Arches National Park

The Three Penguins

Today was my first visit to Arches National Park. Nestling just north east of Moab this area is popular with car based visitors, signs guide you where to park to photograph each feature.

The Three Penguins

For the petrified sand dunes stand here, for the Organ stand here. Not for us however this arms length interaction. First stop the Penguins. These three towers appear to (possibly) resemble king penguins. They are breached by a two pitch route called Right Chimney. We ran the two pitches together, and bar accidentally falling backwards off the last move, dispatched it quickly. The snow on top added interest.

Owl Tower

Second stop was a quick romp up Owl Tower. This single pitch VS even involved face holds and was rapidly climbed before we moved on to a single pitch crack route called Heart of the Desert. I was cruelly misled by the guide into taking far to many small cams, and far to few large ones. This error I regretted at my leisure whilst I struggled with the ever widening crack, frantically, and repeatedly searching my harness for elusive large cams. None appeared and I was forced to descend in search of more. Eventually, dripping blood, bruised and battered I made the loweroff.

Indian Creek Cracks

We headed down to Indian Creek to climb some cracks. (Indian Creek has a lot of them) It all looked very different from when I was there in September.

Indian Creek October 2009

Indian Creek October 2009

Camping was cold. My contact lens fluid froze overnight!

View from the Superbowl camping amongst the cottonwoods.

Roadside cragging

Today Herb and I went out to Wall Street for a bit of roadside action.

Wall Street AKA Potash Road, a mixture of trad cracks and bolted sports routes on the faces and aretes.

The situation was magnificent with the Colorado river carving between magnificent cliffs. The climbing was great and plans are being hatched to head down to Indian Creek for a couple of days tomorrow to climb some more cracks.

Moab

I have arrived in Moab and been for a drive to check out the local craging.



It quite snowy here at the moment (unusually so) but the last of the stormy weather should be clearing out tomorrow.

Really psyched

Arrival in the States

They let me into the States.

After my last experiences of being sat in a small room for two and a half hours whilst they checked up on me I was a little bit worried about clearing imigration.

This time I think I was better at answering their difficult questions:

Q. Are you going to climb for all of the 90 days?
A. Don't be daft, I'm going to have a couple of rest days to avoid tendon injury.

Q. Where are you staying?
A. With a friend (as opposed to last time when I said "in a tent in the desert").

Now I just need to go climbing.

Guerilla bunker

Just a few images from a guerilla bunker on the North Downs in Kent. This I feel gives an indication of the dirty irregular warfare being planed for after the German invasion in 1940.

The main room for the team of three saboteurs.

The air vent and flue

The internal remains of the flue



The escape tunnel


Fuse box

Chee Dale

Tuesday 10th February

Lily in Chee Dale

Today Lily and I dashed out far a quick jaunt to Chee Dale. After getting lost briefly we parked in Wormhill and walked down to the river. We headed upstream gazing across at Chee Tor, before prancing across stepping stones below the Cornice. We turned round after checking out some of the lines at Two Tier Buttress.



As we headed back it started snowing.

Scottish Winter

Weekend of the 6th and 7th of February

Dave B below a steepening on Tower Ridge. Photo Alexandre Buisse

Alexandre Buisse and I bivied in the North Face car park on Friday night before awaking at 5 am. We managed to set off up to the North Face of the Ben by 5.30 am heading for Tower Ridge. Pausing briefly at the CIC hut avalanches could be heard rumbling above us in the mists.

Progress slowed in the gully behind the Douglass Boulder where deep slow hindered progress. We pitched the initial step out of the gully and then moved together to the base of the little tower.

As we passed the top of The Great Chimney we were caught up by a camera man who was intending to film Andy Turner (whom Alex and I had climbed with in Utah) and Dave MacLeod as they topped out. They were apparently recreating Jimmy Marshall's legendary week on the Ben in 1960 where he climbed 6 big first assents and one major repeat. We left our regards and I led off up the Little Tower.

A mixture of moving together and the occasional pitch led to the top of the Great Tower and Tower Gap where we briefly waited behind another party who had just ascended Glovers Chimney. Soon we stood on the summit eating chocolate.

Sunday saw us romp up Curved Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mor before heading back to Sheffield.

A fantastic weekend that has left my calf muscles screaming.

Snowballing

Friday 29th of January saw Lily, Dan, and I out at Burbage North to take advantage of the conditions on offer.

Dave B below Three Blind Mice prior to platforming

The snow drifts under Three Blind Mice (normally E7 6c) rendered it a boulder problem and we set to work climbing it with glee. It was soon dispatched in its normal form and a left hand variant was attempted involving some disappointingly slopey holds.

A big team slowly assembled and the arete further right, Ai No Corrida (normally E5 6b) was platformed under and attempted. Dan and some others sent it but I lacked the necessary umph.

Dan gasping like a trout on Three Blind Mice

Saturday 30th involved a trip to Stanage for general bouldering and one more Snowball assent of Weather Report (normally E6 6c) which was fantastic if a little scary at the top. Lily styled her way through the difficulties before realising to her horror that the floor was now a reasonable distance below. Luckily Dan was on hand to "Beta" her up the final moves.

Another great day taking advantage of the unusual conditions.

Ryan on the left hand variant "Snow Blind Mice"

PS. Monday involved attempting to Boulder at Burbage West in the drizzle/snow so back to business as usual.