BBC - Weather Centre - Forecast for Llandudno, United Kingdom

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Ivan the Responsible

I'm flipping knackered after 2 months of doing nothing more strenuous than push a snooker cue my poor arms have had a shock in the last week! Went to roof crag yesterday with tony. He drilled his route and lead it. Quite a nice 6b, i think he's called it Throaty:


I stuck some bolts in the crux bottom half of the line i had spied. I had a go of the moves, they were really good and perfect for my current level. I was excited. I got back on the ab rope and bolted the top half, on the way down i hung on a jug just after the crux to check the clipping position. Suddenly the section of rock i was hanging off parted company with the crag. The open corner feature was made up of cracked blocks so i went to town on it with my peg hammer until i reached a solid base. Unfortunately its now 5 grades harder, hopefully it will still go but definetely an 8 now. Damn it! Will get on it when i'm a bit stronger. It got dark and we departed.
Today i headed to Three Degrees crag with Norman and my father. Norman has blitzed the place bolting 4 lines. Seeing it look like a proper crag really got me keen to finish it off. I abbed down and bolted a steep wall. It looked really good with holds just where you wanted. I'm gonna have a stab in the dark and guess 7b+ without having tried the moves. Then i did the first ascent of Ivan the Responsible, a long 6b+ that my dad had prepared and bolted. Really good with a crux last move. My arms were feeling fairly jaded. Norman then pulled his project out the bag. Clitoris Allsorts (great name eh!) 7a+ is a brilliant little route, nice rock, moves and holds and quite cruxy. A great addition. Norman is a hoot to climb with, i think my favourite quote when he was in extremis was when he shouted 'come on Norman get a grip you fucking prick'. And he's so well spoken normally! In the list of Ormesman in the 92 Rockfax, Normans entry reads: 'A local climber living in Rhyl who has developed such an obsession with climbing on the Ormes that he has now taken up a night job so that he can be there every single day'. Anyway it was a great effort. I need a rest day now.

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