The Climbing Thread

mid_gen · 26 Jul 2021 at 07:15

Street said:
Nice one, which routes did you do?

Came up Bastow Buttress on the East Face, then up the remainder of the North Ridge.

So many good looking routes on Tryfan...will definitely be back, probably after the school holidays though.

I'm going to do a trad leading course in the meantime so by then we'll be able to go out and practice ropework on some easy stuff before tackling some of the more technical lines on Tryfan.

Street · 26 Jul 2021 at 11:54

Nice, it's a fun route, I've not done it in years.. New years day 2015 in fact! The east face is good for low grade mountaineering style routes, plenty to go at and some good link ups for a full day out. Up Gashed Crag, down Little and North Gully then up Grooved Arete is good value and gives you about 400m of climbing!

I was planning on doing Avalanche/Red Wall/Longlands on Lliwedd this Saturday. It's been on my to do list for ages, but the forecast isn't looking good and I wanted to enjoy it rather than it be a slippery horror show as it's north facing so we might have to change our plans.

mid_gen · 6 Aug 2021 at 20:50

God my trad seconding course booked now in a couple of weeks, followed immediately by finally getting to some MC meets to get some practice in. Then will get my lead course in October time probably...and should be all equipped to get out there without supervision.

The wall of my study is slowly getting covered in gear...happily just slowly building it up with a few bits each month. Slings and more screwgates the latest batch.

Getting close to max bouldering grade again, feels good...although my torn MCL still isn't 100%....have a feeling it won't ever be....

manic111 · 7 Aug 2021 at 13:37

Steven Rimmington said:
Started watching a lot of magnus midtbø videos and have a real urgency to start climbing. The only problem is it looks like a sport where been quite skinny is key. Now I'm 5'9 around 210 pounds I have a feeling ill really struggle, looking to climb indoors and if possible get some help or some sort of beginner classes. Any recommendations in the Yorkshire area?

I'm very much not built for climbing(5'11 and just over 90kg despite being pretty athletic). I still love bouldering though despite being bang average at it

mid_gen · 12 Aug 2021 at 14:45

Finally got out to a club meet, did some routes at Horseshoe Quarry before the rain arrived. First time on a rope for a while, good to get back into it!

Gonna head to the roaches at the weekend with the gf, not sure if it's to boulder, scamble, or trad, will see how the crowds are.

Street · 6 Sep 2021 at 23:13

I finally ticked off Avalanche/Red Wall/Longlands on Y Lliwedd on Saturday. With 12 pitches and nearly 300m of climbing it's pretty good going for a UK route! I've wanted to do it for ages but have never quite got around to it so it's good to have finally got on it. After reading all the reports of people struggling with route finding and getting benighted, the climbing was actually fairly straightforward and we only went off route slightly on the 10th pitch. We moved together for most of it and only pitched a couple of the pitches near the top so it only took us about 2 and a half hours. If anyone is after a proper mountain adventure, it's worth checking out!

mid_gen · 7 Sep 2021 at 22:04

Have been finally getting to some MC meets, Harpur Hill tomorrow. Going to try and find my grade tomorrow...have just been getting used to leading on easy stuff, 6A+ the last few weeks.

Feeling in decent shape after getting back climbing regular after my MCL tear. I'll be disappointed if I can't do some 6C/6C+.

I was looking forward to doing a lot of climbing second half of the year, bought a camper a couple weeks ago, but having a bad run of deaths in the family and other nonsense that's putting a spanner in the works. Was meant to be going Ogwen Valley again next week, but had to can it.

Guess we can always gear up for winter outings!

mid_gen · 9 Sep 2021 at 09:01

What a lovely day at Harpur Hill. I know people like to mock the quarries, but that upper tier with views out over Buxton, a nice breeze and the late afternoon sun....glorious.

Ticked off a bunch of 2 and 3 * 6As, Coral Seas, On the Stroke Of 5000, Wile E Coyote. The old duffers at the MC are glad to have some keen newbies do the hard work so I'm leading everything now, which is all fine with me! I would like to do some harder stuff though, but most of the regulars seen to balk at 6B or higher.

mid_gen · 20 Sep 2021 at 08:44

Still trying to get my first trad lead done...was all set to at Stanage last week but the breeze fell and the midges came out with a vengeance so called it a day early.

Weather looks great this week, but I've managed to tweak my old back niggle for the first time in years so that's me out until that settles :mad:

jpaul · 26 Sep 2021 at 22:14

mid_gen said:
Still trying to get my first trad lead done..

you've gone up and placed gear on a top rope ? - have you purchased a new rope - or waiting for sales at an opportune moment

e: who remembers their first significant lead fall mine was on lizard cliffs - granite - have to lookup route name, probably on one of those wild country shiny walnuts
e2: twas a route at chair ladder I rekon pegasus
https://www.multi-pitch.com/climbs/pegasus-on-chair-ladder/

The Last Mountain
Documentary
The Last Mountain
The fateful story of climber Tom Ballard who perished on Nanga Parbat in 2019.

.. complete with (I don't think he really needs an introduction) Rheinhold Messener,
I think most 40+'s would recognise Alison Hargraeves too, daughter very similar.

mid_gen · 27 Sep 2021 at 09:30

jpaul said:
you've gone up and placed gear on a top rope ? - have you purchased a new rope - or waiting for sales at an opportune moment

I've practiced placing gear and building anchors, I just haven't had the right weather. Done a fair bit of sport climbing but whenever it's trad the weather turns to crap or the midges ruin it

If it comes to it I'll just drag the g/f to a crag the first dry weather we have her belay me up a diff or something so I can tick it off

jpaul · 27 Sep 2021 at 13:53

mid_gen said:
If it comes to it I'll just drag the g/f to a crag the first dry weather we have her belay me up a diff or something so I can tick it off

not sure if you mean her belaying skills are questionable so, it would be like leading. take in the slack, put the phone down.

Ballards g/f, also a climber, surprisingly, lamented that Danieli who he died with, was a bit maverick.

mid_gen · 27 Sep 2021 at 15:25

jpaul said:
not sure if you mean her belaying skills are questionable so, it would be like leading. take in the slack, put the phone down.

Ballards g/f, also a climber, surprisingly, lamented that Danieli who he died with, was a bit maverick.

She's never climbed on ropes, but like most people I'm sure can do a decent job with a few minutes instruction. I happily solo diffs, so not really necessary anyway, more that I just want to tick my 2021 aim, which is to lead a trad route. Done a fair bit of seconding now...but leading is a different game altogether.

I've managed to get into some local WhatsApp groups for climbers so should have plenty of partners next season.

mid_gen · 5 Oct 2021 at 08:23

Well, decided to give rope soloing a go, as I've got tons of leave to use, and finding people at short notice to climb with is a pain in the butt. Booked Thursday off, gonna head to the Roaches start on some toprope solo, just easy stuff obviously to get used to it. Will use my 60m triple doubled up, a different ascender on each strand, pretty happy that's enough redundancy. Not that I plan on falling

In the gym I've finally got back to my peak performance, been getting into try hard mode in recent weeks and working boulder problems beyond my limit. Yesterday I managed to complete all the moves on a f7A I've been working....just need to link it together....and I can finally say I've bust that 7A plateau, been stuck there for a couple of years (thanks covid).

mid_gen · 8 Oct 2021 at 20:42

Well, I did a day or TR soloing, and I'm not dead

I used an Edelrid Spoc and Wild Country Ropeman 2, one on each strand of my 60m twin rope, doubled up.

Worked well, and felt safe, but it was a lot of faff. Get to the anchor, clip in with my lanyard, take one ascender off, replace with my GigaJul, load it and clip in. Remove the other ascender. Check everything, weight the GJ, remove lanyard, and rappel down.

Rappel is a bit grabby in assisted mode on the GigaJul....and I don't fancy faffing with a prussik as well. Too complex, too many chances of making a mistake, so I've just ordered a Taz Lov3, and will just use a single rope...the Lov3 as the primary, and the Spoc as backup. Makes the change from ascent to rappel so much easier and less chance of a screwup.

mid_gen · 19 Oct 2021 at 09:46

Decided to try and get over the V5 hump this winter, helped by my MC starting regular indoor meets for the winter months, so I've had people to boulder with at my grade.

Did my first V6 problem last night after working it for 5-6 sessions...proper tricky slab with some tiny crimps and underclings....happy with that. Then went and tried a few more and then did another second go....guess I'm a V6/7a boulderer now

Did another session soloing with the new setup last week, the Taz Lov3 is perfect for TR solo, don't bother with the backup device, and just put knots in above the deck and any ledges. Simple is best, less chances to screw up!

Will be up in Glossop at the weekend so will be checking out the crags above the town.

Gypo · 25 Oct 2021 at 15:06

Any Stokies go to AW or Audley?

Interested in taking it up again sometime and wanted to know if they are still decent / popular?

ikra · 31 Oct 2021 at 19:15

Do you guys get any injuries from climbing? My fingers get sore and lose full mobility a day or two after a hard climb. I'm now a v5 climber but I haven't really included fingerboarding in my repertoire yet

Street · 31 Oct 2021 at 19:43

ikra said:
Do you guys get any injuries from climbing? My fingers get sore and lose full mobility a day or two after a hard climb. I'm now a v5 climber but I haven't really included fingerboarding in my repertoire yet

I've injured myself bouldering more than anything else! Mainly popped pulleys over the years. Bouldering seems to be pretty brutal on the joints.

I'm currently out of action after tearing the meniscus in my knee. Looking at 3-4 months before I can get a referral with the knee clinic, then god knows when I can get an operation. I can climb if I limit myself and don't push my grade, but anything with a big walk in is out so it's looking like my winter climbing season is going to be a write off.

mid_gen · 1 Nov 2021 at 09:54

ikra said:
Do you guys get any injuries from climbing? My fingers get sore and lose full mobility a day or two after a hard climb. I'm now a v5 climber but I haven't really included fingerboarding in my repertoire yet

How long have you been climbing? Quite often see people come to climbing from being gym bunnies or crossfit or whatever, who are pretty strong already, and constantly wreck their fingers, because their strength is just too much for their tendons and fingers. It takes years for your tendons to strengthen, much longer than muscle.

Touch wood, I've never injured myself climbing...5 years, climbing V6/7a now. I've always bouldered though, and only the last year got into sport/trad seriously, so maybe that's conditioned me to deal with powerful moves.

Street said:
I've injured myself bouldering more than anything else! Mainly popped pulleys over the years. Bouldering seems to be pretty brutal on the joints.

I'm currently out of action after tearing the meniscus in my knee. Looking at 3-4 months before I can get a referral with the knee clinic, then god knows when I can get an operation. I can climb if I limit myself and don't push my grade, but anything with a big walk in is out so it's looking like my winter climbing season is going to be a write off.

Sucks

I tore my MCL at the beginning of April, 3 months before I could climb again, and I'm only just back to climbing hard now.