Friday, 23 August 2013

Its an official lead

Its official
John Beard Can Lead

 Today Big John put his stamp on Right Triple crack S 4a at Windgather rocks in Derbyshire, 20th August 2013. A magnificent lead without fault, finishing with excellent anchor placements, with the final cherry on the cake, bringing up his second and placing me in a secure spot anchored off at the top.


Topped out on Triple crack right

John previously lead left corner at Mod with good gear placements and positive footwork. All in all johns climbing is coming on leaps and bounds. Hes borrowed a 50m length of rope for the week to practice his rope work at home ready for a climbing trip in the lakes yet TBA. Multi pitch climb at around Mod/Diff, looking forward to it.



Sunday, 18 August 2013

Never never land


A day at the zoo
Ibex wall
Dinorwig quarry


A very wet day started off at the usual time of 06:00, headed out for Petes eats in Llanberis. Full English and coffee, then of to Never Never land in Llanberis quarry.

Rain and high winds hampered the day, diificult moving on the slate paths, especially when heading up onto the top to fix the ropes for the first route, exposed and windy. Throughout the day you would hear the odd clatter as a piece of slate came winging down somewhere from hell.



Slate Pizza

Your order has arrived sir.

This piece fell from the route i was climbing just missing Dean, cool calm nerve from Dean held the day on this one.


Dean getting the magic boots on in the hut, great little store room for the gear and a nice little retreat for a well earned brew

Never been to Ibex wall before so it was a new experience to dry tool on Welsh slate, some great routes here with amazing leaning walls, out to about 15 degrees.

We started on Monkey bar at M6+, pumppy little number.

The day was hard as it never stopped raining and the wind was strong. we had to climb in full water proof gear, leggings the lot. Made for a difficult day, not much movement in this type of kit.


Ibex Wall, monkey bar

This is the lean off, camera held straight towards the back wall. Pretty impressive and very sustained climbing.


Looking out of the hut


Someone else had taken advantage of the hut to.

Fantastic day out, as arnie said

(we will be back)






Friday, 9 August 2013

Anchor training

Windgathering rain and crags

Sunny rain clouds gathering, wind gathering over the crag. Yep we're gonna climb, maybe. First a bit of rope work. The rain was good as it gave us time to take on board the correct methods for anchors. John worked well to establish a good understanding of anchors and belaying including tying off a fallen climber, if required. Quick climb and then off to work.




Tuesday, 6 August 2013

Lead on

Lead on
Early, ish meet at Windgather rocks today with big John B. bit tired after the weekends climbing session on Stanage Causeway with #deand1987.

Johns on good form today with two excellent leads,The corner route Diff and The staircase @ mod 1*. Good little session on anchors at the top out on The Staircase, no issues here just more practice makes comfy climbing. Johns well on the way to making some memorable climbs, Wales here we come.


We then went on to Green Crack @ S 4a excellent second by John, little different style of climbing than the norm., easy chimney style section to a overhanging exit on good holds. 




PS BIG SOSS VID ON EDGE, DOOOH.


Finishing off with a second by John on North Buttress Arête HVD 4a, no issue. John is showing a natural passion for climbing now, the thrill and challenge are becoming embedded with a true enthusiasm to climb. 





Saturday, 3 August 2013

What's on the cards

Quark
Crew Pegs Diffs

Rolling over in bed, alarm clock shows 08:45, its gonna go. Its gone 08:50 ping ping like clock work, call to arms, or arms calling for climbing. Saturdays are bloody ace, should be called Climbdays. Ok enough of the wayward thinking, response time, the text message is baying for an answer. Cratcliffe is bouncing round my head, alongside Bamford edge, might as well think blackpool or lakes, to totally different areas. looking out of the window from the bed, pearing over Doogles shoulder, weather looks grim. Bamfords out due to the rain which is about to deluge the whole county. Text message goes again. were do you fancy, a long lull before answering. bet Dean thinks ive not heard the call, but iam pondering. Both our thoughts are simialar, back comes Bamford which i was just about to text, so ye goes back and all on plan.

Dean arrives and Doggles doing his usual iam a ball trick by bouncing round the house oblivious to anything in his path.

Bacon wraps, brown sauce, food of the gods, oh and followed by copious amounts of coffee. C U Later and we are off. Doogles going bonkers cos e thought he was stayin home, in the boot, lid down along with all the gear in the back seats, bit like a second family, the family of rucksacks. May be we will need to adopt them and give them both names.

Arrive at High Neb car park, get this one in for Dean, bloody people, the grass is saturated with them. cars everywhere, oh well down to the bottom of the lane by the cattle grid alls good.

First shows up, quark hvs 5b nice route, great warm up. Dean comes up on second, shoulder gives him a bit of jipp on the mantle at the bottom. Bit worried, not looking good as the helmet flys through the air and hits the crag full on. A good time to say nothing, back and up, along the traverse and hes up and out by the belay stance. not alot said, shoulders in pain mode. Dean goes down and i make up the gear, well go for a coffee then, eh. The days done, best rest the arm i say, dull silence. Dean goes off for a boulder and i look around at some possible routes. 

Deans back, lets head off down to Travesties and have a crack at Crew Pegs Diffs E3 6a. Sounds good.


Dean sends this without much of a problem, 6a moves well ard. Not a lot to say really, he cruises this route without much of a problem, couple of pops at the start, but hey its 6a. Massive well done. I try the same route, no biography here, couple of good tips from dean but its not happening, iam off more times than the weather. i am down on the ground, the days done on this one, its not going to happen. Deans pulled it out of the bag on this route, so lets move over onto No More Excuses, i have a real good feeling about this route, looks good feels good. Comes in at E4 6b, were only climbing the 6b side as we are top roping.


Here endough the lesson, famous quote by Sean Connery, quite apt. I get about half way up, nails of a route. Fingers look as if they have been on a cheese grating board. This is a superb route all the way to the bank, just need to get the moves locked in to complete it. get just below the bowling ball pocket as Dean calls it. Were both pretty pooped so we head down, this ones for another day, and it will go, we just need to suss the moves out. Looking forward to our return trip.

WOOP WOOP




Friday, 2 August 2013

Fate

It's Fate

Afternoon out on high Neb Stanage,hot, hot hot. Well up into the high 20s, what an amazing summer for trad. Started off on limbo S4a, then moved over onto Tango Crack Vdiff, John came up on second. Dean and jim were on Tango buttress Hs 5a next door.
Me and John did Tango Buttress while Dean and Jim went round to Fate and Youth to top rope Fate E2 5c.
 

John on second on Tango Buttress, brought him up to the belay stance then sent him on as a lead to belay me up and over the top from my belay stance. great little exercise for John to see the transfer at the belay stance. Moved on down to Fate were me Dean Jim and John worked the moves on Fate. Great exercise with some good foot work techniques.


A great afternoon out