Solo Climbing

I’ve had many conversations with people about Solo Climbing over the years, a topic of conversation that is becoming more frequent. With a few media articles on high profile climbers Solo Climbing around at the minute, I’ve been thinking more and more about Solo Climbing. What are it’s merits and how is it presented to the mainstream rock climber? I got sent a photo recently, taken a while back of me Solo Climbing in Wanaka, and that provided the catalyst for this blog….

Solo Climbing in Wanaka – not too high and not too hard, but is it all worth it?! Thanks Kirsten Dale Photography for the photo..

Running Climbing and Mountaineering courses, alongside Instructing and Coaching many different people, we often get drawn into in-depth discussions behind the psyche and motivations of climbers. We (me especially) are simple souls and might often not really think about the answers to the questions people sometimes ask. I’ve developed stock answers to many of them, the classics being “Have you slept on one of those ledge things?” (Yes I have) and “Have you climbed Everest”, (No I have not). But people want more than that, you’re drawn in to a talk on the merits of putting yourself in danger on a Mountain, and whether Everest really is climbing or not..?! I feel that as an Instructor I need to give the measured, safety first response, to be a good role-model etc.. Sometimes it’s better to not share our own, strong opinions, to avoid controversy and to appear to be giving off the right message to novice climbers.

But one topic I’m being increasingly asked about is Solo Climbing. It’s hard to avoid the mainstream media exploits of Alex Honnold, and this is specifically the exposure that novices have to compare “normal” climbing against. What Honnold does is nothing new (just at a different level). People at the forefront of the sport have been soloing hard for years with (and without) exposure in the media. Croft, Osman, Potter… All guys I’ve looked up to and aspired to emulate in some way or another, but perhaps not a list of names you’d wish to join?! But soloing simply isn’t about cutting edge, big walls, or glossy photos. Climbers at every level have by all accounts been at it since our sport began. So when someone asks me if I solo climb, it’s hard to give a totally honest response, as I feel the need to give them sound, safe advice, compared to the media representation of it.

A perfect day Solo Climbing on the Sea Cliffs of Pembrokeshire (NOT Deep Water Soloing!)

When people are in the formative experiences of their climbing lives, Solo Climbing shouldn’t even be on their radar. So is it right for the media to portray it through rose tinted spectacles, so often and so blatantly? If I were totally honest with novice climbers when they ask me if I solo, they’d be horrified of the stories I’d tell. Snapping a hold 50ft up, falling off and hospitalising myself, pure luck on one occasion, stopping certain death. Or the times where I’d gone past the point of no return, having to push the thoughts of wanting to be elsewhere out of my mind, to achieve total concentration to be able to enter the right frame of mind to get out of the situation in hand. Or when a simple slip on easy terrain has put your heart in your mouth, for the fear of what might have been. I guess if you play the numbers game there’s only a finite amount of experiences like this you can have before you go the same way as Croft, Osman or Potter. (OK so it wasn’t necessarily always Solo Climbing) Or any number of cutting edge Alpinists I’ve looked up to who’s names are too many to mention.

There was an excellent article recently in The Professional Mountaineer (a joint association magazine with the AMI, BMG, BAIML and Mountain Training) on soloing, by Jamie Barclay. But he looks at it from the opposite end. That for novice climbers, scrambling is soloing, and he’s absolutely right. Taking sound mountain and rock judgement developed on easier terrain, eventually you may have sufficient personal qualities to think about soloing rock climbs. But so many people these days don’t take the same time served apprenticeship that many of us did. I can’t think how many climbs I did at Diff and V Diff standard before progressing beyond. Nowadays, trying to persuade someone on a Learn to Lead Climb Course to stick to routes at this level is a hard task! Sure they may be strong and confidant, but they simply don’t have the required skill level to either appreciate what danger they may be in, or deal with any problems that arise. Which is why I believe it pays to take the belt and braces approach when broaching this subject in conversation, and in future maybe they will be experienced enough to make their own decisions.

Developing Solo Climbiing skill by Scrambling in Snowdonia.

But what role does the media have for encouraging novices to operate outside their limits? Do people see the exploits of Honnold et al, and see a Rock God that is perhaps best not copied? Or do they feel the urge to get out and solo some hard climbs! Obviously the approach will vary individually, but I cant help but feel the media are at least in part to acount for the rise in people wanting to solo. They’ve glamourized something that should possibly not be. For many of us, soloing may be necessary in the bigger mountains to enable fast movement, or perhaps a fun way to spend a day covering lots of ground on easy terrain. But sometimes, just every so often, it turns into a terrifying experience that we only just scrape through. And that cannot last forever.

So my advice to someone asking about Solo Climbing? Yes I do it. I like soloing long easy routes, but I have also soloed routes near my limit. Not always with positive experiences. Yes it’s dangerous. If you get stuck there is no opt out clause – you’ve got to sort it out yourself. If you fall off you may well pay the ultimate price. You need more than just physical strength. You’ve got to have total mastery of body and mind, and be able to read the rock and judge individual situations. Every day and situation is different. Listen to your inner feelings. Some days it’s just not on, others you’re in a state of flow where everything simply seems right. If you feel you want to solo, go scrambling lots, learn the rock and all the skills you’ll need, develop an ability to cope with exposure, and importantly understand the mental side of it all. Maybe then you’ll feel ready to solo an easy route, perhaps an easy mulit-pitch route. One day you might be soloing like Honnold…

Maybe Deep Water Soloing is a good bridge on the step up to true Solo Climbing? It still has it’s dangers though!

Hopefully it goes without saying that going climbing with a rope and mates is much more sensible and usually more fun!

But at the end of the day, I should say – Don’t do it, it’s dangerous!

Climbing – more fun and inherently safer with a mate and a rope!

Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca

Bill putting a massive effort in leading a long route at Toix, Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca..

After my few days teaching trad climbing, it was time for a day of teaching Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca before heading home..  I was with Bill, Bruno, David and Quentin on behalf of Rock and Sun, to run day 1 of their long weekend Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca. All were experienced climbers already, so the aim of the first day was to ensure everyone had safe rope-work skills for belaying, threading belays, lowering off and general sport climbing rope-work.

Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca, lovely spot by the sea at Toix..

With the UK winter often cold and chilly (or just wet and windy!) its becoming super popular to head south for some Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca, and similar European destinations over the winter. A short and cheap flight to Alacanti leaves you in range of so many great climbs, single and multi pitch, sport, trad and deep water soloing. The weather is generally very good in this particular area, making a trip Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca possibly your best chance of finding warm dry rock in Europe!

Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca, David leading a long route at Toix..

With a great day of weather ahead of us, we headed to Toix, check out it’s UKC description here… With lots of well bolted routes, easier and harder lines next to each and a variety of different lower-offs to look at, it has everything we needed all in one place! You could easily come here every day of your trip and not even scratch the surface of the routes on offer!

Quentin leading a steep 6a, and Bruno on a slabby 5, Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca has something to offer everyone..

After a review of skills the guys all got on the lead, everyone climbing till their arms were tired! Some big long 30m pitches were climbed – a bit of a step up from most indoor walls! The day set the guys up for the rest of their trip Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca! Great effort all on your first day and I’m sure Serg will be putting you through your paces for the next few days!

Bruno pushing his limits Sport Climbing in Costa Blanca!

Climbing in Costa Blanca

This last week I’ve been working in Spain for Rock and Sun, teaching Trad Lead Climbing in Costa Blanca. Based in the Xalo valley, I was with Quentin for a few days, with the aim to leave him with the skills to be a self-sufficient lead climber. In the past he’s done some impressive ascents in the Alps. but always guided. After our time Climbing in Costa Blanca he’ll be able to start thinking about leading these routes independently! The excellent Rockfax guidebook for the area “Climbing in Costa Blanca” and the great climate during the UK winter ensure the areas popularity.

We started out at Toix, a vast crag above Calpe, one of the most popular crags for Climbing in Costa Blanca. With a variety of easier single and multi-pitch climbing, it’s a great place to develop your skills. Most of the routes are fully bolted, but many can be led on trad gear, giving you the comfort of being able to clip a bolt if you feel the need.

Lead Climbing in Costa Blanca, on this weeks Trad Climbing Course

We started out with a review of the skills he’d learnt on his few days with Trev earlier in the summer, looking at scoring gear, building belays and the themes that run throughout. He soon picked it back up again so it was just refining bits and showing him some new ways of doing stuff! The aim was to get him placing as much gear as possible, so we wanted to do heaps of routes!

Belay creation in the Costa Blanca, a vital Trad Climbing Skill

After a long day climbing at Toix we decided to sneak one last route in, and look at multi-pitch abseils, something Quentin wanted to learn as he loves climbing long routes in the mountains. After three pitches we ended up abseiling down in the dark! You can’t say we didn’t fit as much into the day as possible!

Late finish Climbing in Costa Blanca as the sun sets! Spot the Paraglider!

Our next day Climbing in Costa Blanca, we opted to head to Alcalali, a crag right up in the Xalo valley and very near to where we were staying. The aim of today was to build as many belays as possible applying all the skills Quentin learnt yesterday in the different situations the rock threw at him. Along the way Quentin led a number of great routes, and again we finished with a multi-pitch route and abseil decent that he managed. This time finishing in the daylight!

Hanging belay at Alcalali.

Multi-pitch abseiling skills

My final day Climbing in Costa Blanca on this course with Quentin, we wanted to put all the skills into practice and do a long route to a summit with an abseil descent. We chose the 7 pitch Cilber, again at Toix, at about UK vs. Quentin led every pitch, right to the summit, which gave us great views over the Med (towards Benidorm!!), a quick ridge traverse led us to the 3 long abseils down. A great day Climbing in Costa Blanca putting all the skills Quentin had learnt over the last 3 days into practice…

Lead Climbing in Costa Blanca on this weeks Trad Climbing Course – the start of Cilber..

Lead Climbing in Costa Blanca on this weeks Trad Climbing Course – the last steep crux pitch

Quentin on the summit of Toix after leading all the pitches to the summit during his Course Trad Climbing in Costa Blanca

Pembroke? Or Pembrokeshire?!

Everyone talks about the “Pembroke climbing Season” and how it’s  over for the year now. I have two issues with that statement, firstly, Pembroke is a town in South Pembrokeshire, there is no climbing there, the climbing is all within Pembrokeshire, the county. Secondly, it’s absolute rubbish that there is a “season”, with this November proving that. It has been absolutely unreal! Sure we’ve had a bit of rainfall now, but that’s been a long time coming!

November in Pembroke? No, it’s November in Pembrokeshire…

With an upcoming couple of weeks climbing in Spain, I’ve been attempting to get sport climbing fit – not too easy when there is no sport climbing in the area, well, none that’s worth doing anyway…! So inside to the climbing wall it’s been, we’re fortunate to have one in Haverfordwest now, but we also took a trip over to Bristol to get some training in there.. And lots of running, cycling and swimming has been getting done! The Pembrokeshire Coastal path has been stunning. Just today I was out between Porth Clais and St Justinians, clear blue sky, no wind, porpoises in the water – and absolutely no-one else!

Carreg Y Barcud, definitely not in Pembroke!

Alun crimping hard on an e5 at Carreg y Barcud, Pembrokeshire

Alun and I got another top-rope session in at Barcud, racking up plenty of the hard routes there – I just wish I was bold enough to lead them at the minute! With over 20 “E” points in the day, we had sore toes and fingers! Some time shunting at Caerfai and a bit of bouldering up at Plumstone got done, so the trainings gone well – now we just need some sunshine in Mallorca!

In between storms, looking out to Ramsay Island

I’ve been sent a Portaledge from Beyond Hope, UK distributors of Metolious, so I’ve been playing with that lots too! Always great to get new toys…! But from next year we’ll be offering Portaledge “Cliff Camping” experiences out on the sea-cliffs of Pembrokeshire, definitely not in Pembroke! Unless they’d let us do it off the castle there?!

Soon to be running in Pembrokeshire, Portaledge Cliff Camping Adventures! (Photo is on Salathe Wall, Yosemite)