The Last Waltz F6a – Colin Goodey bows out of the new route game
The original Ormesman and North Wales’s most prolific veteran climber, Colin Goodey, has bowed out of the new route game with another sweet looking line on Creigiau Gigfran.
“I made yesterday what will very likely be my last new climb. After an innocent fall in Cornwall earlier in the year when I banged my right hand on rock the trauma brought on rheumatoid arthritis in the injured hand. This blighted my lead of Cigfran Wall and made all other climbing very painful.”
Commented Colin, before adding, in his typical feisty style:
“However, I had had earmarked the super looking slab on Cigfran which lies between the two Chris Doyle routes and Cigfran Wall. I determined to finish this climb before my hand got worse. Having spent a lot of time cleaning and bolting I successfully led it ‘clean’ yesterday, and it’s a great route!”
The Last Waltz F6a description: take a central line up the slab going left and then back right at mid height (crux) and finish up a delightfully thin slab to twin ‘easy clip’ lower-off’s. 8 bolts protect.
Colin in the slate quarries last year, having bagged yet another first ascent Photo: Si Panton
Colin has made an outstanding contribution to climbing in North Wales, from his early days pioneering new routes around the Llandudno Ormes in the 1950s and right up to his recent popular additions to the Dinorwig Slate quarries. Hopefully we will still see his friendly face around on the crags.
For more on Colin, check out Chris’ Doyle’s Ormesman of the week feature from earlier this year.
