Tuesday 12 October 2010

Been a bit shit updating the Blog!.. sorry.
Tonight I had half an hour to spare before the sun went down, so a brief trip to Whitehouses to catch up with Jon.

Been out a few time to Caley and Almscliff, mainly with Ian. The highlight was ticking New Jerusalem, though I used the short guys method which seams a lot easier than the cross through.

Still beavering away at the traverse into Morells wall at the cliff. Also I had a dream about Steve's wall, could that be a sign. It's one of those problems that looks quite easy, which generally means it will be nails.

Well I have quite a lot on my tick list at the moment, and a little ambitious, but a faint heart never ...

Anyway I've recorder a short video re the balm. It's a brief intro to the Balm.


Tuesday 14 September 2010

A quick trip to Caley

Last Sunday morning was 'welcome back to Rugby!'. Well my lad Max is in the under 12's at Wharfedale RUFC, a fine club with fine tradition. For me that means several months on the touchline scoffing bacon and egg butties with mugs of hot coffee. Oh if only Mountain Equipment would invent the Touchline Jacket.

But also Chris was up from Bristol to see Jon, so I was keen to catch up, after all it's been a couple of years since out last trip to Fontainebleau. Well I took off for Caley to meet them as soon as I could...

All the usual banter and some good bouldering followed, the highlight for me was doing Creme egg eliminate 1st time.
Here's an old photo of me doing the crux hand swap;






Then it was down to flail on the Horn Left hand, though Chris was rather impressed with the echo. Just stand about three feet away and try it.
Jon on his usual form did all three problems, bit of a show boater I say ;-)

Saturday 11 September 2010

No Skin!

What a good week, though not actually achieved a right lot. On Monday I was the lone representative lunch time boulderer at the mighty Bas West Chevin. Actually doing laps on 'Eat the light'!!!, but we did get out another two lunchtimes.

Thursday evening we met up with Jon aka www.yorkshiregrit.com , at The Cliff. My latest project is the L-R traverse into Morells wall. Christ that pocket is hard to hold. But I will.

Friday 3 September 2010


Bonjour, well there's a clue to why it's all been a little quiet. Though I have been back for over a week now, yes a slack bastard.

I only had one days climbing but boy it was an excellent, this is one area that's little heard of just south of Angoulême in Charnte. The climbing here is pocket pulling and powerfull single pitch sport climbing on perfect French limestone.

Though I only had one day there I thought the grading was either full on sandbaging or pretty steady. We chose a sandbag for the 1st route. 5+ my arse, easy satrt then a limestone slab in the sun proved quite interesting, but we did it...

Tuesday 27 July 2010

Found rather a good little video of Font on youtube, after all it's getting near the time to get psyched for Bouldering, especially those who have a font trip on the cards!



Friday 23 July 2010

Oh Yeh


Took this photo of two old timers a week or so ago. They'd just climbed Cubic corner at Brimham and were sat chewing the fat. Speaks for it's self really.

Rain, Rain...

Well today it did and tonight it was off to Ilkley Quarry.
Met up with Jamie the vegetarian Welsh sheep farmer, he's quite new to this climbing lark.
I led him up Napoleon, not done that route before and on a hot sunny evening polished quarried grit is bloody hard word. That said I think it was hard for the VS 4c grade!

Al turned up with his mat when I was on the Josephine ledg; "So we're not bouldering then".

Then it was Jamies lead, or as it turned out fiasco on a multi pitch grit severe. nuff said, but the post climbing beer ib Ilkley tasted good.

Thursday 15 July 2010

Here's an old video, quite good. Oh it's me; )



A tricky low traverse avoiding the lagre break above.

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Beyond the worls cup!

Well with all the excitement of international football and the demise of the mighty England from the world cup I decided to go climbing amongst other things.

So it's been the usual lunchtime bouldering down at the mighty West Chevin, though recently we've been going to the lower level boulders.

Then there has been the usual flurry of sport climbing at Trollers Gill, need to get back there a get the horrible short intense 6c+ on the right side ticked.

Also there has been a bit of easy trad climbing at Brimmers.

Family wise probably the best thing last Month was a trip to Go Ape at Dalby forest.

Go Ape from Fran Holland on Vimeo.

Tuesday 1 June 2010

Bit of a 'Random' week.

Bit of a random week, but done quite a lot and not, does that make any sense, no.

A few more lunchtime trips to West Chevin boulderers, it's becoming quite a habit.
Sam and I have been trying a low level traverse across the
Raynman Area boulder. It pretty sequency and really nice climbing and should go at about Font 6b+, but I'm not the best at grading. Anyway constant climbing has made my fingers sore but the balm is helping them to rejuvenate.

Only got out one evening this week with Jamie and Jake, back up to Panorama. we were climbing some easy problems at the far Eastern end when we heard the farmer; "GET OUT, NO CLIMBING NO CLIMBING". So we left, but I'll have to go to chat to him some time re the new guide.

A few minutes later we were at the West end, where the land owner is a nice old chap that showed interest to the climbing on his land. So we got on Phoenix wall, it's nails, Andy Crome on Phoenix wall,
I had been trying it before Andy did it, but he got their first.

Saturday we went sailing on Grimwith resevoir, fe
ck that was cold and wet. It was back to winter and were we glad of Hot Chocolate.

Sunday was a nice local walk and Sunday Up dale day at Middlesmooor, couple of photos below, none of climbing though.

Today I planned to go to Earl with Ben for cornwall, it pissed down!
Updale Day

Sunday 23 May 2010

A 'Power'week.

Had a week of highs and lows climbing this week.
At West Chevin the lunchtime bouldering has continued with Sam. The highlight was probably ticking Time, not that hard. more tricky in the warm conditions. Time
Also we did Unit of Power, bit of an eliminate but very good,Unit of Power.

An evening with Jon mid week led to the usual arse kicking from Slipstones, did the usual warm ups then Steptoe stopped me in my tracks.

Then Saturday was guide book writing duties for the new Yorkshire Gritstone guide, 5000 routes in two volumes. So Jamie, Jake and I went to Panorama Crag above pateley.
Routes we did, probably the most recent ascents for some years were;
Glasshouse Groove, Power Pull and a V diff Rib. Power Pull proved hard at HVS 5c with a grassy knoll at the top which was quite scary.

No photos this week but here's one from last week of a colleague at West Chevin that's pretty good;

Monday 17 May 2010

Last week was quite a week, firstly lunchtimes were spent at West Chevin boulders trying, trying and trying again Eat The Light (Font 7a+), until on Friday I had one of those "I can't believe it" moments when I found my self latched to the top.

Friday after work we went for a butchers at Ross and Amanda's new problem at East Chevin, the good ones are quite high ball but look really good, but my lack of skin deterred me from the send.


So a weekend of R&R was called for, Saturday was spent at Saltburn-on-Sea. We got there to find the UK Surf Champs' were going on, oh dear the sea was as flat as a witches tit.




Plans for this week, if the weather holds is to get one of my nemesis problems 'Hanging Grove' at Earl Crag, superb but tough on the skin. Saturday to go to Panorama for guide writing duties and to get on Phoenix wall, though it truly is nails and probably beyond me.