One of the main reasons I managed to rekindle my motivation and head over to North Wales yesterday was the sheer communal buzz emanating from the locals there recently. There are some seriously keen puppies heading out
seemingly daily to make the most of conditions that have been
proclaimed as the
best since '97.
After a 3.30am start I hooked up with Dave Evans and Mark "Baggy" Richards. Mark has been keeping a very good conditions blog
http://wwwbaggy.blogspot.com/ which has been a real gem of information for visiting climbers. Together we headed into the Black Ladders hoping to try one of Chris
Parkin's legendary routes.
Western Gully in fine nick, which received a couple of ascents yesterday.
With the cliff in top nick we were spoilt for choice but eventually
plummed for Scott Report. Given VI,7+ by Chris
Parkin it seemed to be a contender for the hardest route in the
Cwm but also more importantly wasn't reliant on ice, which seemed pretty thin on the steeper bits of The Ladders. The
topo above shows the line we climbed in yellow, with the red arrow indicating where the first
ascensionist might have gone on the confusingly described second pitch. The blue line is a not really formed The Somme. The route turned out to be excellent, with one very hard pitch involving committing climbing with decent but hard won protection on the hardest bits. Probably VII,7/8. Take a good selection of thin pegs and as much turf pro as you can muster.
Captain Keen himself Mark in a sea of turf at the top of pitch one
4 comments:
Good to hear you got on the Ladders - fine effort on Scott Report. I was in Western Gully with Steve Long and saw you as we walked down. Sorry the description confused. I do remember that Dai was on the sharp end on the middle section.
Excellent tough climbing there Chris, very keen to have a pop at some of your other lines in the ladders. Any recommendations or gen?
Chris Parkin wrote
"Re recommendations; all good.
Flanders is the obvious challenge, after the variation to pitch two, we and Dai/Bonnet followed the most obvious winter line up streaks and reached the col between the pinnacle from the front face. Following more of summer line could be good?
Cannon Rib was also a brilliant mixed line sticking to summer line ( summer direct on P1 P2 missing out ledge).
Chris Ayres route, Passendale Direct was a great day out and I remember the top section been good - lots of scope to left of this top section and room for a lower break thro the steep wall above the terrace.
Snow has receded quite a lot but if it gets cold tonight hoping to get out thursday."
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