2011: Best non-climbing photos

Here are my favourite non-climbing photos from 2011, although most were taken while out climbing!

Crafnant Valley

Lundy Rainbow - moments after getting a mid-route drenching!

Llyn Dinas - morning calm before a day's climbing on Welsh rock

Feel the power! En route to Cornwall

Smiling happy people 

The start of another climbing day in the Wye Valley 

Lundy Sunet 

Moment after waking up from a fatigue induced snooze to see Luke on the crux and surrounded by a heard of wild goats!  - Lundy

The stunning El Makinodromo in evening light - El-Chorro

Relaxing in between red-point attempts at El Makinodromo - El-Chorro

Power House enjoying a Steak dinner in the quarry's! 
All photos on this blog are © Glyn Hudson. 

2011: A climbing year in photos

This post has been quite a while in the making. As you can probably guess by the title I started compiling it around new year time. I can't believe it's March already, I'd better get it published before I'm doing the same for 2012!

2011 was an amazing year for my climbing. My UKC logbook tells me that I did 199 routes (dam..not quite 200!), but we all know that quality is better than quantity. In terms of grade boundaries broken 2011 will be very hard to beat: my first grade 5/6 winter route (of two), first E5 (of three), and first 8a (of two). Of course it's no all about grades, but it's undoubtedly satisfying to climb at a grade that a few years ago seemed like an impossible goal. 

I love how climbing takes me to some amazing places with good people and gives memories which will last forever. I'm thinking about doing a complimentary blog post with my favourite non-climbing photos from last year, although I'm sure most will be related. 

Right, that's enough reminiscing, now for the photos: 

First route of the year

Didn't actually get up this! Totally brutal experience 

Wild route that's within walking distance of home

First 'summer feeling' day out, lovely

On my birthday! 

First E5 lead

My first (very mini) new route and a great day out

Full-on sea cliff big route experience on a beautiful island

Classic big tick 

Cold fingers mountain bouldering

First 8a! - amazing intricate and power sequence of moves

Big personal aspiration. Gorgeous weather and good company 
Often these posts like this end with something like 'and I wonder what next year will being...', well I can tell you; lots of rain, west coast sea mist and not much winter! At the moment I'm fitting in the odd climbing day and hanging from my fingers at every opportunity in-between working hard to set-up an electronics business

Roll on warm spring sunshine....

Stanage Bouldering

Hardly a cloud in the sky, temperature hovering around freezing....the perfect conditions for a day on the grit!

Being a North Wales based monkey I don't get to experience magic days out in the Peak very often, in fact this was my first ever time bouldering at Stanage. I was not disappointed. It was amazing to walk around ticking classics such as Not to be Taken Away and the Green Traverse.

Chris flashing Not To Be Take Away - font 6c - thanks Amy for the photo



Stunning - thanks Amy for the photo

Green Traverse - font 7a - thanks Rob for the photo
The photo above was taken by a nice guy called Rob from Vertical Adventures, check out some of his other photos here http://verticaladventurephotography.blogspot.com/ and http://www.verticalphotography.co.uk/

Scottish Winter and Peak District Sun

Last week I managed a trip up north for some winter climbing fun. Despite conditions not being perfect (bit warm) we still managed some good routes high on Ben Nevis. Here are a few photos:

Main pitch of Thompsons Route IV
Top of main long pitch on Comb Gully IV


One day we had a rest from doing the Ben Nevis north face walk in and headed up to Stob Corie nan Lochan in Glencoe and did Dorsal Arete in almost summer conditions!


Spring like view from top of Dorsal ArĂȘte II

Bit of a change of scene! - Chris on the classic Not to Be Taken Away at Stanage - thanks Amy for the photo

After getting back from Scotland I stayed a couple of nights with some friends in Manchester. On Sunday the weather was gorgeous. We managed to fit in a days bouldering at Stanage. I had never bouldered here before, it was great to tick off some classics. 



Clogwyn Ddu Left Hand Branch

Yesterday I managed to squeeze in my first winter climbing day of the season, and what a day it was. 

We climbed Clogwyn Left Hand Branch on Clogwyn Ddu. The ice had not properly formed on the main pitch so we did the mixed variant which goes at V 6 with good gear. Higher up the ice got better. We finished up left up an easy icy ramp.

Topping out to sun, blue skies and no wind was amazing. It's days like this that really make up for months of rain and grayness. 

Right Hand Branch, El Macho and Pillar Chimney all saw ascents. 

Fingers crossed that it all doest all disappear over the weekend. 







Stunning view from the Glyder plateau