Wednesday, October 24, 2012

KerryClimbing Winter Lecture Series 2012 / 13....

KERRYCLIMBING WINTER LECTURE SERIES IS BACK...
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Last year our highly successful series of evening talks had top climbers Andy Kirkpatrick, Iain Miller and Ricky Bell entertain and inspire with crazy tales of first ascents and vertical adventures from both home and abroad...These lectures raised the impressive sum of €1500 for Mountain Rescue teams and this year we have decided to give all proceeds to the "Cork Youth Climbing Club"...
 
This year we are absolutely delighted to announce another super series of talks by more Top Adventurers, Mountaineers and Climbers....
(click on names to check out their web-sites)

7:30pm in the BOOLE THEATRE, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CAMPUS, CORK

THURS NOV 29th :   DERMOT SOMERS     - "The FRENEY PILLAR and other ALPINE ASCENTS"
 
THURS DEC 13th :    PAUL SWAIL         - "PARK LIFE"  - Big Wall Adventures in Yosemite... 
 
 FRI  JAN 25th      :   JOHNNY DAWES      - "THE DAYS OF GRIT AND LYCRA"
 
THURS FEB 7th     : IAIN MILLER          - "SEASONS IN THE ABYSS" 

All talks hosted in association with UCC Mountaineering club

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     " The FRENEY PILLAR and other ALPINE ASCENTS"

We are kicking off our Winter Lecture Series with the renowned Irish broadcaster, writer and mountaineer -  Dermot Somers. During the evenings Illustrated talk he will be telling the epic story of Walter Bonatti's nightmare attempt to make the first ascent of the iconic rock tower in 1961, which resulted in the deaths of 4 climbers in the party. He tells that story in the context of his own ascent of the Mont Blanc pillar in 1981.
 

Dermot Somers - "The Freney Pillar & other Ascents"

As a climber Dermot has travelled all over the world, with a particular interest in the Alps and the Himalayas. He was a member of the Irish Everest Expedition, 1993.

He has presented many Travel and Adventure programmes for TG4 and RTE, including a series on great nomadic journeys of the world.
The series has taken him to Siberia, the Sahara, Iran, and Nepal.

His fiction, history, and travel-writing have been published in English and in Irish, winning awards in both languages.

http://www.dermotsomers.com/       
Tickets €10 at the door
All Proceeds from this talk going to the   Cork Youth Climbing Club.
 
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                       PAUL SWAIL - "PARK LIFE"

Hear all about the crazy adventures of a pair of Irish climbers who braved the big walls of Yosemite National Park in America. 
 

During their epic trip, the Irish duo of Andy Marshall and Paul Swail conquered the 3000 ft Nose of El Capitan in a single push, taking just under 17hrs for all 33 pitches. They failed and succeeded on Astroman, made a speedy ascent of the iconic Half Dome and many other classic climbs in the valley.

Yosemite is billed as 'an outlet for the energies of the world's most passionate and adventurous people'. The duo experienced this first hand with high expectations, pain, elatedness and sheer exhaustion in order to realise the dream of a lifetime.

http://www.rockandrideoutdoors.com/

TICKETS €7 AT THE DOOR


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 JOHNNY DAWES - "THE DAYS OF GRIT AND LYCRA!!!"

Johnny Dawes is the legendary enigmatic front man of an eclectic band of British climbers who in the mid 1980's redefined the standards of difficulty and danger in traditional climbing.

 

Introducing the world to the impossible grades of E8 & E9, and laying the foundations of the modern scene, Johnny's unique style and character have become legend. Johnny Dawes is one of the very best rock climbers the U.K has ever produced.  In 1986, he was responsible for the most inspired new route in a generation, when he climbed Indian Face on Clogwyn d'ur Arddu in Snowdonia. Difficult and tenuous, a fall from its hardest move would most likely be fatal. But Dawes is much more than a risk-taker. His rich imagination has left a legacy of outstanding new routes all over the country, not least on the gritstone edges of Derbyshire where his bold and fluid style reached its fullest expression.Each generation produces a handful of visionaries, people who can see beyond the possible. Whether he likes it or not, Johnny is climbing's visionary. There are accounts of terrifying first-ascents on crumbling sea cliffs and even more terrifying accounts of van-driving around Wales..

http://www.johnnydawes.com/

TICKETS €12 AT THE DOOR

An evening definitely  NOT TO BE MISSED!!!!!
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          IAIN MILLER - "SEASONS IN THE ABYSS"

Following on from the success of last seasons brilliant lecture by Iain... We just had to have him back!!!
The focus of the talk will be a continuing mid life crisis, his addiction to fear and pushing the boundaries of what a V Diff climber is capable of.

First Ascent of The Sturrall Headland at 750m long Ireland's longest rock climb. http://www.uniqueascent.ie/sp/directory/details/sturrall-headland
First Ascent of Tormore Island, at 160m high Ireland's highest sea stack. http://www.uniqueascent.ie/sp/directory/details/tormore-island


Iain Miller


2nd ascent (41 years after the first and only other ascent) of Eagles Rock in Glenade, Leitrim, at 330m high it is Ireland's highest free standing tower. http://www.uniqueascent.ie/sp/directory/details/eagles-rock-leitrim



During these wee adventures Iain has swam with bull seals, paddled next to a killer whale, met and spoke to an angel (after falling 20m off a sea stack into the sea), being blown out to sea in his wee dingy until he lost sight of Ireland , watched his climbing partner die at his feet and off course also had an outstanding amount of fun whilst being terrified and facing mortality!!!

http://www.uniqueascent.ie/


TICKETS €7 ON THE DOOR

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Friday, October 19, 2012

MY FAVOURITES OF MOUNTAIN LITERATURE....

 
"THE VILLAIN"
A fascinating, thought-provoking biography of a climbing legend.

Don Whillans has been an icon for generations of climbers. His first ascent of Annapurna’s South Face with Dougal Haston in 1970, remains one of the most impressive climbs ever made – a standard to which all contemporary Himalayan climbers aspire. But Perrin examines the tough reality behind Whillans’ formidable achievements – the character of the man himself. Despite his skill and daring, Whillans was a savage-tongued, hell-raising scrapper – turned down for a Queen’s Birthday honour, because of a violent fracas with the police. Coming out of a world miles away from the environment of the upper class climbers who dominated the sport, Whillans’ forceful, uncompromising personality gave him superstar status – the flawed heroism of a Best or an Ali



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"THE HARD YEARS"

Joe Brown is one of the greatest names in British climbing. This book not only describes his many notable climbs, but reflects a most engaging personality with a highly interesting approach to his craft.
 
He was born in a Manchester slum, the youngest of seven children; his father died before he was a year old. The characteristics he showed as a child - a quite extraordinary self-reliance and an unexpected love of the countryside - are reflected throughout his life-story. The Hard Years is also the story of Joe Brown's climbs up some of the toughest mountains in the world.
 
 
 
 
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 "THE WHITE SPIDER"

A true classic of mountaineering literature, this is the story of the harrowing first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, the most legendary and terrifying climb in history.


Heinrich Harrer, author of ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ and one of the twentieth century’s greatest mountaineers, was part of the team that finally conquered the Eiger’s fearsome North Face in 1938. It was a landmark expedition that pitted the explorers against treacherous conditions and the limits of human endurance, and which many have since tried – and failed – to emulate.

Armed with an intimate knowledge that comes only from first-hand experience of climbing the Eiger, Harrer gives a gripping account of physical daring and mental resilience.


   

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"THE CUILLIN - GREAT MOUNTAIN RIDGE OF SKYE"

The Cuillin, on the Isle of Skye, form the finest single chain of mountains in Britain, rising straight out of the sea to a height of over 3000 feet, and presenting a landscape of light and rapidly changeable weather.This award-winning volume of photographs and route descriptions by British photographer Gordon Stainforth, explores the savage beauty of this unique mountain region, and captures the essence of rock climbing and scrambling in this spectacular area.


Using over 120 full colour plates and accompanying text Gordon considers the special qualities that make the Cuillin unique; mountains rising sheer from the sea, a magical light, rapidly changing weather conditions....
The Cuillin, one of the most successful mountain books of its type ever to have been published in Britain, is now out of in print after seven print runs in thirteen years.




Climbing magazine said : "Stainforth evokes a huge range of moods, presented with rhythm and purpose in a beautiful progression of double-page spreads, designed entirely by the author, with an attention to detail rarely seen in mountain books."


 
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                               "FEEDING THE RAT"
Feeding the Rat is the story of an extraordinary man: climbing legend Mo Anthoine, who found his greatest joy in adventures that tested the far limits of human endurance.

  That passion for "feeding the rat" made him the unsung hero of dozens of horrifying epics in the mountains, including the famous ogre expedition that nearly killed Doug Scott and sir Chris Bonington. The book is also the story of the extraordinary friendship between Mo and adrenaline junky Al Alvarez - the distinguished poet, journalist and critic - whose deeply moving portrait of his longtime climbing partner is a true classic of climbing literature. A gem of a book..
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                            "EXTREME ALPINISM"

Big, high routes at the edge of a climber's ability are not the places for inventing technique or relying on old habits. Complacency can lead to fatal errors. So where does the hard-core aspirant or dreamer turn? The only master class in print, Extreme Alpinism delivers an expert dose of reality and practical techniques for advanced climbers.

 

Focusing on how top alpine climbers approach the world's most difficult routes, Twight centers his instruction on the ethos of climbing the hardest routes with the least amount of gear and the most speed. Throughout, Twight makes it clear that the two things he refuses to compromise are safety and his climbing ethics. In addition to the extensive chapters on advanced techniques and skills, Twight also discusses mental preparedness and attitude; strength and cardiovascular training; good nutrition; and tips on equipment and clothing. Illustrated throughout with full color photos.




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WINNER OF THE BOARDMAN TASKER PRIZE 2008
"PSYCHO VERTICAL"

Metro magazine wrote that Andy Kirkpatrick makes Ray Mears look like Paris Hilton. Words like boldness, adventure and risk were surely coined especially for him. As one of the world's most accomplished mountaineers and big-wall climbers, he goes vertically where other climbers (to say nothing of the general public) fear to tread.


For the first time, this cult hero of vertical rock has written a book, in which his thirteen-day ascent of Reticent Wall on El Capitan in California - the hardest big-wall climb ever soloed by a Briton - frames a challenging autobiography. From childhood on a grim inner-city housing estate in Hull, the story moves through horrific encounters and unique athletic achievements at the extremes of the earth. As he writes, 'Climbs like this make no sense ... the chances of dying on the route are high.' Yet Andy, in his thirties with young children, has everything to live for. This is the paradox at the heart of the story.This book - by turns gut-wrenching, entertaining and challenging - appeals to the adventurer in all of us.

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                                  "ANNAPURNA"





In 1950, no mountain higher than 8,000 meters had ever been climbed. Maurice Herzog and other members of the French Alpine Club had resolved to try.
Their goal was a 26,493-foot Himalayan peak called Annapurna. But unlike other climbs, which draw on the experience of prior reconnaissance, the routes up Annapurna had never been analyzed before. Herzog and his team had to locate the mountain using sketchy, crude maps, pick out a single, untried route, and go for the summit. Annapurna is the unforgettable account of this dramatic and heroic climb, and of its harrowing aftermath. Although Herzog and his comrade Louis Lachenal reached the mountain's summit, their descent was a nightmare of frostbite, snow blindness, and near death. With grit and courage manifest on every page, Herzog's narrative is one of the great mountain-adventure stories of all time.


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"INTO THIN AIR"

When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10,1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds...

Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed Outside journalist and author of the bestselling Into the Wild. Taking the reader step by step from Katmandu to the mountain's deadly pinnacle, Krakauer has his readers shaking on the edge of their seat. Beyond the terrors of this account, however, he also peers deeply into the myth of the world's tallest mountain. What is is about Everest that has compelled so many poeple--including himself--to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense?

Written with emotional clarity and supported by his unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement


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"THE CLIMB"

If you read "Into Thin Air" then you gotta read this!!!

In May 1996 three expeditions attempted to climb Mount Everest on the Southeast Ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Crowded conditions slowed their progress. Late in the day twenty-three men and women-including expedition leaders Scott Fischer and Rob Hall-were caught in a ferocious blizzard. Disoriented and out of oxygen, climbers struggled to find their way down the mountain as darkness approached.



Alone and climbing blind, Anatoli Boukreev brought climbers back from the edge of certain death. This new edition includes a transcript of the Mountain Madness expedition debriefing recorded five days after the tragedy, as well as G. Weston DeWalt's response to Into Thin Air author Jon Krakauer.

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"COLD CLIMBS"
The classic picture book for anyone with an interest in winter climbing in Britain. Although climbing standards have risen, the writing and photos in this book are as inspiring as ever. As a tick list or as a way of recalling great days out this book has not been beaten. A must for all aspiring hardmen and novices alike.A fantastic coffee table book to possess...






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"LEARNING TO BREATHE"

In the Himalaya in 1997 Andy Cave achieved one of the hardest climbs ever recorded on one of the steepest and most difficult summits of the world - the north face of Changabang. Seventeen days later, he and two of his teammates - his best friend had already perished in an avalanche - crawled into basecamp, frostbitten and emaciated.

His account of this terrifying experience provides a dramatic climax to this extraordinary story. Learning to Breathe is, first and foremost, a lively and humorous memoir, written with energy and insight, about two very different groups of men, each navigating equally inhospitable worlds. Finally, on a larger scale, it is an examination of our ability to draw on inner strengths and the strengths of others.


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"TOUCHING THE VOID"
Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking his leg. In the hours that followed, darkness fell and a blizzard raged as Yates tried to lower his friend to safety. Finally, Yates was forced to cut the rope, moments before he would have been pulled to his own death.

he next three days were an impossibly grueling ordeal for both men. Yates, certain that Simpson was dead, returned to base camp consumed with grief and guilt over abandoning him. Miraculously, Simpson had survived the fall, but crippled, starving, and severely frostbitten was trapped in a deep crevasse. Summoning vast reserves of physical and spiritual strength, Simpson crawled over the cliffs and canyons of the Andes, reaching base camp hours before Yates had planned to leave.

How both men overcame the torments of those harrowing days is an epic tale of fear, suffering, and survival, and a poignant testament to unshakable courage.





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RON FAWCETT - ROCK ATHLETE

Ron Fawcett is a natural-born climber. In 1969, while still at school in his native Yorkshire, he tied into a climbing rope for the first time and was instantly hooked. From that moment on, it seemed nothing else in his life mattered nearly as much as his next vertical fix. Ten years later, Fawcett was the most famous rock climber in Britain and among the best in the world, part of a new wave whose dedication to training transformed the sport, pushing standards further and faster than ever before - or since.


His legacy of new climbs ranks him alongside the very best in the history of the sport. He was also the first to style himself a professional rock climber, starring in the landmark television documentary "Rock Athlete", and appearing on the covers of magazines around the world. But far from enjoying the fame, Fawcett found the pressures of the limelight too much to bear, and at the end of the 1980s he faded from view. Now, for the first time, he tells his extraordinary story, of how his love of nature and the outdoors developed into a passion for climbing that took him to the top - and almost consumed him.



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Saturday, October 13, 2012

A week of Kerry Climbing....

This week had us guiding Will from the U.S  on an ascent of the brilliant Howling Ridge on Corrán Tuathail and giving an intro Rock Climbing course in the wonderful Gap of Dunloe.

Mystical morn in the Hags Glen

Wednesday 10th Oct:
We started as the sun came up, to make the most out of the best part of the day according to the forecast. This meant we walked in to The Hags Glen with some very mystical clouds hugging the mountains - spectacular!!! Forecast was spot on with misty cloud turning to heavy rain by late afternoon.

Climbing Howling Ridge

This was Will's first ever multi pitch trad route as before this he had only climbed sport routes. He was blown away..it's just a pity we didn't get the stunning views from the ridge. We descended easily by The Devil's Ladder and were back at the car by 4pm. Happy Days :)
 
 


 
 
Success - congrats to Will on his 1st ascent of Corrán Tuathail...and what a route to climb it by- the mighty Howling Ridge....and this being his 1st ever visit to Ireland...Now that's what we call truly Experiencing the Adventure ;)

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Saturday 13th Oct:
Today it was the turn of a group of 4 from Tralee and Cork to do some Kerry Climbing on their Intro Rock Course in The Gap of Dunloe...

Céim

The forecast was giving heavy showers throughout the day and so we decided to head to the lovely sheltered crag of Céim.  This little gem of a crag is situated in a lush secluded little valley and is in a gorgeous attractive wooded setting. It is the perfect crag to head to in bad weather as it is very sheltered and as a lot of the rock is slightly overhanging it can be dry when everything else is wet.  I don't tend to head here much in the Summer months as the midges are horrendous!!! 






 

We began the day with an abseil to get used to our surroundings and the exposure and then quickly progressed to climbing some of the classic routes of this crag namely: "Moondance" VS 4c, "Miss Piggy" VS 4c and then moved onto the brilliant "Titanic" VS 4b.  Everyone struggled and got frustrated on Titanic and all were in agreement that the previous two routes seemed easier even though are graded slightly harder. 




Rock-Climbing in the Gap of Dunloe























 The showers which were forecast never really materialised,the midgies were non existent and the gang departed dry and happy but tired after a highly informative and exhausting days climbing!!










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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Been so so busy.....

Well finally I am getting a moment to sit down and update our blog after an extremely difficult few weeks on a personal level and also an extremely busy few weeks on a business & professional level.

Two weeks ago now my dear mother was taken from us by the big "C", Cancer. This happened to coincide with me being crazy busy with guiding work and also juggling the indepth preperations for the task of marshaling and safety of the 2012 Helly Hansen Killarney Adventure Race. I suppose being flat-out with work distracted me in alot of ways and helped take my mind off my mothers demise but I feel in other respects that up until now I havn't really begun to grieve, contemplate and deal with her harrowing end and my own terrible loss.



The Hags Glen from Howling Ridge on the North face of Carrauntoohil

 Well a couple of days after her funeral I headed off - on my own - to the mighty "Reeks" of Kerry to just....escape for a while I suppose....
I really needed to just get away from it all and be where I could take stock...Being in the hills and mountains alone, is at the best of times a deeply satisfying, invigorating and even spiritual experience and a place where no matter what troubles I have I can totally forget about it all - for a couple of hours anyway...But less than a week after my mothers death, getting into the mountains alone now felt as a necessity.I NEEDED to get away for a while... My body,mind and soul NEEDED to get away for a while...

View down Collins's gully

I had one route in mind for such a solo day and the weather wasn't too bad either so off I headed to climb the mighty Howling Ridge on the North face of Corrán Tuathail...A late start along with a leasurely coffee in Cronin's tea-room had me at the beginning of the route at the "Heavenly Gates" at around 1o clock. My plan was to climb nice 'n slow and enjoy every minute and every move but pretty soon I was " in the groove" so to speak and moving quickly without the usual hinderance of rack and rope. Within twenty minutes I was at the last pitch of the climb and was now on the look out for a strange piece of equipment some mates had told me they had come across while on a recent climb.


High on Howling Ridge,Corrán Tuathail.


The item in question was a heavy duty metal cable,approx 12mm thick slung around a large rock spike. Unusual to say the least for climbers to....
1. Carry and use such a piece of kit on a climb...(climbers use nylon slings for the purpose of protection/anchors, not metal cables)..and...
2. To leave it there instead of removing it afterwards....Obviously never heard of the Leave no trace policy....(or slings!!!!!)...





 Well pretty soon I found the offending item and after making a few calls to enquire if anyone in the MRT knew anything about it,which they hadn't, I decided to remove it and packed it into my ruc-sac and went on to complete the climb.
 



Now of course this isn't the first piece of gear I have come across  and we all happen upon stuck Cams, Nuts Slings etc left on routes, this happens due to various reasons and of course the Alps are littered with fixed ropes,pitons, pegs etc but I cannot understand why someone would think it necessary to bring and then LEAVE such an unusual piece as an unsightly metal cable on such a route as Howling Ridge....


In my opinion this sort of behaviour is  UNACCEPTABLE on this or on ANY  other Irish route for that matter!!!!!

I reached Corrán Tuathail's cloudy summit 30 minutes after beginning the climb and after a quick bite to eat I began my descent via the Devil's Ladder.
This was a welcome and much needed day spent in the magnificent wilds of Kerry but now back to the grind and reality again. Now for the job of thorough preperations for the following weeks Killarney Adventure Race....



Well the day began extremely cold with low mists lifting by afternoon to give an absolutely beautiful sunny day.This provided everyone involved with the most stunning views of the amazing Kerry scenery...

 We at KerryClimbing were tasked with providing the first aid response, safety and marshaling of all three mountain run stages of this years Helly Hansen Killarney Adventure Race - Strickeen,Torc and Mangerton and are glad to say we had little or no incidents what-so-ever on .the day... PHEWWWW !!!!!





 
Helly Hansen Killarney Adventure Race 2012- Strickeen mountain run stage
 
Well all my weeks of detailed prep and intensive planning paid off and happily the day passed off without a hitch. Really pleased with myself that the massive effort I had put in during hard difficult hard times had reaped its rewards and delighted with the fantastic responsible part all the KerryClimbing marshals had played on the day!!!!

A MASSIVE MASSIVE congratulations to ALL the competitors who took part in this exciting and inspiring event...We are in awe of you all....WELL DONE !!! Also a massive congrats and well done to Ollie and all the Elite crew, to the Civil Defence and Ambulance Volunteers, to ALL the event marshals,sponsors and everybody who played a part in making this years race such a spectacular and safe one...Roll on KAR 2013!!
 

Jeoff Grant, who brought his Swiss Alphorn with him on Strickeen Mountain and played enroute.
 
The Helly Hensen Killarney Adventure Race, where over 1100 athletes competed in the gruelling multi-activity race with stages including, mountain runs on Strickeen Mountain, Mangerton and Torc Mountains, cycling through the Gap of Dunloe, Black Valley, Molls Gap, kayaking on Muckross Lake and cycling though the oakwoods of Muckross Peninsula, finally finishing at Muckross House Killarney, overall winners of the Race were the one and only's Fiola Foley, Inov-8 Switzerland and Killorglin!, Tim O'Donoghue, Team Dingle Adventure Race and Cork, Paul Mahon, over 40's 67Km, Jerry O'Sullivan, over 40's 57km,Team Relay won by Fossa Rowing Club. Race Photos:Valerie O'Sullivan


 



    
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