Landscape Spirit and an Artist's Soul: 21-Mar-2011

Monday, 21 March 2011

Rock Climbing & Photography which filled the Void

Chris Davies on Slatebite 7a, Llanberis © Glyn Davies 2011

Many years ago, I was young. When I was young I was fit. When I was fit I was cycle racing, dinghy sailing, mountain walking and extreme rock climbing. When I was doing these things I had a very young brother, 9 years younger in fact, who showed an interest in rock climbing at about 8 years of age. I took him climbing. We had very liberal parents! I still remember an old photo of this tiny blonde haired kid, sporting an enormous climbing helmet and over his shoulders, contrasting brilliantly against a bright yellow Cagoule, a blue rope hanging over his shoulders which ended up dragging on the floor. As always happens, many of us plateau in our sports, and it was really quite a slap in the face to have my younger brother suddenly bulging with huge biceps and impossible strength and as they say in the trade, balls the size of melons to attempt some of the stupid routes he risked his life on.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man! "Coventry Street" E4 6B

Times moved on, for both of us, work, families, commitments, a need for a [slightly] 'safer' existence and an even bigger interest in alcohol. I still have an old dusty bag full of climbing gear and several ropes hanging in the back of the garage. I look at the gear occasionally with that wistful romantic notion that maybe one day I will once again hear the roar of turquoise seas crashing below me whilst scaling a sun-drenched and sparkly Cornish granite cliff face, but it remains a dream. Well over the last couple of years or so I'd heard that my brother who had been building a belly as well as a family was really getting into his climbing again. I noticed a drop in his belt size. I heard he's started putting up new routes again, going to the climbing wall and then two weeks ago, he asks me to photograph him on one of his new slate routes for the new Llanberis guide ! The guy has been very busy and was getting really strong again!

Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man :-) Llanberis 2011 © Chris Davies

I had huge flashbacks as I pulled camming devices and wires out of my old Hot Earth rucksack, and the smell of climbing chalk was still pungent. I dug out my harness, hardly used as it was bought in the dying throes of my testosterone period. I gathered Prusik ropes, Shunts and Karabiners and just in case, I also threw in my climbing boots !

The void from the top of Slatebite ! Note my dusty old rucksack feeling happy ?!

At the first huge, ominous amphitheatre of slate quarry, as my brother and his belayer Mr Tickle, (he has very long reachy arms!) skipped across the loose slate edges of a black void, without a care in the world, I realised I'd been away from this for a LONG time ! I focussed on the footsteps right in front of me and didn't look any further down the sheer smooth faces of death! By the time we'd arrived at the top of his route, deep in the inner bowels of the vast hole I was genuinely shivering with nerves and anxiety! Chris vaulted across a low wall into the void but then immediately stood up, he was on the tiniest ledge behind the wall. I was having doubts about getting onto the abseil rope let alone doing any photography but you know, a man's a man, and it's gotta be done ! I put on my harness and had to adjust both the waist-belt AND leg loops, OUTWARDS! Way too much G&T! And then I was on the 'abby' rope and I felt - totally at home! As soon as I was over that edge the void, the space, the drop and everything seemed in perspective. I revelled in simply being suspended by the rope above the drop.

An hour later, and some serious pulling and shunting and ascending alongside my brother on his route and [almost] all my fear had gone. The feeling was more familiar once more. We were running out of time so I never did get a chance to have a play, to feel the sharp holds under my finger tips, to feel the tight pressure on your toes whilst edging up matchstick sized ledges, and I never did get to sense that 'balance' of rock acrobatics - but I did enjoy the photography, and I enjoyed the simple pleasure of being in an area where most fear to tread (understandably). It once again gave me a closer connection to the mountains than hill-walking alone can do. I hope someone WILL take me climbing again soon, I miss the drug, I miss the fear, I miss the adventure.

The image to be used in the guide is deliberately not featured in this post, but these images give you some idea about what I was trying to do in the phenomenally weird environment. Congratulations Chris for continuing to do what I never should have given up. I may never get back to E6 but I'd be happy to be back on VS!