I'm not going to cook it but I'll order it from Zanzibar...

...the famous or rather, infamous lyrics of the Tenacious D song, 'F*ck Her Gently' conjure lots of images & ideas. None of which are related to the article below I hasten to add. No, below is not a tale of sexual exploration and lust on the Spice Island. Below is a tale of my travels to unclimbed* shores, looking for something steep to pull on, deep in the heart of the Indian Ocean. And so...

...It's here. Finally. I've promised to write about my bouldering experience in Zanzibar since August last year. Admittedly, I've been a little lax in getting this one from my head through the keyboard and onto the screen, but you know what they say, good things come to those who wait.

In April 2010 I was given an absolutley incredible gift for my birthday from my equally incredible partner Amy. We were to embark on a trip to Tanzania & Zanzibar later in the year to work with community projects that housed and educated orphans in the area. The trip was to last three weeks (...we both wished it could have been longer, but were limited by work commitments) and would spend around one week on the mainland of Tanganyika (more commonly known as Tanzania) and two weeks on the island of Unguja (more commonly know as Zanzibar).

Now I don't know about you, but the first thing that crossed my mind when I found out that I was away for three weeks was ... what about climbing?! I immediately began scouring the internet looking for any nuggets of information about climbing in Tanzania or on the island of Zanzibar, there was (and still is) very little. The only leads I had were two photos I had managed to find, one of a very steep looking, sea battered shore line and the other, an over exposed shot from the HotRock website. There was no talk of locations, or any developed bouldering areas anywhere I looked.

Optimistic (as always) I packed some old shoes, a chalk bag, and my trusty Lapis brush ... just in case.


After almost two weeks of touring and working in the orphanges I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms. We had seen some emotional, incredible and harrowing sights and I needed my cathartic dose of climbing. Even pull-ups on door frames and shimmying up one of the phenomenal BaoBao trees couldn't fill the void I'd been left with.

Venturing into the massive branches of the BaoBao tree

The author in the heart of the BaoBao tree (approx 10m up) wishing he had a rope on (or at least a helmet!)

We had been working hard on the island of Zanzibar and were in need of a rest. The group of volunteers that Amy and I had grown friendly with were heading to the North of the island for the weekend to a place called Kendwa Rocks. Kendwa is known for it's crystal clear waters, brilliant white sands, palm trees, beach huts and more importantly ... it's beach parties. The very conservative, Islamic hustle and bustle of Stone Town (the capital of Zanzibar and the town we were staying in) was amazing, a true cultural experience and a magnificent place to reside but Amy and I were exhausted. We fancied a break. We were in need of a little time to let our hair down whilst having a laugh in a relaxed and more liberal setting.

We were going to Kendwa.

The perfect place to relax. Kendwa, Zanzibar

On arriving in Kendwa we were met with everything we were promised. Beautiful beaches right out of the front door of our chalets, hammocks in the sun, traditional local fishing Dhows providing perfect photo opportunites and a healthy supply of cocktails ... lush. It truly was paradise. Ever the adventurer I wanted to go for a wander up the beach and see what else I could find.

As I ambled along I was met with a steep limestone face, around a metre high, rising up out of the sand. Amazing. Weird, but amazing. On closer inspection it looked to be what was part of the old reef, where the sea had once been many years ago. It carried on for literally the whole length of the beach from where I was stood looking Northwards up the island. The most exciting part? It got bigger!

I wasn't really sure what to expect but this looked similar to one of the photos I had seen. Grey rock that got gradually higher and turned more orange in colour the further it went ... steep but not particularly high ... Was this why they called it Kendwa Rocks?

About 2 kilometeres further up the beach the rock was now between 2.5 metres - 4 metres in height in some spots, overhanging by about 3-5metres. Locals were using it to shade themselves from the harsh equatorial sun, sitting in the soft sand beneath. This was looking better by the minute.

I walked into the sea to get a panoramic view of the rock in it's entirity trying to locate the place where I thought would yield the best/any climbing. A position right at the far end of the beach where some of the local 'wide-boys' were chilling out looked to be the best choice. I wandered over for a closer look at the rock and also to ask the blokes if they would mind me coming back with my shoes and chalk to climb on it. The rock was covered in features and the locals (who appeared to be smoking a rather large conical shaped cigarette) didn't seem to mind ... although language was an issue. After some creative miming, a couple of deadhangs to demonstrate and a lot of giggling (from them) I figured I had their approval. It was on.

I waltzed back down the beach towards our chalet with a spring in my step and started to get a bit excited. Was I finally going to get some climbing in?

20 minutes later after a jog and some stretching to warm up I was back at the same spot equipped with my kit. The 'wide-boys' seemingly stoned and rather curious as to what I was about to do shuffled from underneath the shade and respite of the rock and formed an audience in the scorching heat.

I inspected what looked to be an obvious line up a wide prow. Scanning the petrified reef for holds, I planned out a rough path from bottom to top, there seemed to be enough to get me there. I brushed and chalked a couple of the more obvious holds and began to get myself 'in the zone'.

I perched myself as far under the overhang as I could, found some starting hand & footholds. Took a deep breath and pulled. I was on.

Sh*t. Sh*t. Sh*t.

There is one thing for sure; sea-battererd limestone is very sharp. Very f*cking sharp indeed. However there was no way that I was letting go or falling off, this was my flash attempt at conquering the Zanzibar bouldering scene ... and on top of that, I had an audience ...  I was getting to the top.

I'll be honest, the going was pretty tough, without a proper warm up it felt like I was climbing through a horizontal roof rather than on the 45/50 degree angle that it was in reality. As I climbed it looked as though there were literally hundreds of features that looked useable, it was only until I applied any weight or force to them that I found  most were like pulling on broken glass or would snap off under my weight. My fingers were hurting from the sharpness and my arms were getting pumped. I needed a rest ... this was definitely going to require some innovation; I managed to throw my leg up into a large, sharp pocket feature and with a flick of the heel I found a bomber heel/toe lock. A swift move of my right hand to a large hold mean that I was in balance and in a good position to rest.

The author making good use of a rest on his first problem font 6b+ (notice the very stoned local perched behind him)

A quick moment to catch my breath and a dab of chalk and I was powering through the last few moves to the top of the rock. I could hear a mumble of voices from the crowd behind me and I as I turned round to climb back down ... I was met with applause. Clearly the locals felt I had warranted some appreciation. Cracking.

Well, I was off to a flying start and had climbed my first problem, I reckon at around V4+/font6b+/6c. I shared some moments of enthusiasm and excitement with the 'wide-boys' and now growing crowd of locals which also included some Masai men that had gathered to see what the hell I was doing. They were intrigued, but who wouldn't be?! A crazy white guy turns up and starts throwing himself about on your local bit of rock?! Very strange. A couple of the more ambitious locals and one of the Masai fancied a try themselves and did their best to find a decent hold and put their feet on ... it looks easy right?! I gave them all a dab in the chalk bag, and pointed them at some of the more obvious holds. They realised very quickly that this was not as easy as they had first thought, in fact it was quite the opposite. Their failed efforts simply made them want me to show them what else could be done on the rock. They wanted more, and so did I.

I wandered a little further along the rock to look for the next obvious line to climb ... it wasn't so obvious. The next sequence of (useable) features looked smaller and more widely spaced, following a scoop feature out through the steep roof ... it was going to require a little more thought and a lot more effort. Especially if I was going to impress! I brushed and chalked up the holds that looked solid and hung off them just to check. More chalk and a few deep breaths and I was sat at the base of the rock again.

I pulled on the first holds. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pressing with my feet as hard as I could I tried to take some of the weight (and hopefully some of the pain) from my fingers. A long reach with my right arm for the next distant hold and ... slip. I hit the sand arse first to a volley of disappointed groans from the locals. Crap. I really was going to have to try.

The (painful) starting holds

I chalked up again, gritted my teeth and pressed hard into my toes this time attempting to make the move more dynamically ... my hand hit its target, but my feet cut loose. Not wanting to commit to the razor sharp hold hold (or the pain) I hit the sand again. This time there was silence. Ouch. I had a harsh word with myself.

What's wrong with you? The holds are chalked. You know you can make the reach. Man-up and pull-on.

More chalk, more deep breaths and I'm back on. This time going for a more controlled approach, locking my left arm deep as my right hand reaches high.

The big move up & right

My fingers squeezed the hold, I was in business. I could feel my feet starting to shift and knew that gravity was about to pull me away from the rock. As I started to cut-loose again, I pressed hard with my left hand and gripped tight with my right letting my body swing through. Using the momentum of the swing I threw my right foot high above my head and onto the next foot hold. It stuck. Come on. Despite the awkward position I flagged my left leg out. I felt balanced. I breathed. More chalk.

Throwing my leg up high (good use of momentum) for the awkward postition

Flagging the left leg to stay in balance and taking a second to chalk up

I eyed up the next hold. It was up and left, a weird looking blob in a pocket. I knew this would be a powerful move, from the position I wasin. I engaged my core muscles as I moved my left hand onto its hold. I hit it first time. Feet loose again I regained balance and pressed on the footholds.

Grabbing 'the blob' out left

Sinking down ready for the 'last big move'

One final big move up to another good hold was all it would take. I sank deep into my feet and then powered up to a sharp jug, cranking the last easy moves to the top. I had done it again. More applause. This was great. Another problem done, this time at around V5+/V6 or font 6c+/7a.

I was having an absolute whale of a time, however my fingers and the rest of my body didn't agree. I was already bleeding from a gash on my left hand, my index finger on my right hand had a big flapper and I had managed to slash my ankles up pretty bad as well. As much as I was enjoying myself, I was going to have to call it a day, before I did any serious damage.

Unlike when I'm in the UK or on a climbing trip and I get shut down early by flappers/blood/rain/etc I wasn't gutted, mad or anything similar. I was actually very pleased. I think the fact that I hadn't climbed for so long meant that a quick burst for an hour in the sun was enough to put a smile on my face.

I ambled back to the beach huts and chalets where the rest of the group was sunbathing. As I approached,  chatting with the still-confused locals, bloodied up like I'd be wrestling with razor-wire ... the awaiting folk (all non-climbers) thought that I had a screw loose. They were probably right.

If you are heading out to Zanzibar (for whatever reason) and want to know if there is any climbing to be had ... I think I have answered the question quite clearly. There is bouldering there. It is by no means not easy, and it's certainly not skin friendly but it was a perfect quick hit and a little adventure, all at the same time.

I certainly left Kendwa very happy.

Thanks go to the extremely friendly (and incredibly stoned) locals for letting me play on their rock and also a big thank you to Amy for coming along with me the day after with her posh camera to take the lovely pictures you've seen here.

Love to you all.

The author ... smiling

*(unconfirmed) 

CLIMBING: 2011

The calender is finally available for purchase.

I've looked through it and it is stunning, featuring some truly inspriring imagery. It also has a particularly nice cover shot as well ... if I may say so myself.

Check out the links below to photographer Keith Sharples' website.

CLICK HERE to read about the shoot.

CLICK HERE to read about the calender.

CLICK HERE to purchase one.

Also, please accept my most sincere apologies for the lack of blogging recently, i've been a terribly busy bee, what with working and training. Lots to come soon.

PHANTOM ZONE

Finally did it. After a lot of hard work, I finally clipped the chains on Phantom Zone f7b+.

I headed down there on Monday afternoon with Phil Vickers and Ellie Leighfield, with the ensuing bad weather and the shorter nights drawing in I was convinced that this would be my final attempt.

On arriving at the crag we realised that both Phil and Ellie had forgotten their harnesses, I kid you not?! What a joke. Phil popped back to the car (serves him bloody right) and managed to return with a single harness for them to share. I hopped on Interstellar Overdrive to warm up and after sending that for the millionth time this season I swung accross and put the clips in on P.Z.

Phil and then Ellie both had a burn on Interstellar Overdrive which is a particularly hard route to read and is even harder to onsight.

Fully rested and fully psyched my turn came to get on P.Z. The moves firmly entrenched into the forefront of my mind (I have dreamed about it on numerous occassions since trying it for the first time four weeks ago) I tied in, squeaked my shoes and took a final deep breath.

My memory of the climbing is a big blur of power screams and crushing the life out of each horrible hold, pulling through each move up to the last crux sequence.

I can then distinctly remember squeezing the two horrible, crimpy side-pulls, setting up for the last hard move,

... deep breath, left foot on rubbery smear out right, right foot is good, BREATHE, sink down on the holds, look at the hold, I CAN stick it, BREATHE, throw right hand, aim high on the cheese grater tufa, SQUEEZE! ... 

As I realised I'd stuck the hold I could feel the chain above me, beckoning me closer, just three more moves.

I was so psyched,

... I'm going to do this, come on, left foot on the hidden hold, left hand up to the shallow gaston edge, balance, squeeze the hold, balance, BREATHE, come on, fuck the clip, up to the jug, come on, lunge, YES, come on, I'm going to do this, make the clip, up to the final tufa, COME ON this is the last move, clip the chains. YES! ...

And that was it, all over, Phantom Zone, ticked. The smile on my face would have made a Cheshire Cat look miserable. Butterflies in my stomach, I lowered back to the ground. Sitting at the bottom of the route I looked back up at the holds ... I'd done it. It was mine. I was leaving victorious.

I would like to take this oppurtunity to thank Chris Rabone for the initial belays on the route, Sally Wheatley for belaying me for a session on it, Rin Colombi for  belaying me on my first and second lead attempt, Ben, Leo and Chris for psyching me up to just go for it, Jon Freeman for belaying me on my third and fourth lead attempt and finally to Phil for belaying me on the fifth and final redpoint and Ellie for her encouragement. 

Also a big thank you to Amy, for not killing me every time I talked about the route or did the moves in my sleep. I love you.

Now for the next big project...

Phantom Zone

...is going to get sent.

I popped over to Chapel Head again last night with Sally (of the Wheatley variety) and jumped on Interstellar Overdrive to warm up. 

After a good preliminary burn and whilst sorting gear for the route I looked up to see the evening sun dropping slowly in the sky, illuminating the intimidating line of choice in a flood of gold and amber.

What a brute. 

I truly wish I could continue with a romanticized account of how I 'just felt right' and got on the route, sending it first go on my second visit. But let's be honest here ... I didn't. In fact the truth is, I'm not strong enough ... yet.

Anyway, with the last of the daylight hours dwindling I quickly clip-sticked my way to the top and upon threading the anchor I began to recall the moves that I had memorised from my previous session, particularly the crux; A difficult pop from two poor, crimpy side-pulls up to a sharp and not particularly good tufa, all on typically marginal footholds. Lovely.

My first top-rope attempt involved looking at each individual move and then working it to find the best body positions and hold combinations. Throroughly knackered at the anchor I came down for a rest giving Sally the chance to have a go at working her magic on the thing ... she did very-bloody-well, doing pretty much every move AND on her first visit. That girl is too strong for her own good.

A few swigs on my 'generic energy drink', an exchange of banter and a squeeze or two of the warm-up putty and I was feeling ready for a second go. My goal this time was to link up as many moves as possible using the sequence that I had worked out. 

It felt awesome. Awesomely hard, but awesome all the same. 

The moves are right at the top end of my ability on rock at the minute, writing this now I can feel my fingers and elbows aching. It's such a powerful sequence, mostly on poor holds; Fingery pinches, cheese-grater-style tufas, gnarly crimps and a whole host of polished slippiness to keep your feet entertained.

I have no qualms in saying that I let out involuntary power screams on near enough every move.

Second session over, equalling four 'attempts' in total and i've managed to stick every single hold and combine every move with the one above and below it ( ... in theory that means I have worked each part of the sequence correctly, maybe). Now all I need to do is head back down there and get on it again ... and again ... until I can do the sequence in its entirety without my foot slipping off a hold and definitely without having to whimper a feeble "take" when my fingers feel like explosion is imminent as I urge them to hang on for one more second.

Regardless of my shortcomings so far I am extremely positive about Phantom Zone. I genuienly feel like it'll go with just a couple more sessions of practice and a healthy dose of power endurance training on the side.

Leading this route is pretty much the main thing on my mind at the minute and I can't wait to get it clean. 

They say that patience is a virtue ... I don't recollect claiming to be virtuos?

ps. I promise to get some pictures on here soon!

Chapel Head

...the bird ban is still off and the crag is still dry. Hallelujah!

Tonight I'll be making another trip down to Chapel Head, in fact my fourth in the last 6 days.

It's bloody fantastic down there. There's a wealth of routes to suit many ... not all (hell ... what do you want me to do...lie?!).

I don't have any pictures just yet but all being well I'll get some tonight when I have me second session on my project ... Phantom Zone. Beautifully crafted, short and hard...Paul Ingham created a beauty when he sent this in 1986.

I'm going to leave it there for now...not being one to bore you with all the details...but if you do manage to get down there then be sure to check out:

Tufa King Hard, Interstellar Overdrive, Shades of Mediocrity, Electric Warrior and most of all Wargames (Super - uber classic of the crag). 

Let's be honest ... It's all a whole lot prettier if there are photo's involved.

Happy climbing ...

GEAR TEST: HT HORNET HPi

So...Tom Hull and I recently returned from a climbing trip to the world famous El Chorro gorge, Andalucia, Spain.

Whilst we were there solely (pardon the pun) to climb as many routes in two weeks as we could. I had been given a sneaky side mission by the kind fellows from Hi-Tec Sports UK to write a review for a pair of their "Hornet HPi" shoes. After the two weeks of pounding they got whilst we were out there, I can tell you now that they were really put through their paces (quite literally).

THE SHOE.

I'm not going to give you a long list of all the features for the shoe, you can look at the Hi-Tec website for that (Click here to see the full spec...) I simply want to tell about my personal experience with the shoe; What I thought was good and bad, what works and what doesn't and why YOU might consider getting hold of a pair for yourself.

WHY THE HORNET HPi?

When I was talking with Hi-Tec about a shoe to take to El Chorro I gave them a rough idea of what we were expecting in terms of conditions; dry and warm, with potential for long, dusty and rocky walk-ins. 

I was looking for a trainer/approach shoe rather than a boot. I wanted a versatile shoe that would be light enough for throwing on to nip into the village to pick up essentials, yet provide support and comfort on long walk-ins carrying climbing gear. I required traction and grip on many terrains from tarmac to rock, scree and loose paths. The Hornet HPi with it's array of features ticking all the required boxes, was the shoe of choice.

On the train to El Chorro we were met with large thunder clouds and a lot of rain instead of bright sunshine. Not what we were expecting to say the least. We later found out that El Chorro has been experienced possibly one of THE WETTEST winters ever seen there, with a constant 9 weeks of rain previous to our arrival. As you may have guessed ... the conditions were NOT what we were expecting.

The formally dusty paths had turned to mud and clay with a VERY loose and slippery surface coating, the roads were well on their way to full scale erosion and the ground was at times very unstable. The amount of subsidence that had taken place over such a short time span was astonishing. On our first day out as we passed other teams of climbers kitted out with walking boots, I began to wonder how the Hornet HPi would fair up. 

I was not disappointed.

THE REVIEW.

When I recieved the shoe I was immediately taken aback by the colour. I opted for the grey/green model rather than the black/orange one. It was bright. There was one thing for sure, I wasn't going to lose them.

I had a quick look over the shoe and everything looked great. The finishing was, as is usual with Hi-Tec footwear, top notch. The 'heat seal overlays' (the birght green bits) looked especially good with no stitching or any evidence of glueing. The sole unit looked substantial, an aggressive lug pattern that utilises the 'Vibram Supertrek' rubber compound. The midsole looked hefty but felt squashy so I knew that was going to make for a comfier ride. Top all that off with protective toe rand, good lateral support and a decent lacing pattern (with anti-rust hardware) and I knew that if they felt as good as they looked they were going to be great.

Next came actually using them. I was concerned, wondering how they would perform on this unexpected terrain. They did not let me down.

They held solid in the thick, wet mud providing perfect traction and support both up and down hill, carrying a full pack that weighed between 5-10kg depending how much gear we were required on a day to day basis. The aggresive Multi-Directional Traction pattern performed as well as any boot I have ever worn fell walking on similar if ground in the Lakes back home in the UK. The compound of the rubber worked brilliantly on the rocky areas at the bottom of crags even when it was wet (any shoe that grips wet limestone boulders deserves an award if you ask me!). The heat sealed overlay (yes...those bright green bits) weren't the gimmick that I had been suspicions about, working in conjunction with the lacing system they succeeded in pulling the whole shoe from the upper right down to the sole tight around the foot reducing any movement.

After being constantly impressed about how the Hornet HPi were performing on soft, loose ground, I was eagerly anticipating putting them to their paces on hard surfaces to see how the construction worked at providing cushioning and support when under high impact.

A full night of torrential downpours and continued rain the next day meant there was very little climbing to be had, which presented the perfect oppurtunity for me to take them out on the road.

Now these shoes are most certainly not designed for road running, and Hi-Tec don't sell them for that purpose, but the steep tarmac slopes in and out of El Chorro are as good a testing ground as any and again, the Hornet HPi performed fantastically well. The midsole and Comfort-tec custom sockliner provided ample cushioning and support for the ankles and knees, the lateral support of the shoe and the heel support served well also and again, the heat sealed overlays kept the foot in place. I'm not saying by any means, that the Hornet HPi is the perfect road running shoe, their weight and construction style are not designed for it, but for infrequent, one-off use on the road, they really are great.

The final box that I wanted to tick for the review was all weather dependant, I wanted to know how the shoes would perform under the conditions that I'd originally chosen them for; warm, dry and rock strewn. The weather dried up for a few days, the sun shone with all it's glory and in true Spanish form, everything dried out incredibly fast. The Hornet HPi, again was a winner.
Being "ultra-breathable" due to the synthetic upper and Ion-Mask hydrophobic technology they were comfortable in the heat with a thin 'Coolmax' liner sock. They were also equally comfortable without a sock for throwing on and moving quickly between sectors and for sitting at belays. They gripped the dusty limestone slabs superbly when scrambling between routes and areas and they again provided all the support needed when carrying gear. The performance of the Hornet HPi again had managed to exceed my expectations.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
I have only one thing to say about the Hornet HPi in terms of criticism, and that is that they are designed to be hydrophobic and not fully waterproof. When I recieved them I knew what I was getting, but it just seems that with the weather I experienced out there, which wasn't too far from a traditional Great British summer that making  them waterproof would have offered that little bit extra, especially for sale to a British market. Also, with the amount of plastic and rubber that is already on the shoe, the toe protection, the heat sealed overlay and the casing round the heel, it wouldn't be compromising breathability too much more to have an eVENT membrane included. Nonetheless I was still mightily impressed my there superb construction and impeccable performance. Plus HI-TEC do manufatcture fully waterproof shoe in the same 'Adventure Sport' category.

FINAL WORD.
If you are looking for a top end adventure trainer at an amazing price (they retail between £40-£60 depending where you buy them...BARGAIN!) then the  HT HORNET HPi is the shoe for you. More than adequate for long trails carrying a pack when the weight of your footwear is an issue, superb for walking or running over precarious terrain when you need your footwear to be giving 100% all the time and comfortable enough to wear all day, everyday whether you're on the fell, at the crag or even down the pub, the Hornet HPi is up there with the best of them.

THUMBS UP FOR THE HORNET HPi FROM ME!

Finally, I would like to thank all the people at HI-TEC Sports UK for allowing me to review their shoes, especially Luke Schnacke and also a huge thanks to Tom Hull for agreeing to take so many photo's and for putting up with me for two weeks.

Blog fans: Report of the trip to El Chorro with photo's following very soon...watch this space.

The day we SENT BoulderUK...

Yesterday (which would be Thursday) was a day off for myself and it coincided with the day off of a certain Sally Wheatley.
With the weather being somewhat unpredictable and the sunlight hours limited Sally and I decided to make a little afternoon trip down to Blackburn's BoulderUK, the brainchild and venture of Lancashire legend Ian Vickers.

We got there reasonably quickly and without any major hiccoughs (apart from Sally's brief beguilement with having to wave at the Asian man she cut up in the queue of traffic) and ended up at BoulderUK within 55minutes of setting off. Parked up outside the local Salvo Army centre (which looked bery appealling what with all the scum bags hanging around) and headed in...

The set up is cool. It's not a huge spot so luckily it was quiet the whole time we were there...
after signing in and reading the safety rules (which we abided by THE ENTIRE TIME) we could wait no more and got to it.

CRUSH was not the word. I was on it. After a rest day and a good warm up I was ready for a hard session and quickly flashed a number of V3/4's onsight. I was psyched to say the least. Sally was on it too...of course. She cruised up pretty much all of the same problems as I did throughout the afternoon. Good work Sally.

After pottering around on more V3/4 problems I spotted a really tasty looking problem in the corner of the room. Steep powerful looking start, postive crimps and long dynamic reaches to good holds ... just my style! Thinking nothing of it I jumped on, pulled on the starting holds, they felt good. I cruised the first couple of moves up out of the steep overhanging prow and then after a quick rest and a moment to compose myself on a good hold, despatched the top moves through the overhanging finish. No bother. Went over to the board to check the grade ... V5! Shit me. My first V5 Flash. Nearly fell over I was that shocked!



Well, after that I was "super psyched" to say the least. There was clearly some serious bouldering to be done. After eyeing up a couple more V5's and two V6's that I was keen to try we got to it again.

I sent 3 or 4 more V5 problems and one V6. There was also an AWESOME V6/7 problem that ran out through a tunnel type feature. It had a delicate move to a stalacite, sweet hands off rest, overhanging blocks, heel hooks, toe hooks, heel toes, smears and slopers and ... I was like a bloody kid in a sweet shop. Both Sally and I had a few good goes on it...I did every move in three seperate sections but unfortunately couldn't muster the energy to link all three sections up at once...definitely one to try again if I'm back in the near future!



There was also another good bouldering room upstairs as well as a climbers shop (that had a sale on ... oops, might have spent some pennies there...sorry mr bank manager)



After a solid three and a bit hours of formidable bouldering effort we were well and truly frazzled. The psyche was still there but our fingers and strength reserves were dissipated to the extent that we called it a day.



THE VERDICT: Great success. In retrospect the gradings might have been a little (only a little) soft, with the problems maybe needing downgrading half a grade or so. The shop was awesome, the staff helpful and friendly, the atmosphere was calm and positive. I would definitely head back down there for another session of crushing on plastic even if it was just to fall on to the SUPER SPRINGY mats.

Cheers BoulderUK.

Liam.

**Apologies, poor light + poor camera = poor picture quality**