The Final Solution at the End of the World - My first 8a

Day one – Wednesday
Still desperate to keep the momentum from the holiday we hit the local crags in search of something hard to project. An isolated 8a with few repeats and a lot of history takes my eye and we go and check it out. Originally the line was graded E7 6c and was the hardest line in the Valley back in 1988. It took a direct line up a steep, blank wall past one peg and two home made bolts before traversing right into the easy finishing crack of a neighbouring E5. Then in 2002 Nick Dixon (of Indian Face Fame) stuck one final bolt in the overhung, capping, headwall – straightened the line out and gave the crag it’s only 8a. Typically he graded it accurately but modestly added low in the grade (sandbagger!). Online opinions on the route’s grade vary from 8a+ to 7c+ but no-one debated it’s quality or difficulty. I dog and frigg my way to the top and decide to never go near it again – there were whole sections that I could not imagine climbing cleanly – or at all! We pack up and head to Dinbren for some 7b’s to refresh our memory of how fingery the climbing here really is.

Caroline and Rocky at Worlds End

Day two – Friday
While I was working the 8a on Wednesday Caroline’s eye was caught by a neighbouring E5 so we headed back that direction to try it out. I manage to onsight it and Caroline seconds it, all the while thinking about leading it herself. Then the strangest thing happens – while abbing down from the E5, the 8a takes my eye again and I do the stupidest thing – I want to try it again! This time I lead up to the 3rd bolt with only one fall and no frigging! Wow! I thought that section was impossible! Then the bizarre moves below the overlap keep spitting me off before finally I give in and pull on the draw to frigg to the next bolt and work the previously impossible finishing sequence on powerful, painful finger locks and pinches – eventually after many attempts a sequence emerges through the expletives that proves to work time and time again – I now had the route cut into two doable sections separated by the impossible middle move. Hmmm… time to pack up again…. We’ll see…

Caroline Redpointing at Ruthin

Day three – Sunday
Today we had two objectives – Caroline was kinda sceptical of her 7a+ and 7b leads in France so wanted to do another route here in the UK to confirm it – 30 minutes later Caroline had redpointed another 7a – Summer Time Blues – Ruthin. Wow… that was quick. Now onto “Worlds End” crag again for another attempt at the 8a. I ab down the route, putting the draws in and brushing the holds and then tie in and go for my first redpoint attempt – I shock myself by sketching my way up to the final bolt, clipping it and then setting off into the redpoint crux sequence through the overhang – I lock the left hand on the crimp, reach up and sink the pinkie finger lock and squeeze with the thumb catch – paste both feet on the choosen blank patches and snatch my left hand up to the open pinch – I’m on – I’m off – totally pumped – shaking, out of breath – that was sooooo close but soooo hard!! Two more redpoint attempts that day and I was falling off ever so slightly lower each attempt. By the end of the day my fingers were reduced to shreds but I was surprised at how a previously impossible sequence could open up after a bit of practice. On the drive home I realised I had lead the original route, Rudolph Hess, E7 6c cleanly 3 times that day – get those thoughts outa your head slacker! The Jobs not done and anyway that’s a dead route – the big link’s 8a and that’s what you’re trying!!

The Final Solution, 8a

Day Four – Tuesday
After a days recovery of my fingers and their tips are still looking and feeling paper thin. The begin to sweat even at the thought of the route… the day begins overcast and theres even the odd bit of rain but we hedge our bets and go out for another batch of attempts. I put the draws in on abseil and then tie in for the lead – this time I wear the new Anazasi Verdes (previously trying the route in the velcros) and cruise through all the impossible sections right up to the overhang sequence, reach up to the finger lock but it doesn’t fit right and the thumb catch wasn’t much help either, I slap for the pinch but I’m already falling. No gasps, no roars, just slumping onto the rope and lowering off to the ground. Whats going on? What will this take? For Feck’s Sake!! I sit and mope for a while than Caroline stands up and puts her GriGri on the rope, “Right, It’s time – C’mon” she says. Eh… I’m still pumped but I’ve learned to listen. I tie in and execute the lover Brittish 6c moves like clockwork, crimp, lay away, palm, foot, intermediate, crimp, deadpoint, flatty etc… Then im at the impossible move below the overhang – this felt easy last try but I struggle this time and brush my specs off the rope as I contort myself into staying on – they almost fall off my face but hang on one ear as I reach up to the opposition hold with the thumb hook on the lip of the roof – I don’t need to see the holds at this stage, the moves are ingrained. Undercut, crimp, clip, fix specs… Now the crux – my right pinkie slots into the finger lock like the perfectly sized wire – thumb on the catch, it’s solid, I let out a burst as I stick the left pinch and cut loose on the overhang before sucking it in and getting my feet back on, now just two more stabs up the wannabe crack with the right hand and I can grab the finishing hold – another burst as I stab outa the pinkie lock to a slopey undercut in the vague crack – it’s just a transitory hold, on again, this time I’m shouting as i latch the finger lock, twist the hips, match feet and step the right out onto the face to the marked edge, Jug! Clip! 8a, 5.13b Done! We round the day off with an E5 6b onsight and a classic E3 6a finger crack… What a day!

Malham & Kinsley

Ok, now we’ve been back from the hols for over a week now and I’m no longer two weeks behind in my ramblings…. Im just one week behind! Anywho… The Tuesday after we got back to the UK we were keen to keep the momentum from the holiday so we took on the 80min drive to check out two of the UK’s most impressive crags: Malham and Kinsley. Malaham is truly awe-inspiring and it really IS in a fantastic location. We parked up and walked in to take a look around. The main climbing is divided into two tiers and has a huge concentration of hard lines up to 9a+. The only two downsides to this crag, as we found out, are the piles of tourists that flock in to look at the cove and the fact that according to a local “Malham is a sweaty hell hole in the sun”. Right…. We did a full tour of the place but never racked up to lead anything. Afterall this was just an investigation. After a lovely sunny picnic ontop we walked back along the limestone pavement at the top (Creepily similar to the Burren in Ireland) and back to the car – we couldn’t be dealing with the tourists but we did get a great vibe from the place. Luckily Kinsley is just around the corner – like the dark side of the force – Kinsley has a VERY different character to Malham and needless to say theres no tourists attracted to the place. It is a hulk of a lump of rock, plopped by the roadside, always in shade and always overhanging. Tis a dark place! We walked in and jumped on some routes – did a 6b+ and a 7c (with a fall at the start) before packing up and heading home. Kinsley has some great lines that I would love to try but they were all taken up by topropers, projecting their first 8a’s and obviously training hard for them by hauling up every logo in the catalogue. After being climbing on beautiful friendly rock in the quiet peaceful heaven of the tarn it was too much to come back to a dark, tweaky, polished, dirty crag full of egos and beta police. I’m sure we’ll be back there but not just yet.

Progress…

Now, about my progress over the past two years… Lets recap: Last trip to the Tarn I was struggling to onsight 7a’s and I really had to work a 7b. Infact I think I only managed to onsight one 7a on the very last day of our hols. Basically I was fat and weak and wanted to climb hard but couldn’t. This trip was a shock!

First day I began with a few 6a’s and a 5c to try and get Caroline up and running with the sports climbing. After these routes I fancied trying a sweet looking 7b – it went onsight. Hmmmm….. better check it wasn’t a fluke…. Another 7b just 3 doors down looked mean and not my style – steep enough to pump you silly but not too overhanging to mean a jug fest – it had crimps… 10 mins later I was lowering off that after another onsight! Something must be working in my training – I was in shock! After 6 7b onsights and a load of 7a+’s and 7a’s all onsight I decided to try some routes that would spit me off and get me working again. Not wanting to climb anything that was in anyway questionable I intentionally avoided trying Arnac.com – the worlds most over graded sports route at 8a (I had tried this route last visit when Al and Neal were trying it and could make it past the final bolt!) – it’s since been knocked down to 7b+/7c.

I wanted to test myself on routes that had some serious street cred. First hard route that most people think of when they hear Tarn is “Little Big Boss” 8a at le grand toit – so that’s what I try. I think it was at about the 20m mark that I began to think I had bitten off more than I could chew. This is a classic 8a, 30m long and just very steep. Although I was surprising myself on all styles of 7b, when it came to trying to climb hard lines nearer my current limit I realised that I would have to be more selective. All the moves on this route were fine but I’d need more stamina than I currently had in the tank to lead it clean. Saying that, there was some wild moves up on the looming headwall with some serious airtime potential – got to the top and lowered off having had to dig deep and really focus for the first time ever. This was interesting….

Not disheartened we hit the road for sector Dromadaire, home of the Famous la Bomba 8a+. When we got there the crag was empty and in full sun – not ideal so I jump on a curious looking 7c called geometrie dans l’espace. 20m of steep cranking deposits you at one of those ‘Orrible overhang to slab transitions on slopers and with no footholds – some repeated 5/6m whingers eventually saw me stick the slap to the distant hot sloper and sketch my feet up the rubber worn vertical smears. Another lesson learned – conditions matter stupid!!

High up on "le bug de l’an debile", 7c

The next hard line I try was le bug de l’an debile, 7c, in the Foetus sector. Caroline picked this one for me to have a go at. An immaculate face climb on resin bolts capped with an overhanging prow. It’s funny – I had always assumed my style of route was something a bit steep and powerful and not too sustained at all – oh, and big holds far apart were a pre-requisite. I had always placed vertical sports climbs in the impossible, not to be tried, compartment of my mental guidebooks. I was wrong. I cruised up the technical face and only fell off near the top where the wall steepened and the holds ran out. I hung around for a bit choosing to ignore to line of chalked up jugs leading left to the neighbouring 7a, up a bolt and back across right to the next bolt on the 7c above the blank section. That’s not right… I eventually think I’ve figured a way around the blockage by using my full span to reach a pathetic ripple on the blankness by undercutting the top of the last jug with my left. From this position of facial intimacy with the unchalked and probably untouched limestone I moved my feet up (feeling a bit daft – must have looked pathetic, totally spread out flat against this blank face) and then swung my left hand up towards a distant potential hold. The problem being that once I let go of the undercut I was beginning to peel off – only my left foot was having any effect in slowing my fall off backwards, and the right hand ripple was useless other than as a balancing aid. A few tries later I stuck a crimp on a sloper and sketched up to the jugs above and on to the chains. A local then informs us that the 7c takes the cheat loop around the blank section – they didn’t know what the direct sequence was graded. Hmmmm…

Before packing up Caroline suggests the neighbouring 8a+, Peur aux tafioles. Very similar style, beautiful (but harder) face climbing up to a juggy (comparatively) overhang. Again, made it to the top with a few falls and had my preconceptions about hard routes blown apart – I could do these!

Next route was another 8a, this time a well known one in sector de que fas aqui called moules frites. It was early in the day and the sun was on the crag but I didn’t expect more than to just try the moves – after 7 clips I had onsighted to the final crux before finally falling off a warm, chalked mono dimple – figured the crux out and made it past the scary slopers, through the tiny overlap and to the chains – at this stage of the trip my skin was holding out but wearing quite quickly when I was on hard routes so I decided to come back another day and give the route a redpoint attempt – this one suited me down to the ground.

Moules Frites, 8a

While exploring another crag, L’amphi, I nearly onsighted another classic 7c with a reputation for a desperate crux through a overhang – L’homme presse. The crux was beautiful; featuring the most ergonomically formed slopey pinch hold EVER! It was too small I though for me but again I was proved wrong. Left hand squeeze, right hand out to a vert crimp for balance as you bring your feet up under the roof and then a wild chuck across yourself with your right hand to a two-finger pocket. Swing around for a bit as your momentum throws your right leg about then paste it back on and heave towards a jug – 7a climbing to the top completes the 30m pitch. I fell off the two finger pocket on the onsight and in an uncharistisally motivated move, got lowered to the ground, pulled the rope and went for the route again, this time cruising it to the chains! 7c in the bag. Now that took the pressure off! I could try the 8a again

This time we went to the 8a when it was in shade but something else took my eye – a neighbouring 7c, arachnide, had the draws in and I do love a good onsight… a quick word with the Greek lad who owned the draws and I was tying in for an onsight attempt – face climbing on crimps… Who’d a thought!?! I made it past the low crux and through the top crux, latching my right hand on the good hold after all the hard climbing before my left foot skidded of an edge and send me flying onto the second last bolt! Came down, did it clean – another 7c in the bag and a whole new direction for my climbing – vertical and slightly overhanging faces. And that was pretty much it for the trip – time up, time to drive back to North Wales and train for the winter – no time, skin or energy to try the 8a again but it’s not going anywhere and trying it opened my eyes. A great trip - my first ever climbing trip in a way...

Slang

After seeing these guys play live in an open air concert under the trees on the banks of the Tarn all I can say is WOW! These guys rock and they enjoy doing it! If anyone out there like cool music and is open to new things try these guys out – had a drink with them after the gig and got one of their albums signed by the band and they are the genuine deal – legends and they rock! We stumbled on the gig by accident – we were out for a stroll after dinner on night and half way up a hill we could hear this kind of Jazz flute echoing around the gorge walls - then came the bongos played with gusto (the due transcends!) and we were hooked, hotfooted it down the hill and straight up to the stage. We didn’t budge for the next 2 hours as these guys funked away.

Pinkfloyd meets Manu Chao meets St. Germain – curious? Thought you would be…


Click HERE to listen to their sounds...

Le Tarn

While in and around the Tarn we based ourselves in the village of Le Rozier. This little village marks the point at which the Jaunte joins the Tarn rivers and their respective gorges meet. What does this mean? Well it means that theres more bolted rock around you than you’re likely to find anywhere in the UK! For years the climbing in La Jaunte overshadowed it’s neighbouring gorge. La Jaunte is home to huge multipitch sports and traditional climbs all over its grand rock faces – it was very much THE crag to climb at for years. Then the locals began to pass their climbing eyes over the masses of roadside, steep, featured crags that line the tarn river and a whole new age of hard, modern style sports climbing was brought to the region. Don’t go to tarn expecting a huge pristine ceuse-like expanse of perfect limestone. The climbing in the Tarn is spread out among dozens of sizable outcrops – each with a unique character, aspect, conditions and style of climbing. No wonder its become so popular! There is literally something here for everybody. Aside from the climbing the main attraction seems to be the kayaking rides along the river – classic! Lunch break on a quiet stretch of river - Caroline sporting the latest fashion

Bon jour!
Kayaking?
Que!
Experienced?
Que!
Then this 11km stretch of the Tarn is the most … interesting…
Gulp!

11km of kayaking through rapids full of nasty pointed rocks looming out of the boiling froth like the flesh ripping fangs of some ancient wild beast is not the most ideal way to spend a rest day but it was fun all the same. We only capsized one time and I’ll take the blame for it. Brilliant experience – totally recommended!Also of interest in and around Le Rozier are the numerous trail walks up the sides of the gorges and onto the Moors. Another rest day and another adventure – this time we took on the Tour Noir. Set out from Le Rozier up la Jaunte before zigzagging steeply up the gorge, through forest, eventually arriving at the Hermitage of St. Michael. We got the picture that thisis not one of the more popular treks due to the unused path and untouched ruins. Truly impressive – arriving at the top of the rock, as a group of Rare Griffin Vultures glide noiselessly past… They’re HUGE! Close enough to see their feathers catching the thermal drafts as they glided by. Apparently they have been reintroduced into the area and are now unique in Europe to the two gorges – awesome! And they’re thriving here due to the sheep farms on the highland moors above the gorges – hey, a birds gotta eat! I forgot to mention, we first stumbled across this spot two years ago while out for a morning run – without knowing about it we just ran through the forrest – although we had only set out for a 50 min run we just kept on going up through the forest – it was very special. This time we knew where we were headed and had planned a route back down to take in some more natural sites. A combination of tiredness and heat resulted in jelly legs and the giggles before stumbling back to the town and diving into the river at out favourite spot. Now is a good time to mention our typical daily routine. Get up, go for a 8 mile run, back to campsite, shower and stroll through village for baguettes and croissants – by the end of our visit the bakers family knew me well enough to have the craic, classic – free goodies!

And then back to the campsite for a leisurely breakfast. All ready for a few hours climbing while our secret beach comes into the sun. Then we would typically go climbing for a while somewhere shady if possible and retreat to the beach on the river for some rays and lunch (baguette, cherry tomatoes and whatever local cheese the shopkeeper recommended that day).

... For the record i DID eventually get a tan...

Half a dozen swims and naps later we’d pack up and go try routes that had just come into shade in the more south facing sectors. Before returning to the campsite for an early dinner and some TLC for out skin before the next days climbing. Evenings are great for just exploring the surroundings of the village – beautiful! Another advantage of staying in Le Rozier is that it catches the most Sun and stays lighter for longer than the campsites in the gorge itself.