Hopes, dreams and accelerated possibilities ...

So I've rather been put on the spot by a few people recently to explain a peculiar purchase of mine ... A Himalayan Down Suit. Yup, that's right a massive sleeping bag like suit of greatness packed full of 800 fill Goose Down.

There are 14 (prominent/dominant?!) places in the world where this thing is necessary and wouldn't cause you to overheat, know where I mean? How about if I use the phrase 8000er? No, still none the wiser? Well let me explain, there are 14 peaks in the world that are over 8000 metres above sea level, the obvious being Everest, closely followed by K2 going 'all' the way down to Shishapangma at 'just' 8027m ...

I want to climb one. Well no, I want to climb ALL of them. All of them without Oxygen - as the Mr Messner says, "by fair means" or not at all.  But for the moment ticking one would be superb, in credit to my heroes Simone Moro and Denis Urbuko I would like it to be Gasherbrum II (which they were the first to climb in Winter, last year with Cory Richards). 

Now I need to work on saving a lot of money and getting my fitness to a very high level, I need to be able to plod and plod and plod, in the freezing cold with the utmost conviction, watch this space. 

The games are a foot.

Another Bristol Panorama

Sunrise

Just a little sunrise panorama from Bristol, this morning.

My heroes are at it again!

Denis Urbuko and Simone Moro are out looking at the 8000ers again, this time looking at the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat at the far west of the Himalayas. Good luck gents and look forward to more videos soon!

Nanga Parbat is incidentally the first and only 8000er to be climbed solo by the late, great Hermann Buhl in 1953 and like K2, G1 and Broad Peak it has yet to see a winter ascent - I can see this easily changing by the end of the season.

Johnny Dawes et al on Foula's Sea Cliffs

So for the last couple of months my dad's been telling me about an old VHS tape he had at the school he works for, finally he managed to have it burnt to DVD and posted it over to me. In it a 'free style' girl climbs to the top of an African cliff face, all the time my dad told me about it I assumed he'd mistaken the commentator saying Free Solo for Free Style but it turns out, nope they're definitely saying 'Free Style', new phrase on me!

So it turns out ultimately that this clip is actually on YouTube already, it's one of Catherine Destivelle and features one of the finest Jazz Trumpeting Shamans you'll ever hear, you can watch it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N70DLM8Az_8

What was more interesting however was the other clip on the documentary, an expedition to Foula in the Shetland Islands, where my dad used to be based as a bird ringer. In this clip a plethora of fine climbers take on what was considered as possible the highest sea cliff in the British Isles. As the film developed I realised just how historically important it was, featuring non other than Johnny Dawes dancing his way up a coastal cliff slab. Having uploaded it last night it's already been viewed 217 times and I can imagine it will be watched an awful lot as word spreads, I can't recommend it enough - it's classic piece of British Free Climbing!


Climbing on Foula from Lil Pete on Vimeo.
 

2011 in Review - Part 2

So it's taken me a little longer to pen part 2 than I hoped, but as you'll see from my intermediate post I've been keeping busy in the mean time.

So I mentioned at the end of the last post that this year had been about lots of little trips around the UK, it's taken me this long to realise how amazing and diverse the our little island is, how much there is to see. Whilst the majority of the trips were climbing related, the main focus was just to get outdoors, smell the fresh air and most importantly have fun with friends. So without further ado here's a few of the best trips, throughout the year and some photos taken along the way.



So the Peak District has been a regular destination, the idea being to enjoy the fantastic, high-friction Gritstone bouldering. That said I've yet to get up there in temperatures cool enough to experience this wonderful grip, only experiencing sweaty, slimy climbing. That said each time the weather has been amazing, the views impressive. It's testament to how different my two jobs are that I ventured up with the director of The Climbing Academy, Rich after a kind offer of a lift up to climb with himself, his son Laurie, Archie another TCA employee and the Potokars, Hamish and Jon. I can't see me going out for a camping trip with the director of Waterstone's anytime soon!



This wasn't my first trip to 'The Grit' this year, Dan, Alex and I had headed up a few weeks before and had a fun-filled day of roaming around the key locations and a good grub at the Outdoor Shop in Hathersage.

This shop is my nemesis, I was suckered into buying a pair of 5.10 Teams there and have tried for the last 8 or 9 months to use them, but always put them back in my bag and carried on climbing in my Solutions. The Teams looks so cool, but just don't climb the way I climb! One day they're going to be the perfect shoe for a certain climb, but until that day, I think they're going to sit at the back of the wardrobe!



So other than heading up north, wonders will never cease, I've even headed east. To anyone who knows me well will know, this doesn't happen very often at all despite it being where I grew up and where my parents and sister still live. Somehow 2 1/2 hours on the train now feels like an insurmountable distance!

So what was the plan over there then? Well I was a tool in my father and sister's odd pursuit - Geocaching. I was to assist with a 5/5 apparently, for what that's worth! So was I required? You've guessed it, climbing expertise, in this case abseiling to a small pot housed in a chalk cliff.



After that bit of excitement my dad and friend headed up a motorway bank to find another little pot and write their names on the roll of paper within. I can't say I'm 100% convinced by the hobby just yet and have tended to walk around as nonchalantly as I can whenever they're burying around in bushes trying to find these little things but I must admit it's a good excuse to get outside and active so I suppose it's their version of my climbing!

The trip I talked about previously, with Jim to the Black Mountains, produced a plethora of good photos - mainly because I used my photography as a reason to stop and recuperate! Here's a few more, the first showing Jim at work navigating, I was really quite impressed up until the point when we cut trail down a very steep slope through head high bracken laced with brambles and stinging nettles.



I can't believe how lucky we were that day with the weather, lightly clouded skies meaning it was never too hot and yet the only rain was a light sprinkling towards the end of the day which came as a most appreciated cool. The only spicy point was at the top of Waun Fach when we stood in a whiteout and had to navigate our way down to the valley bottom, given the geography of the Black Mountains - long rolling hills - we were reasonably safe whichever route we took down, my only disappointment is that we never saw the waterfall we thought were following!

So after living in Bristol, less than an hour from the Welsh border, for the last ten years and never venturing over, this year has been different. Visiting the Black Mountains, Snowdonia and the Wye Valley on several occasions. Just a few weeks ago my parents came over and we visited Tintern Abbey and a few months earlier a great band of us ventured over from TCA for a climb at the exciting place that is Tintern Quarry. It was a really nice day not least for the crowd, all regulars who climb on a Friday night at The Climbing Academy, along with Tris, Carly and myself the regular Friday night staff.

I think everyone in the next photo is from our team, such a nice outing, finished off with a great BBQ at Chris' house in the woods just nearby. A great end to a fun day.

The place that sits closest to my heart, this year, however has to be Snowdonia and the Ogwen Valley specifically. Ollie, a route setter at TCA, and I finally found time in our busy schedules to go for an adventure and throwing the climbing and camping kit in bags we made a rendezvous at The Climbing Academy for 10pm when I was locking up. Jumping in the car we raced off to North Wales and campsite in the shadow of the hills. However awaking the following morning I was none the wiser to the location until all of a sudden the morning cloud started to descend and out the top creeped the gnarly black summit of Tryfan. Absolutely breathtaking view and thankfully the photo I took at the time did it justice.



So after packing up the camping kit we pulled rucksacks on and headed up to Unnamed Cwm sitting alongside the Devil's Kitchen and a marvellous days climbing up Sub-Cneifon Rib and Arete. Having been fooled by Ollie's assurance I wouldn't need climbing shoes, that B2 Mountain Boots would be fine, I had some of the most fun climbing I'd had, big stompy climbing, standing on the smallest of edges thanks to the superstiff soles. Ollie on the other hand cheated and used super sticky rock shoes, just not in the feel of the route in my opinion!

Topping out we were given the spectacle of this view of the Ogwen Valley and out to sea if you squinted, whilst it might not look particularly high, a pair of RAF jets still buzzed by underneath a few minutes after this was taken - very impressive!



So having had such an enjoyable day with blue skies, fantastic climbing we vowed to make another trip as soon as possible and even managed the organisation! This time Naomi another route setter at TCA was to join us, lured by the stories of the previous adventure. Her first such trip to Wales, wasn't quite as she had had it described to her embarrassingly. Arriving at the same campsite as before, the wind was immense easily Gale Force and according to the MET office raising to Storm Force on the summits over night. The rain was buzzing horizontally and tent construction was to put it mildly, 'exciting'! The following day it was still very windy and still very wet. Climbing was put on the back burner and we drove around the corner to Llanberis Pass for a wander up to the Parson's Nose.



So the weather was more typically North Welsh, but as such the scenery looked even more spectacular. The colours in the vegetation were amazing, the rocks showing off their super menacing cragginess! As we made it towards the top of the pass it was obvious that the summit ridge was very windy and a white out of cloud, stopping at a picturesque lake for lunch we hung out, ate (fake) jelly babies and personally waded across the lack to the small island in the middle like a small child - the water damn cold, but the mission fun all the same!



With that we descended back down to the car below, before a drive around the surrounding area stopping off to look up to Snowdon. Snowdon was looking a little less than spectacular, the cloud covering her summit to approach slopes, you'd have no idea the second highest mountain was in front of us. With that we jumped back in the car and headed to Betws-y-Coed for a bit of food, then back to Bristol. No climbing was had  this time but I think it's safe to say fun was had by all and more importantly Naomi assured us that she wasn't put off from such adventures in the future, which is great news.



So if you've read this far I hope you enjoyed my ramblings about rambling. Here's to a whole new load of adventure in 2012!

So there's going to be one more musing about 2011, it was a fun, eventful year, but as soon as possible I look forward to writing about 2012 adventures - hopefully sooner rather than later!

Never meet your idols? Nonsense!

So around quarter to seven we pulled onto motorway and the speedo crept up and up, Tim then turned to me and asked, "So mate, have you ever been in a serious car accident?" as if it was an offer to cause one. Bearing in mind Mr Emmett partakes in the most dangerous sport in the world, BASE jumping, I held on a little bit tighter and prepared to enjoy the ride ahead. And what a ride it was to be.

Going back a few weeks Tim had seen me desperately trying to make use of my ice tools, playing on girders under a bridge, taking pity on me he offered to show me the ropes in Wales. I couldn't be more excited, taught to use ice tools by someone who stood three times on the podium of the Ice Climbing World Cup? But also it was damn good to just hang out, if ever you need cheering up, Tim is your man!

So, where to go play? White Goods - a peculiar, chossy, pair of massively overhanging caves with rocks littering the floor the size of fridges, freezers and in some cases even small cars! Further leading to the intimidation was the fact that we were meeting two of Tim's mate's there; Ian Parnell, master mountain photographer, editor of Climb magazine, Everest summiter, Patagonia gnarl endurer along with Andy Turner, who's recent achievements include repeating the hardest of Scottish winter climbs Cathedral X,11 and The Hurting XI,11 both ludicrously hard and sketchy, then seconding Dave Macleod on his monstrous Longhope Project. I know I shouldn't admit it but there was definitely a little bit of idolisation going on, these two guys are 'cool' and embarrassingly I knew a lot about their achievements and had watched a lot of videos of their climbing!

So with that we entered the lair, helmets on asap since not that many weeks ago there's been an accident when a rather large block had fallen on a guy and he was rushed to hospital with a fractured skull and vertebrate - that was DESPITE wearing a helmet; there would only have been one outcome if he hadn't been wearing one. Danger aside however, I've got to admit it was my sort of crag, secluded, imposing and chossy. Funny place!

After one more cup of coffee Tim tied on and raced up the wall through a series of small over hangs, and then a few huge looking moves into a pair of skinny cracks to the chains, on his way up describing the various holds and ways to pull on them. Lowering off he looked up grinning, "Whatcha think then mate, ready?" - Ready?! The realisation suddenly hit me, this is what I was to climb up, too! Apprehensively I tied on and looked across at the first move a backhand hook with a big reach up and onto the face, commenced from the top of a freezer sized block lodged in the ground. Looking at it I didn't think I could do it, what would I do if I couldn't even do the first move?! I slowly tottered across and stood up on the block, hooked my tool in across my chest and looked up to where I was to place my right tool, I managed it, I was on the wall. This was already cool. This was already strenuous!

I could describe all the moves up to halfway now, after a series of goes playing on the route through the day, the latter half of the route I got up the first go after some serious hang-dogging (sitting in my harness, off the wall resting in between sections). But I don't think it would be of particular interest! The finest piece of advice that Tim doled out during the day came as I scrabbled at the top trying to get up a skinny crack, near the chains. Seeing me fumbling about he shouts up, deadly serious "Only pull on the good holds, Pete." That piece of advice made me lose all sense of focus and laughing my arse off I fell from the wall whilst Andy and Ian grinned at Tim's expert coaching! The thing is after a bit of explanation it made more sense, what he was saying was to not trying and use shite intermediate holds to make getting between the good holds easier - it's better with axes to hang and rejuvenate before trying big moves between good holds then trying to do a series of little moves on closer spaced bad holds. Once he cleared that up it made a load of sense and I stuck to it at as best I could later in the day, that said the temptation to try and thrutch up rather than carefully planning an ascent is all too tempting when you know you're about to slip off the wall!



So back to the title, "Never Meet Your Idols". How wrong this advice can be - Andy and Ian were great fun and as so often with climbers, so supportive and encouraging, can't ask for a better crowd watching me bumble about trying to figure out which end of the axe was which! It was also great to see them having troubles of their own, Ian dropping a tool halfway up and having to retire to the ground after aborted attempts to catch a spare tool thrown up along with Andy clearing off leaving his tool firmly lodged at his high point (see the shoddy video at the end!). It's great seeing people this good climbing, impressive and very inspiring, I'm determined to get strong before I return for round two!



The final part of the day was the coolest thing I've seen, Tim ticking his brutal project - a traverse along the lip of an overhang before stepping out onto a dead tree and back to clip the chains - the first go saw him fall at the end of the lip, just before the closing moves. Dropping off, we planned to chill for 20 minutes whilst he got his strength together, a quarter of an hour later he was bouncing and ready to go, on he pulled and raced across. All of a sudden there was an ominous screeching noise and some serious rattling and shaking on Tim's part - his tool was stuck, super stuck! After a few more aborted attempts to free it, he was forced to back climb to relocate it in a poorer way so he could free it easier when he moved on, that he did and blasted on to the tree and the chains - utterly amazing, super brutal climbing.

I want to be that good one day!

With that we leapt back into his Audi and raced back south to Bristol and somehow to both our surprise we made it back to The Climbing Academy for me to start work at 7pm. An awesome day through and through. That said today, the morning after the day before I felt absolutely worked, I've never ached so much in my life; biceps, shoulders, the lot!

Cheers Tim, owe you for that. best days cragging in ages!

Oh and here's the video of Andy, one of the strongest climbers operating in Scotland complaining about being weak, if that's the case there's little hope for the rest of us ...