DO SUMMIT GOOD: A bit of luck

Three days of big walk-ins and climbing, that has really taking it out of us. Both agreed at the bottom of the route we needed a rest day.

We sat under two routes, one called Mephisto and the other Calins Solene. On Mephisto, you could hear the water running through it so that was out of the question, which meant Calins Solene was on.
We geared up and Tommy made a start. On route he called down, "bloody hell this is steep" he pushed on whilst I was belaying, thinking what have I got coming my way?! Tommy climbed really well and ran out a 25m pitch, before securing on a tree at the top of the route. Then I was on.

I started climbing and felt ok on this route, then it steepened and I was feeling a little out of my depth, but managed to keep it together. I got to a slight ledge where I could rest, then hot aches came on. I felt like my fingers were going to fall off, it killed. I had a little talking to myself and then picked up the axes and pushed on. The next bit was even steeper, I thought I had a good axe in, but no, I was off. One axe in my hand and one still in the wall, I was hanging off the side of the ice fall. I looked up and the axe was resting on the rope, I knew that if the rope moved the axe was going to be down the mountain. The rope moved and the axe did fall, luckily not far, it got tangled in my climbing trousers!! Just has to manoeuvre myself to get it. I carried on climbing up to the belay point and met Tommy. He was buzzing from his lead of this WI 5+ and so he should be, it was a tough route and my first WI 5+, which I am chuffed with. We abseiled off, had a cuppa and headed back to the car, where we waited for 4 hours for Will and Dan to finish their route.

Awesome lead Tommy, I have a lot of respect for you leading routes like these. My time will come.