Tag Archives: Mourne Mountains

9 Years, It’s finaly done.

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In the picture below is of me, that was take in 2004 while I was climbing a route called Afterbirth 22 meters HVS 5a *, Forest View Buttress, Spellack in the Mourne Mountains.  I was on study leave from school while I was doing my GCSE’s at the time.   So not much studying was done as me and my dad went out climbing instead.  On this day me, my dad and my two climbing friends Amy and James,  also in the picture (Amy is above me climbing while James is belaying her on Moto Psycho Nightmare 22 meters HVS 5a *).  Shortly after this picture was taken I fall off,  That was my first ever lead fall.

9 Years ago

9 Years ago

Sence then it has always sat in the back of my mind that I wanted to re climb this route,  every time I have been to Forest View Buttress sense then I have always felt a strong connection with the place and I could feel the route staring at me and taunting me.  Even with its re grading to E1 5b I still had to climb that route.  So today after 9 years I climbed her, Afterbirth is done.

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James looking faward to climb on the walk in. Forest view in the back ground.

My friend James who was in the picture above was free for a climb today so we decided on Forest view as the weather wasn’t looking at great and it has a short walk in, it’s also has a few easier routes as James hasn’t climbed much recently and wanted to start off easy.  I first lead off on Final FU 22 meter servere 4a,  I was easier than I remember it being and was feeling pretty good when I got to the top.  James then decided to lead Single Birth 20 meter Servere 4a.

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Afterbirth in all her glory. Just before the rain started.

I was feeling pretty good after those routes so I decided that if I don’t do it now I won’t do it, so I decided to attempted Afterbirth.  I racked and James sorted the rope at the bottom of the route, we tied in James put me on belay and I started climbing.  It was easy well protected climbing almost all the way up till where the crack narrows, where your holding onto a good hold that you don’t want to let go of but after a lot of swearing, giving myself a good talking to and that my calves where killing me again, I attempted the move and put as much gear in as I could,  to give me confidence.  James gave me good motivation as I moved up the route, hunting for the good hold.  My head was making the route felt harder than the moves really where.   I passed the place I remember being when I fall off 9 years ago.  I think what I did wrong at the time was I moved out of the crack to early and wouldn’t get myself back in.  Today I stayed in the crack and found good holds to get myself up the route.  Getting to the belay I was starting to feel my brain getting very tired,  all i wanted to do was get myself safe on a belay as the rope drag was getting annoying.  Once I was safe I was like  YES!!!!!!! I’ve done it.  When James got to the belay he shook my hand and said ‘Good lead man’.

We got back to the bags to have a  bit of a break and sort the gear for the next route, but there was a sudden crack of lightning and the rain started and was getting heavier so we decided to call it a day and bail to the car.

This route has been sitting at the back of my head for a long time and I’ve final done it,  Afterbirth is not just a route that a fell off but is also my first E1 and what a route to call my first E1.

Ali

Multi Pitch climbing in the Mourne Mountains

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I’m currently visiting my parents in Northern Ireland at the moment, and one of the reasons I go home is to get into the Mourne Mountains and get on some lovely granite slabs,  so today I managed to get my mate AJ who works at my old work here, out to do his first multi pitch route in the Mournes.

Slieve Lamagan

Slieve Lamagan

The weather wasn’t looking to good so we where going to play it by ear on the day, so I went to pick up AJ and it was blue skies so we risked going to Slieve Lamagan to do FM V diff *** at 162 meters.  I have done the route a number of times now and I know it fairly well so went relatively light and went for the direct finish which makes it a Severe **.  In the guide book it puts FM down to be done in 6 pitches but I stretch out the first and second pitches to make one pitch just before the mouvais pas (crux) pitch.

AJ looking excited

AJ looking excited

We got off to a good start on the gripe granite and easy ground passing the first belay and stretching out to the second belay both pitches are well protected but it’s a bit spaced apart the pitch is just under 60 meters so not much rope left if I needed it but built the belay and got AJ up for the crux pitch which is my favourite pitch on the whole route, I was also itching to getting going as my calve mussels where killing me from being on my toes.  You can see the crux in the picture below.

First Belay over a bomber flake

First Belay over a bomber flake

AJ was really enjoying his first pitch multi pitching.

AJ passing the first belay

AJ passing the first belay

The mouvais pas (crux) pitch, was next and I knew the gear I needed to protect it well.  You get your hands into a flake and get your left foot really high, move your weight onto that foot and stand up moving your hand up the flake to place another cam to protect the next couple of moves to the belay, which was built with a cam and a big nut.

Second belay

Second belay

The third pitch is straight forward, the first 10 or 15 meters is well protected but the next 20 meters to the belay is very run out but is on easy angled slab.  You come up to a corner just below the ‘direct finish’ pitch.  This belay was built with 2 big cams.

Thrid belay, 2 big cams

Third belay, 2 big cams

The direct finish is a lot steeper that the rest of the route, but is well protected and the holds are good.  You climb up to a little roof to reach over the top so good holds, then moving your feet up below the roof to pull through to top out. Which I was glad to do as my calves and big toes where so sore at this stage.  I built the belay and got ready to bring AJ up the pitch.

View down the thrid pitch, down to Annalong valley.

View down the third pitch, down to Annalong valley.

AJ at the thrid belay waiting to climb.

AJ at the third belay waiting to climb.

AJ wasn’t as confident on this pitch but with a bit of talking through the moves and grabbing the good holds at the top he was able to pull through to the belay and a good breather at the top and to the admire the view down the Annalong valley.

Annalong valley

Annalong valley

We packed up our gear and let our feet and toes breathe after being in climbing shoes for 2 hours and then the clouds had lifted off the tops on the mountains I was able to show AJ some of the other single and multi-pitch crags in the Annalong  valley looking towards Slieve Donard (highest mountain in Northern Ireland) with upper and lower cove and Annalong buttress all three of these crags have some amazing climbing.

Upper and lower cove to the left Annalong buttress to the right with Slieve Donard in the back ground.

Upper and lower cove to the left Annalong buttress to the right with Slieve Donard in the back ground.

The clouds were beginning to come in at this stage so we decided to make hasty descent back to the car before the rain came in.  AJ really enjoyed himself and I think I got him a bit hooked on his next progression on the climbing ladder from single pitch to multi pitch.

More pictures from the day are on my flickr page.

Well I hope you enjoyed my first post on my new blog and you will come back to check for updates.  I’ve tried to catch all my spelling and grammar mistakes but if you come across any please let me know.

Ali