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Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A climbers thread

PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 5:30 pm
by lsjms
Hi
I have met a lot of climbers into coffee and a conversation in an other thread (which continues below-sorry)led to the dispelling of my belief that the users of this forum do nothing other than drink coffee :) I now know this is one stop shop for expertise on VW's and fixed wheel bikes and more.

So, any climbers out there?

If so how are you doing your coffee?

I have always used a moka and plenty hot milk in camp, and confess to drinking tea/instant on lightweight missions(hangs head in shame).

Gouez- Never made it to the North London climbing walls, live in the South so it's the Arch or rarly Mile end. Made a trip to that boulder in Shoreditch(near some nice coffee shops too) thought it was awesome. Dogging and alpinism - old school man :lol:

RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A climbers thread

PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:47 pm
by Gouezeri
Ah, you see we're a mixed bunch here. Our doyen is Bruce, who frequently ascends on trips above 4000m... and that's just to reach the top floor of his house :lol:

I hung about (quite literally) at the castle, but mostly the westway the past couple of years before moving. I've now got climbing on my doorstep (along with waves and what sounds like a storm at the moment... topo on request). Would love to get into trad, but doubt there's much of that here, so it's mainly sport climbing on granite. I've never really gotten into bouldering, I could never find an arc'teryx beanie I liked :wink: Unfortunately there aren't many walls around here (that's living in the countryside for you) and you have to do a medical just to join a club!!!

Summers are spent in the alps, normally somewhere around Cogne. Which I really should visit in the winter one day just to see the ice climbing. If I'm spending the night in a bivacco I'll try to take my aeropress, but I already carry way too much stuff with all my camera gear, plus melting ice/snow for a cup can be tedious at times! Grinding beans with an electric burr grinder, even in Italy, does get some funny looks, so I always end up taking a few kilos just to share with people.

So, anyone reckon they could use a twist and grigri safely at the same time? :lol:

RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A climbers thread

PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:47 pm
by espressomattic
Enjoy tramping and back country camping here in the North Island. I always take an Aeropress and used to grind with an old salter grinder on site...until it was pinched at least.

I now pre-grind for weekends away. Nothing flash at all and really enjoyable coffee. Can't get better than summer early morning sun, the sound of Cicadas and Sand Flys and fresh coffee!!!!!

RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A climbers thread

PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:49 pm
by CakeBoy
espressomattic wrote:Can't get better than summer early morning sun, the sound of Cicadas and Sand Flys and fresh coffee!!!!!


You put sand flies in your brew? Gadzooks man! :shock:

PostPosted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:57 pm
by lsjms
Gouez that sounds awesome, it's a beautiful thing having rocks by your house. I lived in the Peak for years before moving to London for work, lets just say I have not pulled on much real rock for a while. Started out as an alpine addict and moved to NZ just for their Alps. Sheffield changed me though, I got a S7 beanie and forgot how to tie in. Actually I found the routes quite boulder like (short and cruxy) and the fact that you could just blast out and get an hour on the boulders after work quickly turned me into an addict.
So, anyone reckon they could use a twist and grigri safely at the same time?

PostPosted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 8:30 pm
by Gouezeri
I believe there's plenty of bouldering around here too (just not my thing), we're definitely not lacking big rocks lying around all over the place, that's for sure! The pic below (taken with the wifeys P&S during a little stroll) was taken late October early November of a couple of guys climbing on the island (~70 routes) at the end of the headland (50 odd routes I think) here, so roughly 600m away. You do lose about 6 metres off the route at high tide :D. Oh, and get your tides wrong and there's a fairly epic rappel to get back to dry land across a chasm (50m rope minimum). Where they are, there's a couple of 6a+ to a 7a+ I think. Hardly multi-pitching, but better than a poke in the eye with a piton!

Sadly we've not had weather that nice/dry for a bit, so I'm missing a bit of plastic-action! Still should be fun when the weather warms up. Just got to bulk up the wife some more over winter so that she can belay! :wink:

Image

Re: RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A climbers threa

PostPosted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 8:55 pm
by bruceb
Gouezeri wrote:Ah, you see we're a mixed bunch here. Our doyen is Bruce, who frequently ascends on trips above 4000m... and that's just to reach the top floor of his house :lol:


Thank goodness the house came with oxygen lines on the upper floors. :wink:

RE: Re: RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A climbers t

PostPosted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:45 pm
by lsjms
Gouez, looks wicked I see potential for a epic sea traverse if that carries on. Le Croisic?
Just got to bulk up the wife some more over winter so that she can belay!

Feeder huh? I into bondage and prefer to tie mine down :twisted:

Bruce I was sure you would be a winter, oxygen free, solo ascent man

You put sand flies in your brew

That's why they call it tramping!

Re: RE: Re: RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A climbe

PostPosted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:33 pm
by bruceb
lsjms wrote:Bruce I was sure you would be a winter, oxygen free, solo ascent man!


The O2 is for younger guests. 8)

Re: RE: Re: RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A climbe

PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:26 am
by Gouezeri
lsjms wrote:Gouez, looks wicked I see potential for a epic sea traverse if that carries on. Le Croisic?

Ah, now the colour of the rock should give it away.

It's been a couple of years since I was last in Le Croisic (I normally spend some time slightly further up the coast there most summers though)... I don't remember any climbing round there though (that's sailing k'surfing territory for me). Oh, and there are some who would argue that that's not BZH but Loire Atlantique :wink:

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A cl

PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 12:16 am
by Hugo
Aww shucks... you guys got me twitching. I climbed plenty around Cornwall until about six years ago when a slip from 6" off the ground (yeah, six whole inches) resulted in a broken scaphoid and I haven't climbed since despite lots of offers and lots of beautiful place so climb.

Favourite spots: The Cheesewring (purple revrack is a stunner), Trewavas head, Commando ridge & Bosigran near Sennen Cove... and for bouldering the atmospheric Roche Rock (used in The Omen 'cos it's hellish spooky on a misty day) is just down the road and Helmans Tor are very cool. I will get back into it once I've got over the rowing addiction.

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A cl

PostPosted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 12:19 am
by Gouezeri
Rowing???
Oh come on Hugo, how many rowers do you see wearing beanies! You want to find a proper sport!

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Climbing caffinated, belay brewing. A cl

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:07 am
by Hugo
About 150 wore 'em at the Totnes Head race the other week.... 'cos it was cold and wet and we had to bob about for half an hour in the rain whilst the 60 odd boats made their way to the start of the course.... not so different to hanging about on a damp belay...

Ever tried rowing?

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:36 am
by lsjms
Hi Hugo,
How is the wrist? I broke my scaphoid last year falling about a foot onto sand! That's my 5th scap break in 15 years climbing two lefts one right and the double. Only one actually involved proper climbing, all the rest involve skylights, drainpipes and obviously alchohol...
Did a fair bit of rowing machine work for rehab but the only time I rowed was to get to the bottom of Mitre Peak. Row went very well, but the climb was a mini epic, did not summit. Mistimed the lower bush section, which involved a lot of actual climbing up roots. My climbing partner went back to complete later, and got a free lift down to Milford from some tourist nutters, being helied to the top!

Rowing is silly, pack big dudes in small boat, add smaller dude to yell at bigs because they have no wing mirrors. If you finish first you get to throw the small in the river. :lol:
At this point I will admit to playing some golf.....


TMC Climber Count
3.5 - Hugo let us know when you start using that oar as a clipstick!

Gouez- La Côte de Granit Rose

PostPosted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:06 pm
by Gouezeri
Yeah, all that rowing mularky is done on the flat... that's easy that is :wink:

I have done a lot of rowing, but not really as a sport or competitively, so similar, but not really the same thing :wink:. There's quite a bit of sea rowing around here I believe, which knowing what the sea/weather is like must be pretty manic. It probably comes from the fishing background, rather than anything collegiate. I do enjoy a fair bit of sea kayaking/touring though, which is nice around here as there are loads of islands.

Hugo, dear chap. I fear you are totally missing the point of "The Beany". It is not for keeping your bonce hot, but for looking cool! :lol: Seriously, you would be amazed how many guys hang out at london climbing walls who boulder topless, whilst still wearing a beany... indoors, when it's warm too! Strange!!! Does sound more like you guys could have done with thinsulate sowesters instead of beanies though! You got any pics of the start, as I'd love to see that... rowing as a contact sport!

Thankfully I've never broken anything climbing... I have twisted/stabbed a few bits and pieces on mountains tho. I did manage to dislocate my shoulder last winter skiing, which resulted in a certain amount of one handed climbing for a bit :?

lsjms. Geographically, I'm not sure we are allowed to call ourselves part of the granite rose coastline, as that stops a bit to east from here. I've read some people refer to it as ochre granite, but it still looks pretty pink!

Just in case anybody was thinking of taking up climbing, have a little watch of this great vid... I just love the girly scream (apologies to anyone who may have already seen it on UKC)....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWzQt6qPBBQ