National Council

Weird times, went up Pembroke after working at The Potheridge. Didn't realise it was a double bank holiday, did some cool climbing round St Davids, very similar to Culm coast but 10 times more solid. Then it rained, still manage to surf at Aberidy which was ace and so the cycle begin. Climb rocks when not raining surf when it was (or drink tea).

Not a bad way to spend a week but i was there for other reasons. The BMC National council meeting.

What the? This was the first National council meeting i ve ever been to having volunteered to be a rep for the south west.

I know me at a meeting laughable isn't it, still i was there, still have know idea what am supposed to be doing or saying but at least i can vote.

Vote oh my god? for what more tea?

There is a BMC south west meeting at 8pm on Saturday 14th July @ the Radjel Inn, Pendeen. Mainly to discuss Shane Ohly's proposals for the removal of all "drilled gear". Touchy subject i know it was voted on at the last fixed gear meeting last year and anything else that needs to be discussed.

Farewell to Da Wales

So the North Wales part of our road trip is coming to an end, its been fun. We've done loads of Mountain walking, met some cool guys. Rick the demi god Abbott, Andy the dude Newton and a special guest appearance from grumpy Pete (not Greening). The second week was spent running a Mountain Leader training course, surprisingly all the students enjoyed there time, surprising? well yeah as most thought it was just 7 days of walking up hill.

But no umpteen million skill can be gained and used in other circumstances. Of to the Lakes next more fun but more climbing prior to our Peak Grit extravaganza.

Impersonating a Padller

Some times things in life change. Sometimes things happen out of your control. Sometimes life reminds you of thing you love but you just forgot about them.

For years ave been mosseee the climber dude, you know what i still am but i all so love paddling cause its good old wholesome fun.

I forgot about it, luckily i've had the chance to work with some amazing coaches, these coaches have inspire me and Hannah to boat.

It also had me thinking what makes a good coach? There is only one answer to fully inspire.

So what else is happening in our mad cap world? well at the minute we are on a five week road trip with AITP, a college course from duchy college. We've done a weeks paddling in South Wales now we are in North Wales doing Prep for an ML next week. So till then Peace out Brother.

Back on the project

Finally went up Cheesewring again, weather was good, crag wer dry. The intention was the Khyber Project. Did a few old favorites to warm up, swung leads with Hannah on Simenon Direct then wandered over to Julietts Balcony. Up we went followed by a quick abseil into the fortress and had a play.

How did it go?

Got a spanking.

Oh well, found a slightly different way of doing the start. It certainly felt more logical, still struggled with the next section, think i just need to get a did scrappy maybe even pull, who knows? Might be able to be a bit more samurai about it by climbing some hard slab routes.

The issue is yet again am injured,again, me shoulders hurt. A lot. It ill be alright though am back of to physio.

The Mad Month of Agust

We where back in our field of Morvah for August, loads of people came to see us. Pete & Ingrid (from the Lakes), Gregor Colet Abby Leighsah (Devon), Tori Bobby Teigan Jasmine (Bodmin), Robson (the Lizard), Shaun & Jules (Skemsdale), Dolph (Bude) and of course Smudge (Camelford). Good times. Loads of stuff happened, loads of stuff was climbed and of course drunk.

Hannah is still running around destroying every VS in the south west, in fact anyone would have thought she was preparing for an assessment not training.

My personal favourite time was spending time with Shaun. The best thing about Shaun is you can always talk him into an epic. So when I suggested doing a few routes from the 1950 W A Andrews guide he was up for it.

Andrews was famous for many a thing, especially his idea of traversing the coast around the high and low tide mark. So we tried.

We descended down commando ridge and started. First was a funny little stride across a narrow zawn, followed by two small abseils and we where in Great Zawn.

Do the jump? Not likely, climb round yeah right it was all sopping wet, last solution? Swim.

There where a lot of people in the zawn that day, I can only imagine how ridiculous it must have looked seeing two pastey white northerners squealing and laughing as we swam out of this bastion of Cornish climbing. When I say swim it is in the loosest sense of the word, Sean went first with the rope, then we got the bag across, I held the end of the rope jumped and was pulled through the water.

We then cept traversing passing some of the most beutefull zawns, walls and bouldering till we came to Brandy Zawn. No amount of rope trickery was going to get us round this, it would have to be another swim.

This was a kind of exploratory trip, so rather than swim again we should try escape in the general direction of Rosemergy Ridge. This we did Sean lead off up 80 degree grass and general tottering junk till we met the ridge.

Once the ridge had been done we set of in a southerly direction towards another ridge and climbed this. Once on the top we where surrounded by a world of thorns bramble and general scratchy madness, some would say a hole world of pain.

Would this stop the two intrepid explorers? Not a chance of we went laughing and joking about snakes, shouting Hello Bears to scare them of. This only increased our own paranoia.

After 20 minutes we found a little oasis of grass had a sit down drank the last of our water smoke some fags then back to it. The thorns where about waist height and pain full then stumbled across and old mine shaft, error, we retraced our steps to the oasis.

Once sitting down again I noticed Sean’s leg was bleeding a lot. On closer inspection realized he had been bitten by a snake. Oh shit, no phone’s, no one new where we where, what the f##k are we gonna do.

“Right Sean you go first if you pass out I will legit to get help” Choice words when all seams bleak. Thing is it worked I just kept pushing him on. We found the coast path, we then found the road, an hour later we where safely back on the camp site. Mission complete.
Hospital? No likely. Gave him some piriton and washed it down with lashings of ale Treat.

About two weeks later I did complete the traverse from Bosigran to Pendeen in about 4 hour’s as a solo trip the thought of our epic escape inspired me to just keep going so I did.

Job done. Cheers Sean.

Orkney to Penwith

It's been a bit mental in the last two months. We've been from Cornwall back up to Orkney again, stopping at numerous places on the way.

Obviously climbing but also hooking up with mates and parents on the way.

After running the schools program at the college we packed up and left for the Scottish road trip, as usual there was a bit of last minute work to be done. First a day trip to wales to attend an SPA providers work shop. Sounds dull but this was the best one I've been to so far, the fella from DMM was there braking Krabs pulling sling apart and the like. Then of course i had to fill in loads of paper work in to apply to be a provider. Have to wait till September for a reply.

Off to the lakes, it rained. Saw Pete and Ingrid, still raining so went north.

Woke up in Glen Coe still wet so we ran across the Aonach Eagach ridge in about 4 hours.

Thing is with Scotland is it's massive so we stopped at numerous places all the way to Orkney (Via Durness).

The reason we went to Orkney is for the party my friends Ami and Martin build a stage massive fires and rock out all night, its great.

Then back to mainland heading south visiting Torriden, Applecross. But wait what is yonder isles in the distance. Its Skye looking as amazing as ever.

Before we started this trip we both said we aren't gonna go to Skye. We have been there loads climbing, walking scrambling and being eaten. So we set of for another visit.

We climb at Staffin in the north bit wet and windy. Slept in Glen Brittle. We awoke to glories blue skys with a hot sun. The seen was set, of we ran into Corrie Laggan up about 300m of climbing to the Choich and had lunch. This has always been a childhood dream of mine. Another 100m of climbing led us to the summit and a gentle stroll back to the van.

Skye always looks on us favourable we always have some good weather so the next morning there was more sun so back up we went. Only this time to do something a bit harder. Al went well, after negotiating the awkward decent i fell, bounced a bit down a gully then came to a stop on a massive block. My rib cage stopped my fall and my god it hurt, couldn't breath or talk. There was a bloke coming down the gully who tried to help, but what can you do its hell, air goes in hurts like hell to breath out, air goes in hurts like hell to breath out. So after swearing lot started to run down to my sack. Agony, packed back all i wanted to do was get of the hill to my van so packed back by which time Hannah had arrived, i did try to convince her they weren't broken but we both new the Truth. So continued down the hill at brake neck speeds so as not to prolong the pain.

Any way got down, then drove off, somewhere nice? no Leeds. My parents live in Leeds and I've not been there for about 5 years, it was cool hanging out finding out my mothers latest hair brained scheme (She's walking the coast to coast using Tesco's club card point to pay for youth hostels).

Now we are back, now we are on a field in Morvah (West Penwith) with Boats Bikes and a large rack of climbing gear ready to ave it (once the ribs aren't so sore)