BMC Gower Climbing Festival

Martin offered me a lift down on Thursday 3rd Sept, a day before the festival started, in return, me and Norm would have to help set up. I couldnt say no.

We left Barista in Glossop at around 5 o'clock, had a fairly good run down the motorways, but by the time we got to swansea it was 10:30, and quite frankly, nobody wanted to set up tents at that time, plus martin had offered to pay for a travelodge and claim it on BMC expenses. So, we dumped our stuff, and set about our 'homework': staping together the purpose-made topo's of the crags on Gower Peninsula.

Friday morning - Early start, and off to Swansea tesco to buy huge amounts of bread, butter, ketchup, cooking oil for the bacon and sausage and egg, supplied by a local butcher. Oh, and some breakfast. Once the shopping was done we headed to Pitton Cross campsite, near Rhossilli, to set up the BMC gazebo amongst other things.

After our duties were done, me and Norm scurried away to Fall Bay, and managed two routes before returning for the pub and climbing related quiz. Our team came...(stupidly long 'atmosperic' pause to string it out)...LAST!

Meanwhile, my dad had arrived, straight from work.

Saturday - Three Cliffs bay whilst the tide was out, then Boiler Slabs in the afternoon was on the cards. Three Cliffs is a great place with, as you would guess, three pinnacles on a ridge, but to add some spice, there is an arch under the col beween right and middle cliff.

We did three routes, including the classic Scavenger, and the less well know Perseverance.


We the did two more routes at Boiler Slabs, and deemed it too cold and windy for more, although by the time we got back it was time for tea.

Sunday was a bit of a cock-up. Norm had organised to climb with Alex Thompson, a guy from Holmefirth, or somewhere like that. So they had already left for Juniper Wall, and the classic' HVS 'Assasin'. Me and my dad arrived about half an hour later, and I decided that Assasin looked too hard for me, and there was nothing else that inspired me. So we returned to the car, and drove to fall bay again.

Left about 5, and overall it was anothet good weekend on gower.

4 days out of 9 climbing with Martin Kocsis

Day 1 - 7th Aug - The plan was to go to John Henry Quarry, and we needed some action photos for the new guidebook, but the persistent overnight rain changed plans, and we went to New Mills Tor first, and did one route, 'Alcove Crack' (HVS 5a) and a photo of me on that will proberbly be in the guide. Next, we stop at 'The Gherkin' cafe in New Mills, both mine and Catherine's stuff was kindly paid for by Martin (on BMC expenses...). Next we go to John Henry, and Catherine also get a guidebook photo, with the ascent of 'Crikey Crack' a 2 star VS 4c. Finally, we head to Hobson Moor Quarry, where i repeat my new route in the previous post (what to do on a wet sunday afternoon?) for martin's camera, and guidebook.

Day 2- The day start with Martin and Penny picking me up and driving through the cultural heritage centre of 'StayleyVegas' on the way to Rob's Rocks, in the Chew Valley. We slowly slog up the hill, and climb one route at Rob's Rocks itself, 'Nameless one' (VS 4b). It was all going smoothly until Martin told me to stop climbing, and wait for the sun, and a better photo. "the sun is moving up the valley" "Almost here" and all that ensued. When the sun finally arrived, martin said, "oh, Drat, the wall you are on is in the shade..." All this time I'd been getting pumped, but i finished the route eventually. We then moved along the skyline, to a lone route called 'The Vanessahole' (VS 4b) which is steep, but has good gear and good moves, all went well, but an imaginative belay was necessary, opposing slings tied together...worrying! we then walked down, and drove to Rick Gibbon's house for a brew and cake. After that, the group of now four of us, went to Far Black Clough and did one route of HVS 5a standard.

Day 3 - An epic on Kinder south, which involved 2 and a half hours of sitting under a roof at 'The Pagoda' watching the mist roll in and clear again, and rain falling, fun times. We finally got one route done and walked down to the pub to eat chips and stuff on yet more BMC expenses.

Day 4 - Off we went to Crowden Great Quarry, up the steep hill from the youth hostel, I did one route. 'The Ghost of david Beckham' (VS 5a) on the opposite side of the quarry to the 35m wall, is a shabby little buttress with one 10m splitting crackline, this is where the route goes, and it was surprisingly good, with a beached whale style top-out.

12th July - Hobson Moor Quarry

NEW ROUTE - So i agree to go to hobson Moor with Dan Fawley, However i have done all the routes i can at Hobson, so i set off on a new route, onsight, with no inspection. The route starts up 'Dragon's Route' then traverses rightwards at the break, to a reachy dropdown move at the end of the break, it then crosses the next wall, and finishes up 'The Harp'. I climbed the route first time. I called it 'What to do on a wet Sunday afternoon?' and gave it a grade of E1 5b, because although the crux is well protected, with a cam above your head, it is pumpy and reachy to get to there.

There is a photo of me on the crux, which will proberbly go in the forthcoming BMC Moorland Grit guidebook, but unfortunatly i cant publish that photo until the guide is out.

A weekend on Portland - 3,4,5th June

9:00AM on Friday morning, and in the car we get, as lesson start all over the country, me and my dad are driving down the M6 foolowing signs of Weymouth.

When we arrived for our sport climbing weekend, we found the campsite, set up camp, then our next port of call was 'The Cuttings', an old railway cutting, from the quarrying days on the island. I had a good afternoon, Onsighting what turned out to be the hardest route of the weekend: 'Brief Encounter' (f6A+). On reaching the belay, i was confronted by a seagull with a wingspan of roughly 5 feet, presumably with chicks, on a ledge a few feet above me. I hastily faffed around at the lower-off and got the fuck out of there! Later that evening i climbed the classic 'Consomme' which is a flake crack which was a little damp, but also goes at f6A+.

View from 'The Cuttings'

Day 2: We got up fairly early, and walked into Blacknor North in the early morning sea breeze. Our plan was to work our way from north to south for as long as seemed sensible. However, by the time we got to the edge of the North section, we were both knackered, so we moved on to the semi-tidal boulders of 'Fallen Slab' and 'Fallen Slab Arete' (both f3) and 25m long.
Me at Blacknor North

Day three, we returned to the east coast, but to Battleship Edge this time, we didnt do much of quality that day, apart from a 1 star f6A climbed mainly for the name: 'Never Drive a Car When You're Dead'. we stopped climbing by 3PM and took a leisurly walk onto Chesil Beach, Britain's longest longshore drift.
Chesil Beach

Wet weekends, dry Wednesdays!

So recently the weekends have been wet, but the weekends dry...

Still not to complain, its better than nothing. So the usual Wednesday lot went to Windgather (yet again) and I soloed around, doing about ten routes on this occasion. However, the main entertainment of the night came when we departed for the pub in Disley, which involves a country lane over the hill...except BigDan had forgotten which road it was, so we ended up in Poynton! We got to the pub just as the others were leaving, Dan picked up his tent from Hugh, and i got home just after 11.

2 weeks later, Hobson Moor Quarry was on the cards, as rain looked imminent, however, i managed to persuade the group otherwise. I only did one route worth noting, which was a headpointed lead of 'Dragon's Route' (E3 5c), however it is possibly the the world's easiest E3, and the world's easiest 5c! Still, i'm not complaining!

14th June - Red Tips Rock Trip, Stanage Plantation.

So me, Liam and Brandon Copley and Tom 'Fennerz' Fenwick decended on Stanage Plantation.

The Copleys obviously wanted to do their usual pebbling thing, so we left them to it. Me and Tom, went routeing.

Firstly, i tried 'Left Unconquerable' (E1 5b) and got totally pumped and had to rest just below the crux, as soon as i got back on it i was fine. Then i went and onsighted 'Tower Face' (HVS 5a), which to be honest, felt more like 4c, or even 4b!

Me on 'Tower Face' (HVS 5a)

But the highlight of the day, was Tom's attempt on 'The Strangler' (E4 5c), i will let the video do the talking...http://www.vimeo.com/5170853

31st May - Millstone

It was just over a month until my next trip outside, which was a scorching day at Millstone Edge, a quarry just above Hathersage.

So the day kicked of with a lead of Great Slab (HS 4b), although there was a surpisingly little in the way fo gear, so i was over-joyed to find a perfect Zero 6 pocket near the top of the slab.

We then moved on the the Embankment area, where i led the first (VS 4c) pitch of 'Embankment 1' and with slightly more dificulty 'Embankment 2', which is also VS 4c.

'Embankment 2', but not me climbing.

I then tried 'Embankment 3' and with dificulty reached the peg and just clipped it, my foot promptly popped from its tenuous toe jam, my first lead...slump!

Finally i tried to toprope 'Time for Tea' (E3 5c) and i found the crack, which is apparently only 5b, really hard, and cruised the 5c faces moves above.

But i have an excuse for the falling off, It was nearly 30 degrees. :S