Autumn
Nick bullock climbing a recent addition at Hornby Crags
Settling into a couple of months based in North Wales. Days free have been scarce, but nearly every one has been productive plus a few optimistic evening forays in the Pass. While it was dry and warm amongst other snippets I managed a few very good recent additions on Dinas Mot sourced from the ever useful V12 Climbing news…..both these routes should be high on any local activists radar….http://news.v12outdoor.com/2013/09/03/5575/ and this one…..http://news.v12outdoor.com/2012/08/28/sunshines-edge-%e2%80%93-3-pitch-e4-6a-on-dinas-mot/. Might be late spring before they’re in good nick again though.
Great Orme…nearly always beyond the mountain rain?!
More recently the weather has pushed us towards the Ormes. There has been a stack of new routing and re equipping going on there. It’s too easy to go there and do the same routes (brilliant as they are) so all these new or refurbished venues have been great fun to visit. The best recent venues have been around the North tip of the Great Orme and I’d recommend visiting Unnamed Crag, St Tudno’s and the Hornby Crags…the latter get the sun just after it leaves the Marine Drive crags…perfect. Unnamed crag could be described as Trevellan with more bolts and less sun. The publication of the much anticipated North Wales Limestone guide will highlight to all soon enough…..check out these sample pages….http://www.northwaleslimestone.com/samples.php. On a more established note my annual trip to Craig Doris confirmed that there is good reason that I will always have plenty still to climb there. Craig Arthur is still a great crag but suffers a little to much abuse due to its “off the radar” status…..http://nickbullock-climber.co.uk/2013/10/01/oblivious/….very good debate in the comments. And that Craig y Forwen, whilst still officially banned access is totally mega with old school grades and no poor bolted eliminates…go and visit but be quiet!
Quickstep at Forwen…one of the best and hardest E4s on N Wales limestone?
Finally, the autumn is a really busy time at PYB for Mountaineering Instructor Award training and assessments, so a lot of my work there is back to back either or. Only occasionally is there something a little more straightforward. The constant challenge of these courses is great and I enjoy trying to not set into a routine format…this keeps my interest more sustainable and hopefully the students get way more out of it.
MIA assessment….doing a good job on the Teaching Day…lots of climbing with plenty of instruction, keeping everyone challenged but as safe as can be….easy!
The candidates who get most out of the training courses and who do the best at assessments seem to do so due to a very simple equation….stacks of varied experience and plenty of climbing/mountaineering ability in reserve….simple! As well as plenty of good days out cragging there are plenty of days to (hopefully) blast around the mountains scrambling to help balance the intake of PYB cake!
Autumn in the Snowdonia mountains…lots of practice on slippy/greasey rock!
Hopefully the weather will be kind for the remaining MIA courses, and I’ll mange to climb outside more than at the Beacon wall. Got some good trips coming up…so need to keep on top of it!
