Iain & Gill world tour

2007-01-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Thailand

2006-12-22T22:53:00.000-08:00

......where I am sitting in the internet cafe looking out over sparkling blue sea, shading from the midday heat. We hear it's a little cold and damp in the UK at the moment! Paradise has a cost of course and I have given up on trying to download any photos over the very slow connection after a few frustrating attempts. Also there are giant ants crawling all over the PC.

Thanks for the animal stories in the comments - am pleased to report that since the last update a rat on the bathroom wall is the worst it has been. We met a girl at the crag the other day who found a cobra in her bathroom so guess we have been quite lucky!

Have been back climbing today after a rest day yesterday. One day of rest doesn't really seem enough at the moment - at the end of the climbing day you feel like you've been wrestling a bear - in a sauna. The climbing is so physical it is really a whole body effort, in fact the legs seem to be taking a lot of the punishment! After a couple of weeks I felt brave enough for my first lead here - also my first 7a - most of the easier climbs are horribly polished and I find it easier to pull on steep jugs than trying to smear on glassy rock. I've now started work top-roping the next route - Babes in Thailand 7a - which seemed impossible at first, but which I am only falling off in one spot now. Think it would be really scary to lead though so not sure about this..... The climbing on the beach is all hard - the only route under 7a in the bit we have been in is a 6c where you have to climb up to a ledge and then facing outwards fall forwards to catch a stalagtite hanging two metres clear of the face.... Watched a korean guy up on the ledge for over half an hour trying to psyche himself up for it. Not rushing to get on that one!

Iain ticked Elephant - 8a - after a rest day allowed everything to come together and is now working on another 8a, Sexpower which seems significantly harder but I think he's getting there - maybe in time for Christmas! We are both noticing that we're becoming a bit "acclimatised" to the conditions in that we don't seem to be sweating quite so much on routes. I decided to redress the balance yesterday morning by going for a run before breakfast which was quite extreme!

Yesterday we went on an organised snorkelling trip around the local islands. We chose a bad day to do it - it was grey and windy and the sea was really a bit choppy for swimming - getting back in the boat and keeping your head above the waves when surfacing was really quite hard. Although the water was really warm after each swim we were getting increasingly cold, sitting in an open boat in your bikini in squally conditions is not too much fun. We were then dumped shivering on a beach on a deserted island with a load of strangers while the guys went back to the mainland to collect dinner - seafood curry on the beach after dark while enormous bats flew from the cliffs overhead. After dark the sea is full of phosphorence which is pretty cool. We saw some nice fish and corals and am quite keen to go back in better weather.

Update from Thailand

2006-12-14T05:13:00.000-08:00

I've finally managed to get some more pictures on here to let you see some of the things we've been up to in the last week or so.

The big picture shows Tonsai from the Thaiwand, a limestone tower on the opposite side of the bay. We had a day's climbing on the Thaiwand managing a grand total of two single pitch routes. It's mainly a multi-pitch venue and the guide book writer foreseeing the general competency of a lot of the climbers here urges the reader to keep an eye out for people making mistakes. So anyway we tried to climb a 35 metre route with a 60 metre rope. Iain did just about make it down to the ground on rope stretch and with the help of several nearby climbers and a lot of discussion and faff I did manage to tie on to one end of the rope (as the route had to be cleaned). However as I started up the 6c moves my belay consisted of the other end of the rope tied to one corner of the rope bag and Iain perched on top of a ramp holding on very tight to the other corner..........

The good thing about the Thaiwand is that once you have had a nightmare climbing there you don't have to fight your way back through the jungle to escape. One of the routes ends in a cave from where you follow fxed ropes and creaky bamboo ladders through a tunnels and caverns in the base of the tower for about twenty minutes to emerge on the opposite side of the tower above the beach of Phra Nang at the end of the peninsula.

We have got into a bit of a routine - up early for breakfast on the beach then along to the beach cliffs for the morning before they get too hot or busy. A swim, a long lunch (on the beach) and then in the afternoon a jungle adventure to find a crag and do battle with mosquitos and / or monkeys. All followed by drinks and dinner (for preference on or very near the beach)..... Today however was a rest day and although our lie-in was thwarted by monkeys bouncing off our roof at 7am we had a very pleasant day - massage in the morning and then we hired a sea kayak for the afternoon which we paddled around local islands and sea stacks, stopping to swim and explore caves. Realised very soon into the trip that paddling is not an ideal rest-day activity for climbing and expect to feel it tomorrow!

2006-12-10T04:30:00.000-08:00

After waking up this morning with a dicky tummy I was sitting on the end of the bed wandering if I was going to be able to leave the hut at all today when something appeared next to me, wriggling up the wall. Not having my glasses on at the time (and electricity only being available for lights from 6pm) my first thought was a small snake ..... Further investigations revealed a giant centipede, not really much better than a snake. The horrible creature has withstood a morning's siege of walking pole, fork, lighter and mosquito coils and is now firmly lodged in a crack a few inches from my pillow.

Later on in the morning Iain pointed out a monkey on the roof opposite and we got excited and took some pictures....... next things we knew there were twenty of them. The huts opposite us are slightly cheaper as their bamboo walls don't reach the roof. The monkeys swept down the hill ransacking one hut after another, crashing noises from the insides and chocolate biscuits and peanut butter falling from the trees. They decided they wanted our bin and we held the veranda as long as we could with walking pole (multipurpose) and chair before barricading ourselves inside as they tried the windows and doors..... No doubt more experienced people will find this ridiculous however they are very intimidating and don't back down to anything!

Later on in the day (tummy recovered) whilst clinging to a stalactite twenty metres above the ground I looked up to see three of them between me and the top of the route......

Ton Sai (Phra Nang peninsula, Thailand)

2006-12-10T03:42:00.000-08:00

We landed on Ton Sai beach at high tide and after gracefully disembarking the longtail boat waded ashore with our bags straight into one of the many bars that line the beach. Ton Sai is the first beach on the west side of the Phra Nang peninsula, about ten minutes away from the nearest road at Ao Nang by boat. It is flanked by cliffs at either end and behind it lies jungle, into which the village of wooden shacks and huts spreads back from the beach along dirt roads and tracks, where further bars, restaurants, massage parlours and climbing shops are found. Very different to the more developed and touristy resort of Railay futher along the peninsula this place feels a bit like a cross between a climbers' resort, shanty town and Glastonbury..... without the half a million people and mud!

Life here can be very good... you can eat a good meal in a decent restaurant for about a pound and get an hour of thai massage for three pounds. A lot of the climbing is on the beach right next to bars and restaurants and the sea is just metres away..... although there is a certain amount of jungle bashing to be done to get to some of the crags. Longtail boats are always on hand to ferry you between beaches, islands and climbing spots (even if they do sound like there are fifty motorbikes racing around the bay) and there's plenty of opportunity to kayak, snorkel or dive.

In fact there are plenty of reasons not to go climbing! However we had come with a purpose so we have been sampling the cliffs in the close vicinity. Suffice to say it is very hot, very sweaty and probably most challenging of all, very very polished. The climbing is quite good fun as it involves lots of knee bars and other contortions however I haven't yet even considered trying to lead anything, relying on Iain to put ropes up things for me. He has been working on a few harder routes on the beach in the mornings and is doing quite well given the handicaps!

Scotland

2006-12-03T12:51:00.000-08:00

Life in Europe was harder on the pocket than we had anticipated so after heading to Edinburgh for Lyndsay's wedding we stayed in Glasgow with Iain's parents for the rest of November. The weather was absolutely terrible for the whole time we were there however I did manage a weekend's hillwalking around Fort William as well as a bit of running around Milngavie (and many trips to the wall!)

There was plenty of socialising, catching up with friends and family and visiting new babies.....

Thanks very much to John and Fiona for putting us up.

Margalef

2006-11-07T04:11:00.000-08:00

Better than Siurana.... Controversial but this relatively new venue on the north side of Monsant is truly spectacular with superb routes across the grades and, crucially, lots of shade. The rock is a conglomorate (similar to the Monsant crags) with a flowstone coating giving a variety of styles. Desperate pocket pulling, walls of flowstone and the occasional tufa. There is a brief, out of date descirption in the latest Costa Daurada Rockfax although this doesn't seem to even scratch the surface of what is available. A detailed topo is available in the Refugi in Margalef (signposted as you come in also refumargmonstant@eresmas.com). This is a great and inexpensive place to stay for a few days with a friendly owner and a campus board in the dormitory...

Here's me enjoying a four star 7c+ at Fenestre

Malcom enjoying a 7c and 8a just around the corner at Tenbres

And me on a 6c+ also at Tenbres

We are now enjoying our first day back in the UK and looking forward to a few weeks relaxing in Scotland before heading out to Thialand in December.

Making progress.....

2006-11-07T03:12:00.000-08:00

There seemed no real reason to move on from Siurana so we didn't!

The climbing there is on the whole vertical and technical and so suits me quite well as I struggle much more on steeper stuff. I definitely feel like I have been making some progress even if it is not in strength... will need to get on the pull-up bar before we get to getting onto the steep walls in Thailand though!

Here I am looking pleased with myself after my first 6c redpoint, at Can Melafots.

We had a trip to La Mussara, which is a nearby climbing area that promised plenty of easier climbing. I had a fairly disasterous day there (think a rest day was overdue) but it was a fantastic spot with views down to the med - see the picture of the two of us.

The sun was back with a vengeance for the last couple of weeks in Siurana (although by the time we left the temperatures were down about 20 degrees from a month ago!) Pics below are Iain above the Siurana reservoir and me on a 6b at Espero Primavera crag.

Life in the campsite continued to be very sociable - we had scottish neighbours as Malcolm Smith and Mike Tweedley arrived and we also climbed with more 'friends of friends' Pippa and Ed and their lovely little girl Becky....

We also managed a trip to the seaside resort of Salou...... wall to wall brits abroad..... but we did have good fun playing in the sea and of course the obligatory breakfast!

How many pairs of rock shoes is it sensible for two people to take on holiday?

2006-11-07T02:37:00.001-08:00

2006-10-18T05:43:00.000-07:00

Siurana still

2006-10-18T04:30:00.000-07:00

The campsite this morning after a night listening to the rain hammering down..... Note the new rip in the tent, sadly this one not covered by the big silver sheet. Weather has been mixed but the climbing is going ok and we are settling into life in the campsite which is pretty sociable. Not able to download any more pictures at the moment - sorry there´s nothing more cheerful to look at!

Siurana

2006-10-10T03:30:00.000-07:00

We´ve now been in Siurana for a few days and are having a much-needed rest day as hands, feet and arms are complaining. The weather´s been quite dull so far (allowing plenty of climbing) so no pictures so far. For those that don´t know of it, Siurana is a major sports climbing area in the Spanish Costa D'Aurada, centred on a tiny isolated cliff top hamlet of 20 inhabitants with a large visiting climbing community. Of course we have run into some people we know from London - Julius and Sarah from the Castle. The climbing so far I have found excellent although the run-outs in many areas are huge...

"Chaos de Targasonne"

2006-10-10T03:03:00.000-07:00

We moved on from Provence having finally got the car back ( and 900 euros later). A few hours driving south took us right to the Spanish border in the Catalan Pyrenees. The Chaos de Targasonne is an area of bouldering in the meadows and woods below the Carlit Massif, near the ski resort of Font Romeu. Camping at 1800 metres we certainly felt the change in climate from Provence, and there were some lovely cold sunny moutain mornings.

The bouldering itself is great - granite blocks in a really lovely setting. Here are some pictures of the couple of days we spent there.

Seynes

2006-09-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

We are now in Provence. We are camped quite near to the Seynes, where there is a extensive stretch of cliffs famous for the many long tufas and other wierd rock fomations. There are some really hard routes here! It also faces directly south so gets the sun all day - and it's been so hot that it only gets pleasantly cool after the sun has set. Even so we have done bits and pieces here. Iain has found an 8a at nearby crag Pont St Nicolas which being short, bouldery and in the shade after 3 has made it an interesting proposition for him so I'm sure we'll be back there.

Other news this week is the exhaust fell off the car, down a remote single track road after dark.... we are now really really glad we got that european breakdown cover! So we are stuck here for a while until it has been fixed......

We're not able to edit these pictures so hopefully they are not too big to open.

St Leger de Ventoux

2006-09-23T02:42:00.000-07:00

Despite having plenty of fun and games in Orpierre we decided to check out St Leger, an awesome sounding crag about an hour and a half's drive west into Provence. Definitely not disappointed! A stunning valley with cliffs running either sides. The biggest bonus being that one side is facing north so there is always some shade (something of a necessity at the moment). One downside is some rather sporting bolting in places. Iain found this out on a particularly tricky 7b+ when he narrowly avoided decking out from about 10m up. A venue where a clip stick is a big bonus...
St Leger is at the foot of Mont Ventoux which rises almost 2000 metres out of the plains of Provence. In the first picture you can see the summit buildings on the right.

Views around Orpierre

2006-09-23T02:32:00.000-07:00

Orpierre (still)

2006-09-23T02:01:00.000-07:00

Two weeks on and we're still in Orpierre. It is just all a little bit too nice to leave... it seemed like quite a small area but we have found plenty of different climbing areas to keep us going. The weather has been hot and sunny most days (apart from a bad couple of days last week with non-stop torrential rain). The repair to the roof of the tent held out however Iain decided to liven up the game by making a new rip in the top of the flysheet as the rain was pouring down....

Here are some more pics of the valley and some of our adventures... as you can see we finally got around to a little bit of multi-pitch, on a huge blade of rock called Ascle high above the valley. The big wall shown below is the Belleric Wall which has lots of excellent vertical and slabby routes on. The picture of Iain climbing is in the Chateua area on a 7c called Restes Avec Moi. Apparently it has a rather scary and run-out section to the top and this is still a project!

Friends in the campsite

2006-09-14T02:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those who have left messages. Franco, you would not in fact have liked it in Presles very much. Here's a picture of the very nice campsite and some of the slimier residents. We had to move our tent after the first couple of nights after the ring of salt failed to work. This slug we found under the tent when we packed up after lots of his friends had gone squish under sandals in the dark....

Orpierre

2006-09-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

After a picturesque and exciting drive through the mountains we are now at Orpierre, a small village in the haute alpes region. Orpierre is an old mining village which seems to exist only due to climbing these days - it consists of two food shops, a climbing shop and a climbers' bar, and a four star campsite (with a one star climbers' area) which dwarfs the village below. The climbing is therefore very accessible as all the crags are nicely sign-posted from the village and all within ten to twenty minutes walk.

This would be a really good spot if you were looking for a low grade sports climbing area as there is loads in the 5s and 6s from single pitch to 8 pitches and the rock is mostly good quality. There's also probably enough in the harder grades to keep you busy for a while.

On the second day here we ran into Katy and Joe, friends of Jacqui and Dave (and we think we did once meet in Northumberland years ago....) They are here with cousins and their 7 month old baby Samuel and have very nicely fed us for two nights!

Have not taken many pictures here but here I am on the Belleric wall above the village.

By the way have now managed to download the other pictures from Presles so the Presles continued post has been updated below....

Presles (again)

2006-09-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

We are leaving here tomorrow (Sunday) to head for Orpierre, which is a bit further south, near to Sisteron. Here are some more pics from the Presles area.

We've had a nice few days here although the climbing has not been all we had imagined. We did find somewhere out of the sun- Balme d'Etrange for any future expolorers - and had a couple of days there and did a few routes. Have found the climbing quite hard to get used to and have spent most of my time on a top-rope, however Iain managed a 7c+ on the second attempt yesterday which is not too bad at all.... (though I wasn't as impressed as I was to see a red squirrel soloing 6a twenty metres above the ground!)

We also ran into Graham and Kirsty which was a real coincidence given that we've seen very few other climbers since we've been here... Here they are at Balme d`etrange.

Presles

2006-09-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

On Monday we arrived in Pont en Royans which is a small town wedged into a very narrow limestone gorge in the Vercors national park. We are camping further up the valley in a place called Chouranche. The valley itself is fairly spectacular but more so are the miles of huge limestone cliffs which cap the north side of the valley of which the photo above shows just a section. The clinbing area is known as Presles after the hamlet which sits on he plateau above.

As they face south (and it is really extremely hot in the sun) action has been fairly limited so far! The real strength of this place seem to be huge multi pitch routes which are out of the question due to the heat and mega hard overhanging tufa routes which are out of the question for at least one of the party! However we have done a bit since we got here and the injured finger seems to be doing ok - (taped up) fingers crossed.

Signing off now but will update soon........

Fontainebleau

2006-09-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

We had four fairly productive days in Font; by day three we were remembering how to climb! The weather was ok for most of the time although it was still too hot in the sun to really manage much.

The journey from Calais was as bad as usual and following arrival at the campsite we managed to fall foul of the security system, fall out with the campsite lady, lose the car key in the dark and do this to the car.......

After a day spent taping the car back together and installing a new rear light we were ready for some boulder action:

2006-08-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

2006-08-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

Enjoying my penultimate day in work. Disasters aside, in 7 days we should be enjoying sunny Font sandstone rather than a grey office in wet London. Fingers crossed the next 6 months will involve plenty more of this…