Callum Climbs

🗻

[callumclimbs]

If I write it, I mean it?

Here begins the rest of my life. Uni finished, degree in hand, I go into the real world. 

All that is too scary, lets go climbing.

This year I have two goals. To make sure I stick to my word, here is a time stamped blog post to make me feel guilty everytime I try to give up.

1.  Tick the cliff. This sounds impossible, and it is. Lets see how far I can get! So far I’ve climbed most of the achieveable boulder problems, now onto the easier trad.

2.  Make a film. This is something I’ve toyed with for about five years, but now with the time, strength and a bit of knowledge maybe I can make it work. To achieve this, I will start making short edits every week and uploading. Hopefully by the end of the season I should have enough footage and the right skills to make a half decent film.

With that in mind, here is my first offering:

The editing isn’t super slick, the footage isn’t perfect and the conditions were far from it too. However the process is about learning and it would be impossible to learn if you didn’t try. Here’s hoping the final product is significantly better!

[callumclimbs]

Some first ascents in the Lake District

[callumclimbs]

Worth it?

The day began leisurely. Two months ago we’d set out to explore and conquer the best looking rocks in New Zealand. I let the sun bake my body until I could take it no longer, I roll outside onto the cold wet grass. Living in a van had taken its toll and the morning coffee routine was more necessary than ever. 

The previous week had given us beautiful weather with which to climb in the high mountains of the Darrans. Sharp ridges and blank diorite faces divide the Fjordlands and it would be hard to imagine anyone being underwhelmed by its magic. We climbed a few very high quality routes but our bodies, not used to the honest mountain work took a beating. We returned to the hut each night with new tales and new friends. It was an awakening and exhausting experience.

Two hours and two cups later, it was GO time. The objective was one which had long since been on my radar, but I’d always dismissed it. Too little information, bad conditions, insufficient psyche. But today it was different, it was the last day and that meant the pressure was on. We made the pilgrimage into Queenstown along the winding roads, enough to make anyone feel queasy and headed towards the ski field.

I’d read a lot about this route, but not enough to make me feel knowledgeable. “2.5 hour walk along a deer fence and up a spur” seems to count as good approach notes in NZ, so we were rightly confused when we pulled into the car park and could see the rock not more than 30 minutes walk away. Gleefully we saddled up and set off, taking a minimum of water, food and clothing.

Exactly two and half hours later we reached the bottom of the Sundial, once again exhausted. The route, if we found it, did infact meander along a deer fence, we just didn’t anticipate the elephant thorn bushes and scrambling terrain. Bloodied and bruised we stared up at our climb. And what a piece of rock it was!

Wild Orange Yonder (20) is a route that could inspire even the most dedicated indoor boulderer, just don’t mention the walk. We enjoyed a few peaceful hours in this situation before psyching up for the ordeal below us. If anything the walk out was worse because we knew all too well what was coming. Undeterred, and spurred on by the promise of BEER we trudged back to the van.

New Zealand was unsurprisingly outstandingly beautiful. Captivating and magical. I guess what else can you expect. Until next time...