New Dinbren 8b From The Dog

My old mucker Sam (mule) Cattell finally completed his project at Dinbren today. This route has been Mules main goal for a year or so but constant injury and a temporary exodus to Sheffield stopped him in his tracks. Mule got involved again recently but the tricky conditions at the crag didn't help matters. Despite this he remained focused and trained specifically for the route. The route is a bit of a power endurance affair but expect some burly ass moves. Mule has given it 8b but has yet to come up with a name (i bet its a sandbag too). The route is located on the far left hand side of the crag, basically the last route. It's a great reward for a man/animal who has been plagued for injuries over the years and because of this hasn't managed to fulfil his potential despite being a complete monster. Dinbren now has 4 8b's:

Insomnia - Pete Chadwick
El Zapazitas - Rob Mirfin
Binary Finary - Rob Mirfin
? - Sam Cattell

Back on It

I've been trying to get back into the climbing groove this week. The body is starting to wake up, today i headed down the Diamond with Tommy and Pascal. It's been frustrating hearing about people lapping it up down there. Everyones been trying Skip of Fools and Pete Robins has been checking out proj's. Goddamit the place has so much potential. I'd love everything to be done for the next guide so i can look at the page full of meat with high 8's. Hopefully a few will get completed. Pete text me today that he feels "like Edlinger at Ceuse in the 80s". It's a great quote and there are lines here that wouldn't be out of place at such a crag. Today was shitty weather but the rock was just about ok. The rain was blowing in after a bit but we were on the crag so couldn't complain too much. We all climbed on Skip, Tommy has been trying it a bit and dispensed the beta. It felt like a different route this time and i really enjoyed working it out with a bit more knowledge. It's fuckin brilliant climbing, ace sidepulls, pinches and guppys. Pascal got it sorted and despatched and me and Tommy did some linkage. The Robins extension incorporates one more hard move after the original belay but i think it's the only way to go now. It would leave a hollow feeling stopping at that nowhere belay now knowing that one more move leads to easy ground at the same grade. Having said that the last move will be a heartbreaker i'm sure! Despite sport climbing all year i haven't done much endurance climbing so its feels like a nice change. The Brute defo feels like a bit more than a grade harder to me though.
Pascal on The Brute last time:

I feel so much better after getting out. I literally depend on the climbing buzz to live a happy life these days. Everything just feels so much better after being out on the crag. I like my missus more, i like my tea more, i like my bed more. I love getting in starving and feeling worked and then chilling out and planning the next hit. I'm a addict- fuck i better not get injured.

Skip of Extended

Pete Robin's has kicked off Diamond season by giving Skip of Fools a logical extended finish to the first belay of Boat People. For some reason Skip finishes in a rather random place a few moves from the easier ground above. Pete's finish gives a few more tricky moves bumping the grade a bit higher up the 8a+ grade. He also added an alternative direct start.
Today Pete rattled off the 4th ascent of the Brute confirming it's super duper quality.

I haven't climbed much since I did Walking Mussel. This has not been through choice, indeed i wanted to climb some more stuff while i was climbing well but other things have got in the way. I miss the endorphins and that feeling of being on a mission though. Today i popped into the Cave after 3 glutonous days in Italy and unsuprisingly i felt rather shit. I've also picked up a bad shoulder from somewhere which doesn't help matters. I ran down to Pigeons on my way home. My project there is my main route goal really but alas it was not dry. It hasn't been dry for more than a few days all summer and it looks like it's going to stay that way. No more being a fat tourist rubbing shoulders with annoying yanks, its all about the crush.

Three Day Event

Pete Harrison has climbed a fine companion route to his neo-classic Red Meat on Craig Pen Gogarth. Pete reckons his new route is 3 stars and like Red Meat it takes the full length of the crag. Three Day Event goes at 7b+/7c. For a more detailed report check the V12 news item. Pete is on a mission at the moment, expect more cool ascents soon!

Rodney God Reclimbed

Pete Robins has reclimbed Rodney God and the Oral Twins at the Cutaway after the loss of a crucial hold. The route was a soft 8a that had a glued on square crimp. I think it was John Maskell who pulled it off and the route has been in limbo ever since. Pete worked out an intense new sequence at the top and bagged it in a couple of sessions at 8b.
Pete also did a new DWS on The Little Orme:
"Then we went questing around the little orme in Tommys boat with Neil too. Well good fun, 'E' looks amazing! We spied a great little routeat the right end of the ledge, to the left of the finish of Heel HookLook (which was wet). It goes up the wall to an overlap and jugs abovethen over a bulge past a pocket and 'fang' hold near the top. Wemoored up on the ledge and Neil committed first, went wrong way andfell in! I didn't want to fall in. I found an easier way at start thenheld it together for the exciting finish. Its perfect quality (2stars), above deep water at high tide, not too high, and around 7a+ or 7b. Felt 7b to me but i was scared! def not climbing at Diablo on myown in sept! Call it 'Ledgend'."

I ventured down The Diamond with Pete Harrison, Pascal, Smitton and Gus. It was fantastic to be back at the most inspiring sport crag in North Wales. It felt tropical, a warm wind was hitting the crag and the rock was really dry (if a little warm). We stayed down at high tide, it wasn't a high one and everything from the Brute leftwards was fine. Me and Pete got on Skip of Fools, the George Smith 8a+ left of Boat People. It was inspiring watching Jimmy Big Guns screaming his way up it last year. It looked brilliant! First go up i was a bit baffled. There are so many potential holds and on this bit of wall i was struggling to find the best ones. The first 3 bolts contain the hardest moves, this bit is really fingery. Then you get to perhaps the only shakeout on the route (and its not a great one) before a sustained romp to the belay. The majority of the holds are pinches (and often quite slopey ones). It really took a bit to get my head round it. Pete sussed some cool beta and sequences on the top and i got a sequence on the start. It's the kind of route that should feel easier every go up as you get it more dialled but jesus it will be a beast to link it all. It's one of the purest power endurance routes i've been on, it hardly lets up at all. Brilliant moves all the way. It's a great contrast to Walking Mussel and i'm psyched to get fitter. Pascal and Smit warmed up on Boat People then Pascal got on The Brute and Smit got on Never Get Out of The Boat. Ry was obviously inspired by The Brute and he was really impressive on it considering he's not been psyched recently. He got to the high redpoint crux 2nd redpoint and will have a good chance of nailing it next time. Smit did NGOOTB and Gus was psyched to be there in good conditions for once and nailed Boat People. This crag is so fucking awesome, its crazy that its banned for the period of year when it's most mint. The main bit of crag has no birds, there is a nest up by Rub a Dub Dub and the rest are up and right of The Brute. Surely we can have partial restrictions on this cliff like they do at so many. It's criminal that it's so out of reach

Imminent Departees

Pete Harrison has climbed a new E7 at Craig y Forwyn. I went to along to take some pics, it looks a great piece of rock. Pete took the lob while i was there but got it next go.

It's been nice not to have to stress about LPT and seiging that route. As is always the case though in climbing your mind soon starts top think about the next challenge. Once the joy has faded you're left with a lasting satisfaction but also a desire for that feeling of clipping the lower off of a hard route. The good thing is i can chill out now and enjoy myself. I've got a couple of FA's i'd love to do. The Pigeons route depends on a long term shift in the weather though. If things carry on like they have been it probably won't happen. I went to Dyserth Waterfall with Spidey and the Cattells yesterday. Mule's on the comeback trail again. He's always blighted by injury but is so strong he's soon back on it. He tried The Hole Truth and blitzed the start but struggled with reach at the lip. There's not many options for feet if you're short. It seems that the start which i struggled on so much is actually ok if you're strong, ah to be a beast! I tried Pete's link Meaty Madness which links Meatsville Arizona into Madness Reigns. I didn't bother with this last year as it would have been the same grade as Madness and i was sick of going there. Losing the break on Meatsville means it's definitely harder and pretty damn awesome! The first roof is hard now. It's brilliant physical climbing and i'm well keen to try it again when i feel a bit fresher. Damn that crag's good!