Scrambling Week
I have just spent a great week working with Tom, who wanted to move into mountaineering terrain. So we did a day of rope work and rock climbing at the upper tier on Monday. Followed by the great Grade 1 Crib Lem spur on tuesday.…
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Sunnier Climbs Hot Rock Holidays
For the last few years Snowdonia Mountain Guides has been heading to Spain to coach climbers under the wonderful sunny skies of Spain’s winter sun. With winter fast approaching come join us on our new venture with Sunnier Climbs Hot Rock Coaching Holidays and Adventures.…
New Branding for our Hot Rock Holidays
So whilst we are still offering the same great getaways to Spain and other fantastic hot rock holiday destinations we have made a little bit of a rebranding over to Sunnier Climbs, a website that is dedicated to offering winter sun, hot rock climbing and the same fantastic coaching we offer at snowdonia mountains guides.
So please have a look at our new Sunnier Climbs Website for everything from easy sport and trad climbing coaching in the heart of Spanish Winter Sun territory in Costa Blanca through to our adventure climbing holidays in Picos De Europa and Morocco. As well as other great destinations for mountain and climbing adventures in the sun.
Check out our other destinations for hot rock climbing coaching holidays.
….and Rest
So I was lucky enough to get all the books together just days before I ended up in the orthopaedic hospital having my back operated on. I have for many years suffered with a bad back and have prolapse my L4/L5 disc on several occasions…
New Slate Guide and the White Cliff Imminent
So for the last, 8 months I have been working on the latest Rockfax guidebook to climbing in the Slate Quarries around Llanberis. It has been a great opportunity to highlight some of the great new and classic routes in teh quarries, by developing a…
New Routes on Slate
So as well as getting around climbing some great routes around North Wales, I have also had a eye out for new routes as I have been putting the slate guide together. I had always thought the Peppermint Tower deserved a route that didn’t make you think you were going to die. In particular it had a dolerite seam running through the middle of it which had an attractive looking line.
Last week I got round to bolting the route and another one on the shady north face of the tower. Along with adding a lower off to a forgotten about old route that is worth the effort to climb, and I might even re-bolt it. The same night we had Mike Hutton along with his camera and we finished the day off with an ascent of the awesome chinook arete, 7a.
My routes turned out to be an amazing 5c, called Jug Bach, named after the great trad route opposite it, and the other route was El Juego Grande, which translates to the big game. Again a fairly steady away 6a. Both need some care when lowering off due to some loose rock but in the main the routes are now reasonably solid.
Life in the Shallow End
Whilst exploring the limits of the structural integrity of shale is one way I like to test myself, At the same time it can get a little tiresome emotionally and there is the whole argument of choosing your battles. With a little of this and…
Deep Play and Adventure
Climbing is what many describe as a broad church, with many subdivision and subcultures that make up the whole. Whilst many climbers will drift happily between the technicalities, strength and athleticism of bouldering, through the physical challenges of hard sport and into the mind games…
Stealing Routes
I am not talking about taking people precious climbing projects, i am referring to getting out despite a bad forecast and making the best of a bad bunch. The last couple of days has been just that, with some ducking and diving I have managed to get some climbing in with some great friends.
The first day was at Penmaen Mawr Quarry above the A55, this has a great selection of sport routes now. We started on a 6a+ Pelvic Wiggle, then I tried Lost in the Ozone a tricky 7a which I blew the crux on the flash, then it was the excellent Puzzle Groove 6b+ before Dave put the clips in and chalked up Map of the Problematique, a fantastic 7a+, which was awesome to flash. Long with lots of rest but some very technical parts. Including an awesome finishing slab that leads to lay backing up and very exposed arete. It then rained denying Dave his go.
The following day it rain a lot but Matt who didn’t want to be stuck inside made us head out and climb Christmas Curry a Severe in the rain at Tremadog. Which despite the weather was a great day out with some great friends.
Dorys Day
Spent a great day at Craig Dorys today where the Llyn effect was in full force, so under a sunny if somewhat breezy sky we abseiled into the Craterer Slab and climbed Pat Littlejohn route, Headwind. This route starts up Full Sail before heading out…