Archive for the ‘Climbing News’ Category
One Hundred Words for No Snow M8+/9
Pete Harrison has climbed a cracking new drytooling route in the Ibex area of the Dinorwig slate quarries.
One Hundred Words for No Snow M8+ – M9 takes an attractive curving line up the left hand side of the tall wall on the left side of the bay as you walk in, and features mostly natural placements (only 4 pockets were drilled for axe placements).
“It’s one of the most enjoyable drytooling routes I’ve climbed – lots of variety, lots of good moves and a good length. The style of climbing makes it super training for mixed climbing.”
Enthused Pete, before adding:
“The initial diagonal seam manages to be both a bit tenuous and a bit strenuous with excellent climbing up to a breather in the niche. A drilled pocket above the niche gives access, via hard-to-spot footholds and a reach, to the upper wall where torques, steinpulls, a dyno and some footless matching lead to a couple of very thin moves rightwards. A cruxy move up with tricky feet gains a pocket and the upper crack, which is followed with interest to the lower-off.”
Pete suggests the following grade changes for the Ibex wall routes:
Ibex M7 – “I overgraded this in the first instance: it was never M8 but probably was M7+, and it’s now got a little easier with traffic.”
Ibex Direct M7+
The Deerhunter M6+
Monkey-Bar Kid M6
Ironically, given the title of Pete’s new route, it seems that winter season is back with vengeance. With snow cover down below Cloggy and sustained cold weather forecast for the coming fortnight.
Ibex Direct M8, Never Never Land
Rob Greenwood on the first ascent of Ibex Direct M8 Photo: Torquil Bennett
Yesterday Rob Greenwood made the first ascent of Ibex Direct M8 on the dry tooling wall in the Never Never Land section of the Dinorwig Quarries.
Torquil Bennett had previously top roped the line, traversing across the lip of the tunnel at the start. Rob climbed the line second go, missing out the tunnel traverse at the start.
Rob also onsighted Rastamouse M7+ in the same session.
To see a topo of the face go to either the Monkey-Bar Kid news item or the Rastamouse news item.
Rastamouse M7+, Never Never Land
Over the Christmas period Torquil Bennett returned to the Ibex dry tooling wall in Dinorwig slate quarry and completed the left hand project line.
Rastamouse M7+ climbs the left hand corner on a selection of tiny hooks, wide crack stein-pulls and micro-torques. Needless to say precise footwork is essential on this excellent technical line.
The second ascent of the route fell to Nick Bullock who managed a stylish onsight.
The absence of sustained winter conditions in Snowdonia has seen the dry tooling routes on this wall mobbed with frustrated winter climbers. At least everyone will be good and fit when it finally arrives for good in the mountains…
Long term forecasts do seem to indicate January going into February as the most promising time for winter conditions in the hills. Check out Exacta Weather for more on this.
North Wales White Guide – winter climbing and conservation
The growing popularity of winter climbing in recent years has prompted concerns about the potential impact upon rare alpine plants found on the Snowdonia winter cliffs.
The North Wales White Guide aims to address these issues and raise awareness amongst climbers of the presence of rare plants and how to minimise any potential impact on them.
This guide is the product of a collaboration between the Countryside Council for Wales, the BMC, Snowdonia-Active, the Snowdonia National Park Authority and Ground Up, the producers of the recently published North Wales Winter Climbing guide.
To read more about it check out the following news items on the BMC website and the Snowdonia-Active website.
The guide is available for free as an A6 English/Welsh bilingual booklet which is being distributed to key climbing shops (such as V12) and climbing walls. It is also available at the SNPA warden offices at Pen y Pass and Ogwen Cottage.
Downloadable A4 pdf versions are also available on the Ground Up website in English or Welsh.
Siberian Kitten VI 7, Craig Dafydd
The first snatch of good winter conditions has triggered new route activity on the high crags. Some, such as Mark ‘Baggy’ Richards and Gaz Davies, are keeping schtum about their activities until all the main lines are mopped up, but others have come clean.
Matt Stygall and Adam Hughes trekked up above Llech Ddu to the right hand side of Craig Dafydd. Here the lads picked off an obvious mixed line just left of Mr P’s Last Great Problem.
Siberian Kitten went at VI 4, 7, 5. For pitch descriptions and some action shots check out Andy Turner’s blog.
Clogwyn Du has seen plenty of activity with repeats of Traversty VIII 8 coming from Calum Muskett and Matt Stygall.
Rainbow Slab poster to support North Wales Bolt Fund
In the wake of the warmly received Llanberis Slate guide Ground Up has produced a run of special edition Rainbow Slab topo posters with a view to boosting contributions to the North Wales Bolt Fund.
The A2 poster features a topo of the impressive Rainbow Slab, plus a few illustrative images and a Rogue’s Gallery of famous (or should that be: ‘infamous’) Slateheads.
The posters are available from V12 in Llanberis, plus The Beacon and Indy Climbing walls for the bargain price of £2.95 – all proceeds will go to the North Wales Bolt Fund.
We are also giving away three copies in a competition.
Can you name all the Slateheads shown in the bottom right corner of the poster?
The first three correct answers will receive a free poster. Email in your answers (plus an address) to info@groundupclimbing.com.
NB. Extra ‘clever points’ for anybody who can name the Slatehead who appears twice and the extra character (who appears in Martin Crook’s Diary of a Slatehead excerpts in the new guide).
Monkey-Bar Kid M6+, Never Never Land
More development on the Ibex Wall at Never Never land in the slate quarries. Torquil Bennett has added Monkey-Bar Kid M6+ to the left of The Deerhunter.
“At around M6+, Monkey-Bar Kid is the warm-up that both Ibex and Deerhunter were intended to be. The Deerhunter (M7?) is a pumpy route with a great crux sequence; more sustained than Ibex but easier to onsight as the hooks are all deep and easy to see. Ibex Direct (M8?) has a bouldery start across and out of the tunnel linking into the slightly sketchy left-hand footholds of Ibex. So far I’ve only top roped this but I’m happy for anyone to jump on it and go for the first ascent. A Bambi/Ibex link up should also now be possible. The left-hand corner is a project I’m working on with Rhys Huws. It will hopefully climb with few (if any) drilled hooks and is really techy and tenuous; potentially the best route on the wall. There is room for another line between Bambi and The Deerhunter.”
V12's very own Keith Scarlett cruising The Deerhunter M7 - his first time in crampons! Photo: Torquil Bennett
Explained Torquil, before adding:
“For those who don’t know, the wall stays dry and is sheltered in most conditions except a N or NW wind. All the routes have 4-6 bolts plus lower-offs and can be climbed with a 30m rope. The lower-offs can’t really be reached from above without abseiling over loose, sharp slate. Top-ropes are easier to set up by clip-sticking from the ground up. There is also the quarryman’s clip stick lying around that will reach the first bolts.”
Ibex Direct M8 ? – 2m inside the tunnel on the left there is a small ledge for your feet and a drilled side pull, start here then lock off and swing over the roof on a large thread hole. Side pulls and steinpulls take you out of the tunnel to the lower shot-hole. Powerful moves from the shot-hole bring you out onto the wall; pull your way past two good hooks until you reach the marginal left-hand footholds of Ibex. Follow these up and join Ibex between the 4th and 5th bolt. No new holds were needed after the initial two hooks so Ibex remains the same. 6 bolts.
Monkey-Bar Kid M6+ – start on the ledge to the left of The Deerhunter. Good hooks, no big reaches, few hand changes and close bolts make this about as easy as a route on this wall will get. Cunning axe-work will even reward you with a hands free rest when you’re standing in the shot-hole. 6 bolts. [Torquil Bennett 06.12.11]
The Deerhunter M7, Never Never Land
With the arrival of the first significant cold period, and the peaks turning whiter with each passing day – yes, winter is (almost) here. What better way to get in the mood for some tricky mixed climbing than a dry tooling session in the slate quarries.
As luck would have it Torquil Bennett has added a new dry tooling line on the steep Ibex face in the Never Never Land area.
The Deerhunter M7 starts in the short corner to the left of the tunnel (and Bambi). Fairly straightforward but sustained climbing leads to a more technical and powerful crux between the last two bolts.
Torquil advises a quick draw for the chains as the in-situ locking ‘biner is hard to open with one hand.
Celtic Blood F6a, Australia Quarry
9 year old Celt Lloyd-Jones is proving to be a chip off the old block, clocking up his second first ascent in the quarries. Celt’s dad Ian has become the most prolific new router that the Welsh slate scene has ever known, but perhaps now is the time to hand the baton to the next generation.
Celtic Blood F6a climbs the obvious groove to the right of Men of Leisure on the Alice Springs level at the top of Australia Quarry. 8 bolts lead the way past some tricky climbing to a steepening and some interesting quartzy holds in the dolerite. A rock over out to the left will hopefully gain the lower-off above.
The first ascent team included Ray Wood (age unknown) and Ian who claims to ‘feel as old as the quarry itself!’
“I had spotted the line a while back when I bolted Glasgow Kiss, Slabaholics Anonymous and Slabology (on the level below) thinking it would be a worthwhile addition, also the new slate guide mentions an unclimbed blocky groove on this level….”
“The unclimbed groove is now a very pleasantly situated sport route which would make a good final pitch for the Australia Link Up’s in the guide. Celt climbed well having to make a number of extra moves particularly at the top! It’s harder than quite a few of the other F6a’s in the quarry and if you’re not adult sized is probably worth a grade or two more!”
Said Ian.
Black Holes and Revelations F6b, F7a, Twll Mawr
Ian Lloyd-Jones has joined up with his usual partner in crime, Sion McGuiness, to complete another big sport route in Twll Mawr.
Black Holes and Revelations F6b, F7a tackles a line of grooves left of Supermassive Black Hole in one big 50m pitch. Access is made by a rather quirky Wobbly Ladder pitch which reaches the In the Line of Fire ladder from the groove on the left via a wild jump.
Both pitches can be climbed separately due to the easily accessible bolt belay by the tunnel – this allows you to walk in or out if you only wish to climb one of the pitches.
The last minute topo placed in the new Llanberis Slate guide (just before it went to print) shows the central section of Supermassive Black Hole incorrectly – this is actually the line of Black Holes and Revelations. If you are still confused just refer to the topo shown here which has the correctly labelled lines on it.
“The route is a worthwhile addition to this wall, giving a fun first pitch with a memorable dyno for the ladder! The top pitch is a full 50 metres, the highlight being the frictionless groove low down. It took a bit of effort to clean it and I’m hoping the wind will blow away all the soil at some point as it was still a bit dirty in places today. I’m sure when it cleans up it will prove to be another popular addition.”
Said Ian before adding:
“Again I’m guessing at the grade particularly for the top pitch, it’s sort of straightforward (ish) when you know what to do…..I’m secretly hoping it gets downgraded to about F6b+ which would make it a well popular outing!”
NB. Those wishing to repeat Supermassive Black Hole should note that a key hold has snapped off the F6b+ second pitch. This is now significantly harder and more sustained – perhaps F7a? Expect a British 6b move which favours the shorter climber.
