Firstly I spent another week down south, meeting up with Tanja and some London friends, where we mainly did some easier routes down at Dancing ledge, Winspit and some dws at Fisherman's ledge. Also had a couple of nice days over on Portland, a place I hadnt been back to in about 5 years. Its such a great place with a huge amount of rock! Was a fairly steady week in climbing terms due to injuring my wrist the week before but did manage some quality lines. A flash of Hall of Mirrors (7c) at The Cuttings was a surprise and a rather stiff test on Zinc Oxide Mountain (7b+) the following day. Deep water soloing The Conger (6b) and Freeborn man (6c) were also a high light!
Freeborn Man crux
Awesome position!
Dancing ledge heat...
Chalk them hands
The Conger
Fisherman's Jump!
Swanage harbour
Swanage harbour
Since then a couple of days over at the Roaches doing some classic onsight ticking such as The Swan (E3), Elergy (E2), Hunky Dory (E3) and Track of the Cat (E5) all of which have been great to get the head back in the game for some harder stuff this winter.
Beautiful outlook
Classy moves on Elergy
Then finally, this weekend Ed and I drove up to Yorkshire and had a day at Ilkley and a day Caley. Another couple of places that we kept meaning to get up too for aaaages.
Managed firstly to do Desperate Dan (E6), a classy Fawcett solo from way back and then down by the quarry entrance a neat little crimpy line with a fairly sloping landing, ominously named Deathwatch (E6/7). Ed finished the day doing Ringpeice V8+
After a rather uncomfortable night in the van, we then spent a day over at Caley smearing up some classic Extreme rock ticks Psycho (E5) and the scary Adrenelin Rush (E5) and then finally the awesome and high The Great Flake (E6). This didnt come easy after taking a big plummet near the top, while trying to down climb unsuccessfuly! Thankfully no harm!
Bongo up at Ilkley
Cow and Calf sunset
Psycho and Adrenaline rush
Getting high on The Great Flake
Oooooh ho...
Success!
