Glanekeera video

The new problem. Haven't come up with a name yet.

Glanekeera part 4

Got back to Glanekeera today. The ground was pretty dry got away with the runners. Climbed the arete on the first boulder as you walk in. Bit vegatated by nice.

As I walked to the Tyre boulder it started to spit but it held off for the rest of the day. Had about 15 million goes of the slab, couldn't get the first move. Probably wasn't a great day for smearing anyway. Must get back to this when it's a little colder. Really want to do it.



Then strolled down to the vertical wall I has spied when here with Michael. Amazing line of undercuts/sidepulls on a vertical wall. Gave it a quick brush and got it a few tentative tries. Brilliant problem. Midge came out otherwise I would of given it a proper clean as it's a classic. Nice heather top out as well. I took a video of it.

This is a very beautiful but sadly impossible slab. About 16 feet high with not a hold. On the right is a discontinous crack but it ends about 5 feet from the top. May go though.

 Nice boulder with an excellent SS on the LHS that I will go back for.

Loads of rock. This valley has large potential. There are a huge number of low route/highball outcrops. The rock is nice but needs a bit of a clean.

Sunday Times article about Carrot Ridge

I wrote a piece about Carrot Ridge for the Sunday Times.

3rock evening

Trish and I headed up Three Rock last night. Left the car after seven and got back just before the gate was due to close at ten. It's was Trish's first time so we started at the furthest boulder and she dispatched everything with ease. Even the hard mantle that probably isn't that hard. Especially now that a girl has done it. I felt like a bit of show pony, I have been bouldering up on Three Rock for a long time and while the flesh is weak the mind is strong and I have a lot of muscle memory. Brendan and James arrived just as I was demoing the dyno. Managed not to get it for the camera though.

Headed over to the second rock and went to work on the middle line. Great problem I haven't done it for ages and it felt pretty ok so I must be doing something right. It's pretty tricky, the secret being this funny pinch using the side of your thumb. After a few burns on the traverse we went to work on the great unclimbed line, to the right of the steep face is a short vertical wall. We all has a few goes but without progress.

I took some shots but my companions were dressed entirely in garnite-hued clothing (though someone forgot their undercrackers) so it was virtually pointless. Just like bouldering.

Great Gully Ridge

Did Great Gully Ridge in Glenmalure today with James. Have wanted to do it for a good while and James suggested it instead of bouldering. Was cloudy and a bit dodgey looking on the drive down but it stayed dry, I even got a little sunburnt on my recedding hairline.

Walk in wasn't too bad a bit rough at the end but not long enough to tire badly on. James has done the route loads of times so he kindly left the choice bits for me.

The route is HS (4a,3c,4b,4a) 140m on the wiki. Which sounds about right to me. We did it in 5 pitches partly as we used a thin rope doubled so could only do 30m pitches and partly so I got the cruxes.

The first crux is the corner at the very start of the route, only really one move, then there is a good bit of easy ground to the middle crux which is a nice groove on a slab, followed by more scrambling to the third crux which is a steep pull up the corner with the peg.

(on the third crux is the groove with the old peg the standard way? There was a groove to the left that looked easier, it had a stuck cam on a white/grey sling at its base).

None of the cruxes where that hard usually just a few smeary steps with good handholds. All where very well protected.

We ambled up, not in a rush and abbed down.

It's a very nice route. Quite manageable, good fun. There is loads of tat and stuck gear on it, I suspect people are forced to back off it qutie often due to weather.

Video - Natural Method first ascent

The Scalp

Went to The Scalp figured our Casbah but didn't commit to the rockover. Will come back with a spotter. Cleaned a problem, bit lowball, but like a 6b version of a Michael Duffy problem. All body tension, bicycles and slopers. That makes it sound much better than it is though. Did Dark Angle, felt ok, I hadn't got it for ages, was starting to wonder if I had ever done it. There were a decent amount of midge out. So it begins.