Bonnie Tyler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpzIl48YFEk

Laughed at this so many times over the weekend, classic gold......

Kerry

Finally a crack at Howling Ridge, weekend in the most beautiful part of the country with the best weather in ages thrown in. Drive down Sat morning, all the usual chat en route buzzing about the days ahead. Decided to not do Howling on the Sat as time was against us and we had the same weather due Sunday, good call number 1.

Spent the day rock climbing on the Gap of Dunloe on a beauty of a crag called Céim, well do-able routes (4c to E1) on a sheltered overhanging slab. I hadn't been out for a while so this was a great warm up/refresher, we tended to focus on problems and roping techniques more than routes, great days work. Pats gf Laura took the first fall of the weekend crossing back over the stepping stones of the River Loe but was cool enough to laugh it off. Kate Kearney's Cottage for a bit of Seafood Chowder and a few pints of Ale on the way home. Staying Travel Inn Fossa, considered camping but the nights in November tend to be fresh.

Sunday morning and we all had matching sore heads after crashing a 50th birthday party in the village pub... Breakfast didn't help matters as it looked to be soaked overnight in Uranium, green eggs gave us a slight sickly feeling as we headed up into Hags Glen, sun was out and the carpark looked busy.

Top of Heavenly Gates

We took our time and paced the hours up to Heavenly Gates stopping at the emergency shelter built for stricken climbers, sun on our backs most of the way we reached the base of Howling. Carrantuohill looked to be covered in cloud and Sunday walkers were making their way down after an early bird start.

Emergency Shelter

Fueled by Jelly Snakes, coffee and Surf Seeds, the 1400 foot climb loomed above us, we racked up and enthusiasticly made our way up the first 50m pitch, we believed 9 pitches moving in a group of three should see us to the top within the 3 hour mark. It was now 2.30pm and with the days getting shorter this meant a descent in the dark with head-torches was a defo. Weather started to close as the dusk set in, with long belay stops the cold also played a factor. Weather reports had given a wind chill of -5 on the peak but we were psyched, Pat led, cos he was the only one who could. (Pat is a climbing and safety instructor, the best rock climber I know but not the best there is, however he is one of the best all rounders in the country. Mountaineering, alpinism, ice climbing, navigation, mountain leader skills and general cop on in the hills, if you were to get into trouble at any point, you are pretty much covered in getting to safety. Or as a client of his discovered on Lugnaquilla, he can dig a mean snow hole that will keep you alive for 2 days!!). The climbing was rated V.Diff, hard in full boots carrying a pack.

1st pitch

Second pitch was much the same, third pitch a light scramble with little need for protection. The rock though was brittle at best, the flakes of granite came away too easily and rock fall was happening all too often.

2nd pitch

Pat traversed and started up the fourth pitch, leaving myself and Laura hanging on a safe spot belaying, Pat was taking his time and we knew he was approaching the crux of the climb (hardest bit), he was out of sight and the rope was not moving. Maybe he was having difficulty placing gear, maybe he had fallen, maybe he was taking a crap? We light heartedly joked about how long we leave it before ringing mountain rescue. 15 to 20 minutes passed then we started shouting to Pat, nothing. A few nervous wise cracks later and concern set in. Eventually Pat called, he hadn't moved now in ages and asked us to make our way around to him. Now we had only climbed 500 feet at best but with the drop of Heavenly Gates a fall would be about 1000 feet in total. Pat had fallen.

The drop

A flake had come free and he dropped 20 feet to a ledge and onto his back. Muchos muchos shaken. His pack had taken the worst of the impact, he landed upside down and was pointing head first down the face. Oooooooops. He was clearly freaked but was standing with minimal injuries. After a bit of soul searching and reality, we knew it might now be dark by the time we topped out, the conditions of the rock were crap and Pat feared more for us as our level of competency was far less than his. If we made it over the crux, there was no turning back and we would be committed to the compete route like it or not. Abseil down - Good call number 2.

The abseil was long but well exciting, in fact probably the highlight of the trip, there was a lot of tension just before this but a lot of relief as we made the bottom. We made it to the base of Heavenly and started the walk out, it was dark. Pat was a bit sore and the walk out took longer than expected, we still had a 4 - 5 hour drive home to Dublin. I met with Michael O'Connor (a local farmer and genuine nice guy) and walked to the carpark at Lisleibane, we turned down the offer of a shower but I will be back to stay up in his during the coming winter season.

HAPE and HACE

HAPE, high altitude pulmonary edema, is the gathering of fluids in the lungs. It kills. If an afflicted person dosn’t die from HAPE, it is probably because the early signs were recognised and that person descended immediately. If you are going to go into the high altitudes you should know the signs of HAPE. Take this stuff seriously.

HACE, high altitude cerebral edema, occurs when fluids gather in the brain. I think you get the idea. Bad stuff here again. It is important to know the early indications and descend immediately at the first signs of HACE.

There are a number of drugs which may prove helpful in buying time while getting a climber stricken with HAPE or HACE down. Collectively they form the small but high octane pharmacy no high alt climber should be without.

Studies show that most people can go to 12,000 feet without difficulty. Between 12,000 and 22,000 some of us can acclimatise. Above 22,0000 feet elevation your clock starts running down. It may run down quickly, or it may run down slowly. But to be certain it is running down. We are not meant to be at these altitudes and our bodies go to great lengths to communicate this to us. Light-headedness, nausea, sleep disorders, and a ferocious caloric burn rate all become commonplace. You probably can’t eat as many calories as your body burns at high altitude, so it starts feeding on itself. Substantial weight loss, and loss of muscle mass are typical.
As a result, most high altitude attempts incorporate a strategy designed to spend as little time as possible in the thin air. A climber will acclimatise with hikes or load carries in the 12,000 to 17,000 ft elevations for many days, all the while beefing up his physiology. Then he will move into position at high camp and hope for that "Blue Bird Day," clear skies and no wind. Thats when he takes his shot and gets down. Success or not, he gets down. It is a very bad idea to linger, and being weathered in at high camp is among the least favorable outcomes one may encounter.

Strategy on Elbrus features a series of acclimatisation hikes. Each one taking me higher, then descending to sleep low that night. Two of these hikes will have us returning at days end to the comfort of a high mountain ski lodge. Nice. A great deal of thought has gone into how we will acclimatise in the most measured and sensible ways. We will also know the reassurance of having highly trained and experienced Guides leading us ..

Here we go again - Mount Elbrus - Russia

I have had 6 months to settle after Nepal, this time was spent trying not to plan or foresee any future travels to far off lands, it took a year to plan the Himalayas and I needed a rest from it. Then came the opportunity to go to Russia and climb the highest mountain in Europe, one of the Seven Summits,( basically the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.) WILL I, WONT I ???? I have a couple of options regards logistics and costings, I am not an avid fan of raising cash for a charity and using this as a springboard for my own pleasures but rest assured on this occasion I might have to.  I have been invited by a group from the UK on a large guided expedition flying through Moscow on the 11th July 2012. This costs a good bit. I have been invited to go with a guided charity group and raise 4k for a great cause. This costs little. And I am trying to blag on an expedition with an unguided crew who are doing the complete Seven Summits and would love to join as a hanger on for this leg of their journey. This costs in between the other two somewhere.  My mind has already boarded the flight..........

First of all, Mt Elbrus is tall. Compared to the better known European summits The Eiger (13,025ft), The Matterhorn (14,692ft), or Mont Blanc (15,771), Elbrus (18,481ft) is singularly monumental. I have been to Kala Patar above Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas and stood at 5545m or (18,192ft), and put my body under the stress of altitude. That altitude means thin air, cold temperatures, and nasty weather. I'll talk about each of those in this blog. The sum total of these and other considerations is illustrated in this 2005 account;
On May 9, nine people died and two more disappeared on their way down from the peak of Elbrus. Sixty rescuers, including volunteers, took part in the search, and so far, some 389 journalists have written about it. Approximately 30 people die every year in these mountains of Russia; of them, ten or so die on Elbrus. This time Elbrus has gathered its annual norm in one serving.

Kit update...

Been stocking up for forthcoming trips, have a list as long as your arm but gradually gathering bits n bobs monthly, will leave test reviews when I finally get around to using them.


Basically shaving away all possible metal to make a lightweight biner for rock, ice and alpine routes, chose DMM Prowire as my first set. Went for one of the lightest on the market to balance out my chubby ass. DMM's original lightweight quickdraw, the DMM Prowire offers all the advantages of a wiregate karabiner at a reasonable enough price. Man in shop says "If you want to lighten your rack, buy these. If you want DMM quality and design heritage, buy these. If blue is your favourite colour, buy these!" Sold!

To a seasoned stalwart, a rope probably has a soul, a heart and a gentle touch. To me its a rope, so went for a coated 60m Beal 10.2mm jobby. Looks good in purple and feels like it will hold my weight if I decide to fall, it might see daylight come Thursday in Kerry.
From Backcountry.com:
"Representing the divine balance between durability and low weight, the Beal Edlinger II is sure to give you wings on your next project. With a 10.2 mm diameter, this cord travels smoothly over rock and through carabiners, providing a lightweight, easy-to-clip connection to the stone. So, if you're looking for a rope that's not too thin, yet not too heavy - the Edlinger is your ticket."

Was toying with going all out and buying a 4 season tent that weighed the same as my toothbrush, pure overkill with a price tag to match, for the first time ever I think I went with the sensible option. I have so far this year needed a tent on zero occasions. Birthday coming up so kids bought me the Vango Banshee 200, a lightweight tent that is designed for backpackers, trekkers and mountain enthusiasts, the tent will accommodate two people but it is a tight squeeze and a bit Brokeback Mountain if shared. However, the tent was never designed to be roomy, more to economise on weight and pack size for those needing to carry as little weight as possible.

The Vango Banshee has a couple of key features which make it such a popular choice of tent. Firstly, it is lightweight and portable whilst the small pack size is also a key component. The tent is also very stable in the wind and any other forms of adverse weather conditions due to the fact it has a low profile and a solid design structure. Picked the red one, something different and if I ever do get into trouble I gathered it would be easier to spot from a chopper than the green one. Genius.

The JetBoil Flash/Group Cooking System takes fast, light, and efficient to a whole new level in this updated version of a revolutionary camping stove. Whether you’re melting snow in Alaska, making coffee on a big wall, or boiling water for dehydrated food on a backpacking trip, this stove should be my smallest and warmest back country friend.

Have also gone for the 1.5L pot add on, to rustle up some gourmet delights. Key features include a one-liter insulated mug, piezo auto ignition, water temperature indicator, and a lock that secures the stove and pot in one stable unit. There hasn't been a lot of good options until now, so this little gem of a lightweight stove caught my eye. They could maybe partner with Crocs to offer a line of coordinated camp shoes! Would look good in any kitchen but on first impressions it needs to man up a bit for the rugged outdoors. Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

When it comes to sunnys I is worse than any woman with bags/shoes..... I had been wearing Oakley Fuel Cells for the past year but hated them, at a cost of £135  it was becoming an expensive hobby. Stumbled across Sunwise http://www.sunwise.co.uk/ , a pioneering British brand who is making cracking shades at a fraction of the price. To date the most expensive pair I have bought cost £35 and were Polarised.  Started on the Windrush, come with 4 sets of lenses and a great pair to pop in the pocket and not worry about. The Oakleys have a habit of when you sweat, it runs down the inside of the glass.... these bad boys don't. 

Windrush

Picked up the Bude Polarised in White for a steal, nice casual shades that perform well and are nice for driving in.

Bude Polarised

Next t be ordered were the Waterloos, another Polarised lens with Chromofusion, basically darkens the brighter it gets, really liked the flat arm profile that sits well below a climbing helmet or cap.

Waterloo

Macgillycuddy's Reeks - Carrauntoohil

Update: Trip cancelled, climbing buddy got in a days work with a group on Dalkey Quarry instructing. 


Shoulder still aches badly, physio is gonna rip my nuts off as she asked me to lay up for 2 weeks. Toe is on the mend and only about a week away from healing totally, but duty calls....... Leaving at early o'clock, 5ish on Thursday morning to try and drive to Kerry bag Howling and drive home all in the one day. Have been itching (pestering Pat) to come back and lead this climb for me. Its noted as the most beautiful and accessible mountaineering route on the island.....

Howling Ridge is today generally regarded as Ireland’s finest mountaineering route and is climbed hundreds of times annually by both Irish and overseas climbers. Originally it was done as an ice climb but today is best known as a summer route. It isn’t the most difficult ascent on Carrauntoohill (1039m) but is by far the most enjoyable. Indeed, Howling has become a rite-of-passage ascent for many eager to make the transition to the knee-knocking intensity of scrambling and dangling on rock faces. On sunny days, when the mountain is in friendly mood and sandstone offers excellent friction, Howling provides the heart-lifting feeling that comes with rising rapidly heavenward on a superb mountain face. In venomous mood, however, it lays many traps to snare the unwary and the consequences of simple mistakes have varied from extremely serious to fatal.

Graded a straightforward V Diff (in summer conditions), the Howling Ridge climb begins at the Heavenly Gates, which is a narrow notch in the cliffs on this north-east face. It’s about 400m of scrambling and climbing on old red sandstone, and approximately eight pitches if you rope the entire route. The real challenges are loose rock, exposure and the level of commitment needed. There is no easy way out once you are some way into this climb. In proper winter conditions it’s a Grade 2 to Grade 3 winter climb.

Rotator Cuff Tear

Howlin Ridge

Shoulder banjaxed for a few weeks now, seen the physio and am for a Cortisone Injection today. Rotator Cuff Tear am told, lay low for a few weeks and it should heal. Have been itching to have a go at Howlin Ridge in Kerry and have booked a weeks family holiday in Kenmare mid August to have a crack at it.... For somebody not that bothered about rock climbing & more into the mountaineering side of it, I have been thinking and googling nothing else! Bought a new Beal 60m rope and have started piecing a rack together. Toe still playing up also, nail growing every direction but the right direction. Sitting around eating, drinking and smoking means getting fat and lazy, will drop down to the climbing wall this week for a pick me up and inspiration.