Was aborted due to the cold. So me and Tommy Cole headed to Craig y Castell. It was still cold here. We kicked off with The Wasp (E2 5c). What a route! Maybe I'm just really enjoying climbing at the moment but this could be the best E2 in North Wales... The first pitch takes an overhanging, flared crack with perfect jams in the back, and it has a real sting in the tail. I got stung, so took a real nice confidence inspiring fall. Just what i need right now. I pulled up, made the tricky top out, and Tom followed on his first E2 pitch ever. He set off on the second pitch confidently but a cam-removing tug on the gear made him think twice about leading another so soon after. Taking the lead again I set off with gusto, but the pace was slowed by the suprisingly technical groove and the amount of vegetation! Anyway after a huge variety of groove based moves I made it to the belay in awe. It's a great pitch and certainly deserves more attention than it seemingly gets. A must do.
The next route, Tantalus (E1 5b), was another good experience. The first 4b wall is fantastic. A flat easy-angled wall on jugs leads to the grassy belay below the main event. Tommy went for it, cruising away up the headwall. From the belay it created a great opticall illusion which made it look like he was climbing almost horizontally. At the arete he placed an RP and a micro-cam and shouted down, 'I bet you can find good gear here, but these are shit'. Calmy he went off up the arete. As he neared the top a foot popped. He whistled down the crag, not stopping. The cam ripped. His trajectory was shunted. He span on his side and slammed into the lip of the overhang really brutally. Pretty disorientated he came back to the belay, both of us shocked the RP held.
I took over lead, discovered just how cool that optical illusion was, and discoved a bomber rock 1 slot where the micro-cam was. It turned out that the climb steps out left on much easier ground than the arete too. Job done. Another good day. Heading to the Orme tomorrow, so watch this space.
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