Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

Recommended Posts

I'm calling this one... "I am Dad, hear me roar!"

 

The house I bought a few years back had a small dingy office built into the store space in the roof off the spare bedroom.

 

It was full of junk since we lived here and too cramped to use as an office.

 

Also, since there's only me and the girl here now, the box room is now my office space and not a dressing room for the ex as we had it.

 

So, as my girl is 5 and loves reading, I thought I'd make us a dedicated bedtime story room out of it in time for Xmas.

 

https://flic.kr/p/D8Uh8r

 

https://flic.kr/p/22JJBkU

 

https://flic.kr/p/21GHdJL

 

https://flic.kr/p/D8UfAZ

 

https://flic.kr/p/D8Ufye

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Pistonbroke

I'm calling this one... "I am Dad, hear me roar!"

 

The house I bought a few years back had a small dingy office built into the store space in the roof off the spare bedroom.

 

It was full of junk since we lived here and too cramped to use as an office.

 

Also, since there's only me and the girl here now, the box room is now my office space and not a dressing room for the ex as we had it.

 

So, as my girl is 5 and loves reading, I thought I'd make us a dedicated bedtime story room out of it in time for Xmas.

 

https://flic.kr/p/D8Uh8r

 

https://flic.kr/p/22JJBkU

 

https://flic.kr/p/21GHdJL

 

https://flic.kr/p/D8UfAZ

 

https://flic.kr/p/D8Ufye

 

You only needed to post one link mate, we can flip through your flicker photo's and see them all. Your cool reading room (well done mate), your holiday snaps and the one of you masturbating a donkey. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You only needed to post one link mate, we can flip through your flicker photo's and see them all. Your cool reading room (well done mate), your holiday snaps and the one of you masturbating a donkey.

I thought it was a thoroughbred stallion, but it was dark and I'd had a few. You live and learn I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I've just written this with the intent of throwing it onto a mountaineering forum, but thought it is deserving of a place in here after scaling Tryfan this weekend.

 

_______________

 

 

Let me start by saying that I’m a novice to this whole business, but had been to the top of Tryfan once before, just a week or so more than a year previous. My friend Rich likes to take on Tryfan for his birthday and has done it each of the last 8 years, and I joined him and around 10 others for the first time in Feb 2017.

 

That day it was snowing quite hard, and we walked/scrambled from the A5 layby around the East face before taking on the summit from the South.

 

I had no idea what I was getting into, having been sold on “a birthday hike” and amongst my mistakes included carrying a large pack full of bottled beer, some snacks and too many heavy clothes. I’d borrowed crampons and an ice axe from a friend which were nothing but ballast for the whole day.

 

My fitness isn’t great and to say I struggled is an understatement, having cramp in both thighs by the time I reached the boulder like ascent to the top, and for pretty much all of the way back down.

 

This time was different, but my capability and fitness wasn’t. I decided for lighter clothing, a small pack, zero bottles of beer and no ice axe/crampons so at least it was only going to be my own bulk I had to carry up to the top. That and the necessary fluids and sugary snacks to keep me going.

 

The weather was much better this year, with cloudless blue skies overhead as I drove in from the A55, through Bethesda and to the layby we agreed to meet in. The group was different too. Rich, Will (also a veteran of 7 prior attempts) and two others, Olly and Marc, who had never set foot on Tryfan before.

 

While Rich had ropes, harness, ice axe and crampons with him, the lack of recent snow and the clear looking day led to them staying in the back of the Defender they had driven up in, and we set off towards the North Ridge.

 

As we started to ascend quickly Marc felt the pace early – having made some of the mistakes I had made 12 months earlier, with too many layers of warm clothing causing quite a sweat.

 

I was surprised how much easier I was finding it this time around – it was more challenging but definitely less physically exerting as we quickly rose to through the first boulder section and reached the start of what really now felt like a mountain.

 

From there on, the next 2 hours were an absolute blast. Occasional snowy patches lay on the ground but it was mostly dry rock and we pulled ourselves up a few sections that made us feel pretty pleased with ourselves, looking back down on where we’d come from and recognising the steepness of the drop below. The view over the Ogwen Valley was a constant delight, and though some clouds had come in by now, they brought nothing more than a couple of minutes of light rain at a time.

 

We stopped for the occasional nibble on trail mix and jelly babies and a water break, each time with photo opportunities abound. None more impressive than the Cannon Stone.

 

From there on up, the conditions got markedly trickier with more snow and ice on the ground, but we were generally able to still cherry pick our routes upwards, clambering up with a little helping hand from one another as we went. The camaraderie was terrific and we were all thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

 

We passed the occasional climbers, mostly on their way back down, and asked a couple of them whether they’d made it to the top. Both sets had said no, the latter on the basis that “it was nothing you wouldn’t take on – on another day – they just decided not to this once”.

 

I have to say that gave me reason for pause, but we were happy with how we were going so far, and having reached what I would assume is the start of the North Tower we chose to press on. In truth, I was a bit nervy of how easy it would have been to descend the way we had gone up.

 

Having since read a few bits about the North Tower, it would seem that we should have backed our instincts to go straight up it. It looked more challenging than most of what we had done so far, but not a huge amount more challenging. Instead we decided to follow the visible tracks in the snow around to the East.

 

We did so carefully and patiently, and didn’t feel as exposed as we possibly were, until we reached the first snow filled gully upwards, and more reason for pause. Looking at it, I instinctively didn’t like it. A wrong move or a slip was going to be serious trouble, and a long way down. Myself and Will suggested we ought to turn back, and Olly was starting to echo our sentiments but there were good, clear, strong looking foot holes all the way up the gully in the hard icy snow, and Marc chose to forge on and test them out.

 

He said they were good, and he was going to press on. At that point, we had a choice – all of us together or split here, so Rich followed and then we agreed we’d all go.

 

I was exceptionally uncomfortable in that gully, as much due to the lack of any hand holds,  and we collectively wished the ice axe, harness and rope had not stayed in the car, but in truth the footing never felt anything other than sound. Other than not having the mental safety net of solid ground behind us it was easier than many sections we’d taken on, but that mental anguish was not pleasant and the collective sigh of relief as the last of us made it onto the rocks above made it clear that I wasn’t alone in feeling that way.

 

From there it was back to much of the same scrambling we had gone through previously, and while some of the drops below looked intimidating the scrambling was pretty straight forward.

 

Rich was now leading again and his words back to us as he worked over a crest and temporarily out of sight were music to our ears. “I can see a safe way down, lads…” were his first… “But I can also see a safe way to the top!”.

 

We were almost there!

 

As each of us made that last scramble to the summit, with Adam and Eve in sight, we enjoyed a handshake, a hug, a smile and a laugh. We’d done it. What a feeling.

 

In all, it took us close to 3.5 hours to get up there, but that was so much longer than it could have. We never hurried, we stopped regularly for new facebook profile pictures, to take in the view, and a snack. But man did we feel a sense of achievement when we were there.

 

Rich took the Adam and Eve jump, while the rest of us stayed grounded.

 

After a few more photos and some food we set off back down the South Ridge through the boulders, sliding on our backs down the gentle gullies like excitable children, and then worked our way around to the West and then back down towards the A5, our cars and the knowledge we would soon enjoy a very well earned beer.

 

I can’t help but think we were foolish to take on some of what we did without more genuine expertise in the group, but at the same time it was so much more enjoyable than the first time that I’m glad we did.

 

As Olly said in the pub later – to too much nervous laughter “there were a couple of times when I thought one, some or all of us were going to die today!”.

 

A few beers, a takeaway curry and an evening chatting and laughing with the locals and an early night later, I set back off to drive home to Yorkshire feeling bloody pleased with myself and my body telling me I’d worked for it!

 

That’s what a weekend is supposed to be like.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Setting off with blue skies ahead

 

28056002_10156496343146111_4829836459570

 

 

Some early steep bits conquered

 

28056445_10157142122922782_1028101106967

 

 

a sharp drop from here...

 

27867889_10156496342501111_2006199031574

 

 

Starting to get a bit tricky

 

28058485_10159929976135257_2548081938534

 

 

The snowy gully of probable death

 

28166826_10156496341696111_3858283667070

 

 

 

At the top with Adam and Eve

 

28056042_10159929974305257_1775068841217

 

 

An arty one...

 

28058638_10157142123332782_5446623437150

 

 

Some view from up there...

 

28167222_10157142123447782_6555611110357

 

 

A little way down, no longer in any way worried!

 

 

28056637_10156499075351111_2254279125190

 

 

Pub - Yeah

 

28056631_10157142123652782_1148564890415

  • Upvote 14
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’d possibly have a go in the summer, but even then I’m not sure. I’m a clumsy fucker and wouldn’t guarantee I’d make tht jump without falling over of it was half an inch off the ground.

 

The other thing to add in is it’s windy as fuck up there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Today I have restored an old iPhone to factory settings, then via iTunes restored the firmware and made the phone usable again when all looked doomed.

 

Similarly, I have wiped a MacBook Pro and reinstalled Mac OS after some trial and error and enduring the mindfuck of reading up on the matter on websites and looking at youtube tutorials.

 

All with no previous experience of using any Apple product.

 

Okay, it took the whole day but... I am geek: hear me roar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...