Chris Craggs - My Blog

Back to the Blanca

2012-02-02T10:37:00.006Z

A very easy journey and we were back where it all began (Christmas 1987) - the Costa Blanca. It is so easy to forget what a glorious part of the world this is, a stunning climate, superb scenery and of course, great climbing.
The flight down only took 2 hrs 8 minutes (tail-wind) and the car cost the princely sum of £69 for two weeks hire. After a couple of weeks under the grey grizzly skies of the UK, the warm sunshine and blue skies were a tonic (it was worth the cost of the fare just to sit in the sun according to DG - who hasn't climbed outdoors since the end of September!).
We kicked of with a couple of gentle days climbing at Echo and Guadalest - the dozen routes were did were easy (up to 6a) but so much better than just another day down the climbing wall!

Left: Chris on Neu ne Marc (5) Guadalest

Winter-Land

2012-01-25T14:02:00.006Z

Left: Dan on Suspect Intellect HVS

The UK in January - the 1st time we have been here at this time of year for about seven years - and it has been a bit of a shocker. The Monday after we arrived it was back on the Grit with the usual suspects, a lovely crisp day, but the climbing was hard work: no holds and no bolts - very strange!
A visit to Whirlow Park was cold, muddy and raw, but it was good to be out. The mid-week forecast was better so we decided on a leg stretch around the Redmires Reservoirs behind Sheffield. In the event the forecast was wrong, (why does that surprise me) - it was blowing a gale out of the north-west and it rained much of the time. Added into the mix was some stinging hail as well - luckily we found an old abandoned shooters lodge to escape the worst of the weather. The sandwiches and hot soup were a treat.
Then there was the inevitable visit to the climbing wall, on the plus side it was less arduous than I was expecting and it was very sociable.
Anyway it was good to be home for a fortnight, but that is enough - Costa Blanca on Monday - sweet!

Right: Sherri catching another lung-full of moisture-ladened air

Job Done!

2012-01-14T16:15:00.006Z

Left: Route Number 246
A quarter of a year we have been on the island (16 weeks or thereabouts), 246 routes ticked (exactly) and tomorrow we catch the dawn ferry to Kos, fly to Athens then after a rapid transit head north to Manchester. If things go well (some 'if') we could be back in Sheffield by early evening. Can't say we are really looking forward to it but it has to be done, projects are simmering and books don't write themselves.

We will miss the weather, the climbing, breakfast and tea on opposite terraces, the cats, the peace and quiet, the sunshine. Also a small but very select band of friends and acquaintances - this side of the island really is pretty quiet.

Right: Paddling in the sea in January

Yesterday we caught the taxi-boat over to Telendos and went for a wander, around the southern tip of the island, we even had a paddle - and the sea felt lovely and warm. Today was a last few routes, pack the big boxes for the cellar and the rucksacks for the journey.

Sherri fancies popping over and see the place in the summer - in the hot and busy time - sounds like a plan to me!

Happy New Year Indeed

2012-01-03T14:58:00.006Z

2012 - where does the time go? I guess it flies when you keep busy - we only spent 12 weeks in the UK in 2011, the rest of the year we spread ourselves out from the Greek Islands to Arctic Norway with time spent in Spain and Switzerland too.
Wintering in Kalymnos has been great again - well over 200 routes climbed, lots of superb weather, friendly locals and a host of cats to keep Sherri busy! Today was pretty typical, we slept with the door wide open all night listening to the sound of the waves (cool mind!), had breakfast on the terrace in the morning sun, did five superb 30m+ routes at Kreisaal. Then it was back home for a hot shower and tea on the balcony, watching the sun go down.
I have started to listen to 'Drive Time' on BBC 2, via the internet each evening, the traffic jams and weather back home make time spent here that much sweeter! I sometimes wonder why we are headed home in 12 days!

Merry Christmas to all My Readers

2011-12-26T11:48:00.006Z

Twenty one years (starting with Costa Blanca Rock 1990) - approaching twenty guidebooks (must do a count one day) around 80,000 books sold over the years. Cheers and a Very Merry Christmas to anyone who has ever bought one of my books, and all those who have said positive things down the years too.
I aim to get three books out this year, which will be a record if it happens, lets see what we can do.

In the Bleak Mid-Winter

2011-12-21T12:53:00.011Z

Left: Arhi parking - where is everybody?

21st of December - tomorrow is the winter solstice, and the shortest day. The forecast for this week was pretty unsettled, and we made the usual mistake of looking it it through English eyes. In the event it has been a little breezy and there has been some showers, though always at night - the days have been warm and sunny with a pleasant breeze, like good summer days back home, though without the humidity. It sounds particularly unpleasant back there; several weeks of sleet, freezing rain and a lot of greyness - yeuk!

The are a tiny number of climbers here, possibly less than a dozen at a guess, though it may well busy-up over Christmas. The settled weather means that the cliffs are as dry as I have ever seen them in December - which is great. My route tally for the trip is in the low 200s and I am approach a little target I set myself of 500 individual ticks on Kalymnos.

We had a Swiss couple stopping next door for 10 days and they were stunned at how quiet the place was and how good the climbing was too. Turns out they are great fans of RockFax and the guidebooks which was nice. The were interested in the publishing schedule including the new Costa Blanca guide and especially the one to Ariege - an area they had never heard of - not for long though!

Right: Kantouni beach - heavy rain forecast!

Kaly Musings

2011-12-10T12:39:00.004Z

Photo: Patmos 30 miles away and the granite island of Ikaria 30 further. Looks like a lot of rock out there!

We have been here 10 weeks now and I have clocked 196 routes so far, which averages three a day for the whole trip. The weather has been the best I can remember - not that my memory is that good, but the cliffs seem drier than the last two Decembers, and I think we have had three or four damp days. When we arrived back in October the place was the busiest I have ever seen it (a victim of its own success) - it was really rather unpleasant, I think we may come a little later next year to avoid the rabble.

Currently I am on about 480 'unique ticks' (approaching 30% of the total) on the place and 99% of them have been great. Only three or four have been verging on 'poor' though these were mostly new routes that will doubtless clean up.

I suspect that there are other Kalys out there on the horizon, but off course a destination needs a certain number of routes (maybe 250+) to make it worth a visit by itinerant climbers - and 250 routes is a lot of hard work! Of course development here continues apace - the photo on the right shows one of Claud Idou's recent crags - looks like five lines of about 16 clips each - should keep us busy next trip!

Hazy Days

2011-11-29T19:53:00.008Z

Two days until December and the good weather just keeps on coming. It feels to me like the warmest, driest, most settled autumn yet but Sherri tells me the diaries reckon it is pretty much as normal - so much for my memory!
Graham and Dan have a few more days left (a great trip with over a 100 routes 6c-7b), somehow I don't think they are looking forward to winter in the UK that much, especially with the forecast for frost and snow.
We have booked a homeward flight too - though not for about another seven weeks - there is no need rush these things!

Almost a week later and Team Parkes were escorted off the island early this morning (just to make sure they actually leave) and then there were two - 1st time for almost two months - peace descends!

The North Wind Doth Blow.....

2011-11-18T17:49:00.006Z

There has been a brisk north wind for quite a while now, it rattles the shutters and stirs up the white-horses, but keeps the humidity down too, which is great. We have mostly been climbing 'around the bay' which is much more sheltered and also catches all the sun that is going, which is a bonus. These aren't the soaring crags of Panorama or Spartacus but as ever they have a great series of climbs often on very sharp rock - cos most of them they never get done!
Helen only has one one day left of her holiday, hope the wind drops so she can escape - back to that 'other' island and a very different world.
The forecast looks rather good, I don't think we will be shooting off home any time soon.

Kaly and Sheffield - guess which is which.

November Blue

2011-11-10T19:18:00.004Z

It is winter, but not as we know it; over a month now since it rained which is a bit odd but very pleasant, especially knowing how UK Novembers usually go.
The Binks/Binney team have been and gone, a great time was had by all. They have been replaced by Team Parkes who are well into "Island Life" and bagging a host of classic routes.
We have settled into the winter routine, climbing, walking, chilling and a bit of work. There is steady progress on Peak Limestone, Costa Blanca and Ariege, it looks like a busy 12 months ahead. We had better make the most of our 'down-time' on Kalymnnos whilst we can!

Everyone's a Winner

2011-11-01T12:47:00.001Z

It is a month since we arrived, October has come and gone, and finally the place has started to empty out big-style; the good times are just around the corner. It was a beautiful crisp day on Poets yesterday, the crag is nearly always rammed as it is so close the “climbers’ end” of Massouri. The fact that there were less than half a dozen teams there all day is a sign. I did eight routes bringing the tally for the month up to exactly 100 - not too shoddy really. The fact that Colin has almost caught me up in two weeks doesn’t bother me - much!
In the evening I heard that Cote d’Azur rock had won the Outdoor Writer and Photographers’ Guild “Guidebook of the Year” competition, which was great. That is four times I have won it in nine years, I guess that must be some kind of record. Of course Alan James is the one to blame - without his vision I would probably still be producing small scale, low volume guides to remote areas and even more worrying, still be teaching.

The 'B' Team's Back

2011-10-24T16:27:00.008Z

Binks, Big Binney, and Mini-Binney sailed into Pothia on the late ferry Thursday - evading all the traps set by the Greek National Strike.
As ever they set to work with a will - 3 days in and 30 routes ticked already! Make my 50 routes in 2.5 weeks look a bit feeble - I have just been pacing myself honest!

Went to Miltiadis on Telendos today - one of Bruno Fara's discoveries. We were all pleasantly surprised, though maybe we shouldn't have been - they were superb (and at 35m - big) routes on great rock, and really well bolted - 17 clips on the 7a that Colin did on-sight.

The man himself was there hard at work as ever, creating more routes for us to do - he had broken his ice axe whilst hacking out wiry bushes - I really must buy him a beer (or maybe a Pernod) in respect of all the great work he has done.

All Greek to Me

2011-10-20T17:28:00.003Z

Three weeks now, 50 routes, it is all going pretty well. Everywhere is pretty busy, but we have managed to dodge the crowds and get plenty done.
The snorkelling has been a treat - the water is so warm, that staying in for an hour is no chore. It sounds like autumn has well and truly arrived in the UK - it might be the Grit Season, but personally I would rather be down here!
The Greek National Strike almost buggered Colin and teams travel plans but in the end it all went off OK. As I type they are having a meal just across the water, waiting for the late ferry and a tame taxi driver (me!) to collect them.
The Babis Bar is full to busting so we have moved into Pothia in the lower floor of the Babis home. We miss the sunsets, but not the incessant banging doors - I think all the bloody Frenchies stopping there were born in a field. The cats that we looked after last Christmas are all still here (well four out of five are - Coco went awol and never returned). That gives Sherri another bunch of hungry mouths to feed and bellies to tickle - besides mine that is.

October!

2011-10-12T10:56:00.005Z

The annual tussle between the hot oppressive southern air (aka 'summer') and the fresh dry northern air (aka 'winter') has been going on for four days now. Other years it has lasted half a day or less, but this one is dragging on a bit.
We met one team that arrived two days late because of the Greek general strike, have had three wet days (plus a dry one) and are going home tomorrow!!!
A quick ride out reveals that the cliffs are as wet as I have ever seen them and there are throngs of disconsolate climbers all over the place.
Mind you - the forecast is superb!

As promised the clouds have cleared, the air has cooled and conditions are much more pleasant. The place is still thronged, and it sounds like it will get worse before it gets better. We tried a different ploy, nipping out to Dodoni at 5:00 - guess what - nice and cool and deserted too!

Strange Times

2011-10-05T12:36:00.005Z

This is our 4th October in Kalymnos, but this one is a bit different, sure its hot and very busy with climbers, though this is much the same as previous years.
This tme around there are many more 'regular' tourists about, loads more shops and restaurants are open, the whole place feels much more in 'summer-mode' than ever before. I don't want to be a grouch, but I hope they all push off home soon and let the place return to the sleepy backwater we know and love!

A quick word with Diana confirmed what we thought, Babis Bar is solidly booked through to the start of November and several hotels that we have never seen open are fully booked!

Back to the Blue

2011-09-30T08:10:00.005Z

The flight was 40 minutes late leaving Manchester, but other than that, the trip was as smooth as ever. We missed the 2:00 ferry (for the 1st time in four years) but chilling by the harbour at Mastachari was no big hassle.
I bumped into Richard Peart at the ticket kiosk. I haven't seen Dick for a few years, I first climbed with him in about 1967 - he took me (a terrified beginner) up Haste Not on White Ghyll in Langdale. I can still reminded how all the runners fell out on the crucial traverse, to say I wasn't a happy bunny would be an understatement! We had plenty to talk about.
The fast boat was exhilarating and a bit bumpy as it skimmed the waves, then we slipped into Pothia. Mike Kardoulis (the AutoMarket) boss met us on the harbour front with this years banger (a battered blue Panda in contrast to the normal yellow one) and greeted us with a very appropriate "Welcome home".

Another Year, Another Camera!

2011-09-23T18:59:00.006Z

I have had my Nikon P7000 most 12 months, a great camera with which I have taken around 8000 photographs. At the end of the Swiss trip I noticed the selection dial was playing up, not allowing me to use the video setting. so it was back to Harrison PhotoVideo. The camera is still in warranty but it is very doubtful whether it will be back in time for the Kalymnos trip. With that being the case I had a look what the market had to offer and came up with something different, a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V. It is a 'bridge camera' midway in side between a compact and a DSLR, and it has some impressive capabilities. Most notable is the lens that runs from a wide 27mm to a super-telephoto of 810mm. I'm not sure how they do it but the results are pretty amazing - see the two photos. High quality video, panorama stich and a few other whistles and bells too - it'll do!

Nose to the Grindstone

2011-09-18T18:27:00.004Z

Back from La Suisse (a journey as smooth as you could imagine) and we only have 12 days before we head to Kalymnos, so as ever, there is a heap to do.
Peak Limestone is pretty well ready for handing over, so I need get Costa Blanca and Ariege ready to take Greece with me and get them ready for publication some time next year.
Sunday, as ever, was Grit Day, but with heavy showers forecast we all headed to Burbage North. It is quite a while since I have been there, and a pleasant and social time was guarateed, with climbing and ribald leg-pulling in equal measure.
I did 11 route (mis-counted - I thought it was a dozen!) and I even led Tiptoe for the 1st time - since I put it up in 1972, in the intervening 39 years I have only ever soloed it - must be getting soft!

Swish as it Gets

2011-09-07T18:28:00.007Z

The flight was on time, though the Sunday night Zurich traffic was a bit grim as was the midnight arrival at Meiringen. Monday was damp on and off but it was good to get organised, stocked up and to have a quick walk round the area just as a leg stretcher.
Tuesday was perfection, bright, sunny and cool at 6000' as well as incredibly quiet. We did two routes one of eight pitches and one of four, both on immaculate granite before heading back down the hill - suddenly the hassles were all worthwhile.
On top of that the forecast looks brill and it is pi55ing it down back in the UK!

Six days in and the sun is still shining. Did a 1400' route on the slabs above Raitrichverbodensee yesterday - brilliant. I think Sunday will be a day of rest!

More granite and a smattering of local limestone just to keep in touch, only a couple of day left now - but it has been great.

Some you win.......

2011-09-01T21:32:00.011Z

The last two Septembers we have had great trips to the superb granite slabs of the Handegg area in Switzerland, and we fancied sneaking in one more. We are due out there on Sunday but in the event the forecast for whole of next week looks atrocious (though we still have the flights) so for the 1st time in 25 years we have cancelled - bugger!
We have looked at the options, but all of the Med is still far too hot, and the high hills far too unsettled - so it looks like we will be stopping at home.
I have been working flat out to get Peak Limestone ready to hand over so at least the pressure is off there. As ever Graham and Dan (the Parkes Twins) have helped get more shots for the book, we have visited some pretty esoteric places in our travels!
Anyway we are heading back to Kalymnos in four weeks so that is something to look forward too.

I had a days driving up at at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire, under the auspices of the AIM 'Skills' programme. The weather was kind and it was an excellent chance to see what the Sti could really do; 300 bhp, four-wheel-drive and fat tyres all add up! The fact that we could raid Colin's garden on the way up and visit my parents for fish 'n' chips on the way back were bonuses.

Update: the forecast for the Alps is much better again - trip back on!

Time Flies

2011-08-21T22:21:00.004Z

Three weeks back home already, it has been full on with Peak Limestone and it has all gone pretty well. The crags are lovely and dry so I have manage to get a few more of the missing crag shots by visiting the Dales at odd times of the day to catch the best of the light.
As ever 'The Team' have been very helpful with with checking routes over, visiting out of the way places and posing for photos - always turning up with a nice array of coloured T-shirts. See Dan and Graham (The Green Team) in the shot to the left.
The weather has been good though often a bit sweaty, there has been a lot of donkey work putting all the corrections into the master document, a good excuse for staying indoors on the hotter days.
A couple more weeks and it is off again - Switzerland this time. Apparently the Alps have had a crap summer, lets hope they have a decent autumn!

S'limestone & Stanage

2011-08-12T11:20:00.006Z

August in the UK - that's not something we do very often. The weather has been mixed, and very warm compared to northern Norway, but pleasant enough.
I have pressed on with Peak Limestone, there have been lots of bits and pieces to tidy up and check over, conditions down in the Limestone Dales is great at the moment, and everywhere is remarkably quiet. We have pushed the publication date back by six months, there seemed little point in 'full steam ahead' and bring the book out just as the season ends - a Spring launch makes much more sense.
A Sunday on Stanage with most of the 'usual suspects' was very pleasant with a bunch of old classics ticked off, good routes and good company.
It is six weeks until we head for Kalymnos so we have book a 10 day slider to Handegg for early September just to stay keen. Lets hope the weather is kind.

South by South West

2011-08-02T17:44:00.008Z

Early evening we sailed out of Svolvaer and along the coast, slipping past Henningsvaer and out into the Westfjord. There were no cabins available this time, and many folks just crashed in the lounge, though we spent time looking for a decent dossing spot and found it at the back of the ship, an alcove that was sheltered from the wind and undercover enough to keep the rain off. We got a few strange looks but who gives a damn, we had two comfy nights there and saved a heap of dough too!
We had four nights at the oddly named Koppang (sounds like a Batman comic annotation) by the banks of Norway's biggest river - the Glømma. The place was all set for salmon and trout fishing, though we found a good sport crag not far to the south, and had an excellent walk up some 3500' foot top just to the west whilst thunderstorms grumbled all around. The strangest thing was the DARK - all a bit spooky after so long with 24 hour daylight.
Then it was on south to Larvik and a much smooth crossing of the Skagerrak than the one going the other way 10 weeks ago to the day. The next morning we had a walk on the glorious beach at Tornby and quick ride across Denmark, to Esbjerg to be upgraded to Commodore Class yet again. The forecast is for a flat calm crossing - brilliant.

Homeward Bound

2011-07-25T11:36:00.006Z

Over nine weeks since we left home - it has been a cracking trip, with sparkling weather, some great venues and a generally mellow time. Climbing, hiking, fishing, berry-picking, birding - a Norwegian version of the Good Life. I suggested to Sherri it might be nice to have a bit of time padding up some Swiss granite again in September, and she pointed out that we need to go home 1st as there was a fair bit to do in the UK, especially sorting out Peak Limestone - ooops!

Thorbjørn and Lutta have done us proud and saved us a fortune by letting us stop in the Pink House in Henningsvaer, that is a few drinks we owe them. I think we may have persuaded them to sample Kalymnos in the Autumn, so I can square up with a few Metaxas at Babis Bar!

We have booked on the Hurtigruten (did it by phoning the ship!) from Svolvaer to Trondheim, after a month+ of perpetual daylight it will be a bit strange down there in the dark!

Just a 'Normal" Sunday

2011-07-17T18:40:00.012Z

The peak of Hamarøy Skaften pierces the sky not far from the Skutvik ferry. It looks totally inaccessible from the east, though the guide says the West Face is home to the three star classic 'Normal Route' which involves a lot of scrambling and five pitches up to Norwegian Grade 5-. The day was glorious and despite it being a Sunday, there were only two other teams on the mountain, a family group of five, and a couple of Norwegian lasses who were just 'learning the ropes'. They had done the North Face of the Romsdalhorn a few days ago as their 1st outdoor route: talk about in at the deep-end!
The approach took us a steady hour, and the route another couple. The five graded pitches (4+, 4, 5-, 4+, 5-) up grooves, corners and chimneys were a bit graunchy and the tricky 'hand-traverse' had Sherri pondering for a while. The view from the top extended from the rocky spike of Stetind over to the east, all the way round to the 'Lofoten Wall' sticking up beyond the blueness of the West Fjord. A report from the UK of more appalling weather back there was just the cherry on the cake.
We had out butties by the summit cairn, then headed down. Fortunately there is a bolted abseil line so the descent isn't too much of a problem though I did wonder for a moment how Martin Ekroll and Angel Johannesson got back down in 1888 after their First Ascent - impressive stuff.
Now it is about time to head back to Lofoten - there's fishing to be done!

Away from it All

2011-07-11T11:34:00.010Z

Lofoten was getting pretty busy (see previous Blog) and Thorbjørn let slip that he had a 'cabin' up in the hills up near the Swedish border - a four hour drive later and we were established!
At 1700' we expected it to be cool, thought the 24 hr daylight and a 'bubble' of warm air meant the temperature reached a sweaty 27C, the hottest we have ever experienced in Norway.
Not to be phased we have done some fine walks up in the hills, including Haugfjell and its bizarre ladder which is the only way through the extensive cliff-line, as well as some excellent sport climbing down by the coast.
The 'cabin' is about as plush as you could wish for and there is the added bonus of 'cheap' (all things being relative) shopping over the border in Sweden.
Last night the fog rolled in and today the temperature was a more reasonable 10C, with a low of 4C in the night - a bit more like it!

Good as it Gets.

2011-06-28T12:49:00.018Z

Lofoten in high summer is an amazing spot when the weather is kind, and as ever (for us) it has been just that. With 24 hour daylight, it is the height of the season now - we usually arrive at the end of July when all the Norwegians have started heading south again, so it has been a bit of a shock to see the place really packed and queues on many of the easier classics. I thought it was the fault of the guidebook, but Thorbjørn insists it is like this every summer for a few short weeks.
Weekends in the Climbing Cafe have been great/crazy depending on your outlook, with live music well into the small hours and a great social scene. The music doesn't usually start untill gone 10:30, and we have had to bail at 2:00 a.m. whilst everything was still in full swing!
For a 'rest' we took Thorbjørn's Jack Russell Elvis for a walk up Tjelbergtinden - I am not sure which of the three of us was most knackered by the time we got back to the car, but I'm guessing it wasn't Elvis!

Midsummer Magic

2011-06-25T17:50:00.007Z

Back in Lofoten after three years, brilliant. It is a month earlier than we used to visit (school holidays, remember them?) but the place is remarkably busy both with tourists and with climbers. We have made the required ascent of Glømtinden (above), been fishing a few times (caught 10 on one trip) and generally started to relax from the journey up. Thorbørn and Lutta invited us to their 'new' house for a midsummer's day celebratory meal and drinks - excellent.
The 24 hour daylight takes a bit of getting used to but we are coping, though we have had some pretty late nights.
The weather was has been a bit cool and grey but the forecast is better - time for some rocking I feel. Trouble is I don't have a guidebook - how strange is that!
Saturday night was a session in the Climbing Cafe, it started quietly enough but when Mr West fired up his electric guitar the place began to really rock - we left at half-past midnight - and the locals were just getting into their stride - and I have to say, despite having some doubts, the music was brilliant!

Northern Lights

2011-06-19T13:57:00.003Z

Colin packed off home (a super easy flight back to Newcastle) so it is time to head North in search of those mysterious lights that glow at midnight just over the horizon. We hopped aboard the Hurtigruten (Fast Route) boat at Trondheim and sailed north. It is an incredibly civilised way to travel, and damn expensive unless you are careful. With it being peak season there were no cabins available, but there was car and deck-space which was good enough for us.
In the event there was a cancellation and we landed a 'suite' for £70 - about a 20% of the going rate - SD comes up trumps again.
Sailing up the coast is a great way to see the amazing array of undeveloped rock that forms Norway's west coast.

Nissedal - a nice Dale!

2011-06-13T13:31:00.005Z

A great 10 days up in Nissedal draws to a close, it was busy last weekend (National holiday) and this one too (another National holiday!!!). In between the place has been pretty much deserted. The weather has been kind, a bit too hot to begin with, then cooling down nicely. We have done a host of great routes from single pitch sporty routes, to some fine six pitch offerings on the bigger cliffs.
The second bank holiday caught us unawares, with no cash to pay the campsite and little left in the larder. Hopefully tomorrow we can pay our bills and escape, heading off towards Colin's flight home on Thursday. Beyond that we have a ferry from Trondheim to Bodø booked, though the E6 is blocked by floodwaters - could be interesting!

Nine out of Ten!

2011-06-07T19:00:00.007Z

It finally rained yesterday, up to that point we had climbed nine days out of ten and to be honest I was starting to wither, and that wasn't just because of the heat. Of course Colin just cruises on and I try to keep up as best I can.
The week+ in the Drammen area was really excellent with a lot of quality cliffs, probably Muserud was the highlight (photo left). Then on the way to Nissedal we stopped at a crag called Espedaled near Bø and it was great, though sheltered in the forest it was almost unbearably hot. The place is already pencilled in for a return visit on the way back to the airport.
Nissedal is a superb as ever; it was busy over the weekend, with Ascension Day on Thursday and Sweden's National Day on Monday the place was pretty busy with lots of folks making a long weekend. It has all gone quiet again now though. We visited a small sport crag on Saturday as we thought the bigger cliffs might be busy. As it turned out there was a team of 10 jolly Swedes there. Unannounced and out of the blue one of them piped up "We thought you guys would be up on Haegarfjell" - apparently they had been reading my Blog - it is a small world!

Keeping a Weather Eye Open

2011-05-31T12:51:00.005Z

Colin arrived late Thursday and the weather has been pretty mixed, though we have managed to climb three days out of the four, and by keeping one eye on the sky we have managed to stay dry. The cliffs are varied but all share superb rock, fantastic settings and a high level of fixed gear. The forecast is superb so in a couple of days we are heading over towards Nissedal. The distant view from yesterday’s crag revealed plenty of snow up in them thar hills - might be interesting!

The weather has perked up it was 25C today (Friday 3 June) which was a bit of a shock. More great cliffs and brilliant routes!

Its a Breeze

2011-05-21T16:33:00.005Z

Right that's it: the top-box is attached, car loaded to the gunwales with camping gear, climbing gear, fishing gear, tinned food, a couple of crates of booze plus all the kind of 'stuff' that a long trip to somewhere expensive requires. We are not sure where Colin is going to fit when he arrives. Peak Limestone is handed over, the past month has pretty much tidied it up.
Oddly for late May gales are forecast tomorrow (Harwich to Esbjerg) and Tuesday (Hirtshalls to Larvik) - oh bugger!

Home and Away

2011-05-17T22:15:00.005Z

It is a month since we got back from Spain, which can only mean one thing; it is time to get back on the road. It has been very pleasant being back home, climbing on a regular basis with 'the team', a mixture of Grit, Lime and Indoors. Plus I have pressed on with Peak Limestone which is starting to look like a proper book - out for the summer hopefully.
We have manage to fit a top-box on the STi (the petrol heads at Halfords were amused) and we have Colin booked for three weeks (Newcastle to Oslo £10 return!!) so it is back to our 2nd (or is it 3rd) home - Norway. No return date fixed.

Back to My Routes

2011-05-09T12:17:00.004Z

A few days on the grit were great and no harder than expected, which was pretty hard really! Condition were generally excellent and we managed to avoid the rather battering and chilly east wind by picking cliffs that faced away from it. Bamford was a brilliant as ever and quite busy too, there was a continuous stream of folks up the classics, and I was pleased to see that at least on of my routes (Reach VS 4c) was proving popular.
There were a couple of German climbers there - who were grabbing a few last route before getting the Hull to Rotterdam boat home that evening. It turned out we 'rescued' them in Lofoten a few years ago when their abseil rope got jammed. Small world!
Burbage South was another great day, the crag dry but just a bit crusty and skiddy in places. Graham Dragged me up Millwheel Wall (E1 5b) a route that used to be a regular solo of mine - that felt really tough. It brought to mind the 1st time I did it back in about 1975, Steve Warwick belayed be whilst I top-roped it a couple of times, then I soloed it. I looked back down the route from the final jugs to see him hot on my heels - "you made it look so easy" was his reason for the audacious solo!
By early evening I was in the clutches of the grimmest cold I have had for years, it has taken me a week to get over it - maybe that's why the routes felt so hard!

Peaking Too Soon

2011-04-30T11:37:00.008Z

The journey home was a breeze; I am no fan of RyanAir, but they whisked us back to East Midlands for £35 each and bang on time, so we have no reason to complain.
We have been watching the UK weather for a while and were well aware of what a gorgeous spring the country has been having so it was a treat to get get out in the Peak to clean up a last few crag shots. The Manifold Valley was very quiet and resplendent in its spring green colours. I have new seen Thor's Cave looking so dry, and duly photoed it.
Later that day I was on the phone to Colin and he revealed that he has three weeks off some time soon - brilliant, so where shall we go this time?
Sunday was blue and windy, a jolly team assembled at Bamford and a bunch of classics were ticked in good order. Bank Holday Monday tomorrow; could be Burbage South.

Looks like I picked up a right snotty cold on the flight home - that's what you get for £35 - dirty bar-stewards!

Jobs a Good One

2011-04-21T13:24:00.005Z

It has been a busy five and a half weeks, but the task is pretty much complete - apart from a trip up to Gandia. Well that and a few bit and bobs around the Calpe area. The weather has been great, a bit warm at times but fine, and generally the cliffs have been pretty quiet. The forecast for Easter is a bit unsettled, hopefully that means we will get a rest.
I have taken 23 gig of photos - and that excluding all the ones that have already been dumped, which totals just on 2000 images - good job I am organised!
We called in at the bookstore in Calpe today and picked up the new guide to Murcia. I looks great and includes quite an array of cliffs I have never heard of - great, one more place to add to the list!

Busy On the Blanca

2011-04-15T10:53:00.003Z

I wasn't sure whether six weeks would be enough time to photograph all the cliffs on the Blanca, the last version took eight visits spread over a year and a half. In the event it has gone better than we could have hoped for, 10 days left and couple more trips needed to complete the job.
It is easy to get blasé about an area that we have been visiting for 25 years, but the fact is the climbing here is great and so is the climate; it remains a spot-on destination for a HotRock holiday - long may that continue.

Fame - and Fortune?

2011-04-06T17:20:00.005Z

Almost week now in Calpe and it has been great to be back, gorgeous weather, some good climbing and a lovely pad overlooking the town with a distant view of the Penon.
It has been pretty warm (22C) and many of the crags are remarkably busy, especially the ones with a good array of easy routes.
We have had a couple of trips out to photo the magnificent South Face of the Penon and were surprised to see it totally deserted.
We also called into the book-shop in Calpe looking for a guide to the Murcia area. Once he knew who I was the owner grabbed me and insisted I signed the Blanca guides he had on the shelf, apparently he sold seven copies in one day last week - maybe we can afford to stay out a bit longer.

Palm Tops

2011-03-27T15:37:00.008Z

After two excellent weeks at Novelda it was time to move down the road about 30 km to 'the big house' for the RockFax/UKC jolly.

As the team were arriving latish Saturday we got some staples in and started to explore the local area. It is very different to the Elda area, markedly warmer down here at sea-level and with palm trees everywhere.

The first days venue was Reconco, a bit breezy but excellent, many routes ticked. The keen team relocated to Penas Roges but we headed for home - no point in over doing things!
Wednesday: Dave Gregory arrived early after a 6:00 am flight, and we nipped up to Marin to do a couple of easy multi-pitch routes to open his account. It was pretty hot up there!

Life's a Beach

2011-03-19T15:42:00.009Z

So far the crag photograph/climbing has gone pretty well, so we decided a rest day was on the cards. We headed to the seaside and walked a couple of miles along a magnificent beach, there were a scattering of folks around (including a few old fat guys with no clothes on) but all in all it was pretty quite considering that
a) it was glorious
b) it was Saturday
c) it was a local holiday.

This is five minutes from Alicante airport - very nice too.

Back to work tomorrow.

Spain Again

2011-03-13T19:29:00.006Z

Almost four years gone and we are back on the Blanca. Last time was the 1st of our 'Winters Away' - we spent three and a half months at Denia, it certainly gave us a taste for getting out of the UK for the dark months.
The current Blanca guidebook will sell out in about a year's time so we thought it a good excuse for revisiting the area where it all began - an amazing 24 years ago - and getting a heads start. I did six routes at Marin that I hadn't done before which was great; though any fitness - and thick finger skin - that I developed on Kalymnos has long gone!

New Boots and Panties

2011-03-06T16:25:00.007Z

Three weeks to the day since we got home and today was only the 2nd time the sun shone! Time is getting pretty tight for the final few crag-shots for Peak Limestone, but the forecast better, we might make just make it - Dovedale and Chee Dale beckon.
I needed some new rock shoes so popped over to Outside. Stanage was pretty busy but the Burbage area was mobbed. In the end I couldn't decide between the Evolves, 5.10s and Mad Rocks, so I bought them all! I also picked up a copy of the new Stetind Area guide - interesting stuff.
A couple of nice days helped, excellent light and early starts means most of the crag shots are in the bag now. Paddling the river in Cheedale was a 'cool' experience, I got some strange looks!

The Cat's Whiskers

2011-02-27T22:10:00.006Z

Two weeks to the day since we got home and it has been unrelentingly miserable, cold, grey and damp, with only one sunny day. I had hoped to get a few of the outstanding crag-shots for Peak Limestone; not a chance. On the plus side, home comforts have been a treat, and I have managed to crack-on with the layout of the book; it is starting to look rather good.
Sherri has found a 'pet', a local cat that has taken a shine to her - or at least the treats she gives it. It is an looking odd critter, a Cornish Rex apparently, but it is very affable.
A trip to the Blanca looms, it looks lovely down there are the moment - a stay of a couple of months would be nice - can't wait!

Home is Where your Heart is?

2011-02-19T13:09:00.005Z

The journey back to the UK was about as hassle free as you could hope; we watched the sunrise over the Turkish coast and I assume it set in the grey murk as we cross the Snake Pass heading for home.
The week has zipped by, so much too do, and the home comforts have been great, though I know at least one of the team is missing her beach walks and semi-tame cats.
Saturday it even snowed a bit - which was nice and festive - buggered our journey up north to see the parents mind. We will try again tomorrow.

Homeward Bound

2011-02-11T12:05:00.003Z

It is that time again - four and a half months in Paradise and it is all coming to an end - bugger. We had a very pleasant session at the Babis household yesterday evening for his 'name-day' and today we have started the sort out ready for an early start on Sunday morning. Last year it took us five days to get home, lets see if we can improve on that.
We finished the work at Sector St George, bolted the last two routes and painted the names on the rock. Then we took the drill back to the Municipal Office and return home to find my bolts from Germany had arrived - typical!
To soften the blow of the return to the UK (4C - that can't be right) we have already booked some accommodation in Spain for next month. I am wondering about taking the STi across to Santander on the ferry and driving down - I wonder how rough the Bay of Biscay gets in March?

Driller Thriller

2011-02-02T16:26:00.004Z

That's Colin's 10 days over and done. He stuck about 60 bolts in Crag X (now known as Sector St George), trundled some big rocks and put up eight worthwhile routes from 6a to 6c. We also had three rest days when we went climbing!
The birthday 'do' in the bar was a pleasant one with a few friends and locals gathered, Babis cooked pizza for all of us, champagne flowed and we sang Happy Birthday to the old bugger. The locals were very impressed with the way Colin demolished 1/4 of his cake in double quick time - and that was after three slices of pizza!

New Route Fever

2011-01-26T16:21:00.006Z

On our various ramblings we have been keeping an eye open for possible new routes and spotted a decent looking crag not far from Pothia.
As it was soon to be Colin's 65 birthday we flew him out and pointed him at the crag - I know he loves a challenge. Two days on and three new routes have already appeared, and if we say so ourselves they are quite good!
All we need now are some names.
The cost of the gear to equip a route is a bit of a shocker mind, a hanger 12mm bolt is around €5 and 'proper' lower-off is €35. The three routes have two lower-offs and 24 bolt runners, you can work out the total easily enough!

Monday Morning Blue

2011-01-17T12:19:00.004Z

The magnificent Arhi was deserted, so we had the whole place to ourselves which is rare event. Last time we were there (New Year's Day) it was rammed. Despite the showery forecast there was a cool northerly breeze and wall to wall sunshine, perfect climbing conditions. Factor in the great routes, beautiful rock and the fact that it was Monday morning - could it possibly get any better? Oh and Sherri has booked the flights home - bummer!

Not set to leave for four weeks mind!!

Exploratorium

2011-01-15T13:04:00.007Z

We had a great day craging over in the Three Caves on Telendos, though I got a bit chewed by 'the only crack on the island'. Also we have continued to poke away looking at various bits of undeveloped rock - there is a lot if it about when we started looking. The brief is tricky mind, it needs to be not to far from the road, not to high and not too hard; plus Aris says it has to have a 10-15 routes to make it worth a visit by other teams.
We may have found a candidate not far from Pothia, Colin is coming out next weekend, and I have already borrowed the drill so watch this space!
Today we had a walk to another Crag X which I reckon may have room for 50+ routes, far too big an undertaking for me mind - I'll hand it over to the locals!

Click on the shot to the right (twice) for a full sized version of the crag.

Via Ferrating - with a twist

2011-01-07T08:37:00.008Z

Kalymnos Via Ferrata

The new Kalmnos guide lists a Via Ferrata right above where we are staying. We didn't have any of the 'proper' kit with us (wouldn't bother me but Sherri is more timid), so I decided we could do it as a 'route' and pitch the whole thing. It was a case of slow and steady, we did it in about eight pitches. It all went very well, it has some spectacular positions, and with the cold north wind, the views were fantastic with Icari visible for the 1st time 60 miles to the north . The long walk off past Symplegades dropped us right back to the pad.
The system worked fine, I led, clipping into the iron-work and Sherri followed, belayed and clipped into the cables. There was a slight 'moment' at 'the crux', an exposed traverse round a bulging arete - but she hung in there. The huge cave halfway along the traverse is an amazing spot, full with huge amounts of goat poo - they have obviously been doing the route for years!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-01-01T12:21:00.003Z

2011 - who would have thought it - still trucking on! I fell over last week in the middle of Pothia (felt like a right chump) - luckily the only damage (apart from to my self-respect) was a strained middle finger. It was pretty swolen so I guessed climbing would be out for quite a while but two days of iced water/Volterol treatment and it was feeling much better so we headed to Arhi on New Year's Day.
It was glorious and busy - with 30+ folks sheltering from the north wind it felt like the high season was back again. I did eight easy routes - the finger held up well - cracking stuff.
Only a couple of more nights in Babis's place then it back to the peace and quiet of Myrties.

3rd January; Babis and Diana back from the UK both with monsterous streaming colds - NOW they know why we spend the winter down here. Diana described a winter in the UK as a prison sentence!

Back to Babis Bar and within 5 minutes the power was down!! Nice sunset mind!

Christmas Crack

2010-12-26T12:19:00.004Z

What a Christmas; no post from the UK for three weeks so no Christmas Crads, no presents and no sign of the new book yet! On the plus side, it was a warm and windy day, I did five routes, Sherri fed cats, dogs and goats galore, then in the evening we had turkey and all the trimmings.
Sherri's friend Brenda came round for the evening meal and we had a convivial time.
All the routes I did, I have done before, but what the heck, it was better than doing Christmas Crack for the 100th time, especially considering how cold it looks back there!

PS The next day the post arrived - four Christmas Cards and two copies of Cote d'Azur - looks lush!

Christmas City Break

2010-12-19T13:08:00.005Z

Babis and Diana are off to the UK for Christmas - (well maybe, if they can get in and out of Frankfurt and into Stansted because of all the snow) - and they have asked us to look after their three cats for a couple of weeks. So big city here we come - we packed our bags and drove the nine minutes to Pothia, and moved in, lock, stock and laptops. A quick walk round the area took us to yet another of the ancient castles that pepper the island.
A change is a good as rest they do say.

A Taste of the North

2010-12-12T08:42:00.009Z

Friday night and all day Saturday a gale (up to Force 9) has roared out out of the north - battering everything in its way. Trees toppled, a few roofs gone AWOL and this morning our windows were encrusted with salt blown up from the sea. I bet not many ferries have been running round these parts!
The contrast to the last month was extreme; last night the temperature fell to 6C (and 9C indoors, these places are not designed to stay warm) - I think in the middle of the day it may actually have been colder here than in the UK.
I ended up having to work in bed, wrapped in a sleeping-bag whilst nursing a hot water bottle - so not all bad then! Work on Peak Limestone continues well despite the adversity.

December!

2010-12-08T13:23:00.008Z

The news stories from the UK of knee-deep snow, traffic jams and sub-zero temperatures keep filtering through - it sounds really grim! Yesterday we were due a bit of downtime at the superb little harbour of Vathy and today - 8th of December we visited Arhi again. It has become my favourite crag on the Island; it was 22C and there was one other team on the whole cliff - that is about as good as it gets. I led the superb Komak (36m - 16 clips -6a+) amongst others - brilliant.
The forecast for the weekend here looks pretty unsettled but as it hasn't rained for a month now it would be churlish to complain - it is December after all!

Goat Rescue Mission

2010-12-02T14:19:00.006Z

December has started pretty much the same as November ended, mild and windy, but totally pleasant, and very quite. Our neighbours at Babis Bar are a couple of Canadians and Nancy had heard about two goats 'stuck' in Sikati Cave and wanted to rescue them. We had never been there, so thought it would make a good objective for a day out.
We caught them easy enough with bread for bait (a mother and kid) and then manhandled them up to the base of the descent route - they weren't too keen!
We had some idea about hauling them out, but Nancy's one (the big one!) sat down and refused to move so we wrapped it in a rope-sheet and squeezed it into a rucksack then carried it up the fixed rope - there was lot of goat hanging out the top. The kid was easier to handle a fitted the rucksack a treat - see photo. They seemed unphased by their journey, nibbled a few bushes and wandered of. The question remains - how the Hell did they get in there in the 1st place!

The Snow has Arrived Early!

2010-11-25T11:39:00.004Z

In the UK that is - and it is only November. Eight weeks in Kaly and we have had one and a half days of rain - not too shoddy - and lowest temerature so far has been 12c - I think we will stop a while longer.
I went to renew the car hire today (good exchange rate at the mo) - and Mike asked me if I wanted to actually buy a car - he a good deal on a Matiz. Trouble is we need to be in the Blanca in February, 'suppose we could buy it drive it round there!
Big fat local oranges €3 for four kilos from a harbour front seller - superb!

"It's all gone Quiet Over Here, Over Here"

2010-11-18T08:10:00.004Z

The 'season' is about just about done, our team of five has departed for damp and distant shores along with most other folks. We have set our clocks two hours ahead of Greek time to make the most of sunny evening on the terrace (yeah, weird I know!) and the glorious sunsets continue to dazzle.
I have started working in earnest on Peak Limestone which is a bit weird, day-time climbing superb 35m pitches on perfect Kalymnian limestone and evenings scrutinising pictures of Horseshoe Quarry and Water-cum-Jolly.
A hot couple of hours on Arhi, (four routes, 12 stars) and an early evening dinner courtesy of Babis and Diana - a great way to spend a Friday!

Wham, bam, thank you Maam!

2010-11-14T10:13:00.007Z

Colin, Dave and Mark have been here three weeks today (five in a Panda - no probs!), Graham and Helen a fortnight - and it has been pretty much perfect; warm, sunny and dry, with the number of climbers continuing to dwindle. Tomorrow they all set off for Blighty and we settle into our winter routine. We have done some fantastic routes, the big pitches on Arhi being especially notable. Colin and Mark have done (well) in excess of a hundred routes again and Graham has been as impressed as we were 1st time - "I'll be back" was all he had to say on the matter.
We had the compulsory thunderstorm a couple of days ago - with associated power-cuts and floods - it was a real cracker, flashing and rumbling away for most of the night. We were climbing on Kastelli when it arrived, I made it back to the car with seconds to spare - Mark and Colin didn't quite! The drive back through Massouri was spectacular as the water gushed off the hillsides, levels rose by the second and the wipers couldn't cope with the volume of rain - Kalymnos doesn't do anything by halves!

Remember, Remember

2010-11-07T13:56:00.006Z

November has long been my least favourite month, invariably grey, cold and miserable, with precious little to look forward as the winter grinds on. This is our 3rd November on Kalymnos, and I am warming to it, as usual the crowds have gone, it has cooled down nicely and the weather has been brilliant. Monday 1st Nov we took the boat round to Irox and it crossed my mind we could easily have been stuck in traffic, in the drizzle back home on the way to start the long and dreary autumn term. A couple of days ago we went snorkelling (loads of fish) round at Emporios and since then we have done some great routes - unbeatable.
Graham and Helen Parkes arrived a few days ago, and they soon slipped into Island Life - it doesn't take long!

French Revolution

2010-10-31T12:24:00.008Z

November tomorrow, the fleet of taxis has been trucking the climbers towards the ferry in droves, the forecast is about as perfect as it gets, cool sunny and dry. Lovely Jubbly! The new guide has proved a great fillip, getting us to revisit old venues and new ones too. Almost everywhere we go we are spotting new lines - the Kalymnos Gold Rush is far from over.
We have done some great climbs including some superb long pitches probably pre-eminent have been a couple of 6b routes; Titine on Cave Crag (34m - 16 clips) and Cacoyannis (30m - 17 clips) on Pocket Wall - both magnificent routes and quite unlike anything in the UK.

Well known French climber and new router Bruno Fara is stopping in our apartment block again this year. I explained who I was and a bit about our new guidebook to the Cote d'Azure. Once he finished roaring with laughter and pointing his pretend gun at me he was pretty cool about the whole thing. He says there have been rumbling of the French climbing sites but looking at the guide on the laptop he said "I will buy it" - that's good enough for me - he can have a complimentary copy!

Kalymnos Guidebook Launch

2010-10-26T07:16:00.009Z

The much anticipated new guidebook to Kalymnos was launched earlier this week. The author, Aris brought 250 copies over from Athens and they were all sold within a few hours, more 'supplies' are arriving on Wednesday. There was a cheery gathering of 30 or 40 folks at Aris's house to 'wet the book's head', as the sun set over Kalymnos, all very romantic. He signed and passed over one of the few copies reserved for 'friends and helpers' and I managed to smuggle it out without the assembled masses getting a look at it - I think I would never have got it back once it was out in the wild.
The book is a slightly smaller format than the last one, and the addition of an extra 60 pages have allowed the route count to more or less double - from 840 to around 1600.
A lovely piece of work and sure to be on the shopping list of many a climber through the long dark winter ahead.
I have already started a list of new routes that have been added in the past couple of weeks mind, I think it was out-of-date before it was actually in print!

Nikon P7000 - First Thoughts

2010-10-20T13:02:00.010Z

I have had the new Nikon P7000 now for three weeks (a big thank-you to Harrison Photo-Video in Sheffield who got me one the day after it was released) and I thought a little report back might be a good idea. It is quite a chunky beast, substantially bigger and heavier than my old Leica DLux 3, but is small enough to be carried on the hip and used with one hand.
The lens is a cracker, at 28-200 it covers a substantial range and at 2.8-5.6 is quite fast too.The two shots above show the full range of the zoom - impressive enough.
It has a decent sized sensor, reasonable low light performance, a rapid shooting mode (not sure how many fps - but a few). A 90 minute battery charge lasts for more than a week of shooting. It has a high quality video mode (720 fps) in which the full range of the zoom works AND a view-finder. Link HERE to a short video. It also has a neat 'stitch-assist' for overlapping panoramas which is very effective. Rapid start up and negligible shutter lag; all in all, a great package.

Cons: the manual only comes as a PDF, the battery symbol only shows when it needs a recharge rather than a diminishing scale (still get a days shooting out of it when the light comes on), and it will fire when it can't focus (shows a red square to warn you mind). I would have preferred the lcd screen to be recessed rather then flush with the back of the camera, will need to take care.

Strange Times We Live In!

2010-10-18T11:56:00.006Z

Two Octobers spent on Kalymnos and hardly a cloud in the sky - we naively assumed it was always like that. How wrong can you be, the forecast a week ago predicted a long unsettled period of showers, wind and thunderstorms and it was pretty much correct. Unlike UK weather it doesn't actually stop you climbing much, though today was pretty damp!
The other thing that has happened is that the place has become REALLY busy over the last weekend which is the one thing I don't like about Kalymnos. It is back to riding around and selecting the crag with the fewest scooters lined up below it - there were 50+ below Arhi the other day so we passed by.
On the positive side, the forecast looks great from mid-week and the majority of the holiday-makers will be pushing off next week-end, bring it on!

Ticking Over

2010-10-12T14:50:00.007Z

Almost two weeks in and time has really flown by, climbing, snorkelling, walking, putting the finishing touches to Cote d'Azure Rock; we have managed to keep pretty busy.
The weather has been markedly cooler than last year which is great, and generally the place has seamed quite, though it busied up considerably over the last weekend. The forecast is actually quite unsettled though in typical Kalymnos style today's p.m. rain came to all of 10 drops.
Sherri has befriended most of the islands cats, dogs and goats and is keeping busy trying to feed them all - quite a challenge but it is keeping her occupied.
Colin, Mark and Dave Gregory are due out in 10 days so currently I am taking it easy - there are hectic times ahead!

The Boy (and Girl) are Back in Town

2010-10-06T11:09:00.006Z

Great to be back, it has taken almost a week to unwind from the last month back home, but it is coming on nicely!
It is hot and sunny though a bit cooler than last year with a gorgeous breeze much of the time. Also it is fairly busy but again it feels less so than last year. A gentle 20 routes has started some skin growing and snorkelling in the Aegean is great for minor cuts and scrapes.
I have been helping Aris proof his new Kalymnos guidebook (with 1600 routes - almost double the last one) and it looks magnificent, inspiration guaranteed and due out in a couple of weeks!

Easy, Peasy, Greekaneezy

2010-09-30T17:10:00.007Z

Steve Warwick's 'taxi-service' whisked us to the airport then for the third year in a row Thomas Cook did us proud, the flight was on time, the journey was smooth, bags off sharpish and we made the 2:00 ferry with 15 minutes to spare. We rolled into Mryties mid afternoon only a little ragged at the edges.
The theory that Kalymnos is a bit of a trek doesn't really add up as the journey at the far and is so easy - if you connect with the ferries.
It was warm mind at 26C, but we are in no rush, it will cool down and we are here for the long haul!
Day 1 we popped out late in the day and I did 5 easier routes on Summertime. I had done them all before but what the Hell, it was way better than being on Stanage today!

Sixty!

2010-09-28T07:54:00.003Z

Friday - birthday boy! Where did sixty years go - I sometimes wonder if i made a mistake with the tally somewhere along the way. Evening saw quite a gathering in the boozer which was nice. The nine bottles of malt were welcome, though I am not sure what that says about me.
Saturday myself and Colin had an autumnal walk up Padley Gorge, to the Burbage Valley, over Higgar Tor and back through the quarries. There were quite a few climbers out despite the cool weather, we relived a few glory-days in passing. I test drove my new Nikon P7000 - 1st impressions were very positive.
Anyway no time to retire yet, the French guide is a gnat's away from being finished, and Wednesday we head for a few months on Kalymnos.

Autumn's on the Way

2010-09-15T08:32:00.004Z

Since we got back from Switzerland it has been pretty unsettled, par for the course I guess. It has given me the chance to get stuck into the last big push for the French guidebook.
Out of the blue Mike Owen - who I last climbed with 21 years ago - got in touch. He has lived down on the Cote d'Azur for some years and offered to help with the guide. His input has been superb - detailing many of the hard routes down there. With less than a month till we print his timing was spot on.
I popped out to Stoney on Sunday to get some cragshots. It was the weekend of the UKC/BMC Stoney Reunion, and I couldn't get parked on the 1st run! Sounds like it was a great 'do' with over a hundred folks climbing, dossing and reliving the glory days. Nice to see the crag busy again.

Suisse Plaisir

2010-09-05T13:25:00.008Z

That was that then - ten days, 20 routes - a mixture of granite and limestone, stunning scenery, quiet crags, great rock, very acceptable weather, lovely camp-site - couldn't really be better! There was some great leading by Colin and we were looked after royally by Sherri.
Even the journey home was a delight, good old EasyJet - on time into Manchester. Then there was the trip back the 30 or so miles to Sheffield - traffic jams, road works, potholes - welcome home. At least it wasn't raining - that is forecast for tomorrow!

Photo left: a happy man - honest.

Genuine Swiss Movement

2010-08-28T11:59:00.006Z

A 7:00am flight from Manchester meant an almost sleepless night, the plus side was being on Azalee Beach, in the heart of the Grimsel Granite area by mid-afternoon. A four pitcher was cracked off in good style, then back to base for a snooze!
Friday we dodged the showers up at Susten and Saturday was wet, not a Bank Holiday surely?
Sunday dawned clear blue, and turned out to be primo. We expected things to be wet but found our chosen route almost bone-dry; Foxie (5+) is nine pitches on the most perfect granite imaginable. We swung leads and did it up and down in 2.5 hours whilst Sherri collected bilberries for tomorrows breakfast - I guess it has to be muesli!

The Old Ones Are the Best

2010-08-23T12:02:00.008Z

Work on the French book has kept me indoors, or at least that and the indifferent weather. Despite the the general clagginess weekends have almost always been fine, chance to get out on the good ole' Grit. Colin and Mark have been making the regular trip down from North Yorkshire, and of course the usual suspects have always been out and about.
I even found three more routes on Stanage that I hadn't done - 1037 is the current tally though they are drying up fast now.
Colin had 10 days off and the forecast is pants - more like October than August say the weathermen. Pembroke, Cornwall and Jersey were all mooted, but in the end we booked a flight to Switzerland - for the day after tomorrow!

Mr Motorvator

2010-08-16T14:33:00.016Z

I have been thinking about getting a 'smaller' car for a while now. In the event, the salesman was very persuasive at Europa Subaru in Sheffield - I think he saw me coming - never mind, at least we can get all the camping gear in the back! With a top speed of over 150mph and a 0-60 time of around 5 seconds it is an incredible piece of machinery. Of course it isn't about the numbers; the Impreza is a lovely colour!

Not surprisingly the summer is turning into a wet warm and windy one, but Colin has got 10 days off towards the end of the month, we need to go somewhere rocky - and of course this year's expedition to Kalymnos is only six weeks away - bring it on.

The Same as it Ever Was

2010-08-11T19:24:00.007Z

Back home for 10 days now and it has been a pretty standard UK summer; mild and cloudy, midgy and muggy! I enjoyed a lovely Sunday on Froggatt with Colin cracking of eight routes Severe to E1 and despite the humidity the friction was pretty good.

Work on the French guide continues a pace, with the help of expat guide Alan Carne the Verdon section is starting to look really something!

Wednesday was forecast to be the best day of the week so we headed to Cheedale to retake some of the shots we got back in February now that the cliffs had dried out. Walking through the sticky slop and dripping rhubarb I realised some things never change. Interestingly there were about a dozen teams on the Cornice and Two Tier Buttress, though with one exception all the folks I saw were sat on bolts. One guy hadn't actually moved when we walked back the other way an hour later: I wonder where all the 'climbers' have gone?

Back to Base

2010-08-01T10:39:00.004Z

A 5 a.m. start and a steady crossing of the Skaggerak on a big Fjordline 'cat' at speedy 40 mph led to a five hour drive across Denmark in the pouring rain. Early evening saw us boarding the DFDS ship Dana Serene (another free upgrade!) and setting of into a choppy black night - the early start ensured that we slept like a couple of babies.
The UK look green and surprisingly quiet - and that was it, two months to the day - back home! A bit leaner, a bit fitter and a bit poorer - Norway does that to you!
The novelty of a clean bed, a bath and a big TV are all very nice - better not get used to it though!

Tranquillity Base

2010-07-27T13:41:00.003Z

We headed for the Kristiansand area as i was the one place in the Søreland guide that I hadn't climbed. The drive from Egersund passed the requisite amounts of superb looking rock, the Jossingfjord area being especially impressive. We tried a couple of the 'ferie-centrer' campsites on the coast first, and to put it mildly - they were overpriced, overcrowded shit-holes - sorry but there is no other way to describe them.
We headed inland for just 10 miles to different world, and found a tiny (and deserted) camp-site by a delightful lake, free boats and free fishing and only a few minutes from several of the crags - purrfect!

After almost drowning in a tiny canoe (in a swimming pool!) many years ago I have always been terrified of canoeing, but a gentle intro in a 'Canadian' and I was set - it was amazing drift along in silence, slipping over the water and seeing the the world from a very different perspective. The trout we fished out were the icing on the cake!

Headed South

2010-07-20T19:28:00.007Z

From Loftus to Sauda to Egersund and on to Kristiansand, lots a great places and generally very quite despite it being peak season. Egersund is an odd spot, a local climbing club and superb rock sticking up everywhere, but as far as I can find, no climbing anywhere near - weird!
We have a ferry booked for home in just under two weeks so have decided to head south to make use of the Sørlands guidebook and get a bit more craging done. It has been a bit showery, but the forecast is great - that should work nicely then.
And the reason for the sudden rush? Torbjørn has invited us up to Lofoten for late August so we need to head home for a couple of weeks to get organised, and try to finish the Cote d'Azur guide which is due out in the autumn - I never get a minute to myself (said in true Jim Royle style!).

Summat Fishy

2010-07-13T20:01:00.007Z

The week spent camping in the cherry orchard at Loftus was great, we explored the Hardanger Fjord area (plenty of unclimbed rock around there) and ate our fill of ripe cherries! We also fished a bit, but there wasn't much doing - the weather, the climate, the fish - who knows?
Then it was over the hills (again - so much brilliant looking unclimbed rock) to Sauda, a bit of the beaten track, just how we like it.
Sherri tried fishing off the jetty in town but I had spotted the old road heading out round a rocky headland which dropped into deep water . We headed out and half-an-hour later we had tea in the shape of two BIG pollack (the bigger was 60cm) and a mackerel. Looks like fish for tea tomorrow too!

Welcome to (proper) Norway

2010-07-07T12:26:00.006Z

After a few days at the ski resort of Geilo, exploring (the edges!) of the Hardangervidda we decided to head for the fjords and a bit of 'real' Norway and we weren't to be disappointed. Once off the plateau the road dropped steadily towards the 'edge' where the Vøringfossen waterfall plunges 600' into the valley below - spectacular with a capital S. The roads takes only a slightly less direct route corkscrewing through tunnels as it struggles to loose the 4000' from its high point. We set up camp in a cherry orchard (free fruit - no really) in Loftus overlooking the blue waters Sørfjord and the glittering ice-cap of the Folgefojn.
Of course it rained a bit in the evening - but what can you expect!

Home Alone

2010-07-02T19:05:00.003Z

We dropped Dave Gregory off at Torp airport this morning, and Ryanair zipped him back home - the return leg of his sub-£50 ticket, a lot faster and cheaper than the old ferry route. His intro to Norway was great, deserted cliffs, fantastic rock, gorgeous weather, no mozzies, quiet campsites - exactly how I have been telling him it is when ever we are here - maybe now he will believe us.
We spent the last few days at Drammen, just to the south of Oslo, just for a change the climbing was great, and one of the cliffs in particular Vardåsen was superb, a 300' sheet of prefect granite. The routes there were some of the best either of us had done for a long time.

As Good as it Gets?

2010-06-25T18:19:00.002Z

According to the locals the route Via Lara on Haegefjell is supposed to be one of the best multi-pitch 'moderates' in Europe - too good an accolade to go unchecked. It is a 7 pitch route, about 1200 feet long following an amazing continuous crack-line up the side of a huge granite dome. There is no fixed gear at all in the route which is a nice change, though the line Gone with the Weed about 20m to the left has fixed belays, offering a (tricky) escape if needed. Via Lara is Norwegian Grade 4 - so about HS/VS, and it gave me and Dave Gregory a pleasant afternoon - we were happy with the four hours we took for the seven pitches and six abseils down a neighbouring line. A Swedish guy we met at the bottom said he had soloed it the previous evening in just under 17 minutes - bugger!

A 'Big Up' for Noway

2010-06-22T15:28:00.006Z

I like Norway for a heap of reason; the folks are friendly, the place is generally quiet, the scenery is magnificent, the roads are good the camp-sites are quiet AND cheap - all in all its a pretty cool place.
The weather is often surprisingly pleasant (24 hr day-light is a great novelty) and the expected insect life is always much less worse than anticipated.
On top of that there is some great climbing, the crags are not the most user friendly in the world (Kalymnos gets top vote for that) but they are generally of superb quality and usually deserted.
The south doesn't have the grandeur of Lofoten - but its beauty is still very evident, like a giant deserted version of the Lake District.
The £ has taken a bit of a dive against the Kroner so things are more expensive here compared to our last visit - but it still feels like good value!

Bootiful Bohuslen

2010-06-16T09:36:00.010Z

Evening sun on the granite at Ramsvik.

Smogen waterfront.

Glaciated granite Bohuslen coastline.

Evening storm clouds above Honnebostrand.

A few pictures from the Bohuslan area, a beautiful area, at least when the sun shines. There are plenty more shots on my PBase gallery under the "Images of Sweden" link.

Now it is time for the land of the North Men - let's hope the weather holds!

Better by Miles

2010-06-13T16:17:00.004Z

Fabled Bohuslen lived up to expectations, at least on Day 3. Saturday we managed a walk out to one of the local headlands, wild and windy, but very spectacular with superb pink granite as far as the eye could see - in every direction.
Sunday was what the doctor ordered; sunshine and climbing - a simple mix.
The forecast is set fair and the guidebook has 100 crags and 1200 routes - that will do nicely!

Goteburg Joking

2010-06-11T16:08:00.004Z

We arrived at Gothenburg on the Monday - in the rain, and left on the Friday - in the rain! It stopped briefly on the Wednesday, so I got the chance for a quick half-a-dozen routes - before the rain started again - flaming June indeed!

What a disappointment - at least I got a stack of proofing done for new the West Country Climbs guidebook, which is looking quite magnificent. We have move up the coast to the spectacular granite area of Bohuslen to see if that can improve the trip. Currently it is raining (how novel) so we have booked into the tiniest of cabins - actually scrub that, we got an free upgrade from the tiniest of cabins to one a bit bigger than tiny! It is still minute but least is is waterproof.

Swedish Sampler

2010-06-05T19:13:00.005Z

A few days in Southern Sweden to catch our breath was the idea. We headed for the small granite headland of Kullaberg, and the pleasant seaside village of Molle. Glorious weather helped as did the nice if generally rather short climbing on good quality granite. The camp-site was pretty much deserted - until the weekend, when were were dazed and amazed by the invasion - it felt like half of Sweden (and most of Denmark) had arrived to camp!
A walk round the headland on the Saturday revealed cars, coaches, minibuses and motorbikes in their hundreds. All of the cliffs were mobbed with abseiling groups, there was also a bit of top-roping going on, as well as diving, sailing, fishing, rambling and golf - this is one POPULAR spot.
Sunday was another cracker, the key, we found was to roll up at the cliff mid-afternoon, just as everyone was packing up ready to make the long drive home.
Monday the rain arrived as forecast - time to head north.

Commodore Craggs

2010-06-01T19:46:00.007Z

A steady ride through the rain and spray got us Harwich in good time for the Esbjerg boat, the DFDS Dana Sirena. The lady in the check-in booth gave us a label to hang on the rear-view mirror, I had a quick look - "Commodore", hmmmm interesting thought I.
We were directed to the front of the queue (right behind a brand new Bentley) and were ushered straight onto the boat.
At the impressively scaled cabin we were greeted by a stewardess who explained that everything in the Commodore area was 'complimentary' - coffee, snacks, wifi, beer, whisky and breakfast too. I had to bite my lip and not say that there must have been a mistake.
I haven't a clue why we got the free upgrade, - but we are going to make the most of it!
The crossing was silk-smooth and the journey across Denmark, quick and interesting. The two huge bridges that link the islands are impressive feats of engineering, and a £25 a pop - expensive to use!

Windy Wharncliffe Wanderings

2010-05-31T19:54:00.005Z

May Bank Holiday rolls around again and for the 2nd year on the trot we headed to Wharncliffe Crags to avoid the crowds. (An aside: When I used to teach Chemistry at the nearby High Green School 'Wharncliffe" was my nick-name - it could have been a lot worse!).
It was 'fresh' with a brisk north westerly, and the crag was quite busy. It turned out that Steve had only been there twice in the previous 20 years, so we ticked a few of the classics.
Scarlett's Wall Direct (photo) was the starter, S 4a in 'the Definitive' guide, my book gives it a more accurate HS 4c - nice one guys!
Monday we had to pack the car and get ready for Sweden - looks like it is time to head off again.

Burbage Summer Bumblings

2010-05-23T18:02:00.007Z

The hottest day of the year so far; 28C or thereabouts. The shady recesses of Burbage South was the chosen venue (nice one Steve) - the crag was the busiest I have ever seen it - by a mile. Many routes were occupied and there were boulderers by the dozen scampering over those small rocks down in the valley. Our jolly group of almost a dozen sampled some of the full-on mini-classics that the Edge abounds with.
Everymans' Misery was the most striking - it has long been given VS 5a, though ascents by several members of the team (excluding yours truly!) suggested a grade of E2 5a might have been nearer the mark.
When the sun finally came round we adjourned to the Norfolk Arms at Ringinglow for a pint in the beer-garden - mellow!

Back to Blighty - Briefly!

2010-05-10T11:51:00.007Z

The French month was good though hectic, now it is time to settle down and get stuck into the less glamorous side of guidebook writing - the donkey work of writing the text, sorting the shots, drawing the topos etc. It needs some long days in front of the computer though the bulk of the book is already in the bag. A day on the grit with the usual suspects plus another photographing for Peak Limestone broke the week up nicely.
Then there is the summer - current plans centre around southern Norway, possibly accessed via a freight boat from Immingham, or maybe Harwich > Esbjerg and southern Sweden. I'm looking forward to it already.

Cote d'Azur - final touches

2010-04-29T09:03:00.009Z

After three weeks of steady work from the Verdon down to the coast we met the rest of team RockFax/UKC for a week on the Cote d'Azur. It was a busy seven days with hot days checking routes on the rock, late nights quaffing in the pad and much quality socialising.
The glorious weather helped in making the week a success and many of the excellent crags in the area got a visit. Most of the team were completely new to the area and the feeling was that crags as varied as St Victoire, the Calanques, Chateauvert and Chateaudouble were excellent venues despite them currently being pretty much a blank on the map for UK climbers. With the week over, it will be good to get back to get back to a bit of peace and quiet!

Calm before the Storm - Troopers

2010-04-23T14:40:00.004Z

Well Colin got away - on the TGV, though it sounds like he might have got caught in the huge logjam at Calais, where the ferry companies were charging 60€ for an 18€ ticket - ripper!
After dropping him off and watching the train whizz away we had a very pleasant walk round the harbour at Antibes - talk about some spectacular boats; my how the other half live!!

We have only had a couple of days of peace before it is time to move again; enough time for a final session sorting out St Jeannet, and a lovely local walk.
Tomorrow it is off to Brignoles for the UKC/RF spring jolly. Drafting in the 'big-guns' should give us a useful week of checking and photographing a whole variety of cliffs, the book is coming along really well, looks like we should be fine for an autumn publication.

Stuck in the Middle......

2010-04-17T20:16:00.004Z

Friday we headed back towards Peillon but due to a rather threatening sky we side-slipped to Le Trinite. Colin was a bit bemused, a quarry AND north facing AND under the motorway AND in the rain - but Carrière en Fer à Cheval this wasn't. Great routes on amazing juggy rock, steep and long, plus with the added attraction of loadsa bolts - the French do things so well!
Mind you the big news is the ash - thanks to Iceland's latest export almost all flights in Europe are cancelled. Colin was supposed to be heading home tomorrow - but that ain't going to happen! Current best bets look like:
1) wait a week for the next EasyJet availability
2) get the train - nothing for at least three days
3) hire a car and drive

Time will tell!

Nice Work If You Can Get It.

2010-04-14T21:14:00.005Z

We escaped the grandeur of the Verdon and wound (bloody roads) our way down towards the coast. We are in a superb pad close to Vence and spring is well on the way down here, unlike up in the hills; it is a good four degrees warmer in the day. We have visited a new cliff each day and a couple of them have been real belters; Peillon and Gorbio are outstanding venues - how come we have never been there before?
Colin is climbing as well as ever, and I am bobbing along in his wake - same as it ever was!
The contrast between the coastal area with its traffic, and these superb mountain villages is amazing. Once away from the car parking it is like stepping back a couple of hundred years.

Verdonski Beat

2010-04-06T20:42:00.006Z

The 3 a.m. start was a shocker, but by mid afternoon we were established in Moustiers - a bit groggy but it was great to be back. Monday was hot and sunny, the crag of Felines was excellent, we ironed out more of the errors in the local guide and did some great routes as well.
Tuesday it was up to that big hole in the ground. It was 20+ years since Colin had been there, and he had never done a route. We headed for the Dalles Gris area, but there was a bit of a log-jam on the abseil so we doubled back and set about some of the short single pitch offerings under the rim. They look a bit trivial, but 30m pitches in such a dramatic setting are not to be dismissed - exhilarating stuff!
Moustieres is a great place to stay, central to a lot of good climbing and quaint enough to be living in a film set.

Photo left: the man surveys his empire.

Quick Lime

2010-04-02T16:16:00.004Z

Seven weeks since we left Kalymnos, time has really flown by. The weather has been pretty friendly, and we have been busy too. Sherri has done a fair bit of supply teaching (money in the bank) and I have managed to photograph almost of of the Peak limestone cliffs, ready for a new guidebook now that Northern Limestone has sold out. It sold much faster than we expected so we are splitting the next volume, one for Yorkshire and one for the Peak. Getting the cragshots in the bag early has been bonus.
Before that there is the small matter of finishing the Cote d'Azure guide. Hopefully a month down there (in the sunshine!) should sort it!

Sharp Shooting

2010-03-18T11:43:00.007Z

A long dry spell, the lack of leaves on the trees and some days with high milky clouds has given us the perfect opportunity to start getting stuck into sourcing crag-shots for the new Peak Limestone guide. I knew there was a reason we came back from Kalymnos early.
It has given us an excuse - if one was needed - for some lovely walks through Cheedale and Water-cum-Jolly, there were even a few climbers about making the most of the dry (but cold!) conditions. I have to admit that paddling across the river below Chee Tor was certainly enervating enough for me!
Another week of the current kind of conditions should have the job largely sorted. The fact that the spring is a month late has been a bit of a blessing - we just need to make the most of it before we head off to France.

Blue Wales

2010-03-09T21:04:00.006Z

After a great team outing to Stanage on a glorious Sunday (weird how those routes just keep getting harder as the years roll) the farming forecast for the week was so good, especially for the west, we decided to head over to Wales for a few days, a chance to revisit old haunts. It was as good as hoped for; -6C at night, but crisp blue days and hardly a soul anywhere. The tops are plastered and spring is just arriving in the valleys - fantastic.
A day wandering around the icy wastes of Cwm Idwal contrasted neatly with a day clipping bolts in the slate quarries, lovely stuff, and the forecast remains cracking.

Bizzy Boy

2010-03-02T21:50:00.004Z

Two weeks at home and it is busy, busy, busy - my To Do List is growing much faster than I can get through it; the French Guide, a Kalymnos article, half-a-dozen book reviews (the Norwegian one has got my fingers itching), an El Chorro update, a Lofoten update and a Peak Limestone guide. And that is before helping to get the new North Wales Classics ready to fly the nest. Back to France in a month (UKC/RF jolly) then there is the summer to sort.
Beats being bored though.