We were staying with a big team of Brits from around the UK in a large farmhouse belonging to the Travelers Rest. The accomodation was fairly basic but had loads of comfey sofa's and had a real homely feel to it. This was short lived after 15 people all living togeather attracted all kinds of wildlife from Tics to mice... now I felt like we were in Africa!
The weather in July was pretty hot but the prevailing psyche of loads of amazing looking problems won over and I felt like I was climbing well and enjoying climbing some great problems. I started off doing a few classic 7c's and a couple of 7c+'s and felt pretty fit from this springs sport climbing scene.
I had set myself a little challenge before I went away and this was that I was only allowed to drink beer if I had climbed and 8a or above.. This proved to be a good motivator and I was soon dispatching 8a's left right and centre. After climbing a few classic 8a's I turned my focus to one of the best looking boulder problems I have ever seen called Black Shadow. It was so hot that I went out one night to have a go with head torch's, I pulled on a couple of times but it was still way too hot. My next session was better and I should of done it but I fell off the last move 3 times. I had a double rest day went back for revenge, I changed my sequence at the end and did it first go from the start topping out in a sea of glory!
The weather over the next few weeks improved because we had a weekly day of rain that cooled the air down a bit. With these improved conditions I went up to try a amazing looking roof called The Vice (flashed by Ondra). This was the first time I have a tried an 8b and my first session went well. I managed to do all the moves and link it in 2 sections, spirits were high and I had another double rest day and went back up for another look. Something was different I felt rubbish and the conditions didn't feel very good, I couldn't do the links I did on the first session and I decided to leave it for a while and go and do some other slightly easier problem's.
I had a great week climbing some classic high problems like Cedar spine, Splash of Red and flashing Tomorrow I will be gone and I felt like it was time to have another go at The Vice.
VOID.... I walked up feeling positive and arrived at the problem to a sea of people! no joke there must have been 10-12 people trying it and another 15 watching! not good. I tried to warm up and try the moves but it was ridiculous. One person was trying the end as someone else was going from the start!
I decided then that I didn't have enough time to do it and I was more psyched to get some more classics done instead and leave the Vice for another trip. I then walked over to another sector and dispatched a classic problem called Nutsa 4th go.
All in all I had a great trip and met some really sound people and would defiantly go back in a few years time.
I have listed below some of classic problems I did:
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| Black Shadow |
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| Splash of Red |
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| Lu on Caroline 7c+ |
Black Shadow 8a+, The Ampetheate 8a+, Nutsa 8a, Witness the Sickness 8a, Pendragon 8a, Barracuda 8a, No late Benders 8a, Out of balance 8a, Spash of Red 7c+, Ghost in Darkness 7C+, Caroline 7c+, Cedar spine SS 7c, Une rime stupide 7c+, Winne 7c, Tomorrow I will be gone 7c, Tea Garden Roof 7c, Pinotage 7b+.
