Any Climbers Out There?

I used to do a fair bit. Have climbed mountains, rock and ice in Chamonix, the Karakorum, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, England, Scotland, Wales, Spain. Nothing particularly hard except when behind maniac climbing partners on the odd E3+. Did get to leading E1/2 fairly confidently at one point.

My last trip was to the Dolomites where I lead two us up the Pordoispitze. It's an 800m vertical face with fantastic holds all the way up which makes it pretty easy climbing, but it had very few gear placements, and the weather always came in in the afternoon, so it had to be pretty much speed climbed, starting from before dawn, with regular 10m run-outs. Exhilarating!

Here's the climb, up the dark section of rock in the middle of the face
pordoispitze.jpg


Here's a photo I took from near the top of the route, which has its start level with the trees below...
panorama.jpg


Some more pics of the trip here:
http://www.aetherweb.co.uk/dolomites/

Haven't climbed since I don't think. Couldn't top that trip really. Got bored for a while then found kite-surfing then sailing.
 
Metabarca said:
Grew up on the British crags, now moved on to the Alps. Now mainly my own patch (Julian Alps, which I adore, because you'll see no-one all day), but in the past a lot in the western Alps and Switzerland. AC and CAI.
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Julian Alps. I went caving there once down a grot hole called Abisso Michelle Gortani near Monte Canin. It was a strange place, being near Yugoslavia as it was, the iron curtain ran along the ridge above us, we made jokes about a customs check point deep in the cave. It was a major WW1 battlefield as well with shell bursts still quite clear on the hillside. Debris and other artifacts littered the area. A body of a soldier has been found recently in a similar area
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...oldier-buried-glacier-Italian-ski-resort.html. The thunderstorms were frequent and spectacular, our camp was took direct hits many times, torrential rain which gave us a few problems both on the surface and underground.
 
Julian Alps: In the mountains, even during Cold War days you could cross the border without problems. The Canin is indeed strange: as much to see below ground as above! On other mountains nearby, there is still plenty of shrapnel, barbed wire and the like, but the nature is great and unspoilt!
 
Little Rascal said:
Tilman was a mountaineer from a different age really, before the war and before frontpoints etc... I wonder what he would make of the Big Walling going on in Greenland now?

Still living where you do, you can always go up and sit on top of Valkyrie at the Roaches! :-)
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Been it seen it done it, now going there with a camera waiting for someone to do the Sloth but it does not seem very popular nowadays.
 
savageseadog said:
and Sentinel Crack on Chatsworth, a bone scraping maul
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Did that with stickies and cams, utmost respect for Whillans with 50's runners and sandshoes.

BTW Ron Fawcett is doing a lecture in Bristol

SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER, 8PM ::
THE CLIMBING ACADEMY BRISTOL Ron will give a full illustrated lecture. Ticket price will be £12 adults and £9 U18s.
Tickets can be booked by ringing TCA on 01179072956 or visit the website: http://www.theclimbingacademy.com
 
jimi said:
Did that with stickies and cams, utmost respect for Whillans with 50's runners and sandshoes.

BTW Ron Fawcett is doing a lecture in Bristol

SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER, 8PM ::
THE CLIMBING ACADEMY BRISTOL Ron will give a full illustrated lecture. Ticket price will be £12 adults and £9 U18s.
Tickets can be booked by ringing TCA on 01179072956 or visit the website: http://www.theclimbingacademy.com
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I 'peeled' off a Brown/Whillans route once.... :D

( "...that might explain a lot" thinks Jimi )
 
Once, oh once....and to redress the sex balance.... I used to climb (nothing special, only leading to HVS in England, Scotland, Wales, France) and also pothole (mainly UK but also turkey expedition). But alas... now vegitating on my boat, and dreaming of the northern fells.

One thing that long term cruising does for you is clarify your priorities.. I love sailing, but if I had to choose it would be walking, scrambling etc, 100%. (what am I doing in greece!).

Carol
 
jimi said:
Did that with stickies and cams, utmost respect for Whillans with 50's runners and sandshoes.

BTW Ron Fawcett is doing a lecture in Bristol

SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER, 8PM ::
THE CLIMBING ACADEMY BRISTOL Ron will give a full illustrated lecture. Ticket price will be £12 adults and £9 U18s.
Tickets can be booked by ringing TCA on 01179072956 or visit the website: http://www.theclimbingacademy.com
Click to expand...

Nostalgia is a fine thing for a fat 60 year old now going through memories of the 60s and 70s remembering the long hot summers and icy winters Halcyon days.

Whillans was an abraisive bugger but a fine climber and great mountaineer anyone else remember the likes of Martin Boysen and Pete Boardman. Never met Fawcett or even saw him climb but some of his limestone routes were awesome. Recently had the chance to talk to Catherin Destivelle the stuff that she was free climbing is unbelievable to me at least, ah well best stick to the camera now:D.
 
Carolwildbird said:
Once, oh once....and to redress the sex balance.... I used to climb (nothing special, only leading to HVS in England, Scotland, Wales, France) and also pothole (mainly UK but also turkey expedition). But alas... now vegitating on my boat, and dreaming of the northern fells.

One thing that long term cruising does for you is clarify your priorities.. I love sailing, but if I had to choose it would be walking, scrambling etc, 100%. (what am I doing in greece!).

Carol
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Carol, If I were on a boat in Greece I'd spend time on Kalymnos .. sport climbing capital of Europe (and wide range of grades).


check out

http://www.rockfax.com/areas/kalymnos/area-info.html
 
Alas, I'm in the ionian at the moment, and I haven't climbed for years. I would like to have another go.. but my 50something body would need a bit of conditioning, and I have no gear on board.

It has to be walking at the moment... (and what would i give to be able to walk in the lakes...even if it is cold and wet. I get goosebumps thinking about those fells, the deciduous trees, stone walls, green fields, birdsong... ..frost on the grass....... sob sob).

I think I will head back and go north in the not so distant future. Maybe combining sailing and walking/ scrambling.. nay even a bit of climbing.. in scotland would be better food for my soul. I now really understand "home thoughts from abroad", trite as it may be.
 
Carolwildbird said:
Alas, I'm in the ionian at the moment, and I haven't climbed for years. I would like to have another go.. but my 50something body would need a bit of conditioning, and I have no gear on board.

It has to be walking at the moment... (and what would i give to be able to walk in the lakes...even if it is cold and wet. I get goosebumps thinking about those fells, the deciduous trees, stone walls, green fields, birdsong... ..frost on the grass....... sob sob).

I think I will head back and go north in the not so distant future. Maybe combining sailing and walking/ scrambling.. nay even a bit of climbing.. in scotland would be better food for my soul. I now really understand "home thoughts from abroad", trite as it may be.
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Carol, head back via the Costa Blanca in Spain, there is some absolutely wonderful walking and scrambling there ... as well as loads of climbing. Quite a bit of it is very close to the coast
 
or come to sunny Trieste! Rock-climbing above the sea and the mountains nearby (deciduous trees, frost, drystone walls, beer, green fields, birdsong... good food. Not much rain, though!)
 
petehb said:
Nostalgia is a fine thing for a fat 60 year old now going through memories of the 60s and 70s remembering the long hot summers and icy winters Halcyon days.

Whillans was an abraisive bugger but a fine climber and great mountaineer anyone else remember the likes of Martin Boysen and Pete Boardman. Never met Fawcett or even saw him climb but some of his limestone routes were awesome.
Click to expand...

I met up with Ron at Beeston Tor in (Derbyshire limestone) to take some photos. Basically the whole Tor face was a route for him, he just walked all over it solo. He's a really decent bloke as well.
 
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Not much more a climber ... but still go snowholing .....

Did the Mittellegi Ridge once then took the train down to Alpiglen to do the Moench Eisnase .....

Oh happy early 70's days,

M

PS: Did the Schreckhorn via the Elliotweg as well ...in an electric storm


2011 is from Puerto Montt day sailing to Los Torres del Paine ... with no rock drills!!!
 
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One thing that long term cruising does for you is clarify your priorities.. I love sailing, but if I had to choose it would be walking, scrambling etc, 100%. (what am I doing in greece!).

Carol[/QUOTE]
Lots of good climbing in Greece but ancient brain can't remember the name. Try Google.
 
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