Martina and I spent a weekend on the granite cliffs around Lands End. At Chair Ladder, we climbed the classic Terrier’s Tooth, the exposed and gripping traverse of The Mitre, the fantastic South Face Direct and the meandering Neptune. At Bosigran, we climbed Zig-Zag – a wonderful second pitch and The Armchair – steep and testing moves on the first pitch and a jug-filled corner on the second.
A crowd of us headed to Swanage for Gary’s birthday weekend and enjoyed some fantastic climbing on the cliffs at Conner Cove and Stair Hole. Troubled Waters, The Conger, Freeborn Man, Fathoms, The Maypole and Horny Little Devil were all climbed during the weekend. I was delighted with an ascent of The Conger after falling off a couple of years ago. Fathoms was an awesome climb with an exciting finish and I fell of Horny Little Devil just before the great no-hands kneebar rest. My camera battery died on arrival so thanks to Barra and Mike Robertson for the photos from the UKC gallery. I hope they don’t mind me showing them here!
Kate, Nathan and I took a trip to Swanage for a hot and sunny weekend of chilled-out climbing by the sea. Our first day was at Subliminal, a good introduction to Swanage trad climbing with short routes and good belay ledges well above the high tide line. First we climbed Bypass. Then, whilst I was leading Balcony, a climber on a route to our left clipped some in-situ gear, climbed well above it without backing it up, fell off and narrowly missed hitting the deck, breaking his ankle as he swung hard and fast into the rock underneath. Broken ankle and the shock aside, he kept smiling and was rewarded with some giggling gas and a free flight in a helicopter. The day was rounded off nicely when my Mum, who lives near Weymouth, came to meet us for a fantastic dinner in the Ship Inn.
After the heat and excitement of Saturday, we opted for some shade on Sunday and explored the sport climbing of Winspit Quarry in a relaxed and lazy fashion.
