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!
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