Let's Go Climb

Caswell - the sun is going down, but there's still 2 hours of light - let's go...

Nat Not on the Great Slab is a bit bizarre, but awesome wierd climbing.. I've never seen somebody under 6ft use this right hand hold..

Catrin will have no prob bridging this.

And then the perfect slab

Look over your shoulder, the tide is coming in !!

So, Ieuan's turn, using holds I never saw!!

Inventing new moves... Almost finding a sit down rest!!

Catrin's turn, she's climbed 7a indoors, so this was no big deal!

There's the bridge... Taking a rest..

As Catrin finishes, Tanya knows she's next - time for her fun..

This was at Paviland Main Cliff

Ieuan loving it..

Catrin - always finding a way to wear the hat, and finding the smallest holds!

Tanya having an awesome time

At the last minute the Sage family (Meg - the dog, Paul, Tanya, Catrin and Ieuan) were to visit Gower again, so it was time to think of somewhere new to go for them. As usual Catrin wanted something hard, Tanya wanted a fun day out, and Meg didn't want to go over or under ANY stile! I wanted to get as many routes done with the team as poss in a single day.... Oh - and we had to find a perfect weather day between all the rain.. Wednesday didn't look too bad - Tuesday looked awful, so it was Wed then.. Yes, the sun did come out for the Sage family as usual, it was actually positively warm for most of the day - I never needed a warm jacket, awesome...

So we headed off to Gower and the Paviland Main Cliff. I had a plan in my head which invloved the through cave 2 pitch route and the unusual Shelob exiting through a 50cm wide limestone roof hole (!) , but Catrin announced that she wanted a test so we went for the steeper and overhanging stuff. I'd lined her up with the cliff HS classic, but as usual she managed to stray off route onto E2 ground (5C), later stating that yes, it was 'quite hard!'.. After a few more of these, Tanya, Ieuan and Catrin took a break form the steep stuff and enjoyed food stuff, including xmas cake - always a winner... Xmas, already, really!!!

We then relocated to Caswell for something very different! A bit cruel perhaps, knowing that you need a 6ft arm span to reach the holds on the target climb 'Nat Not'** - so let's see how Tanya, Catrin (10 years) and Ieuan (13 years) get on! Let's just say that Catrin and Ieuan enjoyed some air time - always awesome, and as ever they loved it! As daylight ran out, along with the parking ticket - we had to stop climbing - never good!! On Friday Catrin has a performance climbing test at the new Reading wall to join their performance climb elite team (she's only 10!!)...

29th, Catrin Climbs Gower Again

Catrin abseiling down into Giant's Cave

Catrin about to be lowered off a climb at Devil's Truck

Catrin climbing at Lewes Castle

Combination at Lewes Castle

Catrin on Combination

Catrin at Devil's Truck

Devil's Truck

Catrin, Tanya, Paul and Meg make a return to Gower... Which means, Catrin goes outdoor climbing again :)

Here Catrin is abseiling down onto Devil's Truck

On Devil's Truck, Catrin climbed Legge (S 4a), The Nose (HS 4a), Nervus (VS 4c), Transit (HS 4b) and Aschen HVS (4c). On Lewes Castle she climbed South West Diedre Variant (VS 4c) and Combination (VS 4b) - if we had time she probably would have done another 10 !!

At Giant's Cave Catrin (and Tanya) did the classic blow hole abseil

Giant's cave with the abseil coming out of the roof somewhere!

Catrin had a great day and as usual had boundless energy - keeping me busy!

We also looked at making top and botom ropes for Tanya. Then we worked on movement skills for both Tanya and Catrin - so I got to do lots of climbing :)

Catrin And Tanya At Tremadog - 10th April

Catrin on the final arete of Christmas Curry/Micah Eliminate

After we had managed to get most things dried off from the heavy rain of Monday, we headed to Tremadog - Craig Bwlch y Moch, for some dryer climbing. We started on Christmas Curry/Micah Eliminate (HS). Tanya followed me on the correct HS line, but Catrin always managed to find her own variant - on this occasion she took a triangular niche to a thin crack above (finishing up the arete) - this turned out to be the very end of 'Taste of Thunder'.

Catrin on Y Broga

We moved on to the Merlin Buttress and Tanya top-roped Oberon (S) and Catrin top-roped Y Broga (HVS 5a).

Catrin at the end of a dry day

After top-roping Y Broga, Catrin wanted to do some more leading so she chose the original Oberon (HS 4c).

I've just got the news that Catrin has led her first indoor 7b - congratulations Catrin...

Catrin and Tanya Day 1 - 9th April

Tanya starting up pitch 1

I met Tanya and Catrin for a week of climbing in North Wales, on the Monday morning - but it turned out to be the worst weather of the week, and it was very tempting to go indoors from the beginning. I wanted to try and find an outdoor alternative which was possibly dry and which would suit everybody. We headed for Carreg Hylldrem and took a look at the Hylldrem Girdle (HVS 5a). The rain was coming down heavy and constant, but the main climbing area on the route was dry. Lena was going to give me a hand today - so she took up position, belaying in the tree at the start of the first pitch and belayed everybody across.

Catrin starting up pitch 1

I led the pitch and found the main holds dry and still chalked up, so all was well, but the rain was being blown into the crag more than usual by the wind, and so much less of the climb was dry compared to doing it in the rain on previous occasions. Catrin was the only person with the wisdom to wear waterproof trousers (!), so possibly she stayed the dryest, and Lena was the wettest, belaying in the tree for so long! The pitch was dry enough to use chalk but my rock shoes were fully saturated.

Lena starting up pitch 1

Tanya had a good fight with the wet holds and damp 5a climbing, she hung around a couple of times but her natural determination got her to the belay. Catrin enjoyed the pitch, but was cold at this point, so did really well making cold hands hold onto the rock. Lena seconded well, being fully cold! This was obviously a hard start to the week, but a good adventure for everybody.

At the end everybody needed to retreat to the comport of warm indoors to try and dry for the next day.

19th June, Catrin and Tanya Climb On Gower Again

This is Boiler slab on Gower, near Overton. Can you spot Catrin Sage in a white t-shirt on the cliff, and me in blue belaying just below the top? This cliff is about 30m high

Catrin tackling an overlap in fine style - there is no name for this route, I think Catrin called it Apple Pie (or something about food :) lol )

These are Catrin and Tanyas' chalk bags, Catrins' on the left. I had some raspberries for lunch - awesome :)

This was the first route of the day - 'Classic' - up the corner

From the safe ledge at the top, Catrin looks down to her mum, Tanya, following up

Catrin climbing something harder now, and taking the gear out as well

Catrin on a wall of limestone - searching for the small positive holds

Such a stunning view. Catrin hanging over the edge - fearless :) Terrific - a 30m drop below

Catrin showing off her chalk bag

Catrin eyeing up the next piece of gear and the next move to get there

Catrin tackling another overlap (a small overhang), and taking out a piece of gear

Another overlap - Catrin seems to do well on steep overhanging routes ... Will have to think about the next climbs ...

Confidently moving up

One of the many many abseils

Catrin sorts out her own abseil

This is the classic photo of Boiler slab from below


I met up with the Sage family in Overton, and we headed to Boiler Slab, dog, picnic (including raspberries) and all :). We set up camp at the bottom of the cliff and immediately set about the first climb - Let's go...

And so started a day of 8 climbs, from HD up to VS 4c. This time Tanya had to belay me on the lead, and they both had to take the gear out on the second. Tanya even 'had to' abseil again to get the last bits of gear - awesome. Now Tanya has done 6 abseils in total (I think I've counted right) - and this was her second day of outdoor climbing - her first, a stacked ab, with Kenny in Scotland! Catrin has done about a million abseils, and is as relaxed as if she's walking the dog - Meg. On one abseil Catrin spotted an old in situ nut - and traversed to start a salvage operation, but it proved to be too rusted, so she left it to the sea air for the next 20 years. !

An awesome day. How did Catrin manage not to get tired, even at 6pm she would have done another !