Gwilym's Adventure Blog

On the first day of a Mountain Training Rock Skills (Intermediate) course for Wet and High Adventures Ltd with two teenage brothers, we headed to the Dewerstone to look at belaying skills and becoming a competent second. This is the very reason that Wet and High got an AALA licence so we can do some exciting stuff with keen youngsters. The boys top roped Agags Slab before seconding me on Pinnacle Buttress and Muck Gully.  8 pitches climbed each during the day and well as learning how to take gear out, belay and coiling ropes. Looking forward to a second day tomorrow to look at how to set up climbs and other useful skills.

What a lovely day at The Dewerstone with Steph and Justin for their first mulit-pitch climb. We looked at how to use a guidebook before climbing up Pinnacle Buttress with both of them building their own belays along the way. We also had time for some abseiling to get back down before reviewing some of the skills we had learnt over a coffee.

Today I had to go to Plymouth to pick up a couple of kayaks so met up with Olly on the way for a few routes at The Dewerstone. We decided to go for an enchainment of routes and kept our bags on. We climbed Pinnacle Buttress on the main crag, a 100m or so walk and onto Needle Arete on Needle Buttress and then 50m walk to Raven Face on Upper Raven Buttress. A total of 6 pitches graded at VD (Very Difficult) and all sandwiched in between 2 sets of coffee and cake at Olly's house