'Not to be Taken Away'

Ben and I went back to Stanage Plantation to try out his new bouldering mat.

As you can see, it's rather large; great once you get it to the crag, but a pig to fit in the car!!

The route for which he is preparing is called 'Not to be Taken Away!'. Climbers choose the oddest names!

He worked the problem a few times and eventually mastered all of the moves to get to the top. The upper section was quite straightforward but the bottom was rather tricky. I couldn't take photos of the lower part because I was too busy 'spotting' (just in case he fell off).

He spotted the pointing camera :)

We were careful not to be caught out by the locked gate this time. I wouldn't want to have to disturb the very kind man again!!

I'm offering this for Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday, where the letter of the week is S for Stanage Plantation.

Do you want a good laugh?

I've been a member of Alter Rock for about two months. Mainly, I joined so that I could belay Ben on the high lead climbs while Mark is away at Uni. Sometimes, Ben can find a partner, sometimes not, so me belaying means that he can go more often than would otherwise be possible.

This last week though, I've actually climbed a couple of times; simple top roped stuff, but fun.

Today, there was a bouldering competition. Bouldering is climbing without the use of ropes, so lower level above a big crash mat. I don't really like bouldering much. It's nearly all overhanging stuff and really hard on the arms and shoulders. Maybe 30 years ago!!

Of course Ben entered and when we arrived, I somehow found myself being talked into having a go; the real draw being that there was a 'Veteran' category into which absolutely no one had entered! Bottom line, climb one route and I've won! So I went home, got my gear, came back, paid my entrance fee, climbed 3 routes and won. What a joke!!! But it was good to be a part of it and, frankly, I thought I was doing pretty well to manage three!!.

When I was called up to claim a 'first prize', I was careful to choose something small (feeling that being the sole competitor made winning a bit of a cheat!), but was promptly handed this hoodie because it "Goes with the chalk bag you've chosen".

Personally, I think I'm gonna look like a traffic light!

A word about Ben. Being over 16 means he was in the Men's Open Category; a tough division with some seasoned climbers, including an ex-member of the Slovakian National Team (a really nice guy who strolls up routes which other people fall off). Ben came a very creditable fifth. Maybe he'd like the hoodie? 

No? 

Oh well!

Cliffhanger 2

Six men and six women competed in the IFSC Bouldering World Cup finals. The climbers were kept in isolation until called up to tackle their problems. Once up, each climber had 4 minutes to complete the route. Scoring was judged on the number of attempts made; the touching of the hold marked with blue tape and the successful completion of the route. In total, there were 4 male problems (M 1 - 4) and 4 female (F 1 - 4), the climbers being called out in mixed pairs to tackle the assigned routes.

Russian Alexey Rubtsov is the current world champion and a particularly graceful climber!

American Alex Puccio.

German Juliane Wurm.

A dynamic route, from Kilian Fischhuber of Austria.

As you can hear, it was not a quiet competition!

(I took loads more videos, but the problems were difficult and this was the only time that my videoing co-incided with the completion of a route!)

And the winners

M E N bouldering complete result

1. Fischhuber Kilian AUT

2. Lachat Cédric SUI

3. Rubtsov Alexey RUS

4. Woods Daniel USA

5. Caleyron Thomas FRA

6. de Leeuw Nicky NED

W O M E N bouldering complete result

1. Noguchi Akiyo JPN

2. Le Neve Melissa FRA

3. Puccio Alex USA

4. Wurm Juliane GER

5. Saurwein Katharina AUT

6. Stöhr Anna AUT

Cliffhanger 1

Cliffhanger happened in Sheffield, Yorkshire on July 3rd. It was billed as an Outdoor Event for Outdoor Enthusiasts and happened in Millhouses Park, quite close to the city centre.

There was lots going on including mountain biking, kayaking, golf, archery, orienteering... but, in all honesty, a lot of it was a bit young or tame or involved a lot of watching, rather than doing.

The attraction which really made the event was the IFSC Bouldering World Cup. IFSC is the International Federation of Sport Climbing (I learned that at Cliffhanger :) ) and they hold a series of competitions throughout the world. The event in Sheffield was preceded by ones in Spain, Netherlands, USA, Canada, Austria, Slovakia and Italy, and will be followed by competitions in Germany and Italy (again). During the year, climbers are ranked according to their placings in the individual competitions, until, at the end of the season, the World Champion is determined!

We watched part of the semi finals in the morning. Everyone stands to watch and I had to do quite a lot of shifting around to see between taller heads. As a result, I managed very few photos from the semis, but I did manage to catch a couple of the British ladies, including this one:

Diane Merrick finished seventh in the semis, just missing out on a place in the finals (top 6). I was particularly interested to see her climb, because she was at the first ever competition held at Alter Rock, where the lads climb in Derby. Both lads took part in that competition (Mark as a senior and Ben as a junior) and both won events in their divisions. At the time, we all chatted to Diane Merrick without really knowing much about her (except that she was really good!).

Another British competitor who I managed to snap was Katy Whittacker:

Katy eventually finished 16th.

This German is Juliane Wurm.

climbing well enough to make it into the last six, and thus the final.

In the afternoon, Mark and I arrived very early for the finals and sat around on the grass for well over an hour, milkshake sipping and people watching. Our reward for such patience was a ringside view of the competition. I'll post a few stills tomorrow, but also see if I can download a short video of one climber's success on the most 'dynamic' problem in the final..

Yet more climbing

Back down to the foot of the crags and it was Ben's turn to lead a route. He chose a relatively easy one because he was going to be followed up by a novice.

Mark belayed him up...

...and was then on hand to shout advice and instruction to the inexperienced second...

...who was delighted to reach the top.

Back to Tremadog and the sun stayed out!

This two days later when we made a return trip to Tremadog. The climbing was good and the views were spectacular. More on the views tomorrow, but this is Mark leading an E1 grade climb, seconded by Ben.

I took the easy route, round the end of the crag

Every cloud...

Indoor climbing is good when the weather is wet, but what Mark really wanted was some outdoor climbing so, with both of the lads being fed up of slate, we headed for the crags above Tremadog.

This rather attractive gate marks the start of a short but steepish climb up to the rock face.

Unfortunately, half way up the fields, what had been a promising afternoon turned to a sudden and fairly convincing downpour! Fifteen minutes of bouncing rain meant that the rocks would be far too wet for climbing, but we decided to go take a look anyway and I'm delighted that we did because the woodland at the top was particularly beautiful, glistening in the weak sunshine which followed the storm.

And the waterfall was gushing.

Beacon

So, what do you do on a damp day in Wales?

Visit the Beacon Climbing Centre for a bit of bouldering...

...and a lead climb or two.

An outstanding mountaineer & a man of grit

Built in 1862, Rock Hall Cottage was originally the residence of the Roaches estate gamekeeper, and the last keeper to have lived here is thought to have raised a family of 12 children in this small dwelling. When the estate was sold off, the hut spent a few years in private ownership; lived in by a couple who desired peace, quiet and an escape from the negative aspects of daily modern life. However, the property began to fall into disrepair and in the 1990s a joint venture between the Peak Park Board and the British Mountaineering Council saw the it being converted into a climbing hut which can be hired out to any members of the BMC.

The renovation of the hut was spearheaded by the Don Whillans Memorial Fund. Don Whillans (18 May 1933 – 4 August 1985) was an English rock climber from Salford in Lancashire (now Greater Manchester); a working class lad who changed the nature of the sport from a pastime enjoyed by only the wealthy elite, to an activity loved by people of all backgrounds.

Climbing was a natural progression from his childhood pastime of walking the Pennines, and mountaineering followed on from his abilities as a climber; including a number of expeditions with, the better known, Chris Bonnington (with whom he was considered an equal in terms of climbing technical ability).

The Roaches was one of his favoured climbing spots and the route he particularly enjoyed was The Sloth; an overhang on the Upper Tier of the rocky outcrop, above and to the left of Rock Hall cottage. It was whilst climbing here that he met his wife, Audrey, who opened the hut in 2003.

It was in Rock Hall Cottage that Mark and his friends were staying. What a view to wake up to each day! 

Solo

A climbing solo (as you would expect) is a route climbed alone. People who solo say that it is the free-est form of climbing with no interruptions to place gear, no hampering ropes; just climber and rock.

It is of course, also the most dangerous!

Ben was confident that this route was within his capability and he went up it with ease.

Damascus Crack with the buttress finish

Back to The Roaches, and of course, the reason I was there was that I was once again being taxi; this time to take Ben to join his brother and friends for a spot of climbing.

Damascus Crack is a single pitch climb, graded VS (Very Severe; harder than the bands of Difficult, but less hard than Extreme). The guide book describes the route as 12m, but the alternate, buttress finish adds a bit to that height.

Mark led this one with Ben on belay waiting to second.

Once at the top, Mark set up the belay and it was Ben's turn to climb.

Nicely done :)

Windgather Rocks

The end of the main ridge path is reached at a small rocky outcrop named Pym's Chair, just beyond which is a country lane and this mini edge; Windgather Rocks. Like Stanage Edge, this is an outcrop of gritstone and, not surprisingly, attracts its fair share of climbers. Being much smaller than Stanage (which is a similar distance from home), I did wonder whether it would hold much interest as a potential visiting place for the lads, but I am assured that it would! Apparently, the height of the routes makes it a great place for practising soloing; climbing without a rope. The Edge is not so high that a fall would be lethal, especially with the positioning of a bouldering mat under the climb, and the easy access between top and bottom means that routes can be tackled in quick succession.

I can see 'Mum's Taxi' being called upon at some point during the summer holidays!

Black Rocks - Gaia

Gaia - First ascent, Johnny Dawes, 1986.

This was the real reason behind the choice of Black Rocks as the location for Mark's next trip out of the house. He wanted to examine Gaia!

This route is noted amongst serious climbers, who treat it with a huge amount of respect, and rightly so, as it is categorised E8; a significantly difficult grade, achievable only by the forerunners of the climbing community.

The route begins very gently with a straightforward traverse, but then starts to present some serious problems; the difficult sequence onto the vertical groove, 'handholds' which are little more than friction curves in the otherwise flat surface of the rock face, a delicate sideways stretch, requiring perfect balance and finally, a nerve jangling heel hook to pull the climber safely over the arete. Add to this, the fact that the last available placement for safety equipment is just below half way up, creating the potential for a massive fall, and it becomes clear why this route is only attempted by a very few elite practitioners at the top of the climbing fraternity.

Climb Gaia and everyone immediately knows that you are one of the best of the best!

Unfortunately, it doesn't always go right, but when it does...

                                                                                                     This is worth a viewing!

Black Rocks

Black Rocks is an outcrop of gritstone high above the Derbyshire village of Cromford. Easily accessible from the High Peak Trail, it is very popular with climbers, having a number of routes, many of which are in the 'E' (Extreme) grade; the most difficult category.

Between around 1615 and 1850, this site was mined for lead. Cromford Moor Mine was a large undertaking with shafts up to 128 metres deep. In the 1920s the mine was re-opened briefly as a source of white calcite. The scree slope leading up to the Rocks is a by-product of the industrial past and is an ideal place to search for rocks and minerals. It also supports a variety of lead tolerant plants.

For those of us unable to tackle an 'E' grade climb, the scree slope gives access to an easy way up from the back (but no pub up here either, sorry Alan!). From the top, the views are quite impressive.