The climbing and mountaineering thread...

[AlfaPapa]

Bill said:

I'm just looking at ditching my ageing DMM Raptor ice axes and going leashless if anyone's been through the same.

I have a trip to the Alps planned for early summer. I have always used a pair of leashed Grivel Air Tech Evos, but for my birthday this year my partner bought me a pair of Petzl Gully axes which accompany he Petzl Sirocco I bought for myself off my parents. I will be that person with All the Gear and I can't wait.

Gratuitous photo of my big and puffy bad knee (injured in a bouldering accident) after its first trip up an Alpine route following its reconstruction. I obviously didn't climb bare-legged, I rolled up my trousers specifically for this photo to send to my physio and consultant.




Back on topic of the axes, I cannot believe how much lighter the Petzl are compared to the Grivel. They feel more balanced and the handrest is really easy to move and feels pretty bomber. Arguably, a lot less faffy and makes walking with the axe on steep ground a lot easier without the leash in the way... We'll see how it goes.

[McGee_22]

Not a climber myself but my 11yo daughter caught a glimpse of the walls at Surrey Sports Park just 3 years ago and is now lead climbing 6b's with relative ease and no fear whatsoever.

I took a short course so I could belay top-rope for her and then refreshed so I can occasionally belay while she leads, so during that I have had to climb the walls a little; I was fine until using the auto-belay - the instructor asked how much I weighed when I was half way up (I'm FAR from petite) and after I replied she joked, 'It should be ok but you might want to climb down a little and test it before you go up any more'...

[SV_WDC]

Firstly - fantastic thread. It's cool seeing all the photos from the seasoned climbers, but also a sense of 'wow, the pictures come out pretty well from the '70s '

ILikeCake said:

If any other Billy no mates fancy going to white spider near Kingston then I'm all ears.

Try meetup.com or Facebook, lots of groups around now.

McGee_22 said:

Not a climber myself but my 11yo daughter caught a glimpse of the walls at Surrey Sports Park just 3 years ago and is now lead climbing 6b's with relative ease and no fear whatsoever.

I took a short course so I could belay top-rope for her and then refreshed so I can occasionally belay while she leads, so during that I have had to climb the walls a little; I was fine until using the auto-belay - the instructor asked how much I weighed when I was half way up (I'm FAR from petite) and after I replied she joked, 'It should be ok but you might want to climb down a little and test it before you go up any more'...

haha - brilliant story.

I was mad into climbing during my teens, mainly top roping but after a while got more into abseiling. A climbing gym opened not far from me last year & I switched to this instead of the gym; it's much more fun. So true about the kids though - they're fearless whereas I (now in my early 30's) am already sometimes thinking about the height & whatnot, especially when coming down.

I can almost see it being a victim of it's own success though. The walls have gotten significantly busier in the last couple months, pushing me to climb in the late evenings & rarely being bothered. I would like to try some outdoor proper rock climbing at some point though. Any tips from people?

[McGee_22]

I wasn't a complete novice to ropes and heights as I'd done a fair amount of time in the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons in my time in the Armed Services as well as a lot of abseiling and such but seeing the speed and dexterity of my daughter, who also does ballet which greatly increases her balance and core strength, when climbing is sometimes breathtaking.

I think SSP has 8, 10 and 12m walls with as much as a 2m overhang (maybe a bit more) and she now happily hangs on like a spider on a web... while I fret from underneath.

I will be nervous the day she says she wants to go off to real rock face, which I suspect will be soon.

[tertius]

Used to love climbing but a biggish accident put an end to any more than a gentle scramble ... couple of pics from long ago:

Left Wall:



Ride the wild Surf:

[bearman68]

tertius said:

Used to love climbing but a biggish accident put an end to any more than a gentle scramble ... couple of pics from long ago:

Left Wall:



Ride the wild Surf:

Left wall is still a big tick though, and a really proper classic line and climb. Nice pic, and a good memory to hang on to.
My all time classic weekend was Dream on the Saturday, and Main Wall on the Sunday. Not the hardest stuff I've ever done, but what quality routes.

[CamL]

Great thread, love seeing the old photos. I started climbing back in 76 as a teenager and did a few good routes back in the day ranging from Gaston point ticking in Cham to unclimbed stuff in the wilder parts of the Karakorum. Now a full on bumbly but still love long easy Fs and PDs off the beaten track in the alps, and have a place out there in CH for that very reason. Excuse a bit of self indulgence!

Karakorum in '82, Rakaposhi in the background:


As above, on the face:



Any one else remember summers in Chamonix?

[Bill]

Embarrassingly enough, I've only recently "discovered" the Alps now I'm in my forties! I remember people coming back from school trips and talking about either the rain or the heat, and the early starts and long snowy slogs that put me off.

I did spend three months of my gap year in Yosemite though so it's not all bad.



I'm not as blonde or skinny any more.

ETA off to Wales and the Alps next month for weekends, Idwal and hopefully the Aiguille de Tour.

Edited by Bill on Tuesday 21st May 10:54

[CamL]

Yosemite you say, awesome place

[Bill]

I'd love to say I know where those were taken. I do have one similar to the first but I think the view is wrong for Half Done.

[CamL]

Spot on

Regular route on the NW face of half dome - bivi on Big Sandy Ledges and the view up the next morning. You can just make out the diving board rock overlapping the top rim.

We only had a summer there in '84, but lasting memories, and learned a bit about rope management as well

[Bill]

I don't remember it looking that hard.

[lowndes]

CamL said:

Any one else remember summers in Chamonix?

Sure do. Snell's field in '73 or '74. Drying gear then eking out meagre funds by nursing a small beer all night in the "Nash" waiting for the weather to improve.






Gervasutti Pillar ’73. We bivvied in the Midi toilets then headed down over the glacier to the foot of the route getting there about 4.00am. Arrived at the top in a whiteout but managed to find our way down but just missed the last ‘Pherique. Bedded down again in the Midi toilets only to be wakened by the sound of voices and machinery. The Mountain Rescue were taking someone down who had fallen in a crevasse. We blagged a lift and had a memorable night-time descent in pitch dark down into Cham.

[pitboard]

I was there in 1976. Didn't do very much! What's the Bar Nash like these days? I expect Maurice is long gone,.

[CamL]

Aah yes, the Midi toilettes - enjoyed the smells there one night after spending too long on the N Face of the Plan, (in true British style!)

Maurice has long gone onto higher things, his daughters carried on for a while but now it has been sold and is a rather expensive 'normal' restaurant. No welcome notice to British climbers any longer. I remember after one memorable session in the Nash, one of our group, Trevor P, shimmied up the drainpipe at the PGHM HQ and stole the round sign. The police were all over Snell's field the next day, but didn't look underneath his groundsheet fortunately

[CamL]

Bill, apologies for turning this into a nostalgic mountaineering thread!!

[Bill]

It's all good IMO.

[CamL]

Conditions are looking good if you are coming out in June. There is still a lot of snow high which may well mean that some of the snow/ice faces that have reverted to high angle loose rock by June in recent years are actually in nick.

This photo taken about 5 minutes ago looking across to the peaks just to the north of Arolla - Gd and Pt Dents de Veisivi etc. (shadowy bit right of centre) Will be off for a bumble tomorrow so will see more.

[S100HP]

Free Solo on Channel 4 right now.

[anonymous-user]

Anyone for Everest today
Seen the stories of it before almost as bad as Snowden now on a weekend for numbers queueing to the top.

https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/...