Great Expectations

Having finally finished my degree. I've spent the past month thinking about expectations and the effect they have on experience. This has been intertwined with climbing experiences.

Scratch Arete Photo By Eric

I had an awesome day trip over to Tremadog a couple of weekends ago to experience the awesome roadside multipichs. If you haven't been and you're in north wales make the journey down, the weather is usually better than in the mountains and there is a great cafe at the base of the crag (currently up for sale). We decided to run through a few classics starting with One Step In The Clouds a VS that I had heard was the best route of its grade in the country. So once Eric had had his fun on the new first pitch( a bit fell down in the past year) I got to run at a pitch which was meant to have breathtaking exposure, technical moves and great positions. But it was a bit too easy and the exposure was a lot less intense than it had built up to being. This got me thinking that maybe it had been built up to much to me and I was expecting a scary and exposed thrill ride at an amenable grade kind of like Tophet Wall, but it just didn't live up to the hype and I was gutted. After a few more classics we ran at Christmas Curry with the Micah Eliminate it gets HS but you can solo the first two pitchs pretty easily and start the tradventure from the 2nd belay. Because of how easy One Step had been and the fact this was a grade below I was expecting a cake walk. I massively underestimated this route, I ran it out a bit up the 3rd pitch and got to the thin crack described in the guidebook, which in reality due to polish only takes micro nuts and is more like a polished seam it took me a good few minutes to work out a sequence. Taking a deep breath I executed what could easily have been a HVS sequence to get to the arete, it was only 10 mts of climbing but I thought it was more intense than One Step and the HVS we had done earlier. I put this down to my expectation of the difficulty being so low, I was sat at the top reflecting on the route and the sequence wasn't that hard, it was just the fact I thought it would be like a ladder but it just wasn't. Overall an awesome day. I'd recommend Christmas Curry with the Micah Eliminate and Scratch Arete( a tasty HVS with all styles of climbing that is pure pleasure).

Stepping Into The Clouds Photo By Eric

Myself and Edwin have had a couple of adventures into the peak district, on of these trips I'd set my sights on soloing an E1(at stanage called Saliva). This may sound stupid (and it kind of was) but the crux moves are about 5mts up so its more like a boulder problem, but I thought it was going to be really easy after the first few moves(as I heard that was the crux). It wasn't I really messed up a couple of sequences and rushing a few due to ever increasing heat from the sun (I'm northern I don't understand sunshine). But once again I'd sandbagged myself by thinking something was going to be easy so being mentally unprepared for the struggle. I did eventually work my way up the E1 with Edwin hastily spotting in case I messed up at the end of the traverse(where it joins a severe for the top 10mts). The latest trip was a chilled one, we started off by missing our train so we went for coffee while waiting for the next train we started discussing the plan for the day. Getting off the train we went straight for tea and chips at the legendary grindleford cafe so we could continue 'planning the days activities. I think we eventually made it to the crag at 2ish a crag called Millstone in the peaks on a Sunday, on a bank holiday weekend. All the classics were occupied apart from the awesome boulder problem that is technical master (V4 boulder problem). I managed to get it after working it for an hour, whereas Edwin almost flashed and spent about 4 hours slowly having a breakdown as each attempt his highpoint got lower. Its so funny when its not you. Once the crowds had dispersed(about 7) I set off up a route called the Mall, a Joe Brown VS. I was scared expecting a disgusting fight, I was pleasantly surprise when it was pretty straightforward if a little awkward. Rounding off the day by running away from midges to a pub, missing another train and then eating cold pasta at hathersage train station.

Finding solace amongst the boulders Photo By Me

Its amazing how the mental aspect really plays into how you climb, you can be an optimist but I find I climb better when I think something is going to be nails but I know I can fight my way up. This puts you in the right mindset to fight through and get to top. This obviously isn't going to work all the time, but sometimes pessimism is key but it has to be blended with a hint of realism and a dash of optimism. Be ambitious but realistic,  keep your expectations low but your psyche high. If you expect the unexpected how can it be unexpected?

The Final Mantel

Hello there, first blog in a while. I am approaching the end of my degree at Salford and even though it is a music degree it has been kind of hectic. Because of this climbing has been restricted and I haven't really had time to write. I've now got one exam left and its pretty much the crux of the year, the final mantel.

Despite the finishing a degree I have managed to scrape a few trips together. The weather has been unusually great up until recently, which has made it even more frustrating being stuck trying to do work. I'll start with Easter where I had a trip sport climbing down to Portland and Dorset to clip some bolts in the sun by the sea. I had 1 day where I was climbing well and 3 days of getting schooled. But its fun in the sun and nice place to be. I discovered that spending a winter bouldering and failing to do wet trad climbs is no way to train for endurance based sport climbs. Especially trying to do 4 solid days of sport climbing. I think it must be my over-enthusiasm that means I try really hard and don't take the time to work things out. This was the most important lesson from Southern Sport Sessions taking time to rest and work things out is a great idea. Also limestone is pretty slippy in full sunshine. But overall it was a great trip always repeating the mantra of 'failure is a stepping stone to improvement'.

Sport Climbing in Portland Photo:Emma Lewin

Back to the gritstone. I headed to Stanage to meet some friends and because it was a bank holiday we headed to Stanage North. I had a great day soloed a few classic VS's brimming with enthusiasm I tried my first E3 ( stupidly before my first E2), but after a discussion regarding my foot been off route I bailed off the top onto a HS. Highballed an E2 that was pretty fun if a little intense, riding this wave I got shutdown on 2 HVS'S and an E1. Mainly due to me being unwillingly better at a certain style of climbing. It was a great day got some numbers ticked but mainly I was just enjoying been outside. Because of spending so much time indoors doing work I was only climbing once a week so when I was out I needed to capitalise on it. I went bouldering by myself to Burbage and even though I was in full sun had a great day greasing off some gritstone. Its so amazing to be outside.

Narcissism? Photo: Sophie Higget

I handed in a bunch of assignments recently and to celebrate I went climbing with Edwin and Sophie, we went to Wilton as its 25 minutes from Salford and for some reasons we don't go there often. It was perfect weather just warm enough to climb in a fleece or t-shirt. I lead the classic 999 which was so lovely and had all of the gear. So I coerced Sophie to lead it on pre-placed gear, she may have not enjoyed it as much as I did but mild panic attacks aside she go up it and didn't die which is a bonus. Then we spent a while messing around on this stellar boulder before heading over to the classic HVS Dawn (if I keep using the word classic does it start to lose its meaning?) where Edwin enjoyed getting absolutely pumped out his brain. Learning from his mistakes and the mistakes based around pump in the South I took so much time, taking all of the rests placing all the gear and upon getting to the top I was bemused as I had not got pumped once. Maybe I had learned after all. I finished up on Cameo a bold but easy E1. Heading to the pub for a celebratory pint I had the feeling that you get when you get to close to the top of route but you know the top out is the crux. That yes 2 metres to go then you look up and realise its desperate.

Cameo and Camouflage Photo:Sophie Higget

As its almost an end I find myself reflecting on the adventures I've had at university it may not be the standard trajectory instead of getting waylaid by clubbing I got sidetracked by climbing. My focus may not have always been on my degree and my grade may reflect that. Who knows I tried, I had fun and I've learnt a lot. One more exam and that is me. But whats next. I don't know. At the moment I'm so in the mind set of getting through the exam. Then stepping into the unknown, all I know is I want go climbing and I want to play guitar anything I can do to spend my time doing those thing I'll do. The lessons I've learnt from the past months climbing translate well into my other work. Just take your time shake out, eye up the next move, commit and it'll all work out. Or you'll take a whipper but you only know once you've tried.








Editors Note- A mantel is a climbing move that is very similar to how you get out of a swimming pool, a whipper is a huge fall and the crux is the hardest section of a route.