The Black Pearl

Years ago Dave Redpath stuck some bolts in one of the obvious main lines on The Diamond. The line followed a hanging corner in the middle of the steepness which had plenty of holds but the first couple of metres off the beach to gain the corner was totally desperate. It made sense for someone to climb the route from the first jug as it is such an excellent line and the desperate start was so unbalanced. I remember when i first went to Ceuse this was a common practice on several routes. It seemed silly on those routes as starting from the ground was only usually a grade harder. I recall people hanging on the first bolt of Blanche Fesses 7c at Cascade. The one move off the deck was a v3 dynamic move but all the stamina jug pullers couldn't handle this savage piece of bouldering so they bypassed it. On the Diamond route it was an obvious way forward and Pete Robins did the deed a few days ago at 8a (name The Black Pearl). Now all it needs is a new lower off, maybe an extension and of course the route needs to be climbed from the deck. Hopefully this will go down this season. Its brilliant watching the crag coming to maturity with the obvious new routes getting done and the old routes getting re-equipped.

I was looking in my diary this morning and i noticed a list of 14 new routes that i made back in May that i wanted to complete this year. The Hole Truth was the last one on the list but a few extras have been added. Forgot to post this pic of my lucky belayer:

The Hole Truth

I did my project at Dyserth Waterfall today. I can't believe its 9 months since i first wondered up to this crag with Tony in the search for new rock. I was taken by the steep roofs and the first line i spotted was the roof with the hole on the right. I didn't really spot the potential for the two middle lines as i couldn't see the holds. I cut down some brambles at the top of the crag so i could ab down the line of the hole route. I got down to the lip and where i had been hoping to find some good holds was basically one solitary pinch. I gave up on the route and concentrated on the other lines. The hole was good when you got into it but there were so few options for your feet, i just thought it wouldn't go for me. After i'd completed Meatsville Arizona and Strawberries Man (7c's) i decided to bolt the last two lines even if they were two hard for me someone would do them. The middle line turned into The Madness Reigns which i sandbagged at 7c+. It was one of my best new routes. I had been playing on the hole project and had worked bits of it out. Before my injury in June i had a freak go and managed to get to the lip. It was a freak and when i started trying it again i struggled to get into the hole despite being as strong. It needed drastic action and a crash diet resulted in a breakthrough two days ago. It felt like a different route and i ended up dropping the last hard move. Today i returned with my lucky belayer Norman Clacher (Norm belayed me on the other routes) and did it first redpoint. I felt strangley subdued as i lowered off. I don't know why but the usual excitement when i do something at my limit wasn't there. I just felt pleased and relieved. I've never done a route like this, it is a hard, gnarly, crazy style. The moves you are forced into doing are quite wild for a route. It felt like a weird redpoint because after setting off it was done 40 seconds later. Difficulty wise i can't pinpoint it exactly but i'm guessing it is somewhere between mid to hard 8b. It could be my hardest route, i can't really judge if it's harder than Melanchollie as they're 7 years apart and so different in style. It's 6 easy moves to a 11 move font 7c+ sequence (compared to the recent boulders i've been doing/trying) and then 6b to the top. The name is The Hole Truth (nice one gorgy). I'd love to see some other folk trying it, i'd be intrigued to see what beta people come up with. Anyway to get to the crag follow the river from the top of the falls. Please act sensibly if you visit this crag. It is a popular tourist area and the crag is close to residential properties. You all know the score. I celebrated by climbing two 5's on the left so i could tick the crag.
Pic's by Mike Doyle:




Shit topo for the hard routes:

Pics n Vid

Ducko on G Spotting 7a, Pac Man boulders:

Bogroll comfortiser for toe cam on my hole proj:

Pete on the 2nd Ascent of The Madness Reigns:

Loyal belayer Tommy C:


Jimmy big guns film of the 2nd ascent of Dumpster Diver's. Looks cool, nice to see someone else recording the action!


We need some dry weather drastically, Pigeon's, The Diamond and the cave are all gopping. The Orme was shut today because of rockfall

New 8a+ on The Diamond

Neil Dyer climbed the old left hand Skip of Fools project today. Neil was surprised by the quality of Dumpster Divers (i don't know why! Name connection to Skip of Fools, google it!). This was one of the oldest projects in North Wales and if it were at any other crag it would have been done yonks ago. Pete Robins almost flashed the 2nd ascent falling really high on one of the last hard moves. The first proper hard move of the route is a spectacular dyno which is followed by sustained climbing above. The boys seem to think soft 8a+ is appropriate. The two long wall climbs to the left Robinson Cruiser and Non Tidal Screamer are now good to go. Pete did Robinson last week reckoning it to be pretty hard for the guidebook grade of 7c+. This must of been the first ascent for 20 years. Pete reckoned it could be 8a which in my brain register's as definitely 8a :). Expect a hard runout finish. Caff did Non Tidal Screamer, also probably the first ascent for a very long time. Unsurprisingly this also seems to be pretty tricky for its guidebook grade of 7c and don't be surprised if it feels 7c+ by modern standards. Either George didn't realise how well he was climbing in the late Eighties or we've all gone soft (probably both). Boat People is another example, 7c to the top of the crag in the guide but surely 7c+ compared to all the popular 7c's round here. Owen did NGOOTB (effort) and Caff did the 3rd ascent of The Brute (effort). I'm sure it was a casual affair, i love the way Caff keeps his belayer informed of his movements when he's on a hard route - "i'll have a little look in a min Soph" and the classic "bit of loose". Legend! Anyway no project is safe down The Diamond now, i'm quite glad i don't have to stress about it anymore as all the beasts are going down this year. I tried my Pigeon's proj again yesterday, it was a bit hot and still again. I took my jeans and kneepad but the kneebar wasn't as bomber as i hoped. I persisted and by the end of the session i understood the intricacies of it a bit better and managed to link the 3 hard moves. Pete was trying the S crack but had a go of my proj at the end and confirmed that it's tricky and there is no revolutionary beta that i'm missing. He reckons kneepads are cheating but he's just bitter cos his knee's too short. I embrace cheating like Tiger Woods so i've gone a step further and glued some rubber to my jeans. Please let it work, winter gop is coming! After i went to the cave and had a few redpoints on The Wire, it's a bit of a frustrating one as it's very easy to fall off Broken Heart even if you feel fairly fresh. You have to concentrate and climb it right. Dyer turned up and we killed the day off down LPT. I was keen to have a play on Liquid Ambar as i hadn't been on it this year and i wanted to keep it fresh in my mind. I wanted to try the crux as i knew the big slap Moffatt beta that i had employed when i did it wouldn't work for me on the link as it would be very low percentage. I know he was Jerry Moffatt but i find the way he did that move much more dismaying than the other methods despite being less powerful. It's such a hard accurate slap to be doing there. I had been taking notes when Malc was on it last year and was keen to try his foot beta of keeping his feet low on the shit left hand crimp pinch. I pulled and i roared and i was heartbroken to discover that i'm not as strong as Malcolm Smith, i wish someone had told me sooner, i've been living a lie for all these years. Anyway this crux move is substantially harder than all the other moves on the route for me and i'm not sure how i'm going to do it. The high feet feel too high and Malcs way feels too powerful and low. It'll probably be Malcs way. Just need to get stronger on that shit left hand. Dyer tried a cheeky heel on a decent sidepull which looked interesting. I had it in mind to go away this winter and do loads of campussing but i think its more a case of being able to hold a couple of very shit holds on the crux. On the plus side i was all over the first hard bit straight off, i was pleased because this is the second hardest bit and likely font 7b+. I was even more pleased to find the last sequence pretty steady on it's own. It is significantly easier than the lower moves. I'm sure it's hard on redpoint but if you're getting there you're laughing anyway. It's my lifetime goal and i'm fairly optimistic i can crack it within ten years after yesterdays session. Just need to get beastly, work the crux out and link 13 hard moves. Shouldn't be too bad actually. Its been the golden year for Welsh sport climbing. With well over 100 new routes from French 4 to 8c+ and hopefully more to come the place really is alive.

Sexy Little Knee

The good weather continues, i was losing the will with the rain but this weeks been very nice thank you very much. I headed to the recently unbanned hanging rock just past Mayfair Wall this morning to catch up with Tony. He was bolting up two very old forgotten routes, Wall of Goutes and Gripper Clipper. The rest of the crag was bolted up recently. The routes look very good actually. I bolted a new line through the main roof. A very nice looking boulder problem route on excellent rock. It will be the most roadside hard route in North Wales and looks pretty despy actually. Hope i can do it!
Pic:
We removed a few loose blocks from above the crag. Its quite scary to prise a big block away with your little finger. This kind of work definitely makes the marine drive safer for everyone that uses it. If us climbers didn't clear loose rock they would eventually come down, probably in a rainstorm and they are potentially lethal. Anyway that's enough blowing climbers trumpets for now.
I tootled on down to the cave pleased with my mornings work. Nodder, Jack The Ratt and Ducko were getting involved. I felt light and bouncy, my performance is definitely elevated at the moment. I've had a few of these moments over the years and the lesson i've learnt is to strike while the irons hot as they don't last forever! The priorities are my new routes and Cave 8a+s. I'm on redpoint on The Wire now and got the undercut twice today falling just shy of the jugs. I'm sure i'll fall off Clever Beaver pumped stupid when i get there. It's a brilliant bit of power endurance climbing and it feels good to climb well on a hard problem. Mills turned up and we headed down Pigeon's. It was nice and dry but still and muggy so not mint. I was well excited to get on my project feeling strong. I hadn't tried it for ages. The moves felt easier straight away and my original beta seemed about right. The route is about 7b+ to some undercuts and it's pretty intense to the top from there. I was still finding two fingery moves pretty hard and deep down i was thinking 8b and pretty hard on the link. The important thing is to keep an open mind and i wedged my knee against the slopey ramp feature. I had the worst kneebarring trousers on but instantly i knew that it would work as my leg was the right size. It dawned on me that the knee might work for the next move too and sure enough it seemed too. I'm pretty sure this will feel solid with my jeans and kneepad and all of a sudden the routes seems do-able. I need to do it before winter as the top does seep. I'm sceptical about Pete's 7c grade for the right hand route. It looks harder and Mills said he belayed Kristian Klemmow on it in the 90s. He was crushing 7c's back then. 3 finger deadhangs now.

Praise the Hurricane

Phew i'm at risk of spreading myself too thin at the mo. I want to climb everything, stamina down the Diamond, hard new route projects, blocs in the hills, PE in the cave. Need to take a deep breath and concentrate on the new routes. Me and Jimmy went to climb down Pigeon's today. The remnants of the Atlantic hurricane has made everything so mint round here. It was a one in 500 day down Pigeon's. Definitely the most mint conditions i've ever seen down there. Unfortunately it was approaching high tide, the sea was proper choppy and it was a high tide so we had to bail. Jim had a quick go on Stiff extension and i warmed up on Koo. Tony was on the Orme re equipping Paradise 6c amongst other things. There's been lots of action on the Upper Drive as Tony and co are trying to get the place sorted for the guide. I headed back to the Cave to meet Nodder, we warmed up in Split. I managed Belpig 7c for the first time, another nemisis despatched. I never thought i'd ever do that one. I kicked my cave season off and felt good despite feeling worked. I re-worked Pilgrim with the heel (superior beta) method and managed to get into RA. I also did the first move of Broken Heart from the start of The Wire which i was chuffed with also. I don't know which one to try first now! When i was hanging on The Diamond the other day i got thinking about some of the sport routes round here that i've been on and where i'd rank them in their respective grade in percentage terms. With 1% being low in the grade and 99% being top. Here we go (my opinions obviously!):

7c
Boat People 80%
Bad Boy 90% (for tallies)
Magic Flute 50%
Body Torque Direct 30%
Tomorrow People 20%
Release The Hounds 80%
Koo Koo 70%
Upside Doom 90%

7c+
Follow The Prof 90%
Stiff Upper Lip 90%
Wirral Whip 30%
Billy The Fish 90%

8a
Stark 10%
Statement 70%
Over The Moon 80%
Over The Moon Direct 20%
Battle of The Little Big Orme 70%
Mussel Beach 5%
Parasite 10%
Rodney God (pre break) 20%
Never Get Out of The Boat 80%
The Waiting Game 25%
Simon Says 35%
Masterclass 70%
Oyster 30%

8a+
Masterplan 5%
Rock Lobster 10%
Wild Understatement 30%
Moonwalk 40%
Pas De Deux 90%
The Last Crusade 50%
Melon Beach 80%

8b
Melanchollie 85%
Stiff Upper Lip 20%
Temple of Gloom 5%
Carinthian Groove 50%

8b+
The Brute 5%
Walking Mussel 5%

Bowldro Gogledd Cymru

Back in uni North Wales bouldering was my main inspiration. The Northern Soul guides and the subsequent bouldering guide galvanised my psyche. I loved the varied nature of bouldering in the area and the many options for a good day out. As i did most the cool stuff i could do my psyche went off the boil a bit and i went on a bit of a downer with British bouldering as a whole. After a couple of years routing i'm really keen to get back into it and have earmarked a meaty list of problems to play on this winter. Some are definitely goers and some are very optimistic but i'm looking forward to getting out there. Currently the list includes: Flick of The Wrist, Diesel Power, Special K, Cruella, Nazgals Traverse, Love Pie, Wurzel Gunnage Stand, Will, 36 Chambers sit, Be Ruthless, Smackhead, Jerry's Problem, Main Vein, Lizard King, Sick happy, The Tusk, Lotus, Wierdo and Papa Big Lunch. Will be interesting to see how many of these babies i can tick off. The plan for the winter is to train like i never have before. The thing i care about most in climbing is my top end sport grade and i've been frustrated that this has stagnated for 7 years. Living round here to make a step up i need to get stronger. It is the most important thing. So i'm keen to hit the boards for an extended period and start campussing. This is something i've always been shit at. It's always been a major weakness and i really think developing that power will help me step up. I'm going to have to do something different if i want to be doing some good links on Liquid Ambar! The only way i can maintain psyche is by continuing to climb outside and get ticks. I can't just lock myself on the board like Nodder and Gorgy. Anyway hopefully my body and mind will allow me to stick to the plan, be like Jerry.
I have been dieting hard for my Hole proj, today was the first day on it for over a week and i was hoping for a breakthrough. It wasn't to be as the start was as hard and awkward as ever. i did do a bigger link on the end and could feel the weight loss kicking in. The start involves getting a shit three finger drag for your right hand, camming your foot in a hole and reaching left via some really wide moves into the hole. Its strength, technique and body position rolled into 3 go again moves. I'm starting to run out of ideas on it. I know i can do it because i got to the lip pre injury. I think some specific training is in order, i'm going to do some 3 finger deadhanging on my bit of wood. Grrr! I tried Pete's route First Round, First Second. I bolted the line but didn't feel like i would ever do it. It was good to try it with the beta. It basically boils down to 2 hand moves and 2 foot moves. The hand moves i could do ok by keeping my feet low but moving my feet was the desperate bit. With 2% more finger power i think i could do it. Its an inspiring style, short, just off vertical and bony. It's probably a tricky Font 7c sequence i'd say. Pete did the 2nd ascent of my 8a The Madness Reigns and also did the 7c's Meatsville Arizona and Strawberries Man. Today was a mint climbing day in North Wales. Jordan chose a great day to make a solo trip from Lancashire and came away with the 2nd ascent of The Brute. "Made it look like 7a+" was Pete Harrison's comment. Ahh to be fit. Finally a big well done to Jimmy Big Guns who finally came out the other side on his seige of Melanchollie. I think he first tried it in 2009 so it's been a while in coming. Great effort and a great first 8b!