Not snuffed it yet

Apologies for the several month gap. Work, family, apathy formed a potent mix to kept me from wanting to do anything that involved a computer when I had any free time. Eventually I managed some climbing with a superb week away with Jon in Switzerland. After the hard work of the Ran tour I also treated myself to a new compact - the Sony RX100. I'll do a proper review shortly but here are some pics in the mean time.

Touring with his Nibs

Yes, I'm still alive! Apologies for the 2 months without a peep but I've been kind of swept along in a tidal wave of life. Most of it life at its must mundane and essential - lots of work and lots of family. Of the former the big project for me launches next Thursday as I start a 13 date tour with Sir Ranulph Fiennes across the UK.

It's called Everest, The Eiger & More and is based on the one-off show we did last year at the Buxton Opera House. That was a sell out and with Ran on top form we got this incredible review from Dave Mycroft at myoutdoors.com

I know Ran is revved up for the shows and I've added some new material so it should be an excellent night out. If you'd like more information go to www.speakersfromtheedge.com Here is the list of venues - hopefully see you there.

June
Thu 7th SALFORD QUAYS THE LOWRY 0843 208 6010
Fri 8th BARNSTAPLE QUEENS THEATRE 01271 32 42 42
Mon 18th ST ALBANS THE ALBAN ARENA 01727 844488
wed 20th INVERNESS EDEN COURT 01463 234234
Mon 25th CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE 01223 357851

July
Mon 2nd BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 333
Wed 4th HARROGATE THE ROYAL HALL 01423 502 116
Thu 5th DERBY ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01332 255800
Mon 9th SHREWSBURY SEVERN THEATRE 01743 281 281
Wed 11th CARDIFF ST DAVIDS HALL 029 2087 8444
Fri 13th LLANDUDNO VENUE CYMRU 01492 872000
Wed 18th MALVERN MALVERN THEATRES 01684 892277
Thurs 19th GUILDFORD GLive 0844 7701 797

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Bullers

Someone remind me which month it is! Yesterday had a superb outing to the seaside when Jon and I made the long drive to the Lleyn. Jon suggested the classic Golden wall link up at Dorys which sounded good but I fancied something a bit less normal. I'd always been attracted by the description for Pared Mawr in the guide 'the rock is particularly unsound, the worst (or best according to your bent) in the guide.' The route 'The Loneliness of the Long Distance Bullers' HVS 5a also intrigued with it's unique write-up 'Start in the middle of the crag, at the most obvious of features. Probably climbed before by sheep, birds, etc. The relationship of this route to the crag may change with time, with blocks turning into boulders on the beach etc. Wedge up to the overhang, possible belay in poor weather. Swarm over the overhang and exit through a cornice of rock to the top' - Irresistible!

The Line

The Ivy

The loneliness

The view

The next crag - Dorys

After that fun we went to Dorys, where I failed on the planned start up Knowing Her, the back up start up Vroom 23 and then finally succeeded on The Faltering Hand HVS 5a which we climbed to half height, before traversing...

Fascinating Witches HVS 5a

...and finishing up Knowing Her E2 5b and improvising a belay on top.

Lleyn we love you.

Slate Questing

Enjoyed a pleasant outing this week on North Wales Slate. Despite arriving by early afternoon and having only my floppy boots (not wanting to squash my still nipped toes) we set off on a link up recommended by the superb new (ish) guide from Ground Up. Dubbed the West Face of Australia it climbs a mixture of trad and sport lines on each of seven tiers emerging at the top of quarries.Tier One: Looning the Tube HVS 5b (no pic of Tier Two which is climbed via Surprise, Surprise a 6a)Tier Three: Jon leads Sodor a 5cTier Four: M.I.L Arete an E1 and supposedly the psychological crux of the link up.Tier Five: Razorback (HVS 5a) this had the toughest and scariest climbing of all the pitches Tier Six: Act Naturally VS 4b superb 40m pitch and felt more like a mountain route than a quarry climb

Tier Seven: Goblin Party (VS 4b) to finish - better than it looks and perhaps worth a star.

After spending much of the afternoon in cold mist, it was nice to top out to blue skies and sunshine over Snowdon.

Happy Bunnies. There are quite a few similar links in the guide - I can't wait to get back.

Belfast Lecture

I'm doing my Wild at Heart Show in Belfast this Friday evening as part of the Ulster University Mountaineering Clubs Intervarsity event. It's open to the public and takes place at the Holiday Inn Hotel in the Olympic Suite at 8pm. I'll be talking about my various trips to Alaska together with Adventures in Range West, Torridon and Austria.

Me revisiting my route Dark Angel (E5 6a) at Baggy Point in Devon. Photo David Pickford

For more info see www.irishclimbingintervarsities.com

Glasgow Lecture 25th Feb

This Saturday I'm off up to The Climbing Academy, Glasgow to do my new 'Wild at Heart' show. It had its first outing last weekend at TCA in Bristol and seemed to go down very well. I've a big section on my various trips to Alaska which included perhaps my most novel trips. 47 hour single push on one route, vertically pitched tents on another. Alongside that I've a look at where this adventurous streak came from and several films and tales from recent entertainment in Austria and of course the North West of Scotland.

Tickets and further info are available here http://www.tca-glasgow.com/

The Big Tick

The reason I'd come out to Austria was a superb looking route called The Supervisor, that we'd used a photo of on the front cover of Climb. But with consistently low temperatures, Neil feeling off colour and my body getting more and more battered I wonder whether we'd get on it this trip. I'd really struggled with my left bicep on our last route a surprisingly steep 2 pitch grade 6 charmingly called Wet Dream. It had received a deep bruising whilst cleaning icicles on Gasteinerfall and felt suspiciously like my right bicep did when I snapped it's tendon. Luckily it didn't look like a broken bicep so I tried to put thatout of my mind as we set off for an earlier start than usual heading to the Eisarena at Anlauftal home of Supervisor.This is the top section of the Eisarena with the central line - Mordor (WI5) and our target Supervisor on the rightSupervisor had formed very strangely this year, with huge ice umbrellas and very thin ice low down.

We opted to climb the first pitches of Mordor, which looks like it would make a great outing.

After 60m we traversed onto Supervisor and steeper climbing. This shows Neil nearing the top of the WI5+ pitch (4th pitch in guide and our 3rd) with the madness of the crux lying ahead.

Me finding a sneaky way through on the crux and relieved that my bicep is holding together.

200m or so down to the start of the route with Mordor in the background.Abseiling down Mordor in the night required my alpine 'A game' as the previous team must have had 65m ropes to place their abalakovs. At the end of a long day I had more bruises, some frost nip in my toes (it was -20c or so all day) but most importantly of all a life affirming Big Tick!