This weekend we had one of the most amazing climbing we have had this year at Bowles Rocks. James, Geraldine and I headed down to this beautiful climbing spot south of London, where we enjoyed the weather and some quality sandstone.
Our first climb of the day was Mick's Wall (5b), and awkward crack I onsighted easily but that took James unaware. He sent it in style after a series of failed attempts which made him improve his jamming technique the hard way. We next tried Mick's Wall Variation (6a) where I failed miserable. James showed a much better performance here but he found the top moves too hard to tackle.
Mick's Wall Struggle:
The great project of the day was The Banana (6a), climb we tried unsuccessfully a couple of weeks ago (see previous posts) and that we sent at our FIRST try this time. We can barely believe the top mantleshelf felt so easy this time! This is my first British 6a.
We then move onto Patella (6a), certainly much harder than Banana. Although neither of us could do the final couple of moves (argghhh!!!), we felt really satisfied we our performance here. This route is amazing I am confident we will be able to handle it in a couple of weeks!
The climbing for the day was going on far better than what we would have ever expected, but things were going to get even more exiting. There were a bunch of meaty hardmen trying impressive boulders in the Fandango wall. They moved later onto Ly'in slab (6b) which simply looks impossible. We watched them trying and failing again and again, and we dreamt about the day when we could tackle climbs at that grade.
After a good rest and after enjoying the hardmen show, we moved onto Pig's Ear (5c) and Pig's Nose (5a) two truly sandstone classics at their respective grades. Pig's Ear involves climbing on a shallow and flaky slab to reach an awkward overhang. This climb took a good couple of tries but we finally managed to send it. Pig's Nose, well, we simply flew past it! I had tried this climb some 3 years ago and its final, steep overhang felt so impossible!
Having fun on Pig's Ear:
Relaxed, and happy after such an amazing day, we started gathering our things before deciding whether to go home or do a little bit of light bouldering. We then passed again in front of Ly'in slab where a couple of guys where trying it unsuccessfully. When they were done and retrieved their ropes, I got onto it and tried the first couple of moves. Ummhh, it looked doable after all. James was getting exited and enticed me to put the rope up. He tried first, reaching for the first horizontal set of finger holes, and pulling real hard on them before stretching and reaching the second set, which is miserably smaller. James spent a good 5 min there trying to work out what to do next until he finally decided to traverse to the arete and finish up an easier route "this is too impossible man". I went up it, exited about how a 6b slab should feel. I managed to arrived at the second set of finger holes awkwardly, and started playing with them, trying to visualize a way to move forward up. I found a small mono for my left index finger, big enough for the first phalanx of my finger to go in. Gathering strength from where I didn't have it, I pulled hard on the mono, move my feet as high as possible, whole body under tension, and reached high up with my right hand to a miserably side pull sloper. Impossible. Went down the climb, taped my fingers to prevent injuring the pulleys and went up again. I repeated the same hard pull on the mono, but this time paid more attention to my footwork and reached further high up with my right hand to the upper ledge ..., I actually managed to touch the lip of the ledge before all my strength abandoned me and my body detached itself from the slab. Impossible is nothing, this is doable! "James I know you can do this!" He got really exited, so we swapped rope and belay and he went up it quickly. He performed his own version of the moves I had worked out and he actually managed to reach the upper ledge! Unbelievable, he had simply tackled the 6b crux of the climb! Despite James's phlegmatic character, I could see happiness pouring all over his face.
6b Glory:
I certainly wasn't going to give up that easily so I had another couple of goes. These later attempts where not as good as the first ones (argghhhh!). I went down the climb feeling a bit disappointed, but hey, a first 6a and 6b the same day? Not even in my wildest dreams! No worries, I'm sure next time I'll do this climb easily ...
Well done James!
So close ...
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