Taid’s Wall – new low grade sport sector at Castle Inn Quarry
Colin Goodey and friends have been busy again finishing off the development of a new low grade sport sector at Castle Inn Quarry. The delightfully sunny Taid’s Wall can be found 100m to the right of the main crag above the right hand car park, close to the rear gate of the old pub.
The routes, running from right-to-left, are as follows:
Hidden Gem F4 8m
On the far right above trees is an obvious short route.
[Colin Goodey, Mark Helliwell (both lead) 24.05.11]
Taid F5a/b 12m
The right most line on the main wall.
[Colin Goodey, Sue Goodey, Paul Ingram 30.07.11]
Ffrind F4b 11m
The wall right of the broken crack system.
[Mark Helliwell, Colin Goodey, Sue Goodey (all lead) 19.06.11]
Nain F5a/b 12m
Climb the broken crack system.
[Colin Goodey, Sue Goodey, Carol Pye 19.06.11]
Cariad F5b 13m
The very steep arete on extreme left side of Taid’s Wall. A delightfully steep route on superb rock.
[Colin Goodey, Sue Goodey (both lead) 22.11.11]
Initiation F3 15m
This takes the curving arete 4m left of Taid’s Wall.
[Colin Goodey, Sue Goodey (both lead) 04.11.11]
“These lovely little sport routes complete my tally of 12 new low/middle grade sport climbs at Castle Inn. I had to do what I did today as I am in hospital at Oswestry next Monday for a total fusion of my right ankle, which will take me out of action for three months.”
Said Colin after completing the last route, Cariad.
Red Right Hand E2 6a, Australia Quarry
Llanberis Slate guide author Mark Hosey B Dicken has climbed a variation on one of his own routes in Australia Lower Quarry.
Red Right Hand E2 6a tackles the red groove just right of Abattoir Blues on The Rognon, swinging right just above the second bolt of Abattoir Blues (and with the third clipped at this grade).
Mark had previously top roped the line, but had not got round to leading it before the new guide went to print. He reckoned it would be E4 if the third bolt is not clipped until higher up the groove, and warned that the rock in the groove was soft, so do take care.
Over on the other side of the valley, at Glyn Rhonwy, Phil Targett and Tony Hughes added a short clip up. Los Alamos F6c tackles the wall left of The Mosquito on the Gideon terrace. A long reach helps to start the crux section.
Main batch of Llanberis Slate guides have arrived
First thing this morning the main boat freighted delivery of the Llanberis Slate guide arrived at our Llanberis shop.
“We quickly formed a human chain and handballed the boxes off the wagon and into the shop. From my wife, Clare – to me – to Keith – to Pete and finally to Bertie who was on stacking duties. Soon we were all red faced and sweaty from the exertion – it was certainly a good work out to start the day!”
Said guide editor, Si Panton.
Feedback from customers has been incredibly positive. Here’s a sample quote from one of the many emails received.
“Simon,
Just bought the new Llanberis Slate guide. In a word – Magnificent! If there’s any downside its that you may find the greatest of difficulty in topping this one! Surely a contender for the best climbing guide that has ever been produced and in 40 years I’ve seen a few. Best wishes with it.
Regards,
Michael Doyle“
(NB. Mike is the author of the A55 Sport Climbs guide – this has now sold out and he is currently working on a second edition including many of the newly developed crags in the Dyserth area.)
Llanberis Slate guide launch, Fri 11th Nov, Caban
Everybody's favourite fireman, Jez Stephenson soaking up winter sun on the classic Fool's Gold E1 5c, Bus Stop Quarry Photo: Si Panton
Guidebooks as special as Ground Up’s Llanberis Slate don’t come along very often so it seems appropriate to give this book a suitably grand launch evening.
The launch will be held at Caban in Brynrefail at 7.30pm, Friday 11th November.
Entertainment will come in the shape of three very personal ‘mini’ talks/slideshows, all loosely based on the strange and wonderful medium of slate.
First up will be veteran star of the recent slate boom, Colin Goodey.
Second on the bill is co-author of the new guide and front cover star, Pete Robins.
And topping the bill is another co-author of the new guide and master of esoterica, Mark ‘Hosey b’ Dicken.
We might also (technology permitting) have a live skype link to Kalymnos where author of the Diary of a Slatehead sections of the guide, Dr Martin Crook, is taking a well earned climbing holiday (or, “training for the Gwynant” as he puts it).
“Strangely we’ve never done an official guidebook launch before, but this book is the best thing we have ever made, so it seems right to celebrate its arrival. It should be a fun evening, especially if we make contact with Martin. I’ve told Colin, Pete and Hosey that they are free to talk about whatever is special to them in the quarries – so expect, the unexpected!.”
Said guide editor (and master of ceremonies for the evening), Si Panton.
The original air-freighted advance batch of the guides sold out within a week of arriving. If you missed out on getting a copy, worry not as the main batch of the guides are due to arrive in our Llanberis shop tomorrow (Fri 4th Nov) morning.
North Wales Bolt Fund receives donation boost
Jon Ratcliffe, manager of the Indy climbing wall, blowing out a bolt hole on a project line in the Dinorwig slate quarries photo: Si Panton
The North Wales Bolt Fund has yet again received valuable cash donations from the users of two local climbing walls.
Money from the Beacon Winter Aggregate subs (each competitor pays a fee of £2 which goes to the fund) and the Indy Wall’s DMM key ring donations, plus the general donation tin have added up to just over £700.
“I’d like to give out a big thanks to all who have made donations – every bit helps!”
Said bolt fund manager, Chris Parkin.
The Bolt fund is actively supporting re-equipping work on the Coastal Limestone and Slate Quarries of Mid and North Wales, as well as helping new route development by providing quality materials at low cost.
Volunteers have also completed over half of the lower-off inspections at Upper Pen Trwyn on behalf of the BMC. This work is essential for the continued access to routes above the road on the Great Orme.
Individual climbers or clubs can donate via PayPal links on :
http://northwaleslimestone.wetpaint.com/
Or
http://northwalesboltfund.webs.com/
You will also see donation jars in the local climbing shops, including V12 in Llanberis.
Please give generously, all that hardware has to come from somewhere!
Colin Goodey makes a comeback at Castle Inn Quarry
Colin Goodey making the first ascent of The Comeback Kid F4+, Castle Inn Quarry Photos: Si Panton
You can’t keep a good man down and as if to prove the point, veteran rock star, Colin Goodey has made a comeback at Castle Inn Quarry.
A few months ago Colin announced that, as a result of a chronic injury/arthritis problem in his hand, he would have to bow out of the new routing game. However, Colin’s desire to climb remained strong and he was determined to find a solution, as he explains:
“After climbing in France in September nursing a damaged hand (arthritis) I hit on a powerful anti-inflammatory pain killer which allowed me to use the hand without too much pain. I realised all was not lost and so, on my return home, I returned to an area I remembered from my youth – the result: two delightful easy routes on superb rock.”
The new routes were completed in glorious sunshine yesterday with Colin’s wife Sue. They can be found on the left side of Fair View Wall, an area that Colin first explored back in the late 50s.
The Comeback Kid F4+, which takes the delightful steep arete on the left side of the wall, was lead first by Colin. Sue made a quick repeat then took the lead on Easy Peesy F3+, the adjacent line to the left. Colin had originally climbed Easy Peesy as a trad V Diff way back in 1958!
Ian Lloyd-Jones and his son, Celt, enjoying the new routes on Magician's Wall
50m further to the left a short wall has also been developed, but this time by North Wales Limestone guide editor, Andy Boorman and Paul Ingram (a local magician no less!).
There are four routes: a thin looking F7a on the left and three easier (F5+ – F6a) lines to the right.
Lizzy Askins F7a+, Craig Pen Trwyn
Tommy Chamings has picked off a neat line up at the far left side of the Mumbo Jumbo area of Craig Pen Trwyn. Lizzy Askins F7a+ takes the obvious roof line between Planned Obsolescence and The Fly.
The route is named in honour of the young lady who, many moons ago, took away renowned Ormesman, Chris Doyle’s innocence!
Staying with the Llandudno limestone, a few traverse link variations have been done in the Lower Empire area. Senail Dimention F7a+/b links Nursery Crime into Prize for Arms via the obvious horizontal break at the third bolt. An easier F6c version exits up Going Through the Motions. For more on this go here.
Alberta Rose F7c, Little Orme
Looking across (from The Diamond) to the Detritus Wall Photo: Si Panton
Pete Harrison has completed a magnificent sport route on the remote Detritus Wall on Little Orme. Alberta Rose F7c tackles the wall left of the legendary, but neglected Ocean of Emotion, a F7b+ first put up by Dave Lyon twenty years ago.
According to Pete, Alberta Rose is “a contender for the best F7c in the UK.” and Dave Lyon referred to it as “the line of the Ormes”. If it is anywhere near as good as its neighbour, which was given 4 stars in the 1992 guide, it is sure to be worth the slightly elaborate approach.
Pete, who is also the author of the forthcoming North Wales Limestone guide, has been the driving force behind the re-equipping campaign on the Ormes in recent years. He has put in hundreds of hours of work, re-bolting neglected routes and establishing a much needed hand rail leading into The Diamond.
His latest effort takes it all to a new level: prior to climbing Alberta Rose Pete spent eight harrowing days re-establishing an access rope line across the first 5a section of Against All Odds (a guano infested E3 traverse first climbed by Dave Lyon and Norman Clacher in 1986). This had been the approach route for climbs such as Ocean of Emotion and ‘E’ (another 3 star F7c), but the in situ gear had deteriorated to a point where it had become very dangerous.
Questing out along the traverse line loaded up with full drill and bolting set up Pete faced some very lonely and scary moments, but he stuck with it and eventually the job was done. Now we have a quick access route to some of the best sport routes around.
To see a topo of the approach and route, plus a whole lot more on this story go to the DMM site.
The Wizard is Oz F7b+, Penmaen Head
Chris Doyle has topped his incredible year of new routing on the coastal limestone with a superb new line at Penmaen Head. The Wizard is Oz F7b+ is Chris’s 24th new route of 2011 and it sounds like a cracker.
It starts up Clogau Gold, but breaks right after the second bolt onto a ledge, before striking direct a line up the clean wall. The rock is apparently excellent and didn’t require any cleaning
Speaking on his blog Chris said:
“I’ve given it F7b+, it’s quite hard to grade as the hard section is very short lived but it seems too thin for F7b and it’s a bit easier than a hard F7b+ like Rompsville. All in all a very satisfying experience and if it’s my last new route this year it’s a good one to end on.”
NB. It is worth noting that Clogau Gold is pretty hard for the grade and that 70 Degrees has two possible lines – the better protected left hand way (as shown on the topo with a dashed line) is harder than the F6c book grade. The easier right hand line is bold and probably deserves E4.
Llanberis Slate – first review appears online
Llanberis branch manager, Jack Rattenbury - he still can't believe it is here! Photo: Si Panton
The new Llanberis Slate guide has been given a very warm reception. Witness Rory Shaw’s glowing review on his blog: New Slate Guide review.
“There’s always a lot of enthusiasm when a new guide is published but this time the reaction has been overwhelming. I’ve been inundated with emails, text messages, people just stopping me in the street and offering congratulations – it certainly makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Said Simon Panton, guide editor.
There are only a few copies of the air freighted advance batch left, so hurry if you want one.
The main batch of the guides, which are travelling from Hong Kong via boat, will arrive in Llanberis either on the 4th or the 7th of November.
