tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65679580480787445502024-03-04T21:12:59.791-08:00Bouncing backMicky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-89469746207044057522010-06-06T02:15:00.000-07:002010-06-06T03:14:48.288-07:00Ballaghageeha Buttress - Poisoned Glen, Donegal<div><div>We try to climb in Donegal a couple of times each year. It's quite a long drive; 2 hours from Mark's house, add another 40 minutes for me from Dundalk. But it's always worth it, as long as the weather plays along. There's a lot of variety, from sea-cliffs with no walk-in, to real mountain crags that are quite remote. </div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday we visited one of the latter. The Ballaghageeha crag sits high up at the very top of the Poisoned Glen. It's best approached from the other side, from just near Lough Barra and the Bingorms - it's exactly three years since we climbed Tarquin's Groove on Bingorm West, on a beautiful June weekend in 2007, the last one before the three month rain shower that washed out the rest of that summer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Because this was our first visit to this crag, and also because you can't see it from the walk-in, we missed it the first time and ended up too far west. Having no map with us, we resorted to examining a photograph in the guide-book that showed the area we were in, but taken from way to the north, looking south. We were on the mountain looking north. So we had to find a landmark (an old stone church in the valley) and try to discern where we were in relation to it with the opposite view. This made my head melt, so I left it to Mark; being a land surveyor these things are less daunting for him. I must also emphasise that we were not lost, the crag was!</div><div><br /></div><div>When we eventually tracked it down we climbed "Diagonal", a 3-star grade V-Diff route. 3 stars is the maximum awarded in British / Irish climbing quality, and the whole crag is nice and clean with good rock. On the way out, I stopped to take a phone call (who would have thought you get a full signal in the Poisoned Glen) and Mark took the opportunity to do some bouldering. So here some photos, in no particular order:</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIurY9a9_uUvgYk2qR59LR8sn_pX8f6T2o1-IAsWaOMtFnM5FthWxtRGSNzfRmBH3AnpdCel-NHaA4lkERTcZgVuSzwTibOxL6OP0ZQpUsESB83_2099hCw5FYKT8KnXZ987DwDEZ1iS_T/s1600/DSCF3450.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIurY9a9_uUvgYk2qR59LR8sn_pX8f6T2o1-IAsWaOMtFnM5FthWxtRGSNzfRmBH3AnpdCel-NHaA4lkERTcZgVuSzwTibOxL6OP0ZQpUsESB83_2099hCw5FYKT8KnXZ987DwDEZ1iS_T/s320/DSCF3450.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479592659480444514" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkN9p0vtx93OStDPTY9nHuJhyphenhyphenONivnob-IO5tp_-e0o0_kNI02bjtZKDHC9FCF4oqXFJYGzqqm3zxw_j34-3kb2XkkXzQzk1w6UG6gPkRQsSz6LE6UodcQ_6479TtlVDbE0M8FVGqzPsCW/s1600/DSCF3447.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkN9p0vtx93OStDPTY9nHuJhyphenhyphenONivnob-IO5tp_-e0o0_kNI02bjtZKDHC9FCF4oqXFJYGzqqm3zxw_j34-3kb2XkkXzQzk1w6UG6gPkRQsSz6LE6UodcQ_6479TtlVDbE0M8FVGqzPsCW/s320/DSCF3447.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479592653591035906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhma8-VbkeRKfFfHUGH6T_j-UsDLYmQyItfF0AgwpIGUNVrWJB-jSlOKrgO_8PflBrEZsWbxcR2axfdx_P-X2EInYD3BfdpCg-sok2GwDLKxPnh6GwvdsO_n50ByjBjlLmgeionNSpjUnre/s1600/DSCF3445.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhma8-VbkeRKfFfHUGH6T_j-UsDLYmQyItfF0AgwpIGUNVrWJB-jSlOKrgO_8PflBrEZsWbxcR2axfdx_P-X2EInYD3BfdpCg-sok2GwDLKxPnh6GwvdsO_n50ByjBjlLmgeionNSpjUnre/s320/DSCF3445.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479590915729297714" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Looking down the Poisoned Glen; the peak to the right is Errigal, the highest in Donegal:</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIfeDgAbfmsjQBeGYrPOTwWsKs92-KX8tY_BoH2iBjrDMSxGeFDGg3NGeFsTQ-_6A9UM3V9rjysChjf35cs0cOrZShEo2yMHoC-J7Idw_w0Otf-TlMHP-fIltJ51q7ueCjK3AWjpFCHAb/s1600/DSCF3444.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIfeDgAbfmsjQBeGYrPOTwWsKs92-KX8tY_BoH2iBjrDMSxGeFDGg3NGeFsTQ-_6A9UM3V9rjysChjf35cs0cOrZShEo2yMHoC-J7Idw_w0Otf-TlMHP-fIltJ51q7ueCjK3AWjpFCHAb/s320/DSCF3444.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479590905507589314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIHXGlHO68le1I0r-KHBsAVA5qr5Dq-_SgWLPjCs9rLWw7sJ8g9T8-pHW5m3yaul_lfP8TEO38ZWCeRLD0nFiT3ZqllNRZSLK9nUH1DAo8Hy9YGryTDe1wsUZDPZ923rb95Nf9MgiF0E2/s1600/DSCF3443.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIHXGlHO68le1I0r-KHBsAVA5qr5Dq-_SgWLPjCs9rLWw7sJ8g9T8-pHW5m3yaul_lfP8TEO38ZWCeRLD0nFiT3ZqllNRZSLK9nUH1DAo8Hy9YGryTDe1wsUZDPZ923rb95Nf9MgiF0E2/s320/DSCF3443.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479590897930906242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOWW-XxsMxjNS2dADbougMuFKb38clSAOKeNlzDIUoHAoDvq6xhteT6cF3OIlxTHee_BpH9wWALj5REC-Jtg32SGzixWuwU-AQQ5TS1prvLY9uIlj9OjDdkIH2XAO8dgg0EfQoJBKGwJq/s1600/DSCF3441.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOWW-XxsMxjNS2dADbougMuFKb38clSAOKeNlzDIUoHAoDvq6xhteT6cF3OIlxTHee_BpH9wWALj5REC-Jtg32SGzixWuwU-AQQ5TS1prvLY9uIlj9OjDdkIH2XAO8dgg0EfQoJBKGwJq/s320/DSCF3441.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479590891145974114" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTU69Nv1XWM8PHwHE2-3ayJfzLS1JmAHj-XMFNSQtpy8rafFop_m6wBm6b9GS78LC5pUHBrjf10k8N9_03vjIsfmDpAEHBfPgLryUCQYyctJNVO7fHMUiLaEqrIbZ4pRorUEP_QMEuAA4/s1600/DSCF3438.JPG"></a><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTU69Nv1XWM8PHwHE2-3ayJfzLS1JmAHj-XMFNSQtpy8rafFop_m6wBm6b9GS78LC5pUHBrjf10k8N9_03vjIsfmDpAEHBfPgLryUCQYyctJNVO7fHMUiLaEqrIbZ4pRorUEP_QMEuAA4/s1600/DSCF3438.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTU69Nv1XWM8PHwHE2-3ayJfzLS1JmAHj-XMFNSQtpy8rafFop_m6wBm6b9GS78LC5pUHBrjf10k8N9_03vjIsfmDpAEHBfPgLryUCQYyctJNVO7fHMUiLaEqrIbZ4pRorUEP_QMEuAA4/s320/DSCF3438.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479590885016778674" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-9435633779798573522010-04-18T02:13:00.000-07:002010-04-18T02:45:12.727-07:00With Nicholas and Lara on Hen Mountain<div style="text-align: left;">Yesterday I took Lara (10) and Nicholas (8) up to Hen Mountain, the first rock-climbing either of them have done in ages.</div><div><br /></div><div>My goal was to climb the Boulder Route (grade Diff.) on the Tower, which due to its length has to be done in at least two pitches. Because both of them are too small to belay me, I was soloing, and then roping up one tied in the middle of the rope and the other on the end. Nicholas got really scared on the first pitch - granite can be very intimidating; in fact I remember being terrified on the Lions Head granite crag at much the same age. So I lowered him down and finished the climb with Lara, who did really well. I broke it up into three pitches, because I wanted to be close to help her climb up over the boulder at half-height - a very long reach involved for a little girl. I was actually glad at that point that I didn't have both of them on the route, so it all worked out for the best.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is Lara emerging at the top of the climb up the final slab.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWxZeUD5YwsvFPPSGM7f0gI9xwGSDJCKdh88vJ8BJWK3nifX5wbokCdXFj1q2xOpRZ4ttXaJLAzy8vWMAa6sJAWxxsahOMlqUKI4wKcL9m4OSNRXo_o22njkIvBsjQyWqkIGAHPQ8718v/s320/DSCF3242.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWXyRtTiX3T4QQmcVnngrPxiNBGg4T7wmPTslt_y9k7wITNu-yNQBRO4L5KQDQk3Bc3hQU7UqNEjfLjNfN4jjrm518PYbZq5_jPZokpxOho9OkrKIhvcjLVUbHtkRmlr-h1fTmZPr5NXh/s320/DSCF3243.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then we went round the back of the Tower, and climbed an easier route up the ridge.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwawY-osz4YniAxnibxzh1sDuEOo7QlM3xnmwGCOwpps6SsuwsGCS3ZDzP1ZH71FvkBPaN5mdoTQPTM6knYiQ8IIaUo7Y-SpfFug25MEb1N0TlXDeypeKz4pS7ykJub8oQlkr7KmwKIQBH/s320/DSCF3246.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlIII398DEqEWOI1s1FdToFwoa4H2kxFOEdMVRDuTLBLAo-KebXyPYxCNCrE7_iC7mvfYO3EzSPuSJTkk5bmiGLocFZVdcZDVTN9Kb4j-Ffdby4QL5igJ5D5Y68Kf0_5NXCKn8Jt1uiN3/s320/DSCF3248.JPG" /></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-85093832758643168602010-04-10T12:12:00.000-07:002010-04-10T13:46:47.921-07:00Doan do that again<div style="text-align: left;">It seems winter has finally released its grip, and allowed Spring to take a practical hold, rather than just a nominal one. After not having heard from Mark in a while, a text appeared out of the blue last Wednesday, and today we headed over to the Ott mountain track and up to Doan, a rather lonely peak over-looking both the Silent Valley reservoir and Lough Shannagh. This photo is looking down from the southern side of Doan to the Silent Valley and the Irish Sea beyond ("where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea"):</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqG498YzCX8Ba-uWLYSypiTkYpyf-pBXlCznGuxg5upIgMrO8W3Ds1TVewFakje1Yr-9mMIDqEoRHyyNXo_ibAghxLQq15AqD3TFICS33WRz4ravt-eQUXnsByfJ9XOU-jHF-CuA3ydeIa/s320/DSCF3225.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There are only a handful of routes on Doan, and not all of the best quality. Further, they seem very hard for the grades given. I suppose this could be because both of us haven't climbed rock in a while, but we've both been training and are fairly fit - ah feck it, it's just typical Mournes climbing, and climbing granite always was and always will be a weird experience, no matter how much of it you may do.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is Mark trying to remember how to interpret the Mournes route book:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcMccASEiT98RCGCb1pP1JPgr1Di-eEEjaz-1edGvkVvJ-JOyKiQWzTA-vDR4iIjf4WoMtPdHLGxTYDsFCUjtZL9Tf8bbF0fPEqco7EAGX-c0QutUfaxCE4vRxOaPYaCyNcjX37G1A1wc/s320/DSCF3215.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We started off on "Practice Crack", an easy, short, blocky route that we climbed in our walking boots. Great, now for a face graded Severe (3c). Should be a doddle. Heh. A dodgy wire placement just above the belay and committing moves on rounded holds - "3c" my well rounded ass. So, with typical Irish logic, we moved on to something harder, not that we had much choice, due to the limited scope available.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2T_9ZntfC5XOTDr_Xsrnm2jiFse_zqNUBsinFXAX1KtnlaWn3YYgRledVJ7HgNVtk2bhcq_Yo2uUNxBLXuwMYzjovPPcLq9nJLxzpy2xMjUQ4dopa7mCV4H9ECY7ouVcFvoxOxY6qFPT/s320/DSCF3218.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This climb was actually quite pleasant, and very well protected, for the first 25 of its approximately 30 metres. The top is bloody scary, certainly harder than 4a, and I'm glad Mark led it. Oh, and it goes by the rather uninspiring name of "Fag End". Here's Mark smiling for the camera before getting really scared just a few feet higher:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwivOfMMGppMIRGjqkNCO4igmzkWJo5t-76rVJHmAs779Na_zGqSTewJCFEeKLovSyJzRJKrcKFHbOmkL13EixyJU8bF1tLHWzj9Hu8Dg6W2-AIS_4k-twKGDRd-akkgWqNhdHv0Qxm7O/s320/DSCF3220.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This seems a fairly remote part of the Mournes, but walking back down afterwards we had to dodge what seemed like about a thousand runners taking part in a fell-running event. One of them was a climber we recognised, we've seen him up at Fairhead before. "You should rather go to Lower Cove", he said, "much better climbing there." Well we've been to Lower Cove a few times, and he's dead right.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The views from the summit of Doan are lovely. This is looking across to Slieve Binnian:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3b3xW-9s7ZYVmyqUNgOv5rhfLga_NblkG-rHWdLODWve7B5Us9944MTxjy-q5rEiOM44x_tzr2L6c2gMTppTCOn1Lcc1I2Edgw3C1PbU65EHYQ46SMQZu13Wfq6RS6NUhWrpB095jWB7/s320/DSCF3223.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And down to Lough Shannagh:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGM1XUlw6NY6bRtdArPPIQZzphSfi4gdu8QMnfzSPg1prSAOVKq8FkMxuo8FnR_68-YXr2aLM0Hw7uT01wTc9S4xjpNhoOOuodcQBbtXyq_jf7jTTAc_advZxvivv2-O8-A3Gddz671EY/s320/DSCF3224.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And your's truly:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgES_MjekDa1Fhz1yfhHjm1FNpn18_DIycQQHPZdZfl7F0rkUHDoU5Wv-ApUcZ-6wfc99FKBAHiVDA2mpM_Nbrxc0MOUUKLPkgmWl6pT_KXEHrJFwnGsT7Q0wOrdeG8spEQKrBUJOFF5oOc/s320/DSCF3229.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Doan is lovely, but when I come back it'll be for the walk and the scenery, not the climbing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-50662778697771885502010-04-10T10:48:00.000-07:002010-04-10T11:38:04.323-07:00Bobby WoodsI am deeply saddened by the death of my friend and former work colleague, Bobby Woods, on Thursday 08 April 2010. Bobby was climbing with two friends in the Left-Face area of Table Mountain, and it seems he pulled down a massive loose block. Mercifully, from the sounds of things death was instant, and he did not suffer.<div><br /></div><div>I'm not going to write an obituary here. I honestly think Bob would be annoyed with me if I did. He was a huge inspiration to so many people, and one of our finest all-round mountaineers. His achievements, both in business and climbing, speak for themselves and will remain as a tribute to his life. What I will say are a few things about his effect on my own life, in particular in relation to climbing. We were roughly the same age, and I knew him from about 1984 or so; we would often meet on the mountain somewhere. I didn't get to know him well until 1995, when I was sent to Johannesburg to start a branch of Toprope, the rope access company he owned with Daniel Bottomley. We spent a lot of time together that year, and when he subsequently left Toprope I often employed him as a private contractor. In 1996 we were the first people to perform rope access work in the boilers of Eskom's many coal-fired power stations, during maintenance outages. It made sense, somehow, for us to end up working together on a fledgling venture in Pretoria in 1997. We choked on a lot of boiler dust for a long time, shared a house initially (during which time my and Nadia's first child was born), oversaw the construction of a climbing centre and rope access training facility, fought with the bank, schmoozed with clients, and had great fun. That was Bob's philosophy, work hard, play hard. </div><div><br /></div><div>He was also the person who encouraged me to get up off my fat arse and get back into climbing. As a climber, you couldn't <i>not </i>be infected by his enthusiasm. We went sport-climbing at Waterval-Boven and Harrismith, and also climbing in the Drakensberg. I also climbed the North-West Frontal on Du Toit's Peak with him during his preparation for the successful second attempt at his awesome "3-peaks" solo challenge (he wanted to check that the rock was dry all the way up, as this is what had thwarted him the first time around). What was a long tough day for me was something he later accomplished as one of three climbs on the same day!</div><div><br /></div><div>Shortly after this Bob and Kaolin moved down to Randburg, and Nadia and I moved into the house at the climbing centre that they had lived in. Our youngest, Nicholas, was born there (a midwife-assisted home birth), in the same oversize bath-tub where their daughter Lilu had been born the previous year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll miss you Bobby, and so will many others. Rest in peace.</div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-26132707307879969972010-03-14T12:52:00.000-07:002010-03-17T09:25:07.921-07:00Two days in North Wales<div><div style="text-align: left;">I was in Wales last week for two days alpine training with the director of the International School of Mountaineering (ISM), Pat Littlejohn. Pat is one of the world's leading climbers, and was recently granted an OBE for his contribution to British mountaineering over the years. When I first started climbing as a youngster in SA, his name was known even there, so I must admit I was a bit apprehensive about meeting and climbing with him. This came about through my contacting the ISM, and after chatting with Pat's wife Eira (she rang me at work to discuss what course would best suit me) we agreed it would be best for me to spend two days doing some winter climbing with Pat so he could assess where I'm at in terms of climbing skills.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pat lives at the foot of Mt Snowdon in North Wales, about 3 miles from the lovely village of Beddgelert. I stayed at a B&B called Plas Gwyn, a 19th century house right next to the stone bridge crossing the Colwyn river.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kIraWgnTFmrdFqPMIF-ZxhRA8KcqLqRVgcio7F7c1j591t1FmNwWbwVnISlbCoe9uWPZ2vOlYor-oxoRCNTED1z9756JiA1cFAkbdDqflPj4aD7AidA_-PoJZ4X-koGRKbnzkbdT7OFa/s320/DSCF2945.JPG" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmg5cvSAQ9tBCNub-5t6y_ReCEw1ktfmFQV1tAxc7n3Dsr7grbFt0rBDOuxaMcmXnDLsddkZSMYSa_fgmSSc1XD9hpOCQHHe0sIaDx8mdZIsVeZOk4YJmHOYEP2JDg-Wxuo0Yo7WwIs-C/s320/DSCF2946.JPG" /></div><br /><div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I needn't have been nervous about meeting Pat. He's a normal, down-to-earth, all round smashing bloke, and, as expected, really knows his stuff. Because ice and snow climbing is quite new to me (I had only done a bit in Canada with Teddy McCrea last year) I find it extremely tiring, and I'm not as fit as I need to be yet. Towards the top of Thursday's climb my leg muscles began to cramp up, Pat immediately showed me a different technique to achieve the same actions, but using different muscles, enabling me to continue climbing where otherwise I'd have collapsed in a heap. The route we did was the Left Hand Y-gulley out of Cwm Lloer in the Ogwen Valley. We covered short roping, moving roped together over mixed ground, descending snow slopes, snow belays etc - all things they teach on the Alpine Summits and Skills course, effectively enabling me to bypass this course and go for the next level, Classic Alpinism.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-BQMbk4x11o6-npvLYqLQ-tFskaGuwhDt_DlE5VTvW8zDXNMW-06TZ-GE8Rd3hZsgZfWraV1nvLrEjhgOWNBgJLcp-WN26T154ledxNY9jQkiplu9Gr8yniFp-Qh7kYJvOP5KXZugIp3/s320/DSCF2922.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1mUE-CVP7IesUoP-Z5IooGIZlfbywK4MeHeGhFnmPE6m4MBAbZnxpI2cxtUme4j7QorAMxAiSLyHmQAeIhCFHlOsojxD10jauogmFbUzmKvp5WwTYe-MabxxcFz3ra5ENTA2Q1CnKfJi/s320/DSCF2924.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLNWY8in6uMQZ5mjPaXhIzUEYbZPlwsRt9dZf_fSOi6ZaFv3AHskZCBQwZcgcoPjN8jNVsAA-rGyFhdduueHzWqpAFGRjYL8naQHqWb_5qgHgGSGMRA535bk6DIBQgzAcGcGrbhxkHOTX/s320/DSCF2927.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLG_eEu7wVK7QAHCKpuyZH4aholIEBZaTvEnD0eWUXehYrrqJx6dLTlcIknCJOhK4_0SatSrcjOKP8iC-aPKFhrbhiLkYu37FpaKLkyHSqPC4wrN0Aa53St9yc7JozPxPO-XO4noBS174/s320/DSCF2925.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiY0u9Rmh_17pmeVkuJGsa77Nm-We7DvQAYt9WInLy4J8Bp5aqcuymJNbtsXnkwJrmFye4lqocNpSHwxed0vqvgTKb5U5zSP7j1g6fpaiL68Tiiij-gQwdIvQH_IeZEPy0niOl7N67Fqe/s320/DSCF2930.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This route brings one to the summit of Pen Yr Ole Wen (978m). As you can see it was a beautiful day, and a good freeze the previous night meant the conditions were perfect for British winter climbing. The other guy in one of the photos below was someone we met on the summit, he had soloed one of the easier climbs.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ineRIq5ne8Rk-EjuWYy0hzmTbV3MHrW3Fbaw4s87sTKwZL9_V3PNzHsbAhyPlCpTze16XqA4QmL_A-1RohP9g2CnotjWtH_bg5Y4syBR1xwGDnCaWBVl0Onn59CvrfmNln8akAxfxNZj/s320/DSCF2932.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70YByTMjlrIlLpm_jgDoJNZ1JujCKEJduvbus4wei0PwGBcu7IW1l_BlJFeR3gpJX2MvT-V-bUluFIQSXVX-Lpp8PO_6HLz_JyryYLIU-NaleIY7ftCFOQyiVjXRxYZm3RIES71PfNa1z/s320/DSCF2933.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2C8ogD39S9vA9VcLxypMwbFqfnVzyxE6LQI4fYTSN9isQjksMODpLC6fiTU5uVcaVkbnp3jxinNiy1sZhmqq0S05a9C8z9FslLrf78O7hjWoPbKHLpG4cRc5XMXi4iUYdSlGhIYupzuzl/s320/DSCF2935.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_O7ciQV-W-T1KX7nBhawXzGTnt_YskDfm-_rNSRiRGkLZzEn32Ji-Koy0b5WpeOReQcE33_zmQqaYbZAmE75NzP1HFU4mbYhZtUIuCL2nWFcThcXCqsDKN8IR23R9H3FOj0OTnVLGg-e/s320/DSCF2931.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On the Friday we did a long ridge climb, just a rock climb this time, but in mountaineering boots carrying our rucsacs. We climbed the Pinnacle Ridge (and continuation) on Mynedd Mawr, walking up to the summit of the peak after the climb.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Mqx0Eywymdt8miZo6F_0UGRj-aJiEYHcJFXFXZp2NqqpmCYf5mM5nca1UbPq1h41IeKhaZ8c1tPGaBWMAE_-XyVuOOaxVMjNR8b4_bqrQ1Gu1FbeN1WlhVPYU1uNZrSxmoiDBRaT11u2/s320/DSCF2952.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrP2vt11qQxOglPfikWuEUdcNztm8lgHd2DX_Ua7IUftJ7B28oAMpemDa-8cmSR6IuOGb6zPgImOA3ayYJCi5rPsicQdzhnRDjJkG2qzr1SjR91hIFtemGnFM19dEzG6WaYHRehAAeW_RH/s320/DSCF2936.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLJ8lV2_4MrjdjZmqFzM9zUaf2Y8FV2e0BmZIEWKSLgoXOlPSbnRKfIXAjvmPBbFD6WywwDDgr92DEEv9Nf4esCSqV7Hfj5w2-P3FtJw4xyoBynC-zWbaPPEqt4O3FR141vKlEBuHcQhB/s320/DSCF2942.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruCGtwzMmDsXefKGBFOketQoV9hC_2XjIx9UkS-egAqxsAia_37vyb1UXHDfFA81T9sKorDi-n9jzyZOo90YI6uuHwE7ana3GP8gXS6L0R8GQE_emWG-U9pIfE1-OeBgQhIYs_1bEeVB5/s320/DSCF2941.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wtnnZBLwaXFv2JmwLVOEHY0sJ2jhJWe-WsBSA8OIelHEfY40LmZYohrfprVwmoLCf5ETn4n9PtRCDZ7NC3Us6JGVxl2USyLk0mzcvidYN5anE12BIroiHnyTgxB40klw2ojI79krc1AW/s320/DSCF2944.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pat's verdict? Well he's happy with my climbing skills, and said he felt quite safe climbing up after me when I was roping him up sections I had led. He's happy for me to do the Classic Alpinism course; the only thing I need to work on is my general fitness, although he said I'm not far off where I need to be, and there's plenty of time still to prepare. He also suggested I do the course in July rather than September, as the weather is more reliable then.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Two great days in the mountains learning from one of the world's best. Couldn't ask for much more.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-79504947765348826022010-03-06T03:44:00.000-08:002010-03-17T08:26:22.709-07:00A somewhat different day in the Mournes<div style="text-align: left;">Well this was almost two months ago, just after some of the most severe winter weather in decades. Yes, it's taken me that long to put up a post about it; I will not be rushed on these things. </div><div><br /></div><div>The western part of the Mourne Mountains is the quickest to get to for me, it's less than an hours drive from Dundalk, more like 45 minutes. That's if traffic in Newry, a town which I can't avoid, isn't too heavy. Newry and Dundalk are only about 13 miles apart, but on different sides of this weird, artificial construct of a border which creates Northern Ireland. Spike Milligan wrote a book about this border ("Puckoon"), so enough said, probably. Anyhow, due to different VAT rates, lower cost of doing business in general and a very favourable euro-sterling exchange rate at present, Newry, and many other border towns in NI, have become shopping Meccas for people living in the Republic. The Sainsbury's in Newry sells more alcohol than any other Sainsbury's in the UK, and I've done my bit to contribute toward that reputation. The ASDA in Enniskillen is apparently the most profitable ASDA in the world. So when I go climbing after work in summer, or walking over the weekends in winter, I have to deal with Newry, its drivers, shoppers and worst of all, its unsynchronised traffic lights.</div><div><br /></div><div>But it's all worth it to get to the Mournes, which has become one of my favourite places on earth. The rounded mountain tops, sometimes crested with rocky tors, spectacular views, beautiful countryside and great rock-climbing makes up a large part of the gaping chasm in any Capetonian's life who no longer lives there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Every winter there's a bit of snow on the higher peaks of the Mournes, not all season, but for a few weeks. This year, however, we've had several heavy falls. I've never seen as much snow on the peaks as that Saturday, the 9th of January 2010. I donned my thermal base layer and headed out. The peaks on this side mostly have bird names, Hen, Cock (stop sniggering in the back there), Pigeon and Eagle. Not really inspiring, it has to be said. The tors of Hen provide some good rock-climbing with only about a 25 minute walk-in. Likewise Pigeon has some good rock routes, and I'd walked to its summit before with the children, so I decided to walk up past Hen to the summit of Cock, and back down.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPidEdbJJNA0gQCinkOjUODOqZEj1xUr7ZP4z3TtEhxP71bJxA6jnMdpJ4n4k3xQIgVuI-tpQt4JShfdGjZW_VM8F3rLXUEiFHpWgr0sAiTeu9Y5ol5rrRMqPH4wZKhUuh6Ax8HNcmojId/s320/DSCF2835.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div>The above photo is looking across to Eagle mountain on the way up to Hen. The path, a steep but pleasant stroll up a grassy slope in summer, was icy and quite teacherous; I slipped a good few times. Going up the northern slope of Cock I was soon wading through snow. This was the view looking down on Hen (the scene of my accident in 2006):</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3FsrdUrUpl1GXy0Z0JgGgch5YRMAPFs2b0DqI710i4Bs_2J7UjfVNuzSFLfXY2DuHEi-D4swgWacEgbB0vH5bLJcIpL8o7pTAtwe_Qc00SzrtUhz-M-gFWdvxIhJnrwN1twTlen8luXK/s320/DSCF2853.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div>The view from the summit was amazing, not because Cock is a high, inspiring peak (it's not), but because I have never in the 5 years I've lived here seen the Mournes with this much snow. The peak in sunlight at the back of this next photo is Donard, the highest in the area at 850 metres. To the left of it you can see the rocky summit of Slieve Bearnagh (I was up there 2 weeks ago):</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwfGHj9ve5kLz84hzJjbw4FglFeEydrR63I49UEdxuA05ZqCQc_45EadIDjIZprzIBK3f3MmA8l2GxxZQyPO2ZLgr6fprNqGNT4aVab75zVmerWrVEeH5kleFrbJXv7-UPmlsGHk6vE7s/s320/DSCF2847.JPG" /></div><div><br /></div><div>The Spelga Dam was frozen over and almost unrecognizable, the mountains' usually green landscape temporarily dressed in white, as though to be given away. I'd take you, Lady Mourne, except I'm already married.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03ccWOiBr6SI_jc4xSIJK6PWiWVNp189jUCfI2gcp1zPmM-v17iOGnHH6tQENLVCfKJtefvW0oZOGd7G8Hp8qm7OGNxl3yrGekkcXx_9w1WKmcoQJ2f3B3Zry7kZ4tbQmAniH0BOcijIN/s320/DSCF2849.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And now the real fun part, I had battled through the snow on the way up, and wasn't looking forward to sinking up to my thigh on each step on the way down. Then I remembered there's a thing called "glissade", glissading is basically sliding down a snow slope on your arse. I was able to do this for at least 200 metres before it got a bit too rocky and grassy lower down.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdc80TiES5jlVS-nd3FUBQuGhc2ioiNNOhjvwTQq6gLhW2JaFW1lV0VbHHV9VaMTO3steuiOgQxuY7GAZ6N1xde9yOQgU10PTVY1N5b8EhSldR2rW0LTC6Z7FZhxg7EB5e6GRVd26JHLq/s320/DSCF2859.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">By the way; the main reason I use Blogger instead of Wordpress is that with Blogger you can upload 5 photos at once. That's also why most of my posts have a maximum of 5 photos. I'm a lazy blogger, and totally unashamed of that!</div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-11530997694877878532010-01-03T03:30:00.000-08:002010-03-17T08:25:29.260-07:00In the snow without a camera.........again.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxNWgXc6A5l3Jz9fYNHOJ29wQjQ7X4FGtvw2Wxz-85IgdkTVg2EBKleMdUnWDmtXfiazW-BVTCXVJbEvdInZnIk32Zx6q9KAFr0_KeTKNktgiitHaQ1Y9HhJjib4nCeMLf7rzRUbd9Y6i/s1600-h/DSCF2782.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422484292356990274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxNWgXc6A5l3Jz9fYNHOJ29wQjQ7X4FGtvw2Wxz-85IgdkTVg2EBKleMdUnWDmtXfiazW-BVTCXVJbEvdInZnIk32Zx6q9KAFr0_KeTKNktgiitHaQ1Y9HhJjib4nCeMLf7rzRUbd9Y6i/s320/DSCF2782.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We've shaken off the lethargy of Christmas, and I've found new motivation for getting out there......I want to do an alpine climbing course in Switzerland in September, and I will need to be really fit. Not as in a bit of walking two weeks before type fit, as in start-right-the-hell-now or be left behind.<br /><br />So to this end, and also because really I'd not rather be doing <em>anything</em> else, Mark and I headed up the mighty Slieve Donard last Monday. Donard is only about 860m above sea level, but seeing as how you start from a carpark opposite the beach in Newcastle, you have to work for every one of those metres. On the last part up to the col between Donard and Commedagh, the path was badly iced up, so much so that we had to find an alternative route up some dodgy heather next to a frozen watercourse. Because we didn't fancy going down the same way, which would have been a treacherous undertaking, we walked up to the top of Slieve Commedagh instead. Because this is a popular part of the Mournes, and because despite the cold it was a beautiful, clear, windless day, we met many other groups of hill-walkers. In Ireland, because the weather is always such a topical issue, the standard thing to do when casually greeting someone you've never seen before and will probably never see again, but feel you have to say something because you are after all out doing the same thing, is to make some remark about the weather, or, if the other person speaks first, to agree with what they have said about the weather.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The top of Commedagh, a few meters lower than Donard, was plastered with snow. We returned to Donard forest and the car-park via Commedagh's north ridge, a more sensible proposition than the iced-up path above the head of the Glen River valley, pausing to agree with random strangers about the weather several times along the way. One thing we could certainly all agree on was that a clear winter's day is some of the best weather you can get, no matter where in the world you are.</div><br /><br /><div>Yesterday (Saturday) we opted for the Cooley ridge walk, from Slieve Foye above Carlingford, to the telecoms masts on Black Mountain and down to Ravensdale forest. These are my "home mountains"; I have done the walk before, but as two separate walks on different occasions. Doing it in one is quite a walk - it took us six hours, moving at a fair pace, and we didn't stop anywhere for more than a few minutes at a time. Nadia dropped us on the south side of Foye, and we followed a route straight up the south side, to the right of the lamp post in the photo (yes, I forgot the camera again and that photo was taken this morning from my bedroom window). We then followed the ridge from the high point (the summit of Slieve Foye) left along the ridge, then the heart-breaking loss of height down to the Windy Gap, and you gain most of it back again on the opposite ridge. </div><div></div><br /><div>The Cooleys are a bit lower than the Mournes, but there's still plenty of snow, and the road that you follow from the masts down to Ravensdale was completely iced over. </div><br /><div></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-57420743238069673452009-09-30T09:25:00.000-07:002009-09-30T12:04:35.400-07:00Two routes on the Bearnagh Slabs"Crooked Chimney" on the Bearnagh Slabs was one of the first routes I climbed in the Mournes, with Mark Anderson back in 2006. Then in April 2007, nine months after my fall on Hen Mountain, Mark Warnock led me up "Grand Central", one of the classic VD grade climbs. It was the first climb after my accident, and I remember really struggling with a very stiff right wrist that has still not quite recovered. The one part of the climb that I remember vividly is the chimney ending right at the top. It's really awkward, and I remember throwing my right hand into a fist-jam and thinking "well at least it can't really come out!"<br /><br />Last Saturday Mark and I returned to the Bearnagh Slabs, and this time I led up Grand Central, allowing Mark the luxury of seconding it for the first time in seven ascents over the last twelve years. The chimney will be a doddle this time, I thought. Hah! It was a battle again, and when I finally heaved myself onto flat ground at the top I felt as though I'd just been extruded from a meat grinder. At least Mark had the decency to struggle as well (he usually takes the layback alternative to the left of the chimney, probably a more sensible proposition). I had placed a cam for protection that was slightly too big for the crack it was in; as a result I was worried that it might get stuck. When it was Mark's turn to follow me I heard a lot of metallic tinkering sounds interspersed with the occasional Northern Irish grunt. "Is the cam stuck!", I shouted. "No, I've got it, <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm</span> stuck in this chimney though!"<br /><br />I took this photo of him emerging from the chimney.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB49bpx8-AIk9t4ssKQ-ubpXfBB_llWFQxERZkSGM-00UDQ4R88pzcfXwOtQYpz_ZBDhCk7dSBb9yohZhOMxpbVNiH7Mcugwcg5Ker3x-BxJeCoqV041GOZN-x3_zU10EK5BviJmppsY4L/s1600-h/DSCF2458.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB49bpx8-AIk9t4ssKQ-ubpXfBB_llWFQxERZkSGM-00UDQ4R88pzcfXwOtQYpz_ZBDhCk7dSBb9yohZhOMxpbVNiH7Mcugwcg5Ker3x-BxJeCoqV041GOZN-x3_zU10EK5BviJmppsY4L/s320/DSCF2458.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387307287090881378" border="0" /></a><br />After a bite to eat, we climbed Hypothesis, which, along with White Walls on Spellack and Pillar Variant on Lower Cove, is one of the finest routes of its grade in the Mournes. In fact, because it's longer than the other two, I would say it's <span style="font-style: italic;">the </span>best. It's one of those climbs that you just wish was a few pitches longer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeQMAV3mE7ZlEvLoIKs3PO6rTu7VVBJ7UyqYq-CN1EwCBCB90OkFnEuQyNTzUoWeocDf7_zDCZpl5Zv59vBoeh_tirZ-3XNpfCaJ8qIoGURVGE3gZrpbdjwXZtrPHyJLyrlqB3IzYmoNh/s1600-h/DSCF2460.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeQMAV3mE7ZlEvLoIKs3PO6rTu7VVBJ7UyqYq-CN1EwCBCB90OkFnEuQyNTzUoWeocDf7_zDCZpl5Zv59vBoeh_tirZ-3XNpfCaJ8qIoGURVGE3gZrpbdjwXZtrPHyJLyrlqB3IzYmoNh/s320/DSCF2460.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387307313721713730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93hn0fMs-MAAITF3LVNpRFWF-OC80miYlEu7de9IWFGBOxywtPArO4YYmQzGP2rnCFixd-J0_MFW551jfKWd6Z3hY69ClKZe4L1MduHLE7EXGQXj8xLGScewxpuZZRNhwTu61xvYTYlto/s1600-h/DSCF2463.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93hn0fMs-MAAITF3LVNpRFWF-OC80miYlEu7de9IWFGBOxywtPArO4YYmQzGP2rnCFixd-J0_MFW551jfKWd6Z3hY69ClKZe4L1MduHLE7EXGQXj8xLGScewxpuZZRNhwTu61xvYTYlto/s320/DSCF2463.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387307333975331554" border="0" /></a><br />Now, serious climbing photographers are always very scathing of "bumshots" ie photos taken of climbers from below that show that part of the anatomy usually aimed at the camera. But when you're belaying someone leading a climb you tend to snap what you can get. I haven't met a leader yet who'll complain about his second taking a bad photo because he was minding the rope!<br />But as bumshots go, I don't think this one is too bad.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFr-Q3WewQfLzr19cnTahbdkqpG9RSM-8LGAGGIuj6qNaoDMRF_tohdolo2c0yn3aEJsns5-W_TXcVQ-SzjGgH9fb_xAKlFUxXXOj0wR29vk9D_AhoyQgYcyOQiYC7PlfSFM6LSs9f5HLS/s1600-h/DSCF2467.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFr-Q3WewQfLzr19cnTahbdkqpG9RSM-8LGAGGIuj6qNaoDMRF_tohdolo2c0yn3aEJsns5-W_TXcVQ-SzjGgH9fb_xAKlFUxXXOj0wR29vk9D_AhoyQgYcyOQiYC7PlfSFM6LSs9f5HLS/s320/DSCF2467.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387307384591997826" border="0" /></a><br />This is the view looking from the Bearnagh Slabs down past the eastern flank of Slieve Meelmore to the Trassey track, which is the traditional approach to the slabs.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrhwuO9Pt0fO5XP3KMqs4AAJWBQOU2fjtCkZDADq47pN8Y3lrH_Y7HNLVgXx5w1jgR3UeYG8qEMuD0deoeQzx62jMZRRhEu0_gYgaCrdyCBBNC4gK__uiFt_ofUhLc2QBUSnZ_RdRNNdC/s1600-h/DSCF2464.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrhwuO9Pt0fO5XP3KMqs4AAJWBQOU2fjtCkZDADq47pN8Y3lrH_Y7HNLVgXx5w1jgR3UeYG8qEMuD0deoeQzx62jMZRRhEu0_gYgaCrdyCBBNC4gK__uiFt_ofUhLc2QBUSnZ_RdRNNdC/s320/DSCF2464.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387307364019332978" border="0" /></a>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-29210331678130487332009-09-30T08:34:00.000-07:002010-04-10T12:45:34.585-07:00FM - Lamagan SlabsWe are enjoying an Indian summer at present, just as we did this time last year and the year before. On Saturday 12 September, Mark and I set a date with "FM", a long easy route on the slabs on the east side of Slieve Lamagan. Mark texted me early in the morning to say he was not well, but because I was all ready to go, I decided to go anyway, taking a half-rope with me in addition to my gear rack. My intention was to have a look at FM to see if I felt confident enough to free solo or maybe rope-solo it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W5qErxy5u19-2vVhYLBVEevNSZNkmnY-8UVKgIFy5SxwUBfE27QQFninpMPXyWka0_5Za-kecGAvQKcoupyH0ARZ1ww3wZCflbLLFpaBDKIPihcsOCnlb1t2gbDk_wZuyHWN8H35JykM/s1600-h/DSCF2436.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W5qErxy5u19-2vVhYLBVEevNSZNkmnY-8UVKgIFy5SxwUBfE27QQFninpMPXyWka0_5Za-kecGAvQKcoupyH0ARZ1ww3wZCflbLLFpaBDKIPihcsOCnlb1t2gbDk_wZuyHWN8H35JykM/s320/DSCF2436.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387289045502778706" border="0" /></a><br />It was another glorious day, and the view above, looking up the Annalong Valley, is one I've photographed many times, but seldom with completely clear skies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iuugTPsinO8550RUMmvfUn7RVAfAHTZiyZLnWhRs4aLNUyTEmSDzvn7Qy5onpRLb1YfQ2w4FerOmmT4v97cCt8lbciHAcu3u0dUDeNvKWvHHEu9YT0s7uHxA0WNFIrrT4zS9tRxsDO4A/s1600-h/DSCF2438.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iuugTPsinO8550RUMmvfUn7RVAfAHTZiyZLnWhRs4aLNUyTEmSDzvn7Qy5onpRLb1YfQ2w4FerOmmT4v97cCt8lbciHAcu3u0dUDeNvKWvHHEu9YT0s7uHxA0WNFIrrT4zS9tRxsDO4A/s320/DSCF2438.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387289039662592450" border="0" /></a><br />The photo above is of Slieve Lamagan, with the slabs facing the camera directly. FM follows a crack line more or less straight up the middle, past the white spot. I doubt I would have soloed it, because this route is one of those that always looks wet; it has a lot of dark lichen on the rock that looks like wet streaks. I was aware of this, but not having climbed it before, I didn't want to come across a wet slab at some point where I couldn't easily retreat. I was standing near the base of it weighing all this up when I heard the familiar tinkling of climbing equipment, and saw three climbers about to overtake me on the slope. After a brief discussion over whether the rock was wet or not, I explained to them that I had been going to climb it that day but my climbing partner was sick. Once they established that I had equipment with me, I was asked to join them, and I readily agreed. We split into two teams of two, Martin leading Maura, and me leading Margaret behind them (it's only just occurred to me that all our names start with "M"). They had a full rope and one half-rope, so it worked out perfectly, Martin led on the full rope and I used the two half-ropes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ySZ_c5NvHuFltVins9TiiJ7E_znsUGOQ1tWg-1cZvi3ORso024x3KITQT305fOoQZjipcvmICnbjx1NiZ7GUgSbupkHkgA9wBx_oKy0UMPLjyfBgSRO3JgU4eft40ymfkbSbRSI0DjLh/s1600-h/DSCF2440.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ySZ_c5NvHuFltVins9TiiJ7E_znsUGOQ1tWg-1cZvi3ORso024x3KITQT305fOoQZjipcvmICnbjx1NiZ7GUgSbupkHkgA9wBx_oKy0UMPLjyfBgSRO3JgU4eft40ymfkbSbRSI0DjLh/s320/DSCF2440.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387289029082141650" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRsVE32faav26vzB2r-B_Y5hMf4-Hxzpxrotn98JUC6CCu3_KcN54tIEN4lkqtN5aJnWLv2aiErA7Y_9ytttjLZqUqKxKkWJyMPantsa6BQxWtJkRS6fzC63B_snnZLEwyDHu0H68PcxH/s1600-h/DSCF2442.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRsVE32faav26vzB2r-B_Y5hMf4-Hxzpxrotn98JUC6CCu3_KcN54tIEN4lkqtN5aJnWLv2aiErA7Y_9ytttjLZqUqKxKkWJyMPantsa6BQxWtJkRS6fzC63B_snnZLEwyDHu0H68PcxH/s320/DSCF2442.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387289055569401778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7VBJSbtkORftmEILMTKDveh9NVUMjHrgsYA9Yu4lkdPBW4jqVgD2cpi90rhAts8TacsipXy8Oa5NHvJDQ-EAOapsYIfued_7KCrgnHWSrEGKk-qX7xVfat9nwRDEB2ptPHPonw3kuEdN/s1600-h/DSCF2448.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7VBJSbtkORftmEILMTKDveh9NVUMjHrgsYA9Yu4lkdPBW4jqVgD2cpi90rhAts8TacsipXy8Oa5NHvJDQ-EAOapsYIfued_7KCrgnHWSrEGKk-qX7xVfat9nwRDEB2ptPHPonw3kuEdN/s320/DSCF2448.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387289064158782322" border="0" /></a><br />I really enjoyed the climb and the company of these folk from Dublin. This is one of the things I love about climbing, that you can meet perfect strangers but if you all climb you always seem to have a lot in common, and not just the lingo of climbing itself. Oh and the rock was bone-dry the whole way.Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-67133281019213005982009-08-23T07:32:00.000-07:002010-04-10T12:46:13.422-07:00White Walls, Spellack.Yesterday, Saturday 22 August, was a lovely bright day and the perfect temperature for climbing; not too hot or cold. Mark and I headed up to Spellack Buttress, off the Trassey track, and climbed White Walls (S 4a). I took this photo from the Newcastle - Hilltown Road, as such a clear day in the Mournes is rather rare.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BsDUwVuzbXyrep5N54W-6sipEEJzHqcXreNOTNaRaUO4wM1vQSwsnFVieWnC8FysEXlnRgSAP5aQiTXxsIN9z4p41l2tX1QzNBkyaHsgLbWS9Y9Rcb30A_GSSiWiT6akoHrw3uEHOCEd/s1600-h/DSCF2329.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BsDUwVuzbXyrep5N54W-6sipEEJzHqcXreNOTNaRaUO4wM1vQSwsnFVieWnC8FysEXlnRgSAP5aQiTXxsIN9z4p41l2tX1QzNBkyaHsgLbWS9Y9Rcb30A_GSSiWiT6akoHrw3uEHOCEd/s320/DSCF2329.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373168417443741042" border="0" /></a><br />You can see the rock slabs of Spellack more or less in the middle of the photo, the sun lighting them up a bit, and Slive Meelmore up to the right, Slieve Bearnagh behind them to the left.<br /><br />The Meelmore Lodge was having a fun day for kids, with loud music blaring up the whole valley. It was rather bizarre, being in this beautiful, wild setting, with cheesy inspirational songs such as "Eye of the Tiger" and "We are the Champions" clamouring for our attention. We could hear all the commentary too; knew exactly who had won the sack race, for example.<br /><br />This is the gulley you scramble up to the start of the route:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5Slvhr1v1c1ii5QcZcOkOuTF20t2JiHoCcLoQwZgNxd1pvFs3nCwEjbQ0lzg8jskvK_Sy6WanKHc-UiRyWb10Kl8Igyc8ZWCqYLbN6I7l4Y6JP2uPDMrhrehfeLsouAWaUoPsCrTY17u/s1600-h/DSCF2330.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja5Slvhr1v1c1ii5QcZcOkOuTF20t2JiHoCcLoQwZgNxd1pvFs3nCwEjbQ0lzg8jskvK_Sy6WanKHc-UiRyWb10Kl8Igyc8ZWCqYLbN6I7l4Y6JP2uPDMrhrehfeLsouAWaUoPsCrTY17u/s320/DSCF2330.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373168428658588658" border="0" /></a><br />And the climb itself; Mark led it and we both struggled. I'm not sure why, Mark has climbed it several times before. It just felt hard for a 4a, with delicate footwork needed pretty much the whole way up. I think we're both just rusty, not enough climbing this year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYqy3RI8gXFfYAcgXGDxDy8uX28p6BhriVKQEWRvad5kgdweJ_q4Dn_ub0Jckxi2damNww3mWNPdTJrLFv8F1ZWvPOivB-_STsNnTALr7Pr2vTMeCQsIXWTXhlubSkqAjeSom0d88xtyj/s1600-h/DSCF2333.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYqy3RI8gXFfYAcgXGDxDy8uX28p6BhriVKQEWRvad5kgdweJ_q4Dn_ub0Jckxi2damNww3mWNPdTJrLFv8F1ZWvPOivB-_STsNnTALr7Pr2vTMeCQsIXWTXhlubSkqAjeSom0d88xtyj/s320/DSCF2333.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373168432885020578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwyeJh_2Sz4GLz0Xe0VIsFq0WIbrobrgq18ACUg6wZ9qD2opbpCZ-b8-rr3wKYFejK6wloJikly4jnl-EaQ9cwDRIkzYQhWE8Lk1xCytsTvnMC8W3lXxGLmX_-NX9qkHGK_UEDQ172h6X/s1600-h/DSCF2335.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwyeJh_2Sz4GLz0Xe0VIsFq0WIbrobrgq18ACUg6wZ9qD2opbpCZ-b8-rr3wKYFejK6wloJikly4jnl-EaQ9cwDRIkzYQhWE8Lk1xCytsTvnMC8W3lXxGLmX_-NX9qkHGK_UEDQ172h6X/s320/DSCF2335.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373168445461811970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gUNrMccaAzkVIhpFpjDIQoII4duWp_P3laKMT6VYG6WPEGCO-Yq7vGJ-Z7QsxOm5ZSqU3TDkrRq54jqnvrT-gljq44NpcizGaMor-ljDJkNALpEdYVwttAzuCQl95E_VqnwprUfA7zJ4/s1600-h/DSCF2337.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gUNrMccaAzkVIhpFpjDIQoII4duWp_P3laKMT6VYG6WPEGCO-Yq7vGJ-Z7QsxOm5ZSqU3TDkrRq54jqnvrT-gljq44NpcizGaMor-ljDJkNALpEdYVwttAzuCQl95E_VqnwprUfA7zJ4/s320/DSCF2337.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373168450858232834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVJlSU5vP9yz8wFRQkRQMRtVcGJBctZc1Kx_nhP-5u2Xg5ZnC9A9aKcD3POyT_Pr9qTOek_TLqlF43eJ78VrlvOb-Mkgivt3XWu38Kjd95-WbXkw8-E1irte9R9vpxE_WOFUVUe-6Og4F/s1600-h/DSCF2339.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVJlSU5vP9yz8wFRQkRQMRtVcGJBctZc1Kx_nhP-5u2Xg5ZnC9A9aKcD3POyT_Pr9qTOek_TLqlF43eJ78VrlvOb-Mkgivt3XWu38Kjd95-WbXkw8-E1irte9R9vpxE_WOFUVUe-6Og4F/s320/DSCF2339.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373169832775737778" border="0" /></a><br />In this photo you can see Hare's Gap behind my left shoulder, and the peaks in the background are Commedagh (left), Beg (centre) and Cove (right).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnIPxwTM4upKTullrdLks8iubuzTXFTmzOJ8RtHF6YqL-Grx2QmzNhAAbJT3OtWAuwejpZyMg4saB7CsIAqKZvlCZMeBuaS-Ccg0DakPY_9TcX95Oa3dD68InfDPCJ_T75lLSxZ7_J_7F/s1600-h/DSCF2340.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnIPxwTM4upKTullrdLks8iubuzTXFTmzOJ8RtHF6YqL-Grx2QmzNhAAbJT3OtWAuwejpZyMg4saB7CsIAqKZvlCZMeBuaS-Ccg0DakPY_9TcX95Oa3dD68InfDPCJ_T75lLSxZ7_J_7F/s320/DSCF2340.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373169838578111010" border="0" /></a><br />A super day with a nice breeze to keep the midges at bay!Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-32234258760310119812009-07-18T15:05:00.001-07:002009-07-18T15:34:13.218-07:00Mud and MidgesIn April last year we visited Lough Belshade for the first time. It's a gem of a crag hidden away in the Bluestack mountains in Donegal. On that occasion we climbed "Classical Revival", a 3-star HVS, well worth the muddy 2-hour walk-in. I remember sending an email afterwards, with photos, to some of my climbing friends, echoing the sentiments of someone who had posted about the area on the UKC forums: "visit this crag before you die".<br /><br />Well I should have known that as with most things in life the second time is seldom as good. Yesterday we endured the boggy 2-hour walk, and when we arrived, our objective, the 4-pitch "Land of Hearts Desire" looked suspiciously wet. As we were standing looking at it, trying to work out whether it really was wet rock or not, it started raining. Mark commented, in his usual understated manner: "It's not going to get any drier in that."<br /><br />The routes on the smaller Blaeberry crag to the right looked dry, but weren't going to stay that way either, and the midges were out too.<br /><br />So I'm going to amend, slightly, my enthusiasm for Lough Belshade. You must visit, of course; you may enjoy an ascent of a very fine route, on very good, solid granite, with good protection. But this being Ireland, and more specifically Donegal, you have an equal chance of ending up sitting in the rain waving off clouds of midgies.<br /><br />Whichever it is, however, you will be doing it in one of the most beautiful, tranquil, climbing areas you will ever have the privilege of visiting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb0qap8qWrUT0DY8zSewK4PsOLAEFaTwKlpR7-vEAtpJf12e56PIBOFCOipau-iYelBpD4ck1zvxba16_Hp0j-qiWKxIPCRDRIUFy1DLd5l3HHVjqOyKlCwZXoGISi2AyWh906qAKqjCh/s1600-h/DSCF2171.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisb0qap8qWrUT0DY8zSewK4PsOLAEFaTwKlpR7-vEAtpJf12e56PIBOFCOipau-iYelBpD4ck1zvxba16_Hp0j-qiWKxIPCRDRIUFy1DLd5l3HHVjqOyKlCwZXoGISi2AyWh906qAKqjCh/s320/DSCF2171.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359925882509541858" border="0" /></a><br />The Danoon waterfall, a short detour from the track (1st phase of the walk), we missed it last time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivH2Jwoh7uBZrCHiLkVMWNCE3xLAYmopOEuBJDuklrFh5lslIpvgCSr_Q4bqCojquzZunmnACptubUa846t4HJF9fAwQvMOtrnSIQKsJe4ADQTghLfdgvCN48ghtSK7WlTx8bWPIlq8AoW/s1600-h/DSCF2162.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivH2Jwoh7uBZrCHiLkVMWNCE3xLAYmopOEuBJDuklrFh5lslIpvgCSr_Q4bqCojquzZunmnACptubUa846t4HJF9fAwQvMOtrnSIQKsJe4ADQTghLfdgvCN48ghtSK7WlTx8bWPIlq8AoW/s320/DSCF2162.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359925861219844562" border="0" /></a><br />There was a lot more water around this time too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTd01CgsrEc5UvR9DGSvEoTdUbCiE6oBFnM9NP_SH4f4L41VlmvBilEUj2Iifm15vZYzxILEaSnA3cbrv98fjapT4698ggmenJ2WmY1YGsInO2t2x_vOByD6n24qSJAI84cgfbYuu9mm-_/s1600-h/DSCF2164.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTd01CgsrEc5UvR9DGSvEoTdUbCiE6oBFnM9NP_SH4f4L41VlmvBilEUj2Iifm15vZYzxILEaSnA3cbrv98fjapT4698ggmenJ2WmY1YGsInO2t2x_vOByD6n24qSJAI84cgfbYuu9mm-_/s320/DSCF2164.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359925867237209266" border="0" /></a><br />So is the rock wet or what? Kinda irrelevant anyway when it starts raining.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmOku2zpHtoy5vARcn1XTB7WSSAUYDgg3Fxz5Hc5PrLrsp6ibnAX4PU2hmLw2d8Imx1wc_1YTUwVNnyjEUrlI61x2op8Jr2fV81z8JwNLQvce5ighGq0y5hTYOxeeED8jI1h50NUwPMQ_/s1600-h/DSCF2165.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmOku2zpHtoy5vARcn1XTB7WSSAUYDgg3Fxz5Hc5PrLrsp6ibnAX4PU2hmLw2d8Imx1wc_1YTUwVNnyjEUrlI61x2op8Jr2fV81z8JwNLQvce5ighGq0y5hTYOxeeED8jI1h50NUwPMQ_/s320/DSCF2165.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359925876368656818" border="0" /></a><br />No he's not a member of one of Northern Ireland's paramilitary organisations, Mark is wearing a midgie-net. Don't leave home without one.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwA5cTpN443f0FtvTrvQZ3wDes-jkHFShtpPr2QS2q7_pButfaVtzHYdq9ujXvzZSzYgYjREJCyipE4X2nGjgaWNGoGoAdfPp9Ee6tbD4pj7cu3SS18kID0lo1ycSgoml7wGEwFuKPawZ/s1600-h/DSCF2168.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwA5cTpN443f0FtvTrvQZ3wDes-jkHFShtpPr2QS2q7_pButfaVtzHYdq9ujXvzZSzYgYjREJCyipE4X2nGjgaWNGoGoAdfPp9Ee6tbD4pj7cu3SS18kID0lo1ycSgoml7wGEwFuKPawZ/s320/DSCF2168.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359925879165031810" border="0" /></a>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-62071491746017424692009-06-28T04:23:00.000-07:002009-06-28T04:45:42.722-07:00Christmas in June<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KJgFwtIOU350OlzD9om58ZM5LT2Zou5DF1DU3noTyx5690ZMogxX8wO0-3Y4dSEbMXan_Sj2vZ6-XCgk8MaHOzlJ_JyCWLR3hvgnZE1yVoIfEmHGFQ-ciitaAYb-ydSVngIyQZrQKS_F/s1600-h/DSCF2060.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KJgFwtIOU350OlzD9om58ZM5LT2Zou5DF1DU3noTyx5690ZMogxX8wO0-3Y4dSEbMXan_Sj2vZ6-XCgk8MaHOzlJ_JyCWLR3hvgnZE1yVoIfEmHGFQ-ciitaAYb-ydSVngIyQZrQKS_F/s320/DSCF2060.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352343256176182962" border="0" /></a><br />On Friday morning I finally plucked up the nerve to solo "Christmas" on Wee Binnian. It kept me busy the whole way up, and I almost down-climbed from half-way, but there comes a point when it's easier and less scary to just carry on up.<br /><br />The top section was not as bad as I'd feared, probably because I'd hyped it up in my mind so much. There is a lot of air underneath you on the final few moves, however.<br /><br />This was quite an achievement for me, in terms of where my climbing is at right now. It's not a difficult climb, I've soloed harder (both in SA and here), but I've had this climb as a marker in my mind, something I've needed to do to prove to myself that I'm really back. I'll never be the climber I once was (and I was never outstanding), but considering all the other things in life that I have started and given up on, I feel I can now truly say that rock climbing is not one of those things.<br /><br />I can't explain why it took the solo ascent of an insignificant route on an insignificant peak in a small mountain range in Northern Ireland to finally realise this, but anyhow, the job is done.<br /><br />I've put out a request on the Northern climbers forum to try and get a photo of the climb, or if I figure out how to get photos off my phone and onto the computer, I'll put one up.Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-19940015277310646732009-06-05T10:01:00.001-07:002009-06-14T15:16:26.625-07:00Wee BinnianBecause this is an Irish climbing blog, many posts are going to start with a comment on the weather, so let this one be no exception. We've had <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">GREAT</span> weather this past week, and this morning I took off early, to the Mournes of course, and walked up to Little ("Wee") Binnian<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyy2TwjfGSY9mgdCUoZaepKzzy3ritAdnfTkcCNEDu2Q1iPH5OPGAS9zFhwf0xXEsdBcBgvVo7u3g8wozV7eg6QLILSOdOInUZoEyakiW7f2QQvpESgnHo8bRe4zaMdhkRTOWBezn71I-/s1600-h/DSCF2058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyy2TwjfGSY9mgdCUoZaepKzzy3ritAdnfTkcCNEDu2Q1iPH5OPGAS9zFhwf0xXEsdBcBgvVo7u3g8wozV7eg6QLILSOdOInUZoEyakiW7f2QQvpESgnHo8bRe4zaMdhkRTOWBezn71I-/s320/DSCF2058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343891064436644226" border="0" /></a><br />There's a route here called "Christmas" that I've wanted to do for a long time, but I was in solo mode again today, and I don't quite fancy the top groove of Christmas as a solo. The guide book describes it as "intimidating", and I've learned to take this guidebook at its word. Another time perhaps, if I solo it I'll have to take the brass ones along.<br /><br />Anyhow, the views from the top of Wee Binnian are awesome. This is literally "where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2cG-v7S3mnQo-n99rOVVp08XPNXuXAQJVHu78DJZ2gXg8D5_XKcmRrzOPHDVXNemkIzwr3WYjrnEdIp-g8a1356Q_VPbxrE_krZJ7LJeiM_L6ML7cZGt8puwzeK9qxLd4J-kiIhea4zB/s1600-h/DSCF2061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2cG-v7S3mnQo-n99rOVVp08XPNXuXAQJVHu78DJZ2gXg8D5_XKcmRrzOPHDVXNemkIzwr3WYjrnEdIp-g8a1356Q_VPbxrE_krZJ7LJeiM_L6ML7cZGt8puwzeK9qxLd4J-kiIhea4zB/s320/DSCF2061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343891071900357826" border="0" /></a><br />You can look down on the Silent Valley dam.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vlqI6ZyTU089c7ly4lMm8bMQ8LQNVbzucR726NUHPxqx3HBXoPEd_wn3V8m9EgjgUCEbTudHaF_cwE4TqaQSfUX8bsBfqkR0GkYPTj6ampToeKWzsJkhWrLYfrA3EXYK7AMlA13YCjq6/s1600-h/DSCF2066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vlqI6ZyTU089c7ly4lMm8bMQ8LQNVbzucR726NUHPxqx3HBXoPEd_wn3V8m9EgjgUCEbTudHaF_cwE4TqaQSfUX8bsBfqkR0GkYPTj6ampToeKWzsJkhWrLYfrA3EXYK7AMlA13YCjq6/s320/DSCF2066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343891086972469682" border="0" /></a><br />And across to the Carlingford Lough, that's Slieve Foy on the other side of the lough, and Dundalk, my home town, is behind that (out of sight). There's talk of a bridge being built over the lough, joining the Republic and Northern Ireland, and it will cut down the journey time to the Mournes a great deal, and will cut out Newry's traffic.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcwgXEA5k8ChTV-TxYgO3xPGllMW9tD3sT0zdcEUq7MBovIhFcXRMIufyx1Foge2i4Uuxnt0iUpb1zGFoo3Ios9ZOS7mNBekIgssn2ae4rf3hR-UzH1kGzxGFfBEvEf0FmHujkIwysQ-R/s1600-h/DSCF2067.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcwgXEA5k8ChTV-TxYgO3xPGllMW9tD3sT0zdcEUq7MBovIhFcXRMIufyx1Foge2i4Uuxnt0iUpb1zGFoo3Ios9ZOS7mNBekIgssn2ae4rf3hR-UzH1kGzxGFfBEvEf0FmHujkIwysQ-R/s320/DSCF2067.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343899251476863890" border="0" /></a><br />But I was there to climb, and I did two routes, Diamond and Valentine, both VD grade.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON4oQWwd5bmm86aQB-TNhKbvtmORGB7lS6-Te8o0VujL_tBx5zFO_MYS0ChTY9Ahk2ZDyYccLzYuKgh3C_spu_RjLUnGN0hxofKni50RLhi0lwocU5g5VtIpkuRBPIgu6q4wq394a2DF1/s1600-h/DSCF2065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON4oQWwd5bmm86aQB-TNhKbvtmORGB7lS6-Te8o0VujL_tBx5zFO_MYS0ChTY9Ahk2ZDyYccLzYuKgh3C_spu_RjLUnGN0hxofKni50RLhi0lwocU5g5VtIpkuRBPIgu6q4wq394a2DF1/s320/DSCF2065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343891083623813458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HWrmmQBuLjqO-CD93UKuGLFGJXkX4_VoVaAX3yfgKPwvWIFvJ_e3hd5IUqQNBuXEK5jVPa-fseJb4FUP4d9mWvotmtqPezwfgk9q4xzWj5fR_SqevLc4ly00lBT_3VlaAo4wBmuXsRnd/s1600-h/DSCF2064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HWrmmQBuLjqO-CD93UKuGLFGJXkX4_VoVaAX3yfgKPwvWIFvJ_e3hd5IUqQNBuXEK5jVPa-fseJb4FUP4d9mWvotmtqPezwfgk9q4xzWj5fR_SqevLc4ly00lBT_3VlaAo4wBmuXsRnd/s320/DSCF2064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343891078256491074" border="0" /></a><br />I was back in Dundalk by lunch time, and Nadia and I treated ourselves to lunch at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-28470383893888736312009-05-30T08:26:00.000-07:002009-06-05T10:49:44.339-07:00Another encounter with Morgan - Hen MountainWe are having the most fantastic weather this weekend, today is the first real summer day we've had this year, sunny with temperatures to match. After fighting off a prolonged bout of tonsillitis (three rounds of ani-biotics later) I took advantage of the dry spell today and went up to Hen Mountain, and soloed four routes; Morgan, Keyhole Crack and Simplicity (all V.Diff grade) and the Boulder Route on the Tower, an easier but longer climb.<br /><br />This route Morgan, she and I have a relationship. She's a thin seam up an open book. I think of her as female, because if you're bold she welcomes you like a lover, but if you're in any way tentative she makes you grunt and squirm your way up, terrified. A fall would be very serious indeed, probably fatal. There's no soft landing here. Morgan and I have this interesting relationship. I love her, and she barely tolerates me. First move up, ok I can still downclimb here. Next move, that wasn't so bad, well now I'm committed. Morgan seems pleased, but she's not going to make it easier. Next move, falling now would be very bad already. Foot out left, no, not that far, in a bit, that's better. The holds on the right come to my rescue, and I can hear Morgan starting to laugh. The crux is a very committing move, feet smearing to reach a reasonable hold. A few more tentative moves up less steep ground and it's over.<br /><br />I moved onto Keyhole Crack next, the route next door. Towards the top of it I spend a while getting my body position exactly right for an awkward pull over a bulge. I glance to my left. Morgan's there, watching me in stoic silence. But I can hear her saying, however it is that she does that: Michael Williams, you un-pardonable wuss.<br /><br />I don't have photos of Morgan. I don't want to share her with anyone else.Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-47024294474379635482009-05-27T03:22:00.000-07:002009-07-18T15:40:11.326-07:00Welcome, Tom WarnockCongratulations Claire and Mark, Tom Warnock was born on Monday 25th May. I was going to say "little" Tom Warnock but he's 9 lbs 4 oz, that aint so little. Mom and baby both doing well.<br /><br />Let's hope he gets to climb the Old Man of Hoy as well, one day, before it falls over!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Updated:</span> This photo was taken yesterday, July 17th. That's Tom with big sister Ellie.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXWmD8b-8iQGpeVWtPzvaYfw4DyE20Dhc63bRzZrGKmXiTu2ZIUxAyUMB9zv6jVUVtLwwe0ujO3AiAuwBCIKFYrtzVMUF4sSkR0_a6LtoYs9ibt8ugGkNiKE5QS1up0Kjk1p4VsDHDeaU/s1600-h/DSCF2161.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXWmD8b-8iQGpeVWtPzvaYfw4DyE20Dhc63bRzZrGKmXiTu2ZIUxAyUMB9zv6jVUVtLwwe0ujO3AiAuwBCIKFYrtzVMUF4sSkR0_a6LtoYs9ibt8ugGkNiKE5QS1up0Kjk1p4VsDHDeaU/s320/DSCF2161.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359933055603873474" border="0" /></a>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-69307126429242197202009-05-03T04:23:00.000-07:002009-06-05T10:50:22.891-07:00First rock climb for 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv44BV66LYApVQkiomaZ4OzBxrwM29515irLK_zDF80J042G50De_rA2QbrO6TA56XO4VyH__0lmHoCCBSLjxvmW26GyWM0xBI4Q0Ak3SwFqJqAI-D8LZnfYgcjsjqDHbLj68UdTFuAs3s/s1600-h/DSCF1945.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv44BV66LYApVQkiomaZ4OzBxrwM29515irLK_zDF80J042G50De_rA2QbrO6TA56XO4VyH__0lmHoCCBSLjxvmW26GyWM0xBI4Q0Ak3SwFqJqAI-D8LZnfYgcjsjqDHbLj68UdTFuAs3s/s320/DSCF1945.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331559688232688786" border="0" /></a><br />Well today, Sunday 03 May 2009, I'm sitting at home on a beautiful day updating the blog. Couldn't climb this weekend because I have tonsillitis, a particularly bad form of it that I last had 4 years ago. It was horrible then and it's horrible now, very painful. Well at least it's given me time to catch up on this blogging thing.<br /><br />Mark and I did manage to get out on Easter Monday, to kick the climbing season off. We went up to Lower Cove (which despite its name is miles from the sea) in the Mournes, and faffed about a bit trying to decide which route to do. It was really cold, so much so that when we actually got around to climbing "Kram" (VS 4c), we couldn't feel our hands or fingers at all they were so numb. Quite interesting, pulling on holds that you can't see and have no idea how good they really are because you can't feel them!<br /><br />Anyhow, here's to a good summer in '09!Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-2641526589658327352009-03-30T10:52:00.001-07:002009-06-17T00:21:05.708-07:00Canada - January 2009In January of this year, I visited an old friend, Teddy McCrea, a South African who now lives in Calgary. The last time I saw Teddy was in 1999, when he was passing through SA, I remember Lara was just a few months old at the time (she'll be 10 in July!). So it was great to catch up, and also to meet Lynda, Hillary, and Leo the dog (a.k.a. Hosehead).<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuS9Q2abnS0MvHD8HGUWwX3h9Knmb8dgkMpUDHdgUOg7wE4uX1ow-QZcQg5HI6oBVeNrycssigHMmdS0B3KjQTft66IISSv4j3gVbTqTVmpvxc5V6JgQ8x1XA929ZtSSalyHHswtyiRelF/s1600-h/DSCF1574.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319041295545078226" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuS9Q2abnS0MvHD8HGUWwX3h9Knmb8dgkMpUDHdgUOg7wE4uX1ow-QZcQg5HI6oBVeNrycssigHMmdS0B3KjQTft66IISSv4j3gVbTqTVmpvxc5V6JgQ8x1XA929ZtSSalyHHswtyiRelF/s320/DSCF1574.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfNwmLRnepK6jh47zy27HReP0TDSuXdTHTTWyRKhYnBnm-XYMcz_K1SPRUXnHMS8VkC9OG8-Wj-XMADyZ-xzDeGlpuEDwTU5iyf1nzvveKjOCfgSDbT9MKqJtWoDzVwt_361OnrpAFIxf/s1600-h/mickey++1645.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319052584851531042" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfNwmLRnepK6jh47zy27HReP0TDSuXdTHTTWyRKhYnBnm-XYMcz_K1SPRUXnHMS8VkC9OG8-Wj-XMADyZ-xzDeGlpuEDwTU5iyf1nzvveKjOCfgSDbT9MKqJtWoDzVwt_361OnrpAFIxf/s320/mickey++1645.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGP54m4nMBrqACMrchc63pf3CAnNK0mFst04q5i-YVZ-5ZDnSxzz_6p1jmKhlUS_rn3NiyjsOk_qFea3-MFmIszK0TbOSBhj_aIVGkgIanuC1jnEulU4xWEuXR_BVG-i5RRdUoEp9sXMA4/s1600-h/DSCF1575.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319041308838376946" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGP54m4nMBrqACMrchc63pf3CAnNK0mFst04q5i-YVZ-5ZDnSxzz_6p1jmKhlUS_rn3NiyjsOk_qFea3-MFmIszK0TbOSBhj_aIVGkgIanuC1jnEulU4xWEuXR_BVG-i5RRdUoEp9sXMA4/s320/DSCF1575.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />I was there for about 10 days, and we were really lucky with the weather. Most days were clear and sunny, with temperatures around zero or even just above. It was only the last two days that we had a cold snap, the temp dropping to about -25 C. That was certainly a new experience for me! But the following pics are typical of the weather we had for the majority of my time there.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUf8lJavR8MHvt9fYZkAFWVsRTo-WyzElgkOlldCUNxmX9lN1LgD3KGKsZ1dc5KK50oAAcvKORVTOfjKgo8eYeUFte6rYXDYQ0s-7go733TexeYN8usZu6Q-6k77M1tO65FLNdc8WkDQ7x/s1600-h/DSCF1678.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319043575687428098" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUf8lJavR8MHvt9fYZkAFWVsRTo-WyzElgkOlldCUNxmX9lN1LgD3KGKsZ1dc5KK50oAAcvKORVTOfjKgo8eYeUFte6rYXDYQ0s-7go733TexeYN8usZu6Q-6k77M1tO65FLNdc8WkDQ7x/s320/DSCF1678.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBdQLS5Ho5D3jJMA0x72yt29bktX7-sO6dyilIPTv9byB41TqgAWahLlZhIj1ov-9KQwlk2DI4xnIqEuNkNTA98ZgDgBUGXFXiuAF6E7qv2M11RadMjPOo1XShjOAPvMXJ6hxkr4Pb5Yo/s1600-h/DSCF1586.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319041312876742210" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBdQLS5Ho5D3jJMA0x72yt29bktX7-sO6dyilIPTv9byB41TqgAWahLlZhIj1ov-9KQwlk2DI4xnIqEuNkNTA98ZgDgBUGXFXiuAF6E7qv2M11RadMjPOo1XShjOAPvMXJ6hxkr4Pb5Yo/s320/DSCF1586.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Well, besides catching up with Teddy, I was also there to try ice climbing, so after hiring some equipment, and also buying some other nice gear that would have cost three times more in Ireland, we set off to the Junkyards, a popular practice area for ice climbers in the Canadian Rockies. Ted showed me the basics, just getting the hang of walking on steep ice is a bit nerve wracking at first.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAfeoIxL8_QtSc30W6P8383AD6IKgZ39oV4-Dj7r9k3ycDMnCGpR2fX4uRDIhK5a9sqWSeiAkRXCVvKFdZmf_cALDMHy13wSolNBSe-NKCjMwOtG_M2C3ZroL0C3QhfX216sSpg3mpk6g/s1600-h/mickey++1622.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319044887524238066" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAfeoIxL8_QtSc30W6P8383AD6IKgZ39oV4-Dj7r9k3ycDMnCGpR2fX4uRDIhK5a9sqWSeiAkRXCVvKFdZmf_cALDMHy13wSolNBSe-NKCjMwOtG_M2C3ZroL0C3QhfX216sSpg3mpk6g/s320/mickey++1622.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ7QAzmr9yT0dksGvf4e239B7OTXtdLokAshyRzDVGz9GXjt0V87SKqnSvUxaz1cqWc1V-VwnhVXqqiqq7Nx9HjDbb-rw69DcyPXchjegdbms6zfB34Aq-14wCueUpoTeWst27_oANoM1/s1600-h/mickey++1157.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319044883012093586" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ7QAzmr9yT0dksGvf4e239B7OTXtdLokAshyRzDVGz9GXjt0V87SKqnSvUxaz1cqWc1V-VwnhVXqqiqq7Nx9HjDbb-rw69DcyPXchjegdbms6zfB34Aq-14wCueUpoTeWst27_oANoM1/s320/mickey++1157.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We then set up a top-rope on a vertical section.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhep-AAiKfrgNYpJJon4odwBHFwryfCmqzBSROJkbkr6ZYHFNH5a9T2nkSSlwzoH-hyBM_agV6W8YLpFQRjzh1CN4wPbEppHiLu6JhZ0ofZuhlwRKuDXgexrDL0AQT-4aRalEF6YGExosQ6/s1600-h/DSCF1607.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319042455598498546" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhep-AAiKfrgNYpJJon4odwBHFwryfCmqzBSROJkbkr6ZYHFNH5a9T2nkSSlwzoH-hyBM_agV6W8YLpFQRjzh1CN4wPbEppHiLu6JhZ0ofZuhlwRKuDXgexrDL0AQT-4aRalEF6YGExosQ6/s320/DSCF1607.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />I managed to get things together enough to lead a very easy line also, before we retired to the Grizzly Paw pub in nearby Canmore; we spent quite a bit of time in this establishment over the next 10 days!<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybAp3njt1lhtnZf6pTuX3lbQUi4zN_QPz9pCD_Q9-FxiValPvcfjgpm97JUqOVOS1o7K35lxh-Ohm1MDNzkuUIwlkRVEwnbEZcWuP2bDuT7H349n5-GOKhXQGZ3jxH8Tw-2-clD4dapcS/s1600-h/DSCF1616.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319042461213117426" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybAp3njt1lhtnZf6pTuX3lbQUi4zN_QPz9pCD_Q9-FxiValPvcfjgpm97JUqOVOS1o7K35lxh-Ohm1MDNzkuUIwlkRVEwnbEZcWuP2bDuT7H349n5-GOKhXQGZ3jxH8Tw-2-clD4dapcS/s320/DSCF1616.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The next day Ted, Lynda and I went cross-country skiing. Spent quite a bit of the day on my backside in the snow.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlXK4c4JRrI3GiHWh7SpkNIBwRxcIEDuq71hWbbJI69zGYMiC2K4P3zEyA1VI38Cqy3Xm9tRdA4psmwBG1d1SDi5XQnrjv_Hv5HLTabMghpNeqeutr_hAubQbIhv3PO0p_dd-jXETd36X/s1600-h/mickey++1632.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319051910657616674" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlXK4c4JRrI3GiHWh7SpkNIBwRxcIEDuq71hWbbJI69zGYMiC2K4P3zEyA1VI38Cqy3Xm9tRdA4psmwBG1d1SDi5XQnrjv_Hv5HLTabMghpNeqeutr_hAubQbIhv3PO0p_dd-jXETd36X/s320/mickey++1632.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />And of course we had to build a snow-man back at the house; Ted later used Photoshop to make the snowman look about 12 feet tall, a picture we sent back to my kids, they were well impressed.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUy-Tp4-qy-Sop_JZ5hDNzBiVPPArvJeq4QynVA4Y2NhzDhg18Jng-cX6vK4zVQNpvbcY7BQWJx1zMgEJgslNYnxta5mpVGr7bUIielwIxJajw4Do-ooaeDA56PFXpF0-pI0Qv4oZh5A-q/s1600-h/DSCF1587.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319041313529845666" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUy-Tp4-qy-Sop_JZ5hDNzBiVPPArvJeq4QynVA4Y2NhzDhg18Jng-cX6vK4zVQNpvbcY7BQWJx1zMgEJgslNYnxta5mpVGr7bUIielwIxJajw4Do-ooaeDA56PFXpF0-pI0Qv4oZh5A-q/s320/DSCF1587.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We walked into Grotto the following day, but being a Sunday, and also one of the more accessible areas, it was very crowded. We opted to do some sight-seeing, so we drove via Kicking Horse Canyon across the BC border to a town called Field, really beautiful area and lovely houses. We also stopped off at Lake Louise on the way<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUa7CZUtfO2SreJPSNxavJ2DreraqUfbrmyN_Sw6AlYb6HxgZPAcv34h0esupFocWr9pmM2Q2I2GOoxgaV1k6y5zhK9gYT1UYcuSYTuburH6GA38-6lgrZdh8zgVt01uXmyj4mGc9Fosa/s1600-h/mickey++1670.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319060264200044850" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 307px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUa7CZUtfO2SreJPSNxavJ2DreraqUfbrmyN_Sw6AlYb6HxgZPAcv34h0esupFocWr9pmM2Q2I2GOoxgaV1k6y5zhK9gYT1UYcuSYTuburH6GA38-6lgrZdh8zgVt01uXmyj4mGc9Fosa/s320/mickey++1670.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7aN4BLj9u3Sl-VSwGgbi5kcYwLD34wNkck-fKOzqyDak_s0WnD2YMg5-LZNtXvGV_118uQW6CrB7yqYKE5iLRiuAueUl4F8sW6JgcaoX0eiQSzQ5kOCj1im0Kz1oeo5o_hNOgR24IB_g/s1600-h/mickey++1654.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319055250700365810" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7aN4BLj9u3Sl-VSwGgbi5kcYwLD34wNkck-fKOzqyDak_s0WnD2YMg5-LZNtXvGV_118uQW6CrB7yqYKE5iLRiuAueUl4F8sW6JgcaoX0eiQSzQ5kOCj1im0Kz1oeo5o_hNOgR24IB_g/s320/mickey++1654.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbqSu0sP9L5HlQuOZudXpCSZcpVh8NYYDSWGHAWDZTKTBSNdtW_K7N_0sQCIc35NQn9GQ40lKXRJWbNeswG9So0Q7GLkS_xE6WtF7xspwiRnUYiDSMJMV4bkrTxkX9ZOQP8UQnq9OVcj7/s1600-h/mickey++1663.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319060254439593666" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbqSu0sP9L5HlQuOZudXpCSZcpVh8NYYDSWGHAWDZTKTBSNdtW_K7N_0sQCIc35NQn9GQ40lKXRJWbNeswG9So0Q7GLkS_xE6WtF7xspwiRnUYiDSMJMV4bkrTxkX9ZOQP8UQnq9OVcj7/s320/mickey++1663.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQYjzLDo8w_JXMIS5lmKOWzdPctxTom4A9IvROUCbiKIzOp3ypm1oYNB5JMs378XHu2ylFPVdee4ZqYCYrEg6gv_yGDHyk4x1_HSxSENkdVJQLplPcXzb9R8SjAv42ugCfvhHS0cQEjxo/s1600-h/mickey++1662.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319057882417599650" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQYjzLDo8w_JXMIS5lmKOWzdPctxTom4A9IvROUCbiKIzOp3ypm1oYNB5JMs378XHu2ylFPVdee4ZqYCYrEg6gv_yGDHyk4x1_HSxSENkdVJQLplPcXzb9R8SjAv42ugCfvhHS0cQEjxo/s320/mickey++1662.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We then went back to Grotto towards the end of the day, and walked in as the last of the other climbers were walking out, so we had the place to ourselves. Ice climbing is extremely physical, it's much harder on the whole body that rock climbing. The latter relies more on fine movements, whereas with ice climbing it's much harder to conserve energy, you end up using a whole bunch of it. The following pics were taken at Grotto, or on the walk in to it.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-KHNb6-w31_zjAbhSW-YF-G6BGCvOCXDDo_V9-CKQRXuTZ6dGZUf0JCsHe64QIDRNbWmExT1iCiHYtxDlqpuDkmfptjhEJqgK8ReLo5ddFM60biPlFxpiZW7bjNg5Nz1zUwxFobSH9db/s1600-h/mickey++1730.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319062751942425410" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-KHNb6-w31_zjAbhSW-YF-G6BGCvOCXDDo_V9-CKQRXuTZ6dGZUf0JCsHe64QIDRNbWmExT1iCiHYtxDlqpuDkmfptjhEJqgK8ReLo5ddFM60biPlFxpiZW7bjNg5Nz1zUwxFobSH9db/s320/mickey++1730.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1Vd6LqTaFH2vpKBNmSCxQm6Q-9mSS1MfbRO6Eyzv8lJHXng1JnJckVoJm-nOezw2tbchOgJIrBlfT19-q-5ZrwE1DGbtCvCrHd5Y_e2_OnthjVJhF6C8lwpuNNu-bRGY78fkFsWfFhN_/s1600-h/mickey++1727.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319062748972917570" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1Vd6LqTaFH2vpKBNmSCxQm6Q-9mSS1MfbRO6Eyzv8lJHXng1JnJckVoJm-nOezw2tbchOgJIrBlfT19-q-5ZrwE1DGbtCvCrHd5Y_e2_OnthjVJhF6C8lwpuNNu-bRGY78fkFsWfFhN_/s320/mickey++1727.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxgsHZSH1sv7UoegOufdmw9oPG8H-mcYgOGnyeAVavPhImLL-QHf6agYYpOa66f9tWub3_5OShXIRamI5nI44qvMBTu-U-tkBaSr_xMgvRSuTJbCNi5ucpMXxjICmQRgNAbdNDTTye4kk/s1600-h/mickey++1724.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319062744609820562" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxgsHZSH1sv7UoegOufdmw9oPG8H-mcYgOGnyeAVavPhImLL-QHf6agYYpOa66f9tWub3_5OShXIRamI5nI44qvMBTu-U-tkBaSr_xMgvRSuTJbCNi5ucpMXxjICmQRgNAbdNDTTye4kk/s320/mickey++1724.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6lU-RxEHBxAlCfn-rSSyYs5V28vjf6atVBVSUMHqpaIj3Wtac4jsLVwDfMXNqIR4b-cdhHCabSfD5FTdrTV7Dmt9G3niNt1gUhSybKNfTn-zoyE8-q_IkI6VRGTRthB3qVD00aOv91cF/s1600-h/mickey++1706.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319060285319302946" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6lU-RxEHBxAlCfn-rSSyYs5V28vjf6atVBVSUMHqpaIj3Wtac4jsLVwDfMXNqIR4b-cdhHCabSfD5FTdrTV7Dmt9G3niNt1gUhSybKNfTn-zoyE8-q_IkI6VRGTRthB3qVD00aOv91cF/s320/mickey++1706.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS_-cI0qCTWrccNIODgnz3puQpFHSaqbM6E9p49kuYcDCpVZH_lJD1Vl5IIsc6pQcIl34JskZaAY1b1-Fm1zxd0TeufoECoPvtqzFNtQ8PyJFz3QI9eOyuV-kRdm3YGTT0xFwdyM9hvoR/s1600-h/mickey++1648.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319053279977387026" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS_-cI0qCTWrccNIODgnz3puQpFHSaqbM6E9p49kuYcDCpVZH_lJD1Vl5IIsc6pQcIl34JskZaAY1b1-Fm1zxd0TeufoECoPvtqzFNtQ8PyJFz3QI9eOyuV-kRdm3YGTT0xFwdyM9hvoR/s320/mickey++1648.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3zZf34XKExUirVPc3gY6kqyN4ZnjtY10NC1enRCH86pZCm1Mu_oVJMa7w7SkZD1w6md9NUtXFT1Q9CwKj0MWSXmWL10e-w8TjRdDqIiWeESzjB-_2zciKqJteMfdO0eSgTkfMOvYQkIj/s1600-h/mickey++1697.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319060267506831474" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3zZf34XKExUirVPc3gY6kqyN4ZnjtY10NC1enRCH86pZCm1Mu_oVJMa7w7SkZD1w6md9NUtXFT1Q9CwKj0MWSXmWL10e-w8TjRdDqIiWeESzjB-_2zciKqJteMfdO0eSgTkfMOvYQkIj/s320/mickey++1697.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIRtJE4bxYrREv25MsPNxu9aGLZhGkVitY4-VHXX5MwJfzP5fvchUvr-5RM9aGAPIBrZPRxDN_Xcn6WBnIswqoA4LdGPOeH8qXMsfAeWNY4Gs0w4UWKTHEJH_Pn-qRv8A7KkGSCYU75-u/s1600-h/mickey++1702.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319060279829909122" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIRtJE4bxYrREv25MsPNxu9aGLZhGkVitY4-VHXX5MwJfzP5fvchUvr-5RM9aGAPIBrZPRxDN_Xcn6WBnIswqoA4LdGPOeH8qXMsfAeWNY4Gs0w4UWKTHEJH_Pn-qRv8A7KkGSCYU75-u/s320/mickey++1702.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We were back at the Canmore Junkyards a couple of times after this, we climbed on the upper sections of it too. After leading up "Scottish Gully" on the left of the area, Ted dislodged some good sized blocks of ice, one of which hit me on the back of the leg as I was trying to run out the way. I was limping for a couple of days, but fortunately suffered no other damage.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3d84mn5uT4EIT13QlgiefvDZXx1shqOpSPZH5dzyLs4gH-3wHlx2kVGfqJtpOZ6Y836Zeoqgt3bksHQunFx6fSbQ9PgQeqqvGV-CbpqU7TeEoZcqU38_kRY_oi4ZD4yMtWYymLsHS3J0/s1600-h/DSCF1596.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319041317684648162" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3d84mn5uT4EIT13QlgiefvDZXx1shqOpSPZH5dzyLs4gH-3wHlx2kVGfqJtpOZ6Y836Zeoqgt3bksHQunFx6fSbQ9PgQeqqvGV-CbpqU7TeEoZcqU38_kRY_oi4ZD4yMtWYymLsHS3J0/s320/DSCF1596.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrLsoAupb2KW-SgWbLQ_X8I1IU18IdkI6u56ojoMs6nmZh7UGb1jg6vgP2C3YdaoWkduHQK90OelZtXOHGgN-E3DNNpkHUHWKpZ18iL66od011aAxJY52zJWLOybiGAQMtAeYeXewbGsd/s1600-h/DSCF1649.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319043555789398786" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrLsoAupb2KW-SgWbLQ_X8I1IU18IdkI6u56ojoMs6nmZh7UGb1jg6vgP2C3YdaoWkduHQK90OelZtXOHGgN-E3DNNpkHUHWKpZ18iL66od011aAxJY52zJWLOybiGAQMtAeYeXewbGsd/s320/DSCF1649.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRgYlNll9KnjqYrV2cFlHjrevjAFoB7bRj9lwTifnFFPh6DXmPlNlnP78WLPScpnA-11ovPxPmCIA9OFkLPKsm9tWn4Y1QL5s1F7K6cV-FU74SmFEbX_160pj6y9KWqqnRsEwmFQ0gWjx/s1600-h/DSCF1646.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319042476149791058" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRgYlNll9KnjqYrV2cFlHjrevjAFoB7bRj9lwTifnFFPh6DXmPlNlnP78WLPScpnA-11ovPxPmCIA9OFkLPKsm9tWn4Y1QL5s1F7K6cV-FU74SmFEbX_160pj6y9KWqqnRsEwmFQ0gWjx/s320/DSCF1646.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxWNbA2DiFZVKGijdhENaV9tmWrxub9JUBtlLDHxBS5SLZKRFqTQaACp6d_xJ23oUulhcOSRJvvmP-7vn6pskavOY_4N5Q7X3qT7S_-FfB8EidFUrgDw3mJvRqb7WBlalfFeucR5QKttP/s1600-h/DSCF1624.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319042466496096130" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxWNbA2DiFZVKGijdhENaV9tmWrxub9JUBtlLDHxBS5SLZKRFqTQaACp6d_xJ23oUulhcOSRJvvmP-7vn6pskavOY_4N5Q7X3qT7S_-FfB8EidFUrgDw3mJvRqb7WBlalfFeucR5QKttP/s320/DSCF1624.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXd-igurOZiyJUAZTZl009UkSYYW-e_97UTjp4Q0V6oJ3L2H7eNAkQ5Y8nM5OKLYF7dmRO2gPu91IzwjTRVa15b3_-UXBYQfclVeHDfVt3q8sz5VqBdrKQDm-ez0IirYcs9nc8XgIgbHPz/s1600-h/DSCF1605.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319042453038625090" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXd-igurOZiyJUAZTZl009UkSYYW-e_97UTjp4Q0V6oJ3L2H7eNAkQ5Y8nM5OKLYF7dmRO2gPu91IzwjTRVa15b3_-UXBYQfclVeHDfVt3q8sz5VqBdrKQDm-ez0IirYcs9nc8XgIgbHPz/s320/DSCF1605.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The highlight of the trip, from a climbing point of view, was Cascade Waterfall. This is a multi-pitch route, close to the Trans-Canada highway, and is very prone to avalanches as it lies beneath a huge snow bowl for which it basically serves as a funnel. There was very little snow higher up when we did it though, so not much danger of anything coming down. It was also a glorious day, we were down to T-shirts very soon. We abseiled off before the last steep section, as Ted felt that the ice was not in good enough condition to guarantee secure ice screw placements (well at least that's our story and we're sticking to it)!<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKU5oeGhf9RoBAIk4fpILXJiPxqojWXb5Jz7uGwUM9qYLUAIqVNuXpn5Z0f_v6rodwS_yHXH8eDVkQuhyphenhyphenT2ehfrdP1ut0fIGmgBV1grYSGZkTpMZUCxDPcCam7e75cqSyt45s_jYUWANAl/s1600-h/mickey++1820.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319062759178685746" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKU5oeGhf9RoBAIk4fpILXJiPxqojWXb5Jz7uGwUM9qYLUAIqVNuXpn5Z0f_v6rodwS_yHXH8eDVkQuhyphenhyphenT2ehfrdP1ut0fIGmgBV1grYSGZkTpMZUCxDPcCam7e75cqSyt45s_jYUWANAl/s320/mickey++1820.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yOA0ieU__KAK5KSzWThjHR1lBRKeC_dqgRxfEkHNRMwEyGZSCILH20BlYZjwAJOi3lS_23nBl_GGKjr0EPoOdIvCKk3D1xsN8FQt-2pmhRbVaDrj3Qc55sNIMzGwESJCBPUEzvVmyneO/s1600-h/mickey++1829.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319062767176408946" style="WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yOA0ieU__KAK5KSzWThjHR1lBRKeC_dqgRxfEkHNRMwEyGZSCILH20BlYZjwAJOi3lS_23nBl_GGKjr0EPoOdIvCKk3D1xsN8FQt-2pmhRbVaDrj3Qc55sNIMzGwESJCBPUEzvVmyneO/s320/mickey++1829.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NzrzFNXEEdDTURse6ax_TGdnxDf8zjEz6nh6F4hJt9UhFxoukp6641t3AjAXeHWM60CJBjI-ai8W6wxrRGWQjbta9KxJc9O_gY5bZPYvqhJqlTTzZM6KoY-_zdzeW3yU63yPPHvIWd8Z/s1600-h/mickey++1842.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319064523985227138" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NzrzFNXEEdDTURse6ax_TGdnxDf8zjEz6nh6F4hJt9UhFxoukp6641t3AjAXeHWM60CJBjI-ai8W6wxrRGWQjbta9KxJc9O_gY5bZPYvqhJqlTTzZM6KoY-_zdzeW3yU63yPPHvIWd8Z/s320/mickey++1842.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAtj5ebJj0w0yI8NYdq_tqUJtx81h_SAtM9ji0fXNRCdfZUvx1T-U9BrLzdYt_T5yKT3yoUlugAL0oVIDhaqvJNfi0wEbRAvgaIRDyC20peGx2-uLCNUaNzq6vg_9xVbc1Y9cYP-5L8Fk/s1600-h/DSCF1692.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319044872032744850" style="WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAtj5ebJj0w0yI8NYdq_tqUJtx81h_SAtM9ji0fXNRCdfZUvx1T-U9BrLzdYt_T5yKT3yoUlugAL0oVIDhaqvJNfi0wEbRAvgaIRDyC20peGx2-uLCNUaNzq6vg_9xVbc1Y9cYP-5L8Fk/s320/DSCF1692.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXBqicUrznTTMsr7WiQvL2rvJLYVrpFM1-DgrgxnpTRgDzdwJc0yQOabZ84b4XO7b2anmpmvFKV8E5fMaMn-V-gfodSmJwJ0hcWb05XLOnQ6jdTs0MjkqEahR9hhQjeRuouDHiVDdp39D/s1600-h/DSCF1684.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319044865051485378" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXBqicUrznTTMsr7WiQvL2rvJLYVrpFM1-DgrgxnpTRgDzdwJc0yQOabZ84b4XO7b2anmpmvFKV8E5fMaMn-V-gfodSmJwJ0hcWb05XLOnQ6jdTs0MjkqEahR9hhQjeRuouDHiVDdp39D/s320/DSCF1684.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBzgA3xiSJDK97lScxOQ_RQRAx2KpBus-P7qMFVoAafb8Lwi1WJW0WGO09OoZRiAmImtf-TQ0ilyeLFkris5XEu-WvWyg-YOL_KkUt6jdvRn0LjLjnRyiiAdTfzRezSoMWvwyzliPCpop/s1600-h/DSCF1681.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319043580743564882" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBzgA3xiSJDK97lScxOQ_RQRAx2KpBus-P7qMFVoAafb8Lwi1WJW0WGO09OoZRiAmImtf-TQ0ilyeLFkris5XEu-WvWyg-YOL_KkUt6jdvRn0LjLjnRyiiAdTfzRezSoMWvwyzliPCpop/s320/DSCF1681.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnraPMk2-3cyi74jOleT8GrfAQABkApDFzn29BN-gemnkCo4rW8YH-lHvd2F_hugneVXSGPMSaC8lZDQ_C7P3HX_XKhSuci5vl0eUp-rWbTFaAOF-cTn58BJDwsyYY1nMXM99vYNBBa5A/s1600-h/DSCF1677.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319043573373608642" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnraPMk2-3cyi74jOleT8GrfAQABkApDFzn29BN-gemnkCo4rW8YH-lHvd2F_hugneVXSGPMSaC8lZDQ_C7P3HX_XKhSuci5vl0eUp-rWbTFaAOF-cTn58BJDwsyYY1nMXM99vYNBBa5A/s320/DSCF1677.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_B-t0oa_9ys9EQemXM0cN6AfCzNp-iijT2IlbqMjZerVsSR3RQjDLYqlxrVRTQ0-6V9iW8bkGI0ydWt2BDFj169ZvGgQfDnD6sW10GQlSFYiekzvSHwuU9e4CwhEojDADwqKZ26KxDQG/s1600-h/DSCF1676.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319043568242507714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_B-t0oa_9ys9EQemXM0cN6AfCzNp-iijT2IlbqMjZerVsSR3RQjDLYqlxrVRTQ0-6V9iW8bkGI0ydWt2BDFj169ZvGgQfDnD6sW10GQlSFYiekzvSHwuU9e4CwhEojDADwqKZ26KxDQG/s320/DSCF1676.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">The weather deteriorated a bit after this; despite that we did try one last trip back to Grotto, but we had Leo with us, and it was too cold for him. He ended up sitting in the snow lifting his feet up off the ground. We couldn't have left him in the car either, so we ended up just doing a bit of a drive up in the mountains behind Canmore.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxymo0ehi0nNTcLjo_IBbpWmMcmcu3tqKEJkNI3ShUWR1iQDfFJMy2RClCBJiT0IQB5FpwPjEf-tn_yQlFC3IIa_H8YHmcj_IR4Yl4YtwXV-jCD9Bwxv46A_MvLyoMSL6Fw9mLo_qCHxM/s1600-h/DSCF1708.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319044877035598658" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxymo0ehi0nNTcLjo_IBbpWmMcmcu3tqKEJkNI3ShUWR1iQDfFJMy2RClCBJiT0IQB5FpwPjEf-tn_yQlFC3IIa_H8YHmcj_IR4Yl4YtwXV-jCD9Bwxv46A_MvLyoMSL6Fw9mLo_qCHxM/s320/DSCF1708.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div>This was a fantastic trip, a brand new climbing experience, my first time ever in North America, and great to catch up with Teddy.Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-19831700985907047072009-03-22T11:12:00.000-07:002009-06-05T10:52:09.760-07:00The Old Man of Hoy - August 2008On the last weekend of August, Mark and I each took time off either side of the normal weekend to do this trip, one which takes a fair amount of logistical planning. The Old Man is a sea-stack on Hoy, one of the Orkney islands just north of the Scottish mainland. I won't go into the whole history of it, one can easily google it and find a wealth of information, but two interesting points of trivia are that 1) as recently as the 1800s it had an arched base, with two legs, one of which collapsed and formed the land bridge by which it is now accessed, and 2) the stack is expected to collapse pretty much at any time, a rather sobering thought when you're actually on the thing.<br />It is also one of the most famous climbs in Britain, and one which every British climber aspires to climb at some point in their career. And as my friend Keith Scott remarked upon hearing we'd climbed it: "Well it's good you got to do it while it's still 140m high, not 140m long!"<br /><br />It's quite an experience just getting there. We flew from Belfast to Inverness in a puddle-jumper.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNCd2YKgTrkAgEJC__b34O4iyu_k0L7R-aoBOmHQyKIDc1rbTi0j90rDH8tvXAi0qe6w607TLcuB8lqQKu89zd7mwGEC22n8PMUyktQGMivwme10C_i5BBZSOmlqsa1cI2r6vdI5nk4l-/s1600-h/DSCF1305.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNCd2YKgTrkAgEJC__b34O4iyu_k0L7R-aoBOmHQyKIDc1rbTi0j90rDH8tvXAi0qe6w607TLcuB8lqQKu89zd7mwGEC22n8PMUyktQGMivwme10C_i5BBZSOmlqsa1cI2r6vdI5nk4l-/s320/DSCF1305.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316080027781777746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We hired a car and drove up to Scrabster (the port of Thurso) on the north coast of Scotland. From here you can easily see across to Hoy, which is the closest of the Orkney islands to the mainland. The top of the Old Man can be seen sticking up behind the low headland on the left (west) side of the island.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bf0AyMrOXGxROuBQuCY-bv10P8TUuivCaXnMomnC4u9yoEVv0YihKlSaRpyMhQphmLrxMDyaX2GshrmhEJsifJ2AMNd77gSxuQ86p0sN7ixKITTjD_JdoClA4VcLSt4E6pvodBYqSz_r/s1600-h/DSCF1309.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bf0AyMrOXGxROuBQuCY-bv10P8TUuivCaXnMomnC4u9yoEVv0YihKlSaRpyMhQphmLrxMDyaX2GshrmhEJsifJ2AMNd77gSxuQ86p0sN7ixKITTjD_JdoClA4VcLSt4E6pvodBYqSz_r/s320/DSCF1309.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316080034369083794" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">There are no ferries direct to Hoy, however. We made a crossing that night to Stromness on the Orkey "mainland" (the biggest chain of islands in the middle of the achipelago, interconnected by causeway roads). On this crossing, you sail right past the Old Man, and get a very good view of it, although the standard route up it is on the landward facing (east) side.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWhEOtNtKMSPBOLwNATyPr4T9SXRBOynOWcbPUSJDS1nndaBxqxAWxyHxOOL6HSIupFdYkcyULIG8njRE382UWv7DqNQo9BIHTlOX4jyIlVzqS8d03EpN98MvQRNmoqGE4-4bzT8hYmhh/s1600-h/DSCF1325.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWhEOtNtKMSPBOLwNATyPr4T9SXRBOynOWcbPUSJDS1nndaBxqxAWxyHxOOL6HSIupFdYkcyULIG8njRE382UWv7DqNQo9BIHTlOX4jyIlVzqS8d03EpN98MvQRNmoqGE4-4bzT8hYmhh/s320/DSCF1325.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316080044219912562" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eo18otOMhCuhGoKNkxe8zP6fr8zHUKl0wQ5AvHVCaryS28woizNoQW3WqaPkvA6TqhCBNTYzJK1CRUxLTj5pZJtUTSRB3_qnQpiNXdq3Kr-WphE0HIDizuzW3ZtCzDU3tEa8c6pjPSsx/s1600-h/DSCF1334.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eo18otOMhCuhGoKNkxe8zP6fr8zHUKl0wQ5AvHVCaryS28woizNoQW3WqaPkvA6TqhCBNTYzJK1CRUxLTj5pZJtUTSRB3_qnQpiNXdq3Kr-WphE0HIDizuzW3ZtCzDU3tEa8c6pjPSsx/s320/DSCF1334.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316080054591110498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Shortly after the Old Man, you can see St John's Head, the highest sea cliffs in Britain. There are routes up here too, and some real epic ascents have been made.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKmHOCUbx5yy9MC1eDvd00Ab5JioGCIWDeazTOr2Bh7RSyTgYmDXtRcZknAouqpJSKfNLEaBEWlnSM0SThyphenhyphenzYBfirSZ0gb7RPGVAuXHEOT1vZ7vVL_jF5tYNlpddSEdyY3N5HVt_9yukn/s1600-h/DSCF1338.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKmHOCUbx5yy9MC1eDvd00Ab5JioGCIWDeazTOr2Bh7RSyTgYmDXtRcZknAouqpJSKfNLEaBEWlnSM0SThyphenhyphenzYBfirSZ0gb7RPGVAuXHEOT1vZ7vVL_jF5tYNlpddSEdyY3N5HVt_9yukn/s320/DSCF1338.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316080063288367778" border="0" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We camped that night in Stromness, next to the golf course. When I woke up the next morning, Mark was lying in his sleeping bag about 50m from the tent. I snore, apparently, and Mark is far too much of a gentleman to just kick me in the ribs. In my defence I did have a cold at the time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKbyWRwngfhXEGP4JESbHmZfPjHDxJKRKcGQWPIavxK3osw8Oob2n51WXG97twDw27uGtPCcL_xh5p6diEipYZF-vClSKAadRx9n6zVGaYwlV4r2cAWHXsju1rFwG4Pgdb_JT2lmwu9AM/s1600-h/DSCF1343.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKbyWRwngfhXEGP4JESbHmZfPjHDxJKRKcGQWPIavxK3osw8Oob2n51WXG97twDw27uGtPCcL_xh5p6diEipYZF-vClSKAadRx9n6zVGaYwlV4r2cAWHXsju1rFwG4Pgdb_JT2lmwu9AM/s320/DSCF1343.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316082203553361858" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwp4cLX-v6BGvbq2pr5eAwPTZt3fsV7_JAQTlKITS5ieLXvH2tVb2yDBQ8SfIcZLVvV7jylOVmaucHptdF4jHcSCZk__faR5lugbqID2UtHE6SmPIREnqFDhXJjuj8_puJBFB9_1uD5vYj/s1600-h/DSCF1347.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwp4cLX-v6BGvbq2pr5eAwPTZt3fsV7_JAQTlKITS5ieLXvH2tVb2yDBQ8SfIcZLVvV7jylOVmaucHptdF4jHcSCZk__faR5lugbqID2UtHE6SmPIREnqFDhXJjuj8_puJBFB9_1uD5vYj/s320/DSCF1347.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316082219991054050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We were incredibly lucky with the weather on this trip. As you can see from the photos above, the day before the climb was dry, enabling the rock on the stack to dry out, and this was the view of the entrance to Scapa Flow, the next morning (the day of the climb).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCUAQU6l3aUp0eV5NUwYQWQtvCfbo3cNoyRaouXAcdZrTvhZ1fb4ER79KcWD72cHs-Q1UxanHW1oasaVIF98hYxJrSoikr1-ky-PcJsXpfsK2PMjPA5UkuVBNJJTocoflNuW4JKiE7NLH/s1600-h/DSCF1350.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCUAQU6l3aUp0eV5NUwYQWQtvCfbo3cNoyRaouXAcdZrTvhZ1fb4ER79KcWD72cHs-Q1UxanHW1oasaVIF98hYxJrSoikr1-ky-PcJsXpfsK2PMjPA5UkuVBNJJTocoflNuW4JKiE7NLH/s320/DSCF1350.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319011299774247042" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The good weather was a huge relief after all the planning that went into this trip; flights, car hire, ferries, campsites, checking timetables to match up the various journeys involved.<br />The next step was to take another (much smaller) ferry across to Hoy, a journey of only half an hour or so.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQLHqjiWVYxXSVV4ugz9B6YDzyZqNWMZKvTJFtTqKUvnUpuj_ox7qGoxFP-26tm76Oy6fnb509sWgirDN1roJ5hyM-EpVrKiApn3EwYhHvHcjM8w7sB-84qUsD3WkCcXnTuq7dx8gYCOp/s1600-h/DSCF1357.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQLHqjiWVYxXSVV4ugz9B6YDzyZqNWMZKvTJFtTqKUvnUpuj_ox7qGoxFP-26tm76Oy6fnb509sWgirDN1roJ5hyM-EpVrKiApn3EwYhHvHcjM8w7sB-84qUsD3WkCcXnTuq7dx8gYCOp/s320/DSCF1357.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316082242096593362" border="0" /></a></div><br /></div></div>From the tiny port of Lyness on Hoy, it's a twenty minute drive over to Rackwick Bay, from where you walk up over a headland to get to the Old Man.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Xev6bWjSSbL_aAJ0esu2ok46nc33JePgqw7mKfnl8M7YvqUV8j_ac0Asjzle1-ku8CLx0nucK69rC3YVN9PAu-om92V2UwQgT-W25klmIfdbRiODUo-1LGPOWDkueqWpaBrvn_G6V8m_/s1600-h/DSCF1373.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Xev6bWjSSbL_aAJ0esu2ok46nc33JePgqw7mKfnl8M7YvqUV8j_ac0Asjzle1-ku8CLx0nucK69rC3YVN9PAu-om92V2UwQgT-W25klmIfdbRiODUo-1LGPOWDkueqWpaBrvn_G6V8m_/s320/DSCF1373.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316083230376235106" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81nh7aoq8ag-ABh15zYGewRGd8aPDJhOcBprd2mLt4xkUI2dEZXj7WKNbCSQz15ELVfhkEoDHE9a-tI9MSEcltQG69HXdLocb1uh5-I2BbtdkTHfJKFqDRIEcdnAqKehZj519HVxHPI8h/s1600-h/DSCF1371.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg81nh7aoq8ag-ABh15zYGewRGd8aPDJhOcBprd2mLt4xkUI2dEZXj7WKNbCSQz15ELVfhkEoDHE9a-tI9MSEcltQG69HXdLocb1uh5-I2BbtdkTHfJKFqDRIEcdnAqKehZj519HVxHPI8h/s320/DSCF1371.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316083210678381426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A descent of a very steep, long, vegetated slope, which was hard enough in the dry, but must be an absolute nightmare in the wet, brings you to the boulder field that forms a land bridge across to the Old Man. A short scramble across this and you're there. It's advisable to put a helmet on straight away, particularly if there are other climbers above you.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklW_X-9YUYVLRK_bp1xkH0tB17VYSeZQ5gXMHpTABqjR-KZilWI4Pv0vS5RtPLDmd1gkovz-75TcDfbnpn4Lqy8dPgzdRK-ZFK5DK3VTPcU8jK9DfJTmHOAXPdb6y3mLXOZ_XMF8mQWTI/s1600-h/DSCF1363.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklW_X-9YUYVLRK_bp1xkH0tB17VYSeZQ5gXMHpTABqjR-KZilWI4Pv0vS5RtPLDmd1gkovz-75TcDfbnpn4Lqy8dPgzdRK-ZFK5DK3VTPcU8jK9DfJTmHOAXPdb6y3mLXOZ_XMF8mQWTI/s320/DSCF1363.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316083196924493906" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The route we took is the one most people do, and is the easiest route on the stack. It's the original east face route, and involves mostly easy climbing except the second (crux) pitch, which is E1 5b, and the last pitch is solid VS up a beautiful corner. Mark led these two pitches, I led the easy first pitch, and the two rather rambly ones in between the crux and the last pitch. I managed to forget the camera on the climb itself, and only realised at the top of the first pitch, which neither of us was inclined to downclimb. Btw a good site to look at for climbs on the Old Man is <a href="http://www.orkney-seastacks.co.uk/oldman.htm">this one</a>.<br />Well we had the full experience. We started climbing at 1pm. The rock is sandstone, and is actually not bad quality, but it is very sandy, which again is reason to be thankful that it was very dry. I would imagine it to turn into vertical mud when wet. The crux was way to hard for me in my decrepid state, but there are so many pieces of old tat all over the place that I made liberal use of. At the top of the crux the stance is quite tiny, and we had to cope with a group of five climbers who were busy with their descent. Then when I was leading the next pitch (I set off up it in a bit of a hurry to get out of the abseling climber's way) I came across one of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulmar">these charming birds</a>. That one sentence in the second paragraph there; "Nesting birds and chicks can eject an evil smelling stomach oil up <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>to 2 m, which repels unwanted visitors" tells you everything you need to know. Mindful that this was really his territory, not mine, I climbed past him as fast as I could, but not fast enough! I got a good few gobs of the stuff on the side of my face, all over my helmet, and my side. Clothes stank for days after, in fact even now when I put on that beige fleece I still get a whiff of it. He must have used it all up on me, because when Mark came up the bird was just dry-heaving at him.<br /><br />There were others higher up, but fortunately the nature of the route at those points is that you can pick a different way up if you choose to do so. The last pitch is a corker, a beautiful VS grade corner and we were on top by 5pm. It was very windy on the summit, and we didn't stay long to savour it, as we still had to get down! Three long abseils, the last one a full 60m from the top of the second pitch to the ground, and we were down by 6pm.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfEg5ajlzRQ-quukNTprHcALkGahuC9q7KBAl7L0LyrtK98ddaPjFCxNn7Vrg55Qu257668jAUb7S-RvnrU4lEs-ZWigiFs6Qf_qfi7_8cEMCnZnlqL1pBVHNoWhKyjrrOxicET65UTX7/s1600-h/DSCF1360.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfEg5ajlzRQ-quukNTprHcALkGahuC9q7KBAl7L0LyrtK98ddaPjFCxNn7Vrg55Qu257668jAUb7S-RvnrU4lEs-ZWigiFs6Qf_qfi7_8cEMCnZnlqL1pBVHNoWhKyjrrOxicET65UTX7/s320/DSCF1360.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316082251659012546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We were both pretty shattered, me much more so than Mark (as usual) and the walk back up the steep slope to the top of the headland was torturous, although I did get this rather nice photo.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYf21th4bLFGK0UoeSvQBKq4ZlGDnrijztBwDWRZz39YHpKpQ3H1M86WNGgNKoM1i2sYYZKHrWBsX-_aAzK1Hp_fzY0KFHZqZs3au0HuDw8_X3S0P6tZ03LHJtGSSCPqc5oR6mVhgSrCA/s1600-h/DSCF1364.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYf21th4bLFGK0UoeSvQBKq4ZlGDnrijztBwDWRZz39YHpKpQ3H1M86WNGgNKoM1i2sYYZKHrWBsX-_aAzK1Hp_fzY0KFHZqZs3au0HuDw8_X3S0P6tZ03LHJtGSSCPqc5oR6mVhgSrCA/s320/DSCF1364.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316083205871047090" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We also got to see the Stromness ferry (the same one we had taken the night before) on its way past.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpSqoySPukJ9482meImF_bLsA7sVzM8IykyyhmEwIwkDVxJYeCjccosGsGcavXz4sfKvashHUaAQI53ppV75S1YMC2Teu3DcyKxDgG_MFElJNPH5ZZ-s1PoG1vH_p63nGqicr7dD4_-yq/s1600-h/DSCF1372.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpSqoySPukJ9482meImF_bLsA7sVzM8IykyyhmEwIwkDVxJYeCjccosGsGcavXz4sfKvashHUaAQI53ppV75S1YMC2Teu3DcyKxDgG_MFElJNPH5ZZ-s1PoG1vH_p63nGqicr7dD4_-yq/s320/DSCF1372.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316083220007904210" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /></div></div>That night we camped in the grounds of the bothy at Rackwick Bay, and it rained so hard that neither of us slept a wink with the noise of the rain on the tent (the bothy itself was occupied). At least it wasn't my snoring that kept Mark awake that night! So we had a perfect weather window for the climb.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEGUN3h1tS1KXUc0jkCrFdsOysM-YrKvk7blHqR5DpoygPxmJnRKD5ZEZviK6ZuU0aGP_QiAM9vW4Xuc24i9R0u-4o_XxeYwoi8FnHErTWlYI36TwLYQYsETxtDqnxi2LQVzbDMs4tlOu/s1600-h/DSCF1378.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEGUN3h1tS1KXUc0jkCrFdsOysM-YrKvk7blHqR5DpoygPxmJnRKD5ZEZviK6ZuU0aGP_QiAM9vW4Xuc24i9R0u-4o_XxeYwoi8FnHErTWlYI36TwLYQYsETxtDqnxi2LQVzbDMs4tlOu/s320/DSCF1378.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316089640774049218" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The next day was spent driving around the Orkney mainland, visiting various tourist sites. We were both dropping off to sleep the whole time, due to our exertions the previous day, as well as the night of no sleep. We took the late ferry back to Thurso, and camped there, returning to Inverness the next day for our flight back to Belfast.<br /><br />This was a fantastic, once in a lifetime trip, and a dream come true for Mark, who has wanted to climb it ever since he first heard of it.<br /><br /><br /></div></div><br /></div></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-53284821249207609432009-03-22T09:51:00.001-07:002009-05-03T10:47:30.343-07:00A splash of '08The summer of 2008 was also pretty wet. but far better than '07. We were able to get out quite a lot. In May, I took the kids camping one weekend in the Mournes. The weather was beautiful and we went for a walk on the Sunday morning.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54VfuVnRM9MKm5A8MJjHmzFlaNR_M-BGmSehT5EwR8O-fnTKqSb9jo1qWzMTkiWOW5-CcG1cq4074sUjyaGrbldkDW3P1QqxaYPchIQDrJ6xAP_H3c0HFEjDOlqCgNoZrnYI2WMAYKwNJ/s1600-h/DSCF0772.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54VfuVnRM9MKm5A8MJjHmzFlaNR_M-BGmSehT5EwR8O-fnTKqSb9jo1qWzMTkiWOW5-CcG1cq4074sUjyaGrbldkDW3P1QqxaYPchIQDrJ6xAP_H3c0HFEjDOlqCgNoZrnYI2WMAYKwNJ/s320/DSCF0772.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316056820538105602" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Climbing wise, well it was a mixed bag. For me, some climbs went really well, others felt like disasters. On some routes I really felt like I was back into it, only to really struggle on some easy route the following week. I came really close to giving it up altogether.<br /><br />Undoubtedly the highlight of the year was our ascent of the Old Man of Hoy in the Orkney Islands in August. But that needs a post of its own to do it justice. The best thing about the climbing for me in '08 was visiting new areas, including Lough Belshade in the Bluestack Mountains in Donegal. It's one of the most beautiful crags I've ever been to, and as you're climbing you can hear the water lapping against the shore of the lough; very tranquil. Well worth the rather long walk-in.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGqpUqHHt74RI_bxjjz42vVLo3kyhJ3Hstl3VHwjFs11Xmh2vfOZlvh3XCGnAB44eByG402PokVKBTuJG4cAQ6Pq22zonNDmAZdMBKXDUKAsEDLSiAvkWmU_I4HjKBSuXmONBIloW6eDw/s1600-h/DSCF0794.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGqpUqHHt74RI_bxjjz42vVLo3kyhJ3Hstl3VHwjFs11Xmh2vfOZlvh3XCGnAB44eByG402PokVKBTuJG4cAQ6Pq22zonNDmAZdMBKXDUKAsEDLSiAvkWmU_I4HjKBSuXmONBIloW6eDw/s320/DSCF0794.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316056833889025218" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06IELnKrzpN_50EtOZSixclaXi9yflFX1G1ztC8yqC2WOaWkKLaHnBvZ7zIT1Givfxf5fMYaVkjJw2AyeytRPls21DCzXTf5nVsmfaFy3cEy3hOvFVyzKZ4nQMLTyZGD7Cb3pUv0DJVSX/s1600-h/DSCF0798.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06IELnKrzpN_50EtOZSixclaXi9yflFX1G1ztC8yqC2WOaWkKLaHnBvZ7zIT1Givfxf5fMYaVkjJw2AyeytRPls21DCzXTf5nVsmfaFy3cEy3hOvFVyzKZ4nQMLTyZGD7Cb3pUv0DJVSX/s320/DSCF0798.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316056833516859602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We also went to Muckross Head, near Killybegs in Donegal. This is perhaps the closest thing the northern counties have to a sport climbing crag, as the climbing is five minutes from the car, and the routes are short so you can do a few in a day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrQ3rCdZmy9m9euufsBsNGae0mAmOMC8DEbI43azQiWgdDETnvDKoFS74GuqPyNeoKc_2qG-fp5tWCPs5ImIXEoYJ-QWeP1g-JDS3_Q2YA6TpKmsTJzSFHBhSUrv9rr-lGGXhHsCxZik1/s1600-h/DSCF1012.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrQ3rCdZmy9m9euufsBsNGae0mAmOMC8DEbI43azQiWgdDETnvDKoFS74GuqPyNeoKc_2qG-fp5tWCPs5ImIXEoYJ-QWeP1g-JDS3_Q2YA6TpKmsTJzSFHBhSUrv9rr-lGGXhHsCxZik1/s320/DSCF1012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316056838947176738" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWS5PdgDrDClaq2pTkuDhcSA4YSZuzHxkmcZhShUzK-stFNn6e8C3a8zoKUj30GN_IaMqALZWE21GJ3luoOMYCCz_Kpnu8DLQEFxO62K1340Ru0AJgWSO5zrGIWKWKPa7A_BsCXxpXiu1/s1600-h/DSCF1022.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWS5PdgDrDClaq2pTkuDhcSA4YSZuzHxkmcZhShUzK-stFNn6e8C3a8zoKUj30GN_IaMqALZWE21GJ3luoOMYCCz_Kpnu8DLQEFxO62K1340Ru0AJgWSO5zrGIWKWKPa7A_BsCXxpXiu1/s320/DSCF1022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316056847286529074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Another lovely climb was Quartz Gully at Glendalough. The crux pitch is a real corker!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb9sjbOuuDbw2yYDLP-ZfNKpJvBzDv0qCZLZl8_Ru8NoETq5zkgte6iZ4BeG6PUbLjrEiVCPYL6fzxC8r-6Adv0fHVTke5CUkV9U403eWscJYqn6_rUhszhrxEr4TuoLoL_h9_O8S4K0b/s1600-h/DSCF1082.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb9sjbOuuDbw2yYDLP-ZfNKpJvBzDv0qCZLZl8_Ru8NoETq5zkgte6iZ4BeG6PUbLjrEiVCPYL6fzxC8r-6Adv0fHVTke5CUkV9U403eWscJYqn6_rUhszhrxEr4TuoLoL_h9_O8S4K0b/s320/DSCF1082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316057524643958098" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSYTu32ZCq10YmqXWBAFst7snV7bYQPo_-Ge6LfAUm7AN2G2VTDHOjgPdI3myZKKj2kjzxuSVv5IPjet4f7l_BTNlnpWYvqhaX_28zaeFUy5Kf21KveRr3athXQ-MRau3iL3izKmWCc3p/s1600-h/DSCF1076.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSYTu32ZCq10YmqXWBAFst7snV7bYQPo_-Ge6LfAUm7AN2G2VTDHOjgPdI3myZKKj2kjzxuSVv5IPjet4f7l_BTNlnpWYvqhaX_28zaeFUy5Kf21KveRr3athXQ-MRau3iL3izKmWCc3p/s320/DSCF1076.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316057516072576626" border="0" /></a></div></div><br />I also took the kids to the Isle of Man in August; I've always wanted to go there and Nadia was due some off time after a long summer school holiday.<br />The boat trip over was very rough; Lara was quite sick, Jonathan and I were also quite green towards the end; only Nicholas seems to have great sea-legs! It was tough to be away with them on my own for four days, but I survived anyhow. The weather wasn't great, but the boys nevertheless took every opportunity they could to swim!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFNLIrPHi0v8glGJ3YJhVMOiZFRQK34elEzjIzdXmvYKmK2Z1ZA-DvNo-tEgjEcdNwf1ajc-Lk3Z0WcwAt6gAFgIZXlyvMu2vg3_aGnAYg2nn46ZNRmKk1phNXGHqv2KZxFpaGQkbEd3D/s1600-h/Isle+of+Man+2008+071.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFNLIrPHi0v8glGJ3YJhVMOiZFRQK34elEzjIzdXmvYKmK2Z1ZA-DvNo-tEgjEcdNwf1ajc-Lk3Z0WcwAt6gAFgIZXlyvMu2vg3_aGnAYg2nn46ZNRmKk1phNXGHqv2KZxFpaGQkbEd3D/s320/Isle+of+Man+2008+071.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316072541914860242" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLwUjBD2iAomyTJ_TuT3z7qOUMW5yyVXD_3M3gYljan70iBKAhGA9nlCGOgHOGdpAnCo3nwqPvDHJ-adSE27eNlTmErEv5VJX95asZxAEDD8G9u89eTZ8Aq280IGKSmMg4qeTKMhnoLRT/s1600-h/Isle+of+Man+2008+086.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLwUjBD2iAomyTJ_TuT3z7qOUMW5yyVXD_3M3gYljan70iBKAhGA9nlCGOgHOGdpAnCo3nwqPvDHJ-adSE27eNlTmErEv5VJX95asZxAEDD8G9u89eTZ8Aq280IGKSmMg4qeTKMhnoLRT/s320/Isle+of+Man+2008+086.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316072550001775746" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoALIWKTxTnoaG_8PlBLEXrYm5NUshyphenhyphenpPcZNcAEyF0gUWkmX34V6t47AFiT2O9EKpPxrUe9tkb-U-MZaei73AoJFml9QtY_BNd1aMoVfZ9kFhJ3MG0hCdHmBPPfnPEaKrPDVXvCHhPD3qw/s1600-h/Isle+of+Man+2008+051.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoALIWKTxTnoaG_8PlBLEXrYm5NUshyphenhyphenpPcZNcAEyF0gUWkmX34V6t47AFiT2O9EKpPxrUe9tkb-U-MZaei73AoJFml9QtY_BNd1aMoVfZ9kFhJ3MG0hCdHmBPPfnPEaKrPDVXvCHhPD3qw/s320/Isle+of+Man+2008+051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316072533290465138" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15x5I0LnywFgJurjTRob65JedjnxLbCcaRmySh2Fo-HlJbtm9m1fbZD6uIkJ1G8ZI_YVZQFqVUOg6wT8eOp7URTETQuQJyeD_X1BCiIUWO1QXMHYrYntfiWLMcZ_1tWlsy4sqOfPRH0kg/s1600-h/Isle+of+Man+2008+042.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15x5I0LnywFgJurjTRob65JedjnxLbCcaRmySh2Fo-HlJbtm9m1fbZD6uIkJ1G8ZI_YVZQFqVUOg6wT8eOp7URTETQuQJyeD_X1BCiIUWO1QXMHYrYntfiWLMcZ_1tWlsy4sqOfPRH0kg/s320/Isle+of+Man+2008+042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316073795939097522" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-XGVutAr3AKGebYU2Q4VWrP8IQFBgCjmH9J_rzD_Y94mPR6xVoYyxzW_U_6Eo_Nd3P_J_8LDTOc4SeWHFdE0N2560IuaNAWGtlfK7RsWcXM1AeL18T_iYWZEs3epVj6hWm7nAGvsLcda/s1600-h/Isle+of+Man+2008+023.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-XGVutAr3AKGebYU2Q4VWrP8IQFBgCjmH9J_rzD_Y94mPR6xVoYyxzW_U_6Eo_Nd3P_J_8LDTOc4SeWHFdE0N2560IuaNAWGtlfK7RsWcXM1AeL18T_iYWZEs3epVj6hWm7nAGvsLcda/s320/Isle+of+Man+2008+023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316074822510831890" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wuNRDbGwrrMxsodGeQSiOXCD5BbfH8HwBFwLQW7r54UHL205B59oVn7oI_b-5ryPmfR5ARAYAhV0AZ_HmczJZqnE-Hr7h4r5r9N-0fH6a-zgI5t_VOoPwqwQChkoch6-VvexnuljW5Q8/s1600-h/Isle+of+Man+2008+018.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wuNRDbGwrrMxsodGeQSiOXCD5BbfH8HwBFwLQW7r54UHL205B59oVn7oI_b-5ryPmfR5ARAYAhV0AZ_HmczJZqnE-Hr7h4r5r9N-0fH6a-zgI5t_VOoPwqwQChkoch6-VvexnuljW5Q8/s320/Isle+of+Man+2008+018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316074813421613538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jeMIZpzH9mZYy5x6iMzUuADHhlIXAc4zj-2WE-Qo99uk3OKX_zEP5xJWmIx6k00C-cI7f6EH9ZEJDwwngZGueVzglvoxUNMx28RteDEP7K7-4b-_48xSIMXkqPL14yH25Yh2iYy59byi/s1600-h/Isle+of+Man+2008+017.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jeMIZpzH9mZYy5x6iMzUuADHhlIXAc4zj-2WE-Qo99uk3OKX_zEP5xJWmIx6k00C-cI7f6EH9ZEJDwwngZGueVzglvoxUNMx28RteDEP7K7-4b-_48xSIMXkqPL14yH25Yh2iYy59byi/s320/Isle+of+Man+2008+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316074808351220946" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31e5YC8fmDoUWhW1PdGNRgWHyJYqI-Rtu8aQZ0M31VZ8BJizeZNww164F-VoCtrCIvzMHG7VMXqg3un2ic5vYkY6RCvpmNM9yUYpF83b6cse-xwsw58djgMkOw6wn8kOAI_95YVD2Ki2b/s1600-h/Isle+of+Man+2008+001.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31e5YC8fmDoUWhW1PdGNRgWHyJYqI-Rtu8aQZ0M31VZ8BJizeZNww164F-VoCtrCIvzMHG7VMXqg3un2ic5vYkY6RCvpmNM9yUYpF83b6cse-xwsw58djgMkOw6wn8kOAI_95YVD2Ki2b/s320/Isle+of+Man+2008+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316074804113590114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-55829854044857357732009-03-22T08:38:00.000-07:002009-03-22T09:22:21.569-07:00New Zealand - April 2008In April 2008 I went out to New Zealand for my brother's 40th birthday. Paul and Heather live in Little River, on the Bank's Peninsula about 60km from Christchurch. They live on a smallholding, and keep cows, sheep, donkeys and chickens, and grow their own vegetables. With all those animals, it helps that Paul is the local vet. They also have two children, Daniel (13) and Rebecca (9). After a couple of years living in the existing house, too small for them all, they built a new one.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBx7yETXTmlgwTAx3FSWLBhDis1ZcKQalqm8m9vNOeB17b7iRzOboLCeOlY5_WbLzPHNidN6dTeoh7mrA259gq1WV9yBpLv40oOqCPkwfFrJb3aPJMhiU444hxLDhNeYouQsKfdfVuqPS/s1600-h/DSCF0623.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibBx7yETXTmlgwTAx3FSWLBhDis1ZcKQalqm8m9vNOeB17b7iRzOboLCeOlY5_WbLzPHNidN6dTeoh7mrA259gq1WV9yBpLv40oOqCPkwfFrJb3aPJMhiU444hxLDhNeYouQsKfdfVuqPS/s320/DSCF0623.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316039272783432082" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I was able to stay in luxury on my own in the smaller cottage.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UkxWMMKsDr45Pc8Ua4mUkEZDV9qejLdVa2VBMC2pvDyR11zPLr-b_HoTqKoCg1JNDzK8K8SBrR5gB3tKp0RbzvUFNM5jWspXGEp3znrmv9YgGAKY_AzWbnz1S9F1Dhg1G1vyXD6u_pz2/s1600-h/DSCF0625.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UkxWMMKsDr45Pc8Ua4mUkEZDV9qejLdVa2VBMC2pvDyR11zPLr-b_HoTqKoCg1JNDzK8K8SBrR5gB3tKp0RbzvUFNM5jWspXGEp3znrmv9YgGAKY_AzWbnz1S9F1Dhg1G1vyXD6u_pz2/s320/DSCF0625.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316039281811970434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The view down from the house, towards the sea. The name of the lake escapes me right now.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvNqCZF4LzhxLjMVapF5KJPxbkEYsTevh9vV2Nlrm5-J6KdVNIhU04X7H42FxYTDZsTRUi7fzPh_egxAc4h0dG5JLM6ZlRBtp40cyDbHHNFul-VdGCYCUUg8hGvTtC-upBocMo0RA8nvC/s1600-h/DSCF0632.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvNqCZF4LzhxLjMVapF5KJPxbkEYsTevh9vV2Nlrm5-J6KdVNIhU04X7H42FxYTDZsTRUi7fzPh_egxAc4h0dG5JLM6ZlRBtp40cyDbHHNFul-VdGCYCUUg8hGvTtC-upBocMo0RA8nvC/s320/DSCF0632.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316039285917880114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I accompanied Paul on some of his work rounds , including the castration of these alpacas.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2WvHcXhWcwVCgIs9a8T-DipSM2XgH9THk5polkL013FZ9bpbP10krEd-DprcTRz0o3q3Lt0sIjuAs27T46jCVcW-2p27YeyzUwCJlU8NGnLwYWJli-HGZjvdIBLRtu6SIYNa_ds-1qWK/s1600-h/DSCF0634.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2WvHcXhWcwVCgIs9a8T-DipSM2XgH9THk5polkL013FZ9bpbP10krEd-DprcTRz0o3q3Lt0sIjuAs27T46jCVcW-2p27YeyzUwCJlU8NGnLwYWJli-HGZjvdIBLRtu6SIYNa_ds-1qWK/s320/DSCF0634.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316039290604950546" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Took a boat trip out from Akaroa, on a beautiful day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUgP4wrR8cdhfMxEEBirYJa70dvPxvILI20VyhN5952ufp4uJqw8kdZT67MF6I9bDFZ4H_qq7KZ6wjNdIya6U52kx_pnNDi5OWpPRgWPqwYGIp0oaTPM7LvAtgfOPGG3X4FU3P97SjIC9/s1600-h/DSCF0640.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUgP4wrR8cdhfMxEEBirYJa70dvPxvILI20VyhN5952ufp4uJqw8kdZT67MF6I9bDFZ4H_qq7KZ6wjNdIya6U52kx_pnNDi5OWpPRgWPqwYGIp0oaTPM7LvAtgfOPGG3X4FU3P97SjIC9/s320/DSCF0640.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316039296734782802" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8ZzQ-wvGq3lFdo7tesGhyphenhyphenSTSTEyhOtAxpG4ms3ufH_Mvh12U58DqbmvKBbmkI92KwCjy9CKSt2IQcYsW5KEZ6GxJSc7h2Af8wqofcImqwrhni-Z5PStHnhCa23j5bKTU9yi9CdUC-zGf/s1600-h/DSCF0649.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8ZzQ-wvGq3lFdo7tesGhyphenhyphenSTSTEyhOtAxpG4ms3ufH_Mvh12U58DqbmvKBbmkI92KwCjy9CKSt2IQcYsW5KEZ6GxJSc7h2Af8wqofcImqwrhni-Z5PStHnhCa23j5bKTU9yi9CdUC-zGf/s320/DSCF0649.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316040360722826146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Paul and I walked up Mount Herbert, from Diamond Harbour, and came down on the Little River side.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaO_Hyn029NV7b2QnZjXkhvBADVuK4AgvSwiIF7mn0NTCFKg-9Ik3RwX4JbeoVzMnwfGQNuiihrTV0SxE5xl9Ys-Dd7_VHHJJDJ4D1ZW-2riEoiJn5S3Wt49QduS1RM7lAK9FA5CkXHQW4/s1600-h/DSCF0708.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaO_Hyn029NV7b2QnZjXkhvBADVuK4AgvSwiIF7mn0NTCFKg-9Ik3RwX4JbeoVzMnwfGQNuiihrTV0SxE5xl9Ys-Dd7_VHHJJDJ4D1ZW-2riEoiJn5S3Wt49QduS1RM7lAK9FA5CkXHQW4/s320/DSCF0708.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316041523989922818" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryE0zYiEpL_lpwYRU9qUCY_AwIVtEL2uUjg8OZ3tAQgjof0lleCdtG-Ew8DPFMkmgrrPFA-m_rzhusWxa0A0ICTlqTGVxTMUEbT-tGef8ULhnQdCVA_9nHWnnK_fk3CV8S3E5MQ0Dyraa/s1600-h/DSCF0706.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryE0zYiEpL_lpwYRU9qUCY_AwIVtEL2uUjg8OZ3tAQgjof0lleCdtG-Ew8DPFMkmgrrPFA-m_rzhusWxa0A0ICTlqTGVxTMUEbT-tGef8ULhnQdCVA_9nHWnnK_fk3CV8S3E5MQ0Dyraa/s320/DSCF0706.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316041515308583762" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLtetfa3MYtLBBfPbWn8TFMXnHNmYisJuHb4bNVg4S6-pPI9bSTExcw-cKOf_WopeN-jV56PBjQYpH6coEzUMznGnuMZ1BLFf4gQFAP8BPINcUjeuOOjz0bUcsIkX7wDk-IrBzVmhXB_N/s1600-h/DSCF0705.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLtetfa3MYtLBBfPbWn8TFMXnHNmYisJuHb4bNVg4S6-pPI9bSTExcw-cKOf_WopeN-jV56PBjQYpH6coEzUMznGnuMZ1BLFf4gQFAP8BPINcUjeuOOjz0bUcsIkX7wDk-IrBzVmhXB_N/s320/DSCF0705.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316041512120913490" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKep1tiXKCGw1bIcsm-L3QgwDFH872aY1TMtdEJK3tQsuReNI3VQLM-BRtX7JMjQVr8P7ZlO7RFB5obgMi_m_CHuZewnS0NUAAAYTvdOMLrLGSdXrHQaBOzJ1bxXdpw2JdCAaR-NaQiWk/s1600-h/DSCF0702.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKep1tiXKCGw1bIcsm-L3QgwDFH872aY1TMtdEJK3tQsuReNI3VQLM-BRtX7JMjQVr8P7ZlO7RFB5obgMi_m_CHuZewnS0NUAAAYTvdOMLrLGSdXrHQaBOzJ1bxXdpw2JdCAaR-NaQiWk/s320/DSCF0702.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316041486605198482" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzurNQ4O3iafuu_DZAHu_NpI3u87kwBwGSUHoE1XPkfftbUlPax0yBRwK3WOlfS9Yrw8hrw9IqAvct0TInKRap9I5o6xlIEC9b3jzSMbkZPMuW35ZZQXp9wXSEt9T4ryLenJf2Pp5LsKN6/s1600-h/DSCF0693.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzurNQ4O3iafuu_DZAHu_NpI3u87kwBwGSUHoE1XPkfftbUlPax0yBRwK3WOlfS9Yrw8hrw9IqAvct0TInKRap9I5o6xlIEC9b3jzSMbkZPMuW35ZZQXp9wXSEt9T4ryLenJf2Pp5LsKN6/s320/DSCF0693.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316040388655776354" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Then there was the birthday party, with its "mid-life crisis" theme. I dyed my hair blonde for the occasion (photo's not provided!).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEB8zsBLIh3Lf4ZerdJ7xdgDx9jAWX_e4ev7xcTCmswbciAtvqLUKJ-kLEa87AjUR3oN_BnAithL7lSNOKQ7bkK0clm0X_RiycveHPk0tRbQGNJIhQQ9t0jAAT3RGwRYty4FUPzixsZGrP/s1600-h/DSCF0673.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEB8zsBLIh3Lf4ZerdJ7xdgDx9jAWX_e4ev7xcTCmswbciAtvqLUKJ-kLEa87AjUR3oN_BnAithL7lSNOKQ7bkK0clm0X_RiycveHPk0tRbQGNJIhQQ9t0jAAT3RGwRYty4FUPzixsZGrP/s320/DSCF0673.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316040374824121634" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC9PPFrubb-ikwoEWJvHEestH8zQeUY4KEfJnTiEmehJa-nYFFiU3B22O0rMuweJOPFs7Xm53CM0PI5F6gWke8LCp1abw2BITPlkRW4vLEuxcBSXb-fam7Z9Pf3tTScoTBpJIKIwFxw2v/s1600-h/DSCF0669.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC9PPFrubb-ikwoEWJvHEestH8zQeUY4KEfJnTiEmehJa-nYFFiU3B22O0rMuweJOPFs7Xm53CM0PI5F6gWke8LCp1abw2BITPlkRW4vLEuxcBSXb-fam7Z9Pf3tTScoTBpJIKIwFxw2v/s320/DSCF0669.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316040372555520210" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLWZzx2qCbyDjd2_dhlWI_ytd9KxIgdImDv6QPIyDTDRY6qlaswIyN1z2x-yZdRiclU_DbRXrZiKPekXBxAlnIt9wOumiTwgAnjU_MliY9fPBFRemWd6cOrjqxPLC4p0fx7_81T_oBH6F/s1600-h/DSCF0668.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLWZzx2qCbyDjd2_dhlWI_ytd9KxIgdImDv6QPIyDTDRY6qlaswIyN1z2x-yZdRiclU_DbRXrZiKPekXBxAlnIt9wOumiTwgAnjU_MliY9fPBFRemWd6cOrjqxPLC4p0fx7_81T_oBH6F/s320/DSCF0668.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316040366361294338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A fantastic time, and good to see the old bugger after three years.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQvakxwTPNKdZsNA2Xl9yI7LIJsRgeacfPemvyyJ0Iyvd9oxupZVadOfFPXstd0WYWcO-ag-aDPUHbRoX6CYMoZwm20X96UeS3ZYyS8mnSr6yrg3vYMFRqizX8rA1lPRRkqV2bsep5YuI/s1600-h/DSCF0748.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQvakxwTPNKdZsNA2Xl9yI7LIJsRgeacfPemvyyJ0Iyvd9oxupZVadOfFPXstd0WYWcO-ag-aDPUHbRoX6CYMoZwm20X96UeS3ZYyS8mnSr6yrg3vYMFRqizX8rA1lPRRkqV2bsep5YuI/s320/DSCF0748.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316041529446003842" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /></div></div><br /></div></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-30262846138417410922009-03-22T07:50:00.000-07:002009-03-22T08:33:02.625-07:00A smidgeon of '07You wouldn't think from looking at any of these photos that we had one of the wettest summers, like, ever, in 2007. But we did have a glorious April, which is when most of these were taken.<br /><br />My first time back climbing after my accident was to Slieve Bearnagh in the Mournes. Mark took me up Grand Central, the easiest line up the Bearnagh slabs. My wrist felt awkward, and was still quite skew, something that's been corrected a bit since. But it was so good just to be back climbing again.<br /><br />My first lead since the accident was "Paradise Lost" at Dalkey Quarry. It's a beautiful, easy line on good quality rock.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVgB6Sc7m1JvP1ta-Mr-NtU9GdGw6jwe6zlxSUB48MGN7AP53GynXup3xMcWlEsNyeH_sAIPVZxVwlJ9zj_YGYLngwk70kRdRbATZmpKsnqbcj7kMfzoYIXEwfHaKfX9Od9HjEYZM0zym/s1600-h/Paradise+Lost+%286%29.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVgB6Sc7m1JvP1ta-Mr-NtU9GdGw6jwe6zlxSUB48MGN7AP53GynXup3xMcWlEsNyeH_sAIPVZxVwlJ9zj_YGYLngwk70kRdRbATZmpKsnqbcj7kMfzoYIXEwfHaKfX9Od9HjEYZM0zym/s320/Paradise+Lost+%286%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316029065610269810" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />I also led "Eliminate A". a route that looks crap from below, but it's a five star line too, one of the best routes I've ever done of that grade.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNoqbKbNCtxbk8gAGV4Co7Z-NgSWq56webdUP_cGZuYpZO5aE-baLahcLP6LL3WdebmgLlxJew9nmHqQJWzBzrOJ1IGAiS1yAMKV543aRUSiT5g0hSEJg-CzbQRHs1LsxWpLBZEgGvz58/s1600-h/Eliminate-A+%282%29.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNoqbKbNCtxbk8gAGV4Co7Z-NgSWq56webdUP_cGZuYpZO5aE-baLahcLP6LL3WdebmgLlxJew9nmHqQJWzBzrOJ1IGAiS1yAMKV543aRUSiT5g0hSEJg-CzbQRHs1LsxWpLBZEgGvz58/s320/Eliminate-A+%282%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316031453965110978" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br />I found with leading that I was very tentative, not really trusting anything, including myself. I realised it was going to take some time to feel comfortable again, but I haven't regained the confidence I had before, even now in 2009.<br /><br />One of the other highlights of 2007 was climbing "Tarquin's Groove" on Bingorm West in Donegal. It was a blistering day, so much so that we had a swim in the lake near which we had parked the car when we got down.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqe5jmBe1acLu3nnS0DxveviJCt5krTh1Vva9-CFjRXGIx5cexJ4BH2duvVtNvgPHidkp7gME4PO3EpvoVwa5zShTPtsvBdmGnDkYiiTwlQMRpM4WiXAbVMFSf-Nys9HjgRpm8K-SnVkf/s1600-h/DSCF0094.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqe5jmBe1acLu3nnS0DxveviJCt5krTh1Vva9-CFjRXGIx5cexJ4BH2duvVtNvgPHidkp7gME4PO3EpvoVwa5zShTPtsvBdmGnDkYiiTwlQMRpM4WiXAbVMFSf-Nys9HjgRpm8K-SnVkf/s320/DSCF0094.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316029056484744498" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr_XIGJz6bSCIIjlGLBN2etE3pKav10B7l5Uoto8o5pa3-3RGGF69Fyu6U8c3KfgFKqAhL56PwOw0cxcEd31S-kcmkNmbFs23NWCSpuZdVJUWQESRUVxFenO5FI8aI46_QKLxvs-ZEbzL/s1600-h/DSCF0100.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDr_XIGJz6bSCIIjlGLBN2etE3pKav10B7l5Uoto8o5pa3-3RGGF69Fyu6U8c3KfgFKqAhL56PwOw0cxcEd31S-kcmkNmbFs23NWCSpuZdVJUWQESRUVxFenO5FI8aI46_QKLxvs-ZEbzL/s320/DSCF0100.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316029058610489026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrw2MG-bpX_Ff886XXjqOgCUvgMRpKN8NQzRiTObgGb6YUszWkumH2u2hnwjptcLu9XPGzN8Yp66wjoRVyulcmc5zLKY2OwexSRUmWykl5seSg7Cf25yOs3PTqyrk7hrKMApGkQnfaMxc/s1600-h/DSCF0093.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrw2MG-bpX_Ff886XXjqOgCUvgMRpKN8NQzRiTObgGb6YUszWkumH2u2hnwjptcLu9XPGzN8Yp66wjoRVyulcmc5zLKY2OwexSRUmWykl5seSg7Cf25yOs3PTqyrk7hrKMApGkQnfaMxc/s320/DSCF0093.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316027998500884930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruIWRmGbk5iWEJevzJxEVdB9r9Ef1_9jaEocERMazgnrrRjPZwDxAUmbRZbA2PLbMPRK8icX6yE6hz8YVH_VeQcOUClxjmx8TDydVXfYmSIisTFcdyrietacmC2fCkYqDI2nNbedv6yio/s1600-h/DSCF0089.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgruIWRmGbk5iWEJevzJxEVdB9r9Ef1_9jaEocERMazgnrrRjPZwDxAUmbRZbA2PLbMPRK8icX6yE6hz8YVH_VeQcOUClxjmx8TDydVXfYmSIisTFcdyrietacmC2fCkYqDI2nNbedv6yio/s320/DSCF0089.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316027990044445314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I got sun-burnt for the first and only time (so far) in Ireland.<br /><br />In June the rain started, and didn't really stop until September. But we did manage one particular afternoon in July, to get up to Fairhead, with Pieter, who had finally come over for the weekend we were supposed to have the year before. If only the weather had been as good. But we were able to climb that Saturday afternoon, after a morning doing the tourist thing at the rope bridge and the Giant's Causeway. I bailed after the first pitch of "Taoiseach", and went to take photos of Pieter and Mark completing the route. A lead attempt two weeks later on "Chieftain" next door was similarly ignominious, I had to use aid and thrutch my way up the thing.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IciKkFz1b48z7_RUjMj179ER3-QuEIEpAsQ7DVITf_6b6F4lv2mk865mvp3mSoF7MUOgPQRiLBnqt7MGTmyH-O98wZwZgZYY4_mdbOWREDxcr1MIO6VuPsHPO77vr82dyNrDsskfBWWJ/s1600-h/2007_0710Pieter07July0052.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IciKkFz1b48z7_RUjMj179ER3-QuEIEpAsQ7DVITf_6b6F4lv2mk865mvp3mSoF7MUOgPQRiLBnqt7MGTmyH-O98wZwZgZYY4_mdbOWREDxcr1MIO6VuPsHPO77vr82dyNrDsskfBWWJ/s320/2007_0710Pieter07July0052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316027967055269906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUUBZddCGMYbEp3lyCBi6hGkIxM1e7ANjFrusHcoQ-Ji4KQnmVLAgE0NT1RsBV3jL8-MR0m7auWrlF7-oBmCDMES3qlL-Uu9Nngx2xYLX5Zpzxstl7LP_CSqXaG25LgfPoYzMCEzbqssE/s1600-h/2007_0710Pieter07July0051.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglUUBZddCGMYbEp3lyCBi6hGkIxM1e7ANjFrusHcoQ-Ji4KQnmVLAgE0NT1RsBV3jL8-MR0m7auWrlF7-oBmCDMES3qlL-Uu9Nngx2xYLX5Zpzxstl7LP_CSqXaG25LgfPoYzMCEzbqssE/s320/2007_0710Pieter07July0051.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316027958705630930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Pieter also led "The Black Thief" on the Prow.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmdvDnxzoEc6Qg8Lot5A8274lIZD6K_-wHaCg0VTl9_SqD5lJ34IwzJobKUeI1HI3hMDYw2xj6r1krRBx3uiTa-bDzm4CFN7xEwnQypqB-xflhNQ6auZtZXLfNHsI1PLqmpkjUVBLbE4T/s1600-h/2007_0710Pieter07July0061.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmdvDnxzoEc6Qg8Lot5A8274lIZD6K_-wHaCg0VTl9_SqD5lJ34IwzJobKUeI1HI3hMDYw2xj6r1krRBx3uiTa-bDzm4CFN7xEwnQypqB-xflhNQ6auZtZXLfNHsI1PLqmpkjUVBLbE4T/s320/2007_0710Pieter07July0061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316027974912472338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Um, that was sort of it for '07.<br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-12785716888350532782009-03-22T07:15:00.000-07:002009-03-22T07:39:23.813-07:00Mark Warnock<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4Dw340O_Bba0OKQo_vZLhiHdaRgq-yNfzz9IYXJbxs9eRw9fwbJSKEB2jVgdjpG9UGAqGNv62-8o1HZwZ6iGJpHdPeOj0NDfQo7Yi8QnVEgvWg2ps2UHgYm3tVZegv3CnwQBuGAK-TqQ/s1600-h/Mark+Warnock+in+fine+form.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4Dw340O_Bba0OKQo_vZLhiHdaRgq-yNfzz9IYXJbxs9eRw9fwbJSKEB2jVgdjpG9UGAqGNv62-8o1HZwZ6iGJpHdPeOj0NDfQo7Yi8QnVEgvWg2ps2UHgYm3tVZegv3CnwQBuGAK-TqQ/s320/Mark+Warnock+in+fine+form.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316017302977661538" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />So here he is. Mark Warnock, from Portadown in Northern Ireland. A real gentleman and a true friend. And a pretty useful climber too.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeg4SI1YU65WAbwjgpDb4HZNzyWA1G0R67XPflMKWok5VPG9WEUceuopFOiJipyodrW-hl1kpB6G3U_JVfro5np9ytsZtrMqYwVd2h3djMm3pUuobQrkRbL6gnMlPerbwhp4OBBFUZ3lhZ/s1600-h/Mark+Warnock.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeg4SI1YU65WAbwjgpDb4HZNzyWA1G0R67XPflMKWok5VPG9WEUceuopFOiJipyodrW-hl1kpB6G3U_JVfro5np9ytsZtrMqYwVd2h3djMm3pUuobQrkRbL6gnMlPerbwhp4OBBFUZ3lhZ/s320/Mark+Warnock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316017296729360882" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Thanks Mark, for not giving up on me, for putting up with my whinging, for those times you've fetched the packs from up a slope after we've come down another way, and I've been too wrecked to move another inch. For not getting annoyed when I ask you to repeat yourself because your broad accent is too difficult sometimes for my South African ears. For dragging me (literally) up many routes the last two years. If I carry on climbing, and don't give it up, it'll be because of you, and those like you whom I've climbed with over the years. You know who you are.<br /><br />And here is the lovely Claire Warnock, with Ellie (2). There's another Warnock on the way too, congratulations guys!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRvfEP5MzE07jyPGCWZs1DSzCXrIjGserJlhaQML5ME91hU3kIwfm-kr_IxaZTavs6Uv_N7x_iBQDaU4t4XKMAGihsKm_FMRU9_6xNJUWbd5jZcOpKyrsmSZ8UzeTadp-5-n2vTTs4iEt/s1600-h/DSCF0782.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRvfEP5MzE07jyPGCWZs1DSzCXrIjGserJlhaQML5ME91hU3kIwfm-kr_IxaZTavs6Uv_N7x_iBQDaU4t4XKMAGihsKm_FMRU9_6xNJUWbd5jZcOpKyrsmSZ8UzeTadp-5-n2vTTs4iEt/s320/DSCF0782.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316017313043846002" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-75445796304452253842009-03-22T05:51:00.000-07:002009-05-03T04:37:11.851-07:00Bringing me back to earth.Tuesday, 11 July 2006. A typical day for that summer, warm, sunny, and long daylight hours. I'd had a crap day at work, all sorts of things irritating me, and I left a little early. Richenda Herzig, a friend from SA, had arrived from England the day before, to stay with us for her summer holidays. And she's a climber. So off we went, to Hen Mountain, one of the more accessible climbing areas in the Mourne Mountains.<br /><br />I was feeling really confident about my climbing; just 72 hours previously Mark and I had climbed a classic at Fairhead, An Bealach Runda. I decided to have a go at a short route called "Dreams of Distance." At E2 5c it was harder than anything I'd led for many years, but not that much, and because it's short, and I'd heard the gear was good, I thought I'd knock it off quickly and then we could do something easier afterwards. Hah.<br /><br />A couple of things about falls; with sport climbing of course it's <span style="font-style: italic;">de-rigeur</span>, but there's no sport climbing in Ireland. It's all traditional, placing your own protection as you go. In 30 years of rock climbing I can count the number of leader falls I've had on trad climbs on the fingers of one hand. It's just not something you really want to do.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7oI_v0awLnCoSf-ky7zFYVbodgsBCqCunvSU-wu_YOMgu1Zef4E4wY98z_2oX25ogbr7sZK0bf9615bXiaNYQ2lvYBqYkK7awMfLMfy95WizBh1FKWY3Y4ZHXrKicywK2hThs7B3P1fb/s1600-h/Newroute.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315994934985184594" style="width: 320px; cursor: pointer; height: 240px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7oI_v0awLnCoSf-ky7zFYVbodgsBCqCunvSU-wu_YOMgu1Zef4E4wY98z_2oX25ogbr7sZK0bf9615bXiaNYQ2lvYBqYkK7awMfLMfy95WizBh1FKWY3Y4ZHXrKicywK2hThs7B3P1fb/s320/Newroute.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />The climb starts with a diagonal, rising traverse up to the right (shared with "Whole of the Moon", just to the right), then traverses left under the first overhang to a break in the overhangs. I had a good wire placement in a vertical crack some distance below the roof, but when I got up to the overhang I was hanging quite precariously, using up lots of energy, and found myself quite unable to place anything for protection under it. I was feeling my way around, as I was all scrunched up, not able to see what I was doing. Eventually I placed a 0.5 cam, which I couldn't see, and gave it a good tug just to check it. It held. Two moves further, and I can't remember whether I slipped or the strength just gave out, but I fell backwards. I felt the cam pop, and remember thinking "that's ok, the nut placement's good" and it was, for a straight down pull. But I had traversed across to it, and the direction the rope was running pulled it straight out to the side. Now there was nothing to stop me hitting the ground. This all happened in a split second, but it's amazing how your memory can clearly segment the different processes.<br /><br />Six, seven meters, then I hit, hard. I was lying on my back, winded. Heard Richenda's voice asking me if I'm ok. Oh yes, I said. Mad. I began to sit up, realised my right arm is underneath me but it won't move. Had to use my left arm to pull it out. Took one look at my grossly mis-shapen wrist, hardly recognisable as a limb. Thought shit, this might be an open fracture; there was a lot of blood, but it wasn't. I'd just ground it into the gravel with my body, and was bleeding from abrasions. Dull pain in my back too. Richenda was trying to do the right thing, looking for my mobile to call for help. I think because I was involved in mountain rescue myself (in Cape Town in the 1990's) my mind was reluctant to accept that I was now the one needing help. In shock, and stubborn to the core, I insisted I could get myself to help; I'd only broken an arm after all. I shuffled myself back to lean against a small rock slope (which thankfully I had not hit when I fell), got her to take my climbing shoes off, put my walking shoes back on and help me get the harness and other equipment off too. Then she helped me up, and I began to walk down, holding my back with my left hand (pulled muscles I told myself) and letting my injured arm hang down, useless. Richenda packed up all the gear; I'd made it easier for her by not leaving anything in the rock to be extricated, it had all come down with me, and soon caught up with me. We made it to the car; Richenda offered to drive, but it was a hired car (I was expecting Pieter over from Holland the next weekend) and she wasn't on the insurance. So I insisted on driving too, fortunately my left arm was still fine, and in a right-hand-drive car of course you operate the gears with the left hand. Thinking about this now it's crazy, but at the time, although I knew I was seriously hurt, a part of my mind just wouldn't allow that information to overrule "normal" behaviour. Perhaps a psychologist could explain it better, but I can't.<br /><br />We made it, somehow, back to Dundalk, and Nadia was waiting outside the house. Richenda (bless her) went inside to take care of the children, something she ended up doing a lot over the next few weeks, and Nadia took me to A&E. It was a slow night there for a change, and I could be seen immediately. After establishing that I'd shattered my wrist, and standing for some x-rays I was able to lie down, and I didn't get up again for another two weeks. I'd broken my back too, a compression fracture of the T12 vertebra.<br /><br />After spinal fusion, and an external fixator on my arm, involving being moved around among three different hospitals, I could go home on the 26th July, and was off work for another four weeks after that.<br /><br />Well that was the rest of that beautiful summer gone, from a climbing point of view.Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-85734737832586616662009-03-22T04:35:00.000-07:002009-03-22T05:38:59.262-07:00A sprinkling of '06I hadn't climbed for several years before our trip to Turkey in March 2006. The main event of this trip was the total solar eclipse. But it was also great to be back on rock for the first time in a while. I wouldn't take this lot anywhere else, but thanks for a great trip, Pete, Ronald and Pieter.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WGtPcHu7YkD82RvS3V8JtbKnRwSUHcFxyqLANaMU6fTuZi0wiRuYtbonWLOkKUlq8ifTBTlrjHiyhwUxintMCXNHjHeWlfkga_LRzkKBYhlCbbbzY3gJRYEnWLae9MYm2NnzqWmJXpcD/s1600-h/DSCN0282.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WGtPcHu7YkD82RvS3V8JtbKnRwSUHcFxyqLANaMU6fTuZi0wiRuYtbonWLOkKUlq8ifTBTlrjHiyhwUxintMCXNHjHeWlfkga_LRzkKBYhlCbbbzY3gJRYEnWLae9MYm2NnzqWmJXpcD/s320/DSCN0282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315979087147371794" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Xc8amPRnSGioispvRaK_mDUPvegYRAL9XfOS5cPcXJy-KLDntAjZiCivoxFotDdMe60kxPQ2up6CpcOlk-_s1sp3B01zYFOh1H4dseLbO65_p3n4a723AJVUXEImy7lje816sL4Q3Dix/s1600-h/dscn0299.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Xc8amPRnSGioispvRaK_mDUPvegYRAL9XfOS5cPcXJy-KLDntAjZiCivoxFotDdMe60kxPQ2up6CpcOlk-_s1sp3B01zYFOh1H4dseLbO65_p3n4a723AJVUXEImy7lje816sL4Q3Dix/s320/dscn0299.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315979100974078146" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3VsKz55Ghq-lLqRgtcBfb6QRyIwssYcTwcO_N9F3ReI8BdLuw9OokdQ7sqTCqAXUCWM2qP1mbGay0vtHQWjJ4IK02T1aY5-aUoRHSsWVJx8q1gjfdiHAccUAQT4IvVdCD2te8yIVgliY/s1600-h/dscn0296.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3VsKz55Ghq-lLqRgtcBfb6QRyIwssYcTwcO_N9F3ReI8BdLuw9OokdQ7sqTCqAXUCWM2qP1mbGay0vtHQWjJ4IK02T1aY5-aUoRHSsWVJx8q1gjfdiHAccUAQT4IvVdCD2te8yIVgliY/s320/dscn0296.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315979097178059058" border="0" /> </a><br /></div><br />Back in Ireland, I decided to get back into it again, but where and with who? I was fortunate to hook up with Mark Warnock from Portadown; we met up through an online climbers forum, and we did our first route together at Fairhead in May. I also met Maciej Buhcic, Macdara O'Graham and Mark Anderson, and did some fantastic routes in the Mournes. The summer of '06 was lovely, and the long days lend themselves to evening climbing. I often went out after work, leaving Dundalk at 6pm, driving 50 minutes to the Mournes, climbing a route or two, and was back home at 11pm, when it gets truly dark in mid-summer. My climbing was going really well; I also soloed a few classic routes from V-diff up to Severe standard, including Fingerbowl and Sunset on Hen Mountain, Devil's Rib on Slieve Beg, and Class Distinction on Pigeon.<br /><br />By July I had climbed several harder routes, up to E1 5b. Quare Crack on Hen, Cabin Cruise on Spellack, and The Penguin on Newcastle Beach on Binnian North Tor. At Fairhead, Mark and I climbed Burn-up, Hell's Kitchen and The Black Thief (both on my 36th birthday) and An Bealach Runda. Things were going great.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjCEJaS5R_6L-vCKTTFm6YY2e9LZU3hTsyvCAWSV3nzUsAWxhFMUklM9mSd6rJB6mS-SGlYH8ApooNG9oIgs4wYbqOgkAavvilezBoNExFOUnIchQoLmXDYHDhOOpbLkpKxlgOmG679wv/s1600-h/Penguin+on+Newcastle+Beach+E1+5b+%289%29.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjCEJaS5R_6L-vCKTTFm6YY2e9LZU3hTsyvCAWSV3nzUsAWxhFMUklM9mSd6rJB6mS-SGlYH8ApooNG9oIgs4wYbqOgkAavvilezBoNExFOUnIchQoLmXDYHDhOOpbLkpKxlgOmG679wv/s320/Penguin+on+Newcastle+Beach+E1+5b+%289%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315979105606319890" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q35Qcu4rFE9ZJ1t159ZbnRXmMFgf88Z51DqWh1XjxoFvxknOmk05BOdJrUBKyxkly6fnKWFvIYPcIeRhmJ8Vm10-odsEynOHAzrPoEvNxiWU2do7YkqTYNpzdA588b-Qxo8YwTXqAQ1A/s1600-h/Cabin+Cruise+%285%29.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q35Qcu4rFE9ZJ1t159ZbnRXmMFgf88Z51DqWh1XjxoFvxknOmk05BOdJrUBKyxkly6fnKWFvIYPcIeRhmJ8Vm10-odsEynOHAzrPoEvNxiWU2do7YkqTYNpzdA588b-Qxo8YwTXqAQ1A/s320/Cabin+Cruise+%285%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315979083496097090" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsdmdrkfMBJlQD2Vxil-CymnkmtlV7rn9eQ40FjKpkLdB1DsyPuuvqs92DFckJX4heup9_XdissW6fgIE1qiKendTjyf8zOi0g60DuoDcFKcQj-HxacaoRKreZWO_9-bTFyAFhPWHbOvK/s1600-h/The+Black+Thief+%283%29.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsdmdrkfMBJlQD2Vxil-CymnkmtlV7rn9eQ40FjKpkLdB1DsyPuuvqs92DFckJX4heup9_XdissW6fgIE1qiKendTjyf8zOi0g60DuoDcFKcQj-HxacaoRKreZWO_9-bTFyAFhPWHbOvK/s320/The+Black+Thief+%283%29.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315988973105765170" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZEiWH6cbtlXjXsFbbZDmW9heUVYMH46QcKk1LKKA9NkcmrcqPr2JCGuzUd_bc_45FKE08RFxzAIbFUsseckZPEiRKssaUmtqy3yGJXTKEeK03U73z0dBBXuhW8EnLw-e1HFqfMdSaGLg/s1600-h/Fairhead+cliff+edge+%28Mull+of+Kintyre+in+background%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZEiWH6cbtlXjXsFbbZDmW9heUVYMH46QcKk1LKKA9NkcmrcqPr2JCGuzUd_bc_45FKE08RFxzAIbFUsseckZPEiRKssaUmtqy3yGJXTKEeK03U73z0dBBXuhW8EnLw-e1HFqfMdSaGLg/s320/Fairhead+cliff+edge+%28Mull+of+Kintyre+in+background%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315988965738304514" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapY0WLwmCXDf8Ylu6mdbZbts0poio45PkqG5O8ygieoIDIIdsf19SLBYbcJKTkuI-mVtWtpxEUkhkTCXffU5vq8csLhyphenhyphenremU4xjmjQ9egFVw6S_iXujQJc26uBpl5GJStl1jbYIWAcFhc/s1600-h/Burn+Up+HVS+5a.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapY0WLwmCXDf8Ylu6mdbZbts0poio45PkqG5O8ygieoIDIIdsf19SLBYbcJKTkuI-mVtWtpxEUkhkTCXffU5vq8csLhyphenhyphenremU4xjmjQ9egFVw6S_iXujQJc26uBpl5GJStl1jbYIWAcFhc/s320/Burn+Up+HVS+5a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315988956148724578" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCuFDJh3xCURgnoivbdBWXefRCxpi3bUotUJy9gHZZelt4vi8Z_e61PcJyI4PFo5BVJpTOWoMWhP1RGl0LujspkIXIECkQnBQAUXkI8K6BDBNI_bfS_cm153psemYyvh5eFwp-OsDIx_R/s1600-h/Annalong+Valley+from+Carrick+Little+Track.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCuFDJh3xCURgnoivbdBWXefRCxpi3bUotUJy9gHZZelt4vi8Z_e61PcJyI4PFo5BVJpTOWoMWhP1RGl0LujspkIXIECkQnBQAUXkI8K6BDBNI_bfS_cm153psemYyvh5eFwp-OsDIx_R/s320/Annalong+Valley+from+Carrick+Little+Track.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315988949457878194" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrwS5BLA4vDcPv1cUPYfGEEvcFv2JOx2jZz9cMwI-75Dt1u5s9wdBtG5hPwklTTMcpzQCyZ676xsqAvagOji8cmO_vUwUvvCXEoQwqM_td3nCORK3a1G3yf7wUY7j-ZQ8BoE7ivrwBYp1/s1600-h/An+Bealach+Runda+crux+pitch.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrwS5BLA4vDcPv1cUPYfGEEvcFv2JOx2jZz9cMwI-75Dt1u5s9wdBtG5hPwklTTMcpzQCyZ676xsqAvagOji8cmO_vUwUvvCXEoQwqM_td3nCORK3a1G3yf7wUY7j-ZQ8BoE7ivrwBYp1/s320/An+Bealach+Runda+crux+pitch.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315988940244437186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">What happened next really needs a post all to itself.<br /></div></div></div>Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6567958048078744550.post-17853301840549213192009-03-22T04:19:00.000-07:002009-03-22T04:35:12.449-07:00So, finally.........<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtD5XXu4KYM9hUTsHq6hjQx37zLSioqCUmsQzgnUCBoy8lKl4S72E9OlgJy3POlVdNgsHvYfbTgsrYp8VN61ZrB20wj4NLBS9MZMEUrGrTciLYQV3flyYDTeDpZr1gFvdmriEKibA_i8x/s1600-h/DSCN0536.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtD5XXu4KYM9hUTsHq6hjQx37zLSioqCUmsQzgnUCBoy8lKl4S72E9OlgJy3POlVdNgsHvYfbTgsrYp8VN61ZrB20wj4NLBS9MZMEUrGrTciLYQV3flyYDTeDpZr1gFvdmriEKibA_i8x/s320/DSCN0536.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315972887664821954" border="0" /></a><br />Here it is. Nadia's been pestering me for ages to set up a blog of my own to keep my friends informed as to what I've been doing on the climbing front. We'll be going back a bit, well just three years.<br /><br />So tie in and let's go............Micky Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16180202759640438409noreply@blogger.com0