Monday, 10 September 2012

Summer trippin in the Loup!


Hey up everybody!! Its been a while since the blog got an up date. So here's one....
Well, we have just returned back from another amazing Euro trip to the south of France. It sounds crazy to think that we were out there for 5 weeks as it just went so quickly!  Me, Ed and Ethan all headed down in a very full Mazda bongo!
So we spent the majority of the time in this huge gorge just north of Nice called the Gorge du Loup and most of this time was spent climbing at the world famous Deverse sector. It was an incredible place to climb with some of the steepest and hardest routes in the world all packed into this one cliff. Tuffa’s and chipped pockets was the name of the game here. So yeh, a pretty wicked place to be if you like that kind of stuff. During the time we were there, some fairly amazing sends went down from a lot of people, including three 9as by some Euro beasts!! It was a pretty hard place to get used to as everything was just soooo hard and steep! I found the style of the climbing there pretty tough and didn’t quite get the sends that I was hoping for from the trip but still managed some stunners. Ed as per usual crushed most routes he got on and got some amazing sends!

Here were some of the highlights of the gorge Deverse Satanique 8a, Cascade 8a, Sika 8a, Arrow head 8a, Welcome to the jungle 8a, Quassai 8a+.

Ed powered his way up these beasts!- Hot Chili X 8c, Quenelles Trophy 8c, New Power Sacrafice 8c, Hot chili beans volcano 8b+, Honk 8b+, SatanX 8b, New Power Generation 8b, Soul Sacrifice 8b.

Deverse Satanique 8a
New Power Sacrafice 8c
 


Chateauverte DWS innit

 
 The Lettered Man in Antibes


 
 
7b+ in Chateauverte


Chillin int Calais

 
Ethan on New Power Generation 8b

 
Nice car!
 




 





Cheese Fondue!!
 



Quassai 8a+
 
 
South Normanton's most wanted
 
Then for the last week we needed a change, so headed across to Chateauverte near Aix and did some awesome 40metre pump fests as well as a few bouldery offerings. It was a tad warm but a great place to unwind and finish the trip off. The top routes were Atlantis 8a, Bill boullette 8a, Le Diktateur 7c+ and Alexandre du blocos 7c+.

All in all a great trip was had with over 100 routes climbed on amazing cliffs in a beautiful area of southern France. So, apart from spending 20 euros each in a posh campsite for the first couple of days because we didn’t know where to stay, the rest of the trip we didn’t spend a penny and dossed in a picnic spot with the best view in the world!  There were some pretty spicy moments bumping into the police, park rangers, the mayor and a lot of other stressful moments that got people a bit pissed off but we had some pretty rad times as well. 
Big Up to everyone we met out there, cheers bru's!! Bring on the next trip hey!
Oh yeh and last thing is a massive big up to Ethan and Tanja for the photo's. We stupidly forgot our camera so everything was either taken on his mobile or her camera!  Cheers guys! Check out his blog for a cool write up and more photos.

Peace x

Thursday, 28 June 2012

Spain diggin and UK OUT!

I have just returned from a great trip to Spain. I spent a week in Margalef and then went over to Siurana for a couple of days to end the trip off. I had already been to both of the crags some years ago so had some specific routes I wanted to try.  I wanted to crack a new grade category and was successful in doing so with a send of L’espiadimonis 8c/+. Another route that stood out amongst the others was a route called Doble Lluna, originally graded 8b/+ but I was informed afterwards that a hold had broken off, bumping it up to top end 8b+ possibly 8c?  We had 10 days of amazing weather, sometimes it was a little too hot but this meant climbing in the mornings and evenings. After spending 6 days in Margalef on pockets, my skin was thinning and I needed to pinch and crimp a few holds for a change. Hence my move to Siurana.

 Anyway before I get into too much detail I had a fun trip and can’t wait to return next year. My ticklist in the 8 days included

Siurana -

L’escamarla 7c+ (os)

Peixa 7c+ (os)

Gigololo 8a+ (2nd go)

Cop de Cigala 8a+ (2nd go)

Migranya Profunda 8b+ (2nd go)

Margalef –

El Allento Del Dragon 8a (2nd go)

Aeroplastica Extension 8a (os)

Vertigen 8a (2nd go)

El fustigador 8a+

Absolut 8a+

Deverse Cordes 8a+ (os)

El Mananeo 8b (2nd go)

Doble Lluna 8b+

L’espiadimonis 8c

After some quality escalade it was cool to finish with a glass of Cartoixa at the Scala Dei Priory. On my return to UK I had a great time watching the Queen’s jubilee down in London!
I have been back for 3 weeks now and have managed to send a couple of good route, first up was The Spider (8a) down in Chee Dale. This is one of the best route in the UK. Next up was Beeston Tor, Ethan and myself did Honorary Buoux 7c, its a great route but everything else at that crag was EPIC! might leave that place for a good 20 years now!
Gorges Du Loup soon! Rain now!

7a+ in Margalef



                                                                 Vertigen 8a, Margalef


Vertigen


La Cara Que No Miente 8a+


Migranya Profunda 8b+ (Adrien Berry taking shots)




Chillin at the Siurana refuge with the 3 D's


Homework!


Migranya Profunda 8b+
L8r
Peace to G baby! little true boss

Friday, 18 May 2012

Never, Never Land

A classic route at a rare sunny Ramshaw crag, from last weekend!

Big span move leaving the crack

Commited

A bit camp that


Slopey shizz


Phew...

Sunday, 6 May 2012

Dry rock hunt!

Right, since getting back from Thailand about 3 weeks ago now, the weathers been totally shite and the overall psyche’s been hard to come by and would choose 35 degrees and crazy humidity any day over piss wet British rock, but we’ve tried and have found the odd line to claw up!
So here’s where we’ve been, what we’ve done and all the rest is history… Peace x

Malham (Very wet + cold!): New Age traveller 8a, L’ob session 7c+ (me!), Herbie 7c+ (onsight-ed), Obsession 7b+ (os-ed), The Last Toad 7b+ (os), Conceptual 7b.
Orme (Even wetter!): Masterclass 8a (just me, Ed couldnt be arsed to go up there), Loui Armstrong V13 (hefty grade dispatched by the youth!)
Llandullas cave (too windy!): Manjekeews 7b+, Whirral whip 7c+
Dinbren (waterfall!): Walking with barrence 7b, I punched Judy first 7b+ (great name!), Flowers are for the dead 7c. Ed didn’t climb, he wanted to go home and weep!
Stanage (dry and mint..finally!): Brad titt 7c+ (thank the lord!) Archangle E3 5b (classico)
Lovely Matlock quarry (dryish): The power of the dark side (was E8 but more like cool E6/7 6b, mint line though).
Harston rocks/Churnet (well good!): We both did One Chromosomes Missing E7 6b and then I sketched my way up Pair O’Genes E7 6c. Two awesome routes in a very esoteric seeting!
Check out the shots of Power of the darkside and a funny little video of the Churnet!

Yeh so that’s it, short and sweet. Don’t know how people can write so much gobbledygook about the art of climbing rocks. Less is more… Cut the crap like……………….. over and out youths






 

Thursday, 12 April 2012

East Asia!!

I've just returned back home from an amazing 3 weeks in Asia. The first few days were spent in Hong Kong watching Fiji run loops around all other oposition in the Rugby 7's tournement. Then we headed off to Thailand with a couple of mad days in Bangkok before flying off to Krabi and then the climbing paradise that is Tonsai! So instead of writing an essay about the trip thought I would just put loads of pictures up documenting it! Enjoy.....


Boooom!



Final- Fiji vs New Zealand


Fiji won!!

Towerblocks above the stadium


Chinese dragon celebration


Hong Kong skyline!


Zimbos beating the Canadians!


Hong Kong stadium


Hong Kong island


Bangkok Thailand




Now thats a hat!


The Thais like there brights colours!


Bangkok tansport


hmm maybe not


Monks in orange


Grand Palace


Bangkok at night


Krabi


Elephant riding in Au Nang!!


Early morning sea fishing!


Type= Needle Fish


Tonsai and Railay beach


Longboats



Dum's kitchen


7b+ on Tyrolean Wall


These guys knew how to climb!





Wild moves on Tantrum 8a+




Our family abode


Sex Power 8a on Tonsai wall


litl one


Throwing funky shapes


Phet Maak 7c+


One of the crag inhabitants


Baby Gorilla 7c




Warming up


Now those are Stalactites!


Classic Tonsai route Tidal wave 7b+


Tonsai beach


Low Tide wall


Paradise!