While we were going down the M6 Davie Gregg casually mentioned some of the routes he had soloed: Right Wall (a 150 foot E5 on Dinas Cromlech), a much bigger route on Gogarth Main Wall and a route in the Lake District. He had been working at Windscale or Sellafield (or whatever they called it in those days) and had walked in to Esk Buttress after work on a Friday night to camp. Without a guidebook and with nobody about that evening to ask about the climbs he soloed what he thought was the best looking line. It turned out to be The Cumbrian a 400 foot E4/5, he found it hard and didn’t know if it was going to get harder so thought about reversing what he later found out was the 6b crux.

When we got to Pembroke Mark Garthwaite and Davie were swapping leads on E5s and E6s all day long while Andy Benson and I were climbing easier stuff. We had a few days at Pembroke then a day at Gogarth.

The next day Mark and Davie went back to Gogarth while Andy, Miles Bright and I went to Llanberis Pass. Angelsey is great but I was excited to be going back to ‘The Pass’. We started on Dinas Mot, which was in the morning sun, I had wanted to do Super Direct for ages so I was happy when the others decided to climb it, I enjoyed seconding it but thought it was hard for the grade. We then walked across to Dinas Cromlech so were keeping in the sun. Andy had decided he was going to do Left Wall, but there were two folk in front of him, so rather then wait with everyone I went off and soloed Spiral Stairs, Flying Buttress and Parchment Passage, I hadn’t been on them before.

Johnny Dawes then turned up with a girl, sorted out a belay for her then started traversing along Spiral Stairs. When the rope came tight she looked around with a ‘what do I do now’ expression so I untied her belay. I then soloed the first part of the route with her as I thought if she went off route and fell she was going to crater (maybe I worry too much, but I met them in the ‘The Heights’ later and Johnny said it wasn’t a good route for beginners!).

Carl Smith had climbed Left Wall and his mate also wanted to lead it so I seconded Carl (I hadn’t met him before), this was another route that I had hoped to climb some day; none of his runners had been tugged into place so they lifted out with ease and I could just carry on and enjoy the climbing. After everyone had climbed Left Wall Miles and Andy took me up Cemetery Gates, I had climbed it before but it was definitely worth doing again.

Then it was off to the slate where I led something! Last Tango in Paris was well protected so I made steady progress. Andy then flew up Comes The Dervish in a ridiculous time. Talking to Garth in ‘The Heights’ later I said it was the best day I had had for ages.

Next day we climbed at Gogarth till sunset then went back up the road to Glasgow in the dark.

Photo above    Comes the Dervish, me behind on Last Tango in Paris (Miles Bright photo).

Photo below    Andy Benson on Comes the Dervish (before I started belaying him) May 1992.