Bat Route, Weddings and another Stag Do!

After my Kalymnos trip I felt like I was getting fitter and myself and Neil had managed to keep the psyche going with regular trips to Malham even though the weather had been terrible. Most of Bat Route had stayed dry and I was able to get some good links on the route. We had some good spells of weather in May and I came really close about 5 times! I just wasn't quite able to 'close the deal' getting a terminal pump on the last 3 moves. It also didn't help that the two other people I was working it with Ben and Steve dispatched it that week. After a bad spell of weather at the end of May I went back indoors and did a bit of training, thinking in the back of my mind that it might be just about to get hot or wet in June and therefore having to wait till the Autumn. However at the start of June we had a short good spell of weather and the route was bone dry for a few days! Neil dispatched his new route Raining Bats and Dogs ( hard 8c ) on the Saturday and then we went back up on the Thursday with Neil, Kathrine and Dom. I warmed up well doing some big links on Bat Route and then smashed it in first go. GET IN. It felt amazing I sat on the half way ledge at Malham for about 15 minutes taking it all in. Probably one of the best routes I have ever done.

Crux

Big Air time

The last hard section

trying to stay calm on the last few moves.
Thanks to Nick Brown for the photo's

After dispatching Bat Route I was ready for a metal and physical rest, Beer/cakes were on the agenda. Lucinda and I had a family wedding to go to in Toronto,Canada. We had a great week of chilling, eating and hanging out with Lu's Canadian cousins. One day we headed out of the city to Niagra Falls and quested into the middle of the falls on the boat 'made in mist ' we got fully soaked and had an awesome view of the spectacular falls.

Made in the Mist'

CN Tower

A couple of weeks later it was time to head out to Spain for the Legendary Stag Do of Jason Pickles. Leo had planned 5 days of carnage from Canyoning to Bull Running. We started the week with a massive drive to Riglos for a action packed day down a canyon and white water rafting! It was awesome twelve lads questing about in the water was a sight to be seen. We then headed to Pamplaona to the San Fermin festival. Thousands and thousands of people all dressed in red and white descend on the city for seven days and seven nights of what can only be described as carnage. Every morning at 8am they let ten large bulls charge up one of the streets ( about 800 meters in length ). Punters line the street and either run alongside the bulls, get trampled on/Gored or try everything possible to get out of the way. We all managed to not get hurt and make it along the street and follow the bulls into the Bull Ring where the carnage continues. We then had one hell of a savage night questing round the city moving between crazy bars and street party's. Happy Stag do Jas! Most of the crew then flew home and the five of us left drove another six hours to the Picos de Europa, to attempt to climb a big wall on the Naranja de Bulma.
We stayed in a small village after the massive drive, everybody feeling broken after the all nighter. We got up at six in the morning hoping for the alpine start and set off in the car to drive to the base of the cliff. We didn't have a map just Leo's memory of when he was there four years ago. Two and half hours later we eventually found the parking and started the two hour walk in. We finally made it to the base of the cliff at midday!! felling optimistic about the 15 pitch 7B+ big wall we were about to climb in a team of five!! Sure enough we got the half way ledge ( pitch 8) and it was six o'clock with the mist and rain setting in!! Time to bail and get back to the Refugia for dinner at eight o'clock. Result!! We got down in time for dinner and drank more wine and finished the stag do in style. What a great week and thanks to Leo and Jas for arranging an awesome week.
Check out the photo's below:

 Ready for action

Apprehension before the bulls

Last pitch before we bailed!!

Last night Refugio scene