Kendal Mountain Festival

It's that time of year again - Kendal hosts the Kendal Mountain Film festival celebrating mountain culture & adventure in film, lectures, art & literature.

It's a huge event over 4 days based in & around Kendal with the main focus around the Kendal Brewery Arts Centre.

I'll be introducing films throughout the weekend from 'Bongo Bar' a film documenting the first free ascent of Bongo Bar in Arctic Norway by Scottish Climber Dave MacLeod,  'Hardest in the Alps' a film following Iker & Enou Pou repeating some of the iconic routes in the history of Big Wall climbing, La Dura Dura a film of Chris Sharma & Adam Ondra battling it out to establish the worlds first 5.15c to The Kyrgyzstan Project where 3 climbers climbing a big granite wall in 2000 got caught up in a kidnapping by militants & held at gun point for six days & La Voie de Bonatti a documentary film of 2 french climbers paying tribute to the most famous Italian Mountaineer Walter Bonatti........& another 15 films throughout the festival weekend which should be great.

It's always a great social, so swing by if you're around, it'd be great to catch up.

Have a cheeky look at the trailer for all the films - very inspiring

http://vimeo.com/52096291

PS managed 3 laps on the white circuit back to back & the same for the blue & yellow at the Fly Cave today, which I was pretty stoked about!! - getting fitter & seeing progress:)

Stay strong

Ade

The mega pump!

Me stepping out of the cave! The Ghost, Canadian Rockies

I step out of the cave & onto the steep pillar connecting the face. I look down to my feet but my focus wanders & eyes shift to the 200m of dizzy space below them. The smooth steely blue ice just drops away out of sight as if the whole routes overhanging. Canadian Spruce Pines crowd out the valley below. The exposures wild, scary even, just the void absorbing all my thoughts. I look at the 10 useless crampon points all hanging in space & only the 10mm of toughened orange steel that are actually penetrating the hard steep ice. My mind wanders – why bother with 10 points, why not have a two point crampons? It’s all going on in a second or two. My eyes shift to the huge limestone amphitheatre that wraps around me & it’s like someone’s thinly iced this central wall with a pallet knife as if they were icing a cake. I look up above & the whole route looks super steep almost overhanging.

The Ghost

 

One step at a time I say to myself. I re focus, straight arms pulling down I look down for my next foot placement & kick in with a bent leg, my other foot comes up & steps out giving me a wide platform. I pull down with both arms & drive up with my legs, heels down, hips well forward, legs locked out I look up. I lock off my left arm, lift out my right tool from its secure position in the ice, reach up & replace it in the ice above. Not too high, don’t want to over stretch & come up on my heels…..swing from the elbow, let the weight of the axe do all the work & then a flick of the wrist & the pick splinters a little ice as it sticks the slim hollow groove above. No crack, not too deep, no blade movement or wobble, it feels great. I hear a voice in my head ‘never move up on a bad axe placement!’ yeh, yeh I think that’s easy to say on easier ground but here? But it’s a mantra I try & stick to, like the ice I’m feeling my way up. I’m happy with it though, so forget it & move on, concentrate on the next foot placement. The sequence is almost robotic although it flows & feels fantastic over this steep featured ice, more like climbing on rock than it’s ever felt where balance, body positioning & timing is everything.

Climbing in Field, Rocky Mountains, Canada

 

I look down again & see the ropes hanging in a great arc, free of the ice & disappearing around the corner. I look at the ice above & focus on a thick depression which will take a solid screw. I step up again, feet wide apart, hips forward, right axe high & ready myself to place a screw. No need to clean the ice, I place the left axe to one side & let go. Completely still, no sorting the feet now I should be happy with them now that I’ve committed to one axe. I reach down on my left side & unclip a screw. The thick depression is chest high & slightly left. I press the four sharp teeth of the screw hard against the ice & by just leaning against it made a full turn of the screw into the surface. The screw bites & I let go. Very carefully I twist my wrist to put another turn in the screw so that it feels more solid. I lift the express leaver & drill it in. It feels good, solid, no hollows or air pockets, cracking of ice………..the hanger stops flush against the smooth ice surface. With the heel of my hand I knock it even tighter in against the ice so that the hanger hangs down, let go & reach down to my harness again & unclip a quick draw then clip the hanger. I feel down between my legs for the left rope & lift it up clipping it into the bottom snap link of the draw & relax.  Placing gear is about being totally organised & having a quick, clean system without upsetting any balance or over stretching.

I reach out & take hold of my left ice tool, lift it out from the ice & replace it higher, pull down on both with straight arms, look at my feet & the cycle continues……….

Another 8m & another screw, I’m enjoying the climbing.

Dean climbing in Field, Canadian Rockies

 

It’s exhilarating, steep & technical in one of the world’s most beautiful places. Huge steep limestone walls & hanging valley’s once carved out by the Ghost Glacier. Steep bands of rock and turret like rock outcrops almost fortify the flat summits from those that top out on the cliffs far below. Needle like rock towers have also been carved out on steep ridges creating the most amazing scenery.

The Ghost

This is the dry range east of the Bow Valley and over Devils Gap. It may have very difficult access but generally has low avalanche risk. The access is made difficult from the drifting snow and icy river crossing which only those in a 4X4 would bother attempting in winter. It’s a wild place & up here bloody exciting!

Hydrophobia,The Ghost, Canadian Rockies

Then wham! I get the worst pump of my life & it’s come from seemingly nowhere. I’m solid above my waist & my arms stop working. I feel myself loosing grip of the tools, my hands & fingers are totally pumped & solid. I’m losing grip of the tools, my hands are opening up & I can’t do anything about it. I look down at the ropes & their just hanging there limp & lifeless, arcing away out of sight, I can’t see the last screw. I look at the void below & prepare for the worst. My heart is pumping so fast, sweat is pouring down my face & in my eyes. I’m losing grip. I try constantly to get the weight back on my feet but I can’t for some reason, I feel like I can’t climb anymore, why can’t I get my weight back on my feet, it all feels undercut & overhanging. All my weight is hanging off my hands which I have no control over & I can feel are unclenching their grip on the handle of the ice tool. I let go with one hand & try to shake it out, hoping that I’ll at least start to get some relief. But as soon as I let go with one hand the other feels like it’s giving out & I grab the tool again. I try again, again & again, hoping that the slightest relief would start to loosen up the lactic acid that’s gone solid in my hands & arms. I’ve never had this before, my whole upper body above my waist is solid & I don’t know where it’s come from. I look down again & the void starts to engulf me, the exposure starts to scare me & I feel myself falling & this is going to hurt big time. It’s serious here, 5 pitches up, 2 hours walking in through thick pine forest & 1 hour of serious off road driving to the road head. I look at my hands unclenching. I focus on my hands & then my leather gloves. The gloves are short, with a short cuff which I could see clearly as my jacket sleeve had ridden up. As a final throw of the dice, I hooked the cuff of my glove over the heel spur on the very end of the ice tool. Instantly I started to be able to wiggle my fingers a little & get some relief, the gloves & stitching where now taking my weight! I then grabbed the tool again & did the same with the other hand, amazingly I was getting something back, just a tiny amount but it was definitely something. I repeat the process 40 maybe 50 times which seemed to take eternity. I wondered what the others would be thinking with the rope not moving for so long? I’ve now got enough back to try & place a screw. I reach down with my left hand, but my right starts to give out again, so I quickly grab the tool again with my left & shake the right out. I go through a long cycle again shaking both hands out until I feel that I have enough power to get a screw. I reach down with my right, grab a screw, It doesn’t unclip cleanly, I fumble & as I finally unclip it my left hand starts to give out. I put the screw in my mouth & quickly grab my tool with my right & shake the left hand out. I do the shake out cycle again.

The Sorcerer, The Ghost, Canadian Rockies

I can hardly breathe with the screw stuffed in my mouth. I shoved  the screw in with not time to think, the sharp teeth on the end of the screw just imbedded into the side wall of my mouth & it was complete agony, but I had to hang in there. I get enough back to retrieve the screw from my mouth & stop the pain, blood stains the teeth of the screw. I make a quick half turn of the screw into the ice, let it go & grab the tool again for some relief hoping of all hopes that the screw would stick in & not fall out. Although I could see it starting to slowly drop out so with the other hand made another quick half turn to secure the screw into the ice. I do this a couple more times until I’m sure it won’t drop out, lift the hanger & start to drill it in. The pump come back & I grab the shaft of the ice screw which is drilled in half way. The change of hand grip gives me more relief & I change the cycle from tool to screw until I can feel my body start to loosen up. I finish the screw off up to the hilt, clip the hanger & then clip the rope. The rope clipped easily as if they didn’t even have me on belay. Christ, that would have been some serious airtime! I shake out more relaxed now the storms over & everything’s quiet. I place one axe higher, step up & slowly continue to where the ground eases off, place another screw & then continue to the belay.

Wicked Wanda. The Ghost, Canadian Rockies

I’m totally wet with sweat, physically knackered & mentally spent, I rig the belay, clip on, sit back & just totally relax & enjoy that moment for a few minutes. I then pick up both ropes, pull in the slack, clip Dean into the belay plate & start belaying.

I look down at the void below & feel physically sick, so I look up & see the easier ground & flat top summit, I fix my eyes on this until I hear the sound of axes hitting ice below me & a white helmet starts to come into view.

I take in the rope still trying to understand & work out what happened, what went wrong. The steepness, exposure or technical nature of the ice wasn’t anything I’m not used to or haven’t comfortably climbed before. Only 2 days ago I led the pitch of my life, far harder, steeper & more technical & I enjoyed every minute of it, savouring every axe placement . I hadn’t climber better, ever!

This felt like I was a novice again, trying to pull up all my weight up on my arms, arse sagging, not using my feet, not getting any weight off your arms, not getting my hips in……..I couldn’t understand it.

Dean followed up, unclipping the rope & pulling the screws. It looked great, steep & Dean seemed to be really enjoying the pitch. He got to the belay all smiles but was also pretty much pumped from the climbing. He said he felt tired after the 2 week trip & it was the last day, maybe tiredness had just crept up on me? But I couldn’t get my weight off my arms & onto my feet – school boy stuff.

Abseiling down

 

Anyway we rigged an Abolokov, threaded some old climbing rope through the ice thread & tied it off. I took an end from each rope, threaded one end through the tied off climbing rope & joined the two ends with an overhand knot, pulled it tight, tied a knot in the ends of both ropes for security & dropped the ropes. The ropes just seemingly hung in space, the anchor felt good but even so we backed it up with another screw, Dean first, on with a prussic & belay plate & he was gone. I did the same, retrieved the backup screw & headed down. Slowly I went back down the way I’d come up. I stopped at the place where I’d so nearly blown it. Looked down again into the void below & took a deep breath, my heart was racing again. I looked across at the wall of ice, smooth & uninterrupted, but it was actually undercut & overhanging for 15m & I hadn’t noticed. The ice had led me into a trap. I hadn’t realised or felt it, I was enjoying the climbing too much. Sure I was getting tired but I’d just kept powering up, not bothering to place a screw, I’m happy on this ground, thinking I’ll place one soon. Face on & looking up it just looked steep, but no it was actually overhanging. That’s why I couldn’t get the weight off my feet & that’s why I couldn’t get my hips in & that’s why my arse felt like it was just sagging & my arms were taking it all. I’d climbed myself into a box. I shake my head. Earlier in the trip I would have just powered through it, or if I’d have been wearing leashes I probably wouldn’t have even noticed. But 8 weeks of icefall climbing in the Alps leash less & then this 2 week trip out to the Canadian Rockies, I was tired but hadn’t realised it. I hadn’t given that any thought at all, I hadn’t been looking after myself. Now this route & this wall on the last day was just one step too many. I carried on abseiling. Dean had the next abseil already rigged, I unclipped my cows tail from the rope we were pulling, clipped the belay & started pulling the ropes down. The knot came to the belay & the loose end whipped on over us & down the next pitch. I threaded the ropes into my belay plate, wound on the prussic & left the belay, abseiling down the next pitch.

The Ghost, Canadian Rockies

It was dusk as we made our way back through the dense pine trees, following our snow trail which we’d plugged on the way in. Two hours later & head lamps on we reach our 4X4, stashed the kit in the back & made our way back in darkness along the 4x4 track of  frozen river crossings, boulders, windblown snow & ice. Back up the Big Hill, through & along the forestry track & then finally back to the main road. We both sigh a relief, the mental strain of the day subsiding & let loose, re living the whole day again from start to finish.

Winter climbing in the Ghost is serious full stop. It’s a wild & adventurous journey into some committing valleys & climbs. It’s a remote wilderness back there, of snowed up summits, limestone rock towers, hanging valley’s, dense pine forests, few trails & an array of wild animals like bears & Cougars which treat the area as their home. You only feel free from the place when you’re back on hard tarmac & the road back to the highway, Many people struggle just to get vehicles in & out in winter let alone finding the climbs & climbing a route! You leave home in the dark & arrive back in the dark, that’s the Ghost.

The Ghost, Canadian Rockies

 

The chat in the car reliving the day is at fever pitch & the excitement lasted on into Canmore, the bar & through the huge burger & fries they served – what an exciting, adventurous, serious, scary & wild day that was.

They say ‘you should try & learn something new every day’ – well I certainly found something out about myself that day in the Ghost!

Driving in a very dry Ghost Valley

 

I've never talked it through with Dean until recently. I’d run it over in my mind a thousand times but never told anyone. This April we were both sat on a ledge in the Grose Valley, in the Blue Mountains, Australia. We’d just done a fantastic 5 pitch rock route, sandstone, serious, exposed, scary, committing, adventurous on a huge wall rearing out of the valley & Eucalyptus forest below. It’s an amazing place, if you’ve never been there before. We both sat there having had a great climb, enjoying the views & precious time spent climbing together. It all came out, as I recalled that day in the Ghost, he had no idea. I was surprised how emotional I was just talking it through, re living that 15m of steep overhanging ice.

It's good to talk!

The Grose valley, Blue mountains, Australia         

Stay strong!

Ade

Mills Hills Cyclocross

Hebden Bridge, in the Upper Calder Valley is a small Mill town on the Yorkshire side of the Pennine Hills.

Hebden takes its name from the packhorse bridge over Hebden Water.

The town developed in late medieval times as a river-crossing and meeting point of packhorse routes from Halifax to Heptonstall, Burnley and Rochdale.

In the late 18th century mechanisation, steam power & the arrival of the canal & railway meant that this small west Yorkshire town swelled & grew to the sound of the textile industry producing wool & woolen goods. Working Mills & chimneys towered above roof tops and houses spilled out on the valley sides, giving the town its characteristic double-decker housing.

Traditional industries are no longer a major force, but buildings have been stone-cleaned and revitalised, the Rochdale Canal has been restored. Hebden Bridge in 2012 is alive again with small boutique shops, great character & a rich & diverse community life.

Last Sunday saw the 1st ‘Mills Hills’ Cyclocross Sportive so a few friends & myself headed down from the Lakes to take part. As the name suggests it passed a few mills & headed up some bigs (boggy) hills! which was great fun.

Racing up one of the many steep cobbled sections on sunday, Hebden Bridge

Image courtesy of Mike who raced on in front, topped out on this cobbled section & had enough time to get out his phone & snap this shot!! Oh to be 20yrs younger!

The 30miles, part road and mostly off road, took us up over all the local fells, down steep bridleways, up steep slippery cobbles, past reservoirs with great views back down into the steep Upper Calder Valley & Hebden Bridge.

Mud, cobbles & a lot of fun - oh yeh great pies, peas 7 gravey!

It was a tough ride out, but fantastic to be exploring new tracks & fells in a little known area for me. The organisers put on a treat for competitors at the finish – pie, peas & gravey! Which we’d all consumed before we’d even got the bikes back to the car!

Great weather made for a great & well organised event – well done guys

Safe descending down those slippery cobbles!

Ade    

Kyrgyzstan 2012

The mountains of Kyrgyzstan form the back drop to this wild & beautiful country. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s busy capital to the north, is surrounded by snow covered mountains only a couple of hour’s drive away.

A short distance away from Bishkek, the landscape has shaped & preserved the nomadic Kyrgyz lifestyle & culture for centuries.

 

The nomads say ‘a man should move, because the sun, animals, fish – everything moves & only the land & dead creatures stay where they are’

 

Life in yurts, galloping horses, grazing livestock, kids playing & the simple subsistence lifestyle, pictures day to day life here away from the city.

Kids playing

A local shepherd herding horses up the Kokgrim Valley

 

 

 

 

Herding cattle in Son Kool

 

Daily life in Son Kool

 

It’s late August & leaving Bishkek street sellers line the road selling fresh melons, apples, grapes & a whole array of fresh vegetables grown locally. These great bursts of colour give a refreshing change to an otherwise drab dusty road & looking out to dry brown foothills.

 

 

Street selleres

 

Our journey isn’t conspicuous; we’re in a huge, orange, six wheel drive, ex Russia army vehicle, the locals don’t seem that bothered though, they just get on with everyday life in the same slow & easy pace that most Asian countries seem to go about their business. A refreshing change from the manic pace of life I left behind.

Sasha the driver & our transport for the trip!

 

Yurts or as the locals call them bozuys, old rusty metal trailer caravans & some mud brick built houses with tin roofs dot the various flat spots & valleys as we head into the mountains. Away from the flat lands the street sellers now sell, sheep’s fleeces, eiran (mares milk), cumous(a type of yogurt made from cow’s milk) & small dried fish caught from the local rivers.

 

 

 

 

Eiran - fermented mares milk

 

 Life away from Bishkek is all very hand to mouth. The Kyrgyz people live off the land & sell the surplus to buy food or clothes they can’t grow or make for themselves. It’s humbling to see & understand the life & culture here from 75 years of Soviet rule to now an independent nation & people fending & thinking for themselves.

The dusty trail now turns into tarmac & then back into dust again. The Chinese are full steam as we pass through this year, building a road from the Torugart Pass (the Chinese border), through the town of Naryn & on to Bishkek – this will change the place over the coming years I have no doubt of that.

 

Off the road & into the hills time stops, wisps of smoke rise up in the distance as you approach small yurt camps surrounded by sheep, horses, dogs barking & piles of stacked up bricks of dried out cow & horse dung. Nothing goes to waste, even the bones of sheep make for a tasty stock or soup.

Inside the yurt the circular walls are lined with bright, colourful felt rugs depicting, the changing seasons, the hunting of Marco Polo sheep & their traditional way of life.

Great Marco Polo horns & skull found on the descent from one of the peaks in the Kokart Valley

 

The felt which is just compressed layers of sheep’s wool is made by layering handfuls of washed wool together on a reed mat & then rolling the mat up & tying it tightly together in a long tube. Boiling water is then poured over the outside of the reed mat which seeps through into the wool & then stamping & jumping on the rolled mat mulches the layers of wool together to make one tightly knitted layer – simple but really effective in making a thick layer of wool (felt) used to insulate & keep warm.

A very ornate yurt which we stayed in for a couple of nights in Tash Rabat

 

They dress the outside of the yurt with three layers of felt, which both insulates & keeps out whatever the Tien Shan weather throws at it (the wool isn’t washed in this process of making felt for yurts, which keeps the lanolin in the wool making the shell more waterproof & repelling of the elements. The lattice wooden framework supporting the structure is fixed with rawhide straps & lined with a mat of woven reeds called a chiy. The whole yurt can be erected & dismantled within a couple of hours following livestock & the weather to warmer pastures.

A traditional working Kyrgyz yurt

A traditional felt yurt in Son Kool

Inside the bozuy or yurt the space is allocated according to tradition – the lefthand side for the man, his horse & his hunting gear & the right hand side for the women, the stove & her domestic utensils. At the back of the bozuy lie the brightly coloured folded felt blankets or shyrdaks & thick straw filled beds – the higher the pile the wealthier the family!

The traditional Kyrgyz hats called ak-kal-paks are also felt, made from some of the best white wool edged with black velvet embroidery. Felt boots, jackets & slippers are also standard Kyrgyz ware & seen in great abundance when visiting the many markets in the surrounding towns on the way, to & from the mountains.

The horses are the ‘wings of the Kyrgyz people’ & for over 2,500yrs this valuable beast has been at the heart of the Kyrgyz nomadic life. Still today, outside of Bishkek the horse plays a valuable role in everyday life.

We see a snap shot & only scratch the surface in our 3 week trip but it’s amazing how much a part of the country you feel in that short space of time. Life passes by but you seem to have plenty of time to take it all in, stop & enjoy. After all it’s only part of why we’re here!

A Griffon Vulture circling over head in Tash Rabat

Since the Soviets pulled out Kyrgyzstan has opened up for climbers like ourselves to venture in & explore, taste the culture & explore the unexplored mountains. A treat & such a rarity on such a busy planet we live in today.

 

Two great mountain ranges embrace over 90% of the country - The Tien Shan mountains which stretch for 2,500km from east to west & the Tajik Pamir mountains which spill into southern Kyrgyzstan. Over 30% of the country is covered in permanent snow & ice! The Tien Shan host peaks such as Khan Tengri (the Prince of Spirits) at 7,010m, & the highest peak Jengish Chokosu or Peak Pobeda at 7,439m. In the Pamir Peak Kuh-i-Garmo or Peak Lenin’s summit is 7,134m which is one of the easier 7,000m summits in the world.

 

We’re heading to the Tien Shan & a range right on the Chinese border called the Western Kok-Shal-Too. There’s an area of valleys & mountains unexplored & unclimbed here. We’ve seen from a distance on past trips steep faces, rock ridges, glaciers & snow faces & lofty summits all waiting to be explored & climbed.

We pull into the last military check point which gives us access to this no-mans land between both the borders & see the mountains rising steeply up from the flat plans & small yurt camps.This military camp/border checkpoint called Orto Kashkasuu which roughly translates to ‘Middle Quick Water’ is a familiar sight to both Pat & myself having been through here a good number of times over the years.

Juma comes out in his military uniform, all smiles & handshakes & offers us in for drinks & a nights rest before we continue on into the range. Juma’s been stationed here in the middle of a very remote region for over 12years!

My Diary or routes/peaks which I climbed with my team -

The following day we headed up the Kokart valley to our first BC in the western Kokshal-Too which was at 3495m & acclimatised on a close peak which was 3805m

Heading into BC!

 

BC in the Kokart Valley

 

30 Aug – Headed up the valley & set up an ABC at 3665m

ABC in the Kokart Valley Western Kok-Shal-Too

31 Aug – We climbed the N/Face of peak 4230m which we called Shakhemat Peak which translates to ‘Check Mate Peak’ & graded it alpine AD

'Check Mate' on the North Face of Shakhemat Peak 4230m

 

1 Sept – We climbed peak 4177.9m which we called Chaban Peak which translates to ‘Shepherds Peak’, then traversed the long & high 4000m ridge to peak 4415m which we called Merghenchi Peak which translates to ‘Hunters Peak’ we graded the whole traverse & ascent of the peaks at grade PD minus

Descending from Merghenchi Peak 4415m

We found the whole area very inaccessible, steep towers & marble limestone which was difficult to climb & protect.

2 Sept – We returned to BC, packed up BC & headed out to the main Aksia river system in the trucks
3 Sept - Drove in the trucks to the At-Bashi range & set up BC at 3892m

The At-Bashi Range

4 Sept – We climbed a peak 4486m which we called Chaghylgan Peak which translates to ‘Lightening Peak’ grade alpine AD

Me topping out on Lightening Peak

A few minutes later on the summit the whole place was alive with electricity & we had to make a hasty retreat!

 

Descending Lightening Peak

 

 5 Sept – We climbed along with Pat’s team peak 4556m which they called Okno Peak which translates to ‘Window Peak’

The team enjoying a great day on Okno Peak 4556m

 

6 Sept – We climbed peak 4725m which we called Idyn Tolgon Kezi Peak which translates to ‘Full Moon Peak’ Grade PD minus

Great early morning colours on the surrounding peaks & our line climbing Full Moon 4725m the highest peak in the area

7 Sept – Rest day at BC & then packed up BC & head out to the main Aksai river system in the trucks

8 Sept – Drove around to Tash Rabat in the trucks & settled into the Yurt Camp there.

The great Silk road was once one of the world’s richest exchanges of trade & culture. Caravans of camels, men & horses bore lazurite, silver & spices across thousands of miles & Kyrgyzstan stood at a crossroads to China’s gateway to the west. Tash Rabat played an important part in the puzzle of travelling safely through these mountains with the Tash Rabat caravanserai dating back to the 15^th century acting as a resting point & safe haven for these travellers along the route. Bandits & slave traders would stake the valleys & attack passing travellers & the caravanserai would act as a safe overnight stop.

 

The huge limestone ridges & faces here act as natural barriers to the mountains but also offer fantastic climbing on immaculate rock, with the added value of living in yurts!

 

9 Sept – We climbed a great 400m ridge line just up from the yurt camp which we called ‘Spine Line Ridge’ grade alpine AD+

10 Sept – We drove on to Son Kool Canyon in the trucks & explored a new unexplored limestone canyon to the south called Kokgrim Canyon which translates to ‘Blue Bend’ which was just fatastic & offered endless possibilities for single & multi-pitch rock routes at all grades.

11 Sept – We climbed a 5 pitch rock route in Kokgrim Canyon which we called ‘Escargot’ & graded E2 5b

Me leading the 1st pitch on the 1st ascent of Escargot E2 5b

 

Me high up leading pitch 3 on Escargot with the Kokgrim valley below

 

 

The line of Escargot , Kokgrim Canyon, Son Kool

 

 12 Sept – We climbed a 5 pitch rock route in Kokgrim Canyon which we called ‘Slab & Tickle’ & graded Hard Severe (HS)

 

The line of Slab & Tickle up some fantastic slabs & walls on immaculate limestone

 

The beautiful night sky in Son Kool

 

 13 Sept – We climbed a long alpine style rock ridge which was about 350/400m long which we called ‘Little Switzerland’ & graded alpine PD. We also climbed a single pitch rock route down in a quiet gorge off the main Kokgrim river valley & to the north of ‘Little Switzerland’ which we called Triassic Crack & graded E2 5c

The long 400m line of Little Switzerland & Triassic Crack

 

Me making the 1st ascent of Triassic Crack E2 5c

 

Me climbing Triassic Crack

 

 

14 Sept – We returned to Bishkek in the trucks via the town of Kochkor

15 Sept - A day in Bishkek

16 Sept - Home

Awesome - all the routes & peaks we did were all unclimbed & 1st Ascents

Next year’s trip already planned & booked! A new range we saw on this trip, unclimbed, unexplored & amazing looking peaks……….can’t wait

Thanks again to Jay Sheldrake for some greast pictures

Safe climbing

Ade