Sunday 23 September 2012

Wales Trip (Encore!)

So this weekend we had another climbing trip to wales, if slightly shorter as we only had two days climbing! On the Saturday we left early in the morning and arrived around midday. We started off by exploring a new crag called Howbeech Slade. It was, unfortunately, a total waste of time. There was basically nothing there worth climbing and the rock was crap quality; there was also very limited bouldering with everything being so loose!

After wasting around an hour there, we moved on to the Shakemantle Slabs. We started off with a bit of bouldering but it was just dangerous as it was so loose, foot and hand holds were coming off everywhere! Then we moved up to the main wall, a bolted slab with a number of mid range sport routes. I belayed a couple of the others up there on the top rope and then had a go at a lead; my first ever outdoor lead!!! It was only a 6b but the style was really unusual and one that I really wasn't used to, I still managed to onsight it though which was awesome.

When we had finished here, we went just over the road to another new crag called Staple Edge Quarry. A very newly opened crag with just a few bolted lower-offs and brambles everywhere!! However, it looked like it had some amazing potential with a couple of E6's and E7's!! The rock was excellent quality and the whole crag was amazing!!

On the Sunday we were rained off so stopped at the Reading Climbing Centre on the way back. None of us had been there before, but it was amazing! It had a massive lead wall and the bouldering was excellent. I warmed up and then worked my way round the V6-8 circuit and managed to do a fair few of them with only a couple I couldn't do! I also tried a couple of the blue V8+ circuit and got so close on some of them but didnt managed to top them. Well worth a visit!!

Thanks for reading


Harry

No comments:

Post a Comment