Back to School by Tesni and Celt

It has been a good old busy summer, full of climbing and filming. We went to the slate quarries to add some more new routes. My new route is a technical F7a slab which requires some flexibility, it is called ‘Mynd am Aur’ which in English means ‘Going for Gold’, I called it this as the Olympics had just started. While climbing my F7a we got filmed by Alun Hughes for S4C again so ended up climbing it loads of times for the different camera angles! 

One of my highlights of the filming was that we got to do some clip drops in the new Beacon climbing wall. This was great fun and such a good experience! When we got to the top we would jump and try and touch the camera and take some big scary falls. This got my confidence back for leading the F7a. I even got the chance to try out a helmet cam for the first time while taking BIG falls. Every time I took a fall I would have a buzz of excitement, it was great!

After all the filming stopped it was time to go to Switzerland on a climbing holiday. We went to lots of different climbing places. We all had our ups and downs; there were some good routes in Switzerland. One of the best routes was climbing a limestone water runnel which felt like climbing a drain pipe. My brother and I led this really thin sandbag F6b+ which had barely any holds on it. I was aiming on climbing over 50 routes.... but it didn’t go to plan. We went up to go and see the Matterhorn (not to climb it!). We went up the highest cable car in Europe, and I went up these metal stairs for a photo when I came down I fell and I had to have seven stitches below my knee. L   This ruined my plans of getting over 50 routes climbed on holiday.

Back home, on the last day of the school holidays we wanted to end on a high, so we went to the slate quarries and Red Pointed a F7a (‘The Road to Botany Bay’). We worked it and then went for it on the lead; it was my brother’s first F7a at age 10! Back to school now... just when the weather brightens up!

STOP PRESS

This weekend we went to Rhiwlas where I have been working on a thin and technical boulder problem ‘Violent Snatch’ V7 / Font 7a/7a+. I was getting closer and closer each time, then when I touched the top with both hands and got my feet up...RESULT!!! I was so happy when I finally managed my first V7, my ‘Rockstar’ evolv boots were a massive help on the tiny footholds. There will be more from us after our trip climbing to Sicily! Can’t wait!! J

KEEP CALM and CLIMB ON!

Tesni Awel Lloyd-Jones     13  

Since my last Blog, we have done some new routes in the Dinorwic slate quarries. The grade and name of my route is ‘The Olympic Torch’ and it is graded F6b+. I was filmed on the 1st ascent by Alun Hughes again for S4c. The stress of the 1st ascent and the filming got to me, so I didn’t get the red point that day. The next day, to help with my leading confidence we went to the new Beacon climbing centre to do some clip drops. We were filmed doing the clip drops; we also used a helmet cam which was fun. The next day we returned to the slate quarries with increased confidence, I managed the 1^st ascent; in fact I went up it 3 times for the camera!

For 2 weeks in August we went on holiday to Switzerland, I managed to climb 56 routes; I climbed on 3 different rock types limestone, granite and gneiss. I really enjoyed our climbing trip because it was really hot and the scenery was great. I over came my fear of overhangs in Switzerland and climbed some pretty steep routes, including a really cool F6b overhanging arête.

On the very last day of the school holidays back in Wales, I managed to Red Point my first ever F7A, when I got to the lower off I felt relieved and very very happy. The route was ‘The Road to Botany Bay’ F7a / E4 6b in East Australia in the Dinorwic Slate Quarries. What a great way to finish my summer holidays!

My next climbing trip is to Sicily over the October half term, I can’t wait!

Celt Lloyd-Jones (aged 10)