Blue Skies and Sunshine

Sunday greeted us with blue skies and sunshine. A perfect day to head to Portland for some bouldering.

Tommy, Alisha and I got a early start and headed straight to 'The Crack', a boulder with a Portland classic on it a V0 called 'The Crack'. The crack is a V0 with a tricky start and 2 hand jams, I must of tried this route over 20 times before getting it and boy do my hands know about it. I then got on a route called 'The Lip Traverse', which I onsighted, a thuggish traverse that you just have to go for. 'The Arete' was next and this took me 2 goes to crack. Not a bad start but the crack really took the steam out of me. The only other route I did on the day was 'Bag o Shite' a V3. I messed around on a few more problems but only looking at problems for my next visit.

Tommy was on fire climbing 2 V5s 'Blood Bath' and 'The Death of Kings' and a V7 'Gafenberg' as well as a few lower grades. I think his climbing is benefiting from him dropping a few pounds and mine is suffering from putting them on prior to my departure at the end of March.

Alisha put up a new route called 'Pickles' a Kiddies V1. It was awesome watching her try the route over and over and so determined to crack it. Think we have a good climber in the making here…..  It was also hilarious hearing her come out with some of the sayings she has heard from daddy, like, “I am pumped”,  shouting and talking to the holds as well as chalking up the hands every 2 seconds. She is a pleasure to climb with.

A great day at Portland and the first day of the year that the tops came off.  May the good weather continue.

Some history as inspiration.

First time Bouldering

The weekend through a new challenge at me...... Bouldering.
A different type of climbing, shorter routes with nore exsplosive moves. I have bouldered indoors but outdoors it a totally different game.
We headed to Portland to a boulder field and started to play around.

I climbed 5 routes:

Jump and Mantle V1

Thrupenny Bits V0

Bristopol Cities V0

Streamline V2

Captain Cook V2

Me on Streamline "V2"

I found it tough but am phyced to get better. I think setting a goal to climb V4 by the end of the year is one that is achievable. There will be many more hours when i return from Everest playing arond on these rocks!!!

Another good weekend climbing.

Bad end to a good trip to the Ecrines

Last day on ice and decided to head to "Freissinieres". I was quitley stoked to lead my first route. I decided to second "pistoleros", before giving it a go on lead. Before I went up to tommy mentioned how brittle the icelcles where at the top of the route and said be careful. I went up the route with out much drama, just a little pump in the arms. I reached the top, and then absieled off...... the rope knocked off a icelcle on my way down that landed right on my shin, i swore a few times and then got down, cleaned it up and am now just dealing with the brusing along the shin bone that is pretty sore. I then became photographer and took loads of shoots of Tommy,Will and Dan. They got two nice lines done that I was a little gutted about not getting on.

Its been a good trip to the ecrines and i have enjoyed my time of ice. Big thanks to Dave Peggler for putting on this event.

A long drive ahead, but hopefully get back to have a nice evening with natalie, then have sunday to chill out before getting back into work and training next week.

Moster Energy Drinks and Trance will give us wings on the long drive home.

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.

Our route to the left

Sunset in Forneal

Tommy abseiling off route

Tommy at bottom of ab

A good route ticked

Walking off the route

Another epic walk-in

Another epic walk-in this morning to the bottom of our route for the day, a 200m, 4 pitch WI4/5, called "Clair de lunule"

Even with an early start and a monster pace breaking trail in hip high snow, we still arrived at the route third!! We had a cuppa, some flap jack and geared up waiting for enough space between the climbers in front of us.

We set off and started climbing, it was a really nice, fairly easy climb, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The second pitch was long and Tommy was running out of screws, so he set up a belay, I started to climb when showers of ice started flying overhead. It seemed the group in front were re-sculpting the route, by the amout of ice falling above us. At one point a big load went overhead, if I'm honest, I thought it was an avalanche. I got close into the ice, got my head down and let the ice fly by, the sound was like astroids whizzing past my head. Tommy got smashed in the arm by a boulder, which gave him a dead arm and affected his ability to hold his axe. I climbed up to him and then beyond, up a small piece of ice then up a snow slope to a belay point, securing myself to a tree. Tommy came up, we had 1 big pitch left but his arm was bothering him. We made the decision to absiel off and maybe return tomorrow for another go.

Pizza and a cuppa seemed to fit the bill and now for earlish night. Up early for another trip to the ice.

Todays route, "Clair de lunule"

Tommy on the lead

Unknown climber, the lady that nearly killed my mate

Me on second pitch

Me approaching belay

"why did I not take up chess"

Another early morning which started with Tommy saying "Why do I do this, why didn't I take up chess." We headed straight to Cervieres, knowing we had a long walk into the crag. We approached the supposed car park, we went off road and bottomed out the car, we spent at least an hour digging it out with no joy. Scott and the others drove by and obviously seeing us with snow shuvels didn't raise any alarms. They headed to the correct car park and started to get ready. After maybe an hour and a half, Tommy and I decided to get ready and head to the crag, abandoning the car, we hoped to get a tow after a days climb...... then Scott and the others turned up and we managed to get the car out! Thank god.

Then came the walk in, Tommy and I were real men and used our legs (brawn), while the the others were on Ski's (they used their brains). We ended up taking what we thought was the right route and it took us off road and through thigh high snow for 3.5km, the boys on skis found this amusing!! A long, tough walk in, but to our credit we still beat the boys on ski's to the foot of the ice route. Tommy and I are hardcore and this was good character building and training for our adventures later this year. There was one point where Tommy said surely this would be easier to crawl.... we both gave it a go, hilarious!!

I second 2 really nice 5 grade routes today and was feeling a lot stronger on the ice. Using the front points on the crampons is getting a lot easier and my foot work is improving. I think there will be some leading tomorrow and towards the end of the week. It's all about confidence, relaxing and trusting your feet.

Scott was on a nice route that I second, he nearly gave up right at the top. He shouted, "This is bad, f!"#, I'm pumped, I'm gonna come off." After a load of encouragment he pulled through and topped out on the route. Good effort Scott.

After a nice stroll back to the car we loaded up and encouraged Will and Dan to go skin up a lovely looking piste and ski down. Will nailed the slop and Dan had 2 falls, one landing on his arse, which has given him a nice limp and something to moan about. Great effort lads and looking forward to seeing some great video footage that Tommy got.

Now for Roast chicken a glass of red, an early night and some more climbing tomorrow.

Tommy off road

Thigh high snow, hard on my little legs



Tommy Leading WI5

 

Dan



Me on top rope of WI5



Will



Scott and me on belay

Me enjoying the ice

Dan

Me getting used to the mono points

Arms pulling hard!

Close to the top

How much easier on ski's!!!