Loads going on in the world of climbing so a quick roundup of UK climbers… Lucy Creamer Finishes 2nd in China Climbing Comp A few weeks ago Lucy Creamer headed off to China to take part in an invitational climbing competition. Beginning a journey of some 30 hours all that she knew was that it was to be held on rock and that it was to be on top-rope. On arriving she found a culture shock of huge proportions – thousands of locals wanting to watch a climbing competition!!! She also found a competition that was as bizarre as anything you could make up and you can read all about it on Lucy Creamer´s excellent report on her blog>> Cool & Bullock get shut down in Himalaya Kenton Cool & Nick Bullock have unfortunately had to abandon an attempt to climb a new route on the north face of Mount Kalanka in India´s Garhwal Himalaya range due to bad climbing conditions. You can read a previous news report on the runup to the attempt from Kenton Cool on planetFear here>>. Below is the last dispatch from Kenton on their attempt on the face. “I´m sitting in Joshimath with Nick thinking over what may have been. I suppose its hard to ask for success all the time but its always disappointing when its not the way you dream. Nick and I spent 5days trying the NE ridge line on Klanka. We started climbing the initial slopes on the 11th and moved up through the first rock band with some steep climbing.Our first bivy was kinda small and the weather snowy with spindrift coming pouring down the face, still the next day looked good and we pushed on. The climbing was much the same and the next bivy was tiny, although the weather was better we still had the spindrift and the night went by very slowly. The 3rd day saw us bail out to the ridge on the left hand side where deep snow made going up very slow BUT at last a good Bivy spot. We stopped early and dug a huge ledge, melted snow and generally recovered.It was great and things were looking up. Day 4 saw me work up bottomless snow to the shoulder. The view didn´t look good but Nick pressed on hoping for a nice surprise. When Nick stopped in front of a huge snow mushroom and said “I have no idea how to climb this” it kinda sunk in. The ridge ahead was a nasty fluted overhung snowy grave. We looked at each other and had to say nothing. The next day and a half saw us escape back to ABC, the last night on the face was a nightmare.Spindrift pummelled us both all night making cooking almost impossible and sleep a joke. Stepping foot back on the glacier was a relief but then it hit. Failure is a nasty word but one that has to be used sometimes and I suppose it fits for this. We had time left to try another route but this was the route we wanted, we dreamed off and now that dream was shattered. We spent 2 days at BC before leaving. The Dutch boys went back up and should be climbing now and we wish them luck, but for us well we´re thinking of home and what may have been. Thanks to all those who have helped out on this trip to make it possible DMM Mountain Hardwear Lyon Equipment SIS energy products BMC MEF”Krygystan Summer A strong British climbing team headed out to the famous granite climbing valley of Ak Su in Krygystan this summer and managed to repeat many of the existing routes, also putting up 2 new routes at E3/4 and one new aid line graded A4 that took 8 days to climb. You can see photos and read an excellent report at DMM website>>
