
Trad improvement day: 2 vdiff leaders aiming to:
1.have some guidance on some less obvious placements andimprove judgement on placements
2. gain confidence with leading
Began day with seconding of HS to judge ability, then progressed quickly to assisted leading on easy vdiff providing instant feedback on gear placement quality and using questions at safe points on availability of other placements available. Pre-placed protection incase of difficulties on crux or run-out sections.
Outcomes:
*climber 1 lacked confidence in quality of placements and needed to accept that not all placements could be perfect what could be considered acceptable or good enough.
*Climber 2 needed to move onto other, better placements, rather than trying to make suboptimal placements good when other options were available closeby.
*Use of cams and hexs on horizontal slots and pockets
Area :
Gogarth and Anglesey (Holyhead Mountain)
Mostly sea-cliff climbing and mostly quartzite with a few very minor outlying shale outcrops and quarries. The main cliffs and Castell Helen are multipitch, tidal and serious of access and egress. The routes are awesome. Do them you must, with respect due for seasonal restrictions, nesting birds and the seriousness of the situations. If conditions are not suitable for the main cliff there are some very pleasant climbs on Holyhead Mountain. Some lovely little gems can be found further afield at, for instance, Rhoscolyn and Smurf Zawn.