you tonnes of energy and help you rearrange your life to spend as much time on the rock as is possible) and finally;
minerals (not always ingested through the mouth, have you ever picked embedded granite crystals out of your knees, hand/ ankles/ face?! , minerals come from the rock, the wind, the rain, the grass and moss growing out of your next gear placement, the sheep shit on the bottom of your green anazazis, that you paid a ridiculous £100 for in Tiso’s, the design of every Mournes’ sloper and Fairhead monster crack).
Trad leaves you feeling completely nourished, top to bottom, inside out, from the backs of your hands to the tops of your feet . There is nothing else that fills that hole right to the brim. You can boulder for weeks, until your tips are bleeding; you can clip every bolt in El Chorro; and you can pull harder and harder on plastic edges until you’re stronger than O’Hara or more injured than Tom. But no matter what, you still feel like you’ve only had a plate of greasy chips with a side of chalk.
Trad is like a lunch of rye bread, tuna-sweetcorn with mayonnaise and a blob of sweet chilli sauce, topped off with a few pieces of cheese, the occasional moistening slice of cucumber and washed down with a warm cup a tae. Trad is what you need to survive.
We’ve been out bouldering a lot lately in this past few weeks. It’s been great fun: Pierces Castle, Glendolough, The Isle of Doagh, Rubonoid Point, Dunaff Bay, Murlough Bay, 95.2, Roche aux Sabots to name but a few. The moves have been many and almost all of them mega! The scenery has been unreal - open rolling hills, golden sand and pebbled beaches, luscious, vast open bays with the Atlantic lapping at the shores, glacial valleys accumulating in a climber’s playground, and forests, the kind that even Robin Hood would get lost in. We’ve crimped, jammed, hooked, pressed, squeezed, slapped, jumped, barred, zahhhhed, levitated, popped, grunted, flopped, crashed, walked, farted, sweated, static’d and flapped our way up the world’s finest dolerite, granite and sandstone.
But something’s been missing – like forgetting to brush your teeth before bed without at first realising it, or accidentally ordering the vegetarian curry...it doesn’t just seem right. Today that feeling disappeared at long last and happiness was restored. Today we went trad climbing.
Main Street (E1 5c) Kevin, Emma
Technical and safe. Highly recommended.
Little One (E1 5c) TBC
Technical, blind, wet and windy (at least today anyway) and safe enough, if your belayer can run. Ended up in an aided gear stripping traverse back to the safety of a grassy groove.
aghhhhhhhhhhhh.....
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Rónán K
Anderl Heckmair
Piggly
President '11/'12
Posts: 180
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Routes
Oct 8, 2011 23:28:16 GMT 1
Post by Rónán K on Oct 8, 2011 23:28:16 GMT 1
So Kev, where exactly was it you went then?
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joh
Edward Whymper
Posts: 36
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Routes
Oct 9, 2011 18:52:34 GMT 1
Post by joh on Oct 9, 2011 18:52:34 GMT 1
Good posts, but Kev, your food analogies... I must protest. Let me know when you can give me a lift to Fair Head!
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kevin
Jacques Balmat
Posts: 7
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Routes
Oct 9, 2011 20:55:47 GMT 1
Post by kevin on Oct 9, 2011 20:55:47 GMT 1
Ronan, it was the mighty Hen.
Joh, Its wet in this decade. CLimbing in the Mournes is better in such sodden times.
Fantastic day in Mournes land today with Richard Dougan, everest attempter and multi expedition climber, you guys should talk to him...also, he's Rachel's big brother. As sound a chap you'll come accross in these here hills
Coffe, Filter Strength mild/medium. Meelmore Lodge. £2.00 Richard, Kevin
A good buzz and nicely timed to get psyched for the rain.
That HS up the middle of Forest View (HS) - Kevin, Richard
Very wet. Bomber gear. Awesome moves. Lots of drag, requiring an abseil to start belaying! Single ropes...urghhhh!
White Walls (S), Kevin, Richard
Easier than the chimney. Amazing route and spectacular position. Take the Freshers up this one to open their eyes! Wet as you'll get.
Grand Central (VDiff) Kevin, Richard
Beautiful climbing, varied and finishes exquisately. Wet, no, a river!!!
This SPellack, Meelmore, Bernagh circuit is the beta for a wet and wild adventure in the Mournes!
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Routes
Oct 15, 2011 22:56:39 GMT 1
Post by thomasohagan on Oct 15, 2011 22:56:39 GMT 1
Epic day had in Hen. The rain went form sideways mizzle to sideways heavy rain East Arete ** 15m Mod Thomas/Tom Moving together We taught this would be a good idea in boots in the rain. O we where mistaken. 11m ish there is a protectionless slab an easy walk up in dry rockshoes. However a desperate struggle in wet boots. Eventually I topped out realising Tom would have removed the last bit of gear by now and was on the death slab. I didn’t want both of us ending up at the bottom so I jumped into a crack, braced and BODY BELAYED. Very interesting. Escalator Direct 15m S 4a Tom/Thomas Tom following the same logic tried it in boots and didn’t much like it at the crux. Both his feet came off at one point (so damm wet) but he held on gallantly. Run out and wet = interesting Escalator ** 15m Diff Thomas/Tom Awwsome Route We decided to dump the boots idea and get the rock shoes out. Run out and an unprotected crux and WET again. At one point sloping foothold with water running off sidepull onto my foot after gibbering for 10mins, I went for it as the only gear below me blew away. Jump Route * 15m VS 4c Tom made a gallant attempt but after he saw a waterfall coming from a hold on the crux he backed off. Then Kev and Emma showed up with a much welcome tarp held up with 3 of his SPARE cams and then Pete and Emilie turned up too. Tarp party. Then Jim’s Jaunt *24m VD Tom/Thomas (Tom did the 4a finish) Tom did this with only two bits of gear which was silly a bit mad Kev managed to get a lot of gear. All in all an ‘interesting’ day.
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kevin
Jacques Balmat
Posts: 7
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Routes
Oct 17, 2011 20:53:32 GMT 1
Post by kevin on Oct 17, 2011 20:53:32 GMT 1
Magic day at the Prow - Sunshine in October.
Black Taxi* (E1 5b) - Kevin, Richard
A big long route full of wobbley chockstoney flakes and a super piece of slabby face climbing to start. You will run out of large cams at half height and have to resort to sliginging the wobbley flakes. Excellent. Much steeper than the routes around the corner...high in the grade.
Curlew (VS 4c) Kevin, Richard
The best VS at the Prow?
Fireball***(E1 5b) Outstanding, varied climbing - a must do. And as it seems a must do twice!
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Routes
Oct 18, 2011 17:37:28 GMT 1
Post by bojo on Oct 18, 2011 17:37:28 GMT 1
Mr O'Hagan... the 2 bits of gear was not mad! I had gear where I needed it just not where you needed it Also if you count the 'Flake side runner' then I had 3 bits of gear! Anyways I wont bother with going on about Hen as it has been covered by Thomas already so I shal get straight to the prow! Contractions VS 5a, 4(something) Started up this but really wasnt happy with the possibility of decking from 3/4 through the crux. In short wasnt psyched enough (somewhat de phsyched by climbing severes in the rain on hen) and downclimbed/chickened out. Contortions VS 4c Beniot, bojo I moved round to Contortions to try and build up on the lost man points and preceeded to get about 15m up before standing on a lose foothold which completly disintegrated. This unfortunate event stole the last of my psych so I downclimbed and MR Swis 2011 took his turn placing more gear in the crux than he would normally place in a whole days climbing. Though the climb is green and needs some gardening it has some fun varied climbing and should be climbed more. the first few metres earns the name Contortions as I was in some fantastically weird positions. The same applies to the crux which is about 4m of steep solid hand and fist jams with some creative rests thrown in(knee bar + chicken wing = 1 hand and 2 footed rest) Good Morning Judge HVS 5a, 4a Me, Beniot I couldnt go home without regaining some man points so we jumped on the offwidthy chim-chim-aney fun of Good morning Judge. After wiggling up the shoulder wide chimney there is a fantastic widening crack right over a buldge a few great moves later and you reach the parapet for your belay. Short and sweet first pitch. Conclusion - If you borrow Aleks helmet then you will faf, place too much gear and back off routes! ... Oh yea I forgot to mention the whole story behind Joachim walking back to the car barefoot and walking round ballycastle barefoot...
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