Masriudoms in the sun...

Another cold start (though not as cold as it has been of late) and an earlier start at work on Wednesdays meant that we (me & Javi) decided to go to my local crag, that is Masriudoms, in order to maximise climbing time.

   

Masriudoms - home of free oranges, limes, almonds and most importantly...tufas!



"Old French dude" trying the 7c+ (the connection comes straight up from the left to join the route here)

I started with my usual warm-up on the mega-long line of ATP. The climbing is relatively consistent all the way and pretty juggy, and has belays at different points up it so you can just go as far as you want depending on how good you're feeling, until you get nicely warmed up. Today I stopped at the 7b+ chains for my warm-up (other days I've been pumped at the end of the 6c so I knew I was feeling relatively good today)

I've been to Masriudoms so many times now that, although I never get bored of climbing there, I am running out of new routes to do very quickly. One of my only potential 'on-sights' left to do was a connection route on the left wall linking the start of a 7c into the end of a 7c+ to give, unsurprisingly, another 7c+. It sounds a bit pointless but, in fact, it's a more direct line than either of the other routes and is probably the most obvious way up this bit of wall. Anyway, despite having climbed both the 7c and 7c+ before and this connection having very little new climbing, I was nevertheless pleased to do it first go (on-sight / retro-flash / whatever you want to call it!!)

[This French guy's mate had the most amazing hands I've ever seen - ridiculously fat sausage fingers!!!]

"Old French dude" higher up on the 7c+

One of the other routes I have left to do here is the 8a+ extension to 'Los rancios de la aldea'. This is one of the best routes at Masriudoms, even just to half way (hard 8a), with amazing varied and technical climbing up some quality tufas. Unfortunately it's starting to show signs of over-use with some crucial footholds getting polished, to the extent that it's quite reminiscent of the catwalk at Malham! Anyway, with the intention of attempting the extension some time soon I decided to try and repeat the lower half and familiarise myself with it again. So I put the draws in and worked the crux moves. After a quick rest I managed to re-redpoint the route, though it was a bit touch-and-go moving rightwards to the final big tufa, where the difficulties end and there are some jugs to shake out on. Bring on the extension!

Me on 'Los rancios de la aldea' - the first belay is just below the top of this picture - the full route is twice this length (50m!!)





I finished the day with a lap on what is fast becoming my party piece at this crag - ATP again, but this time to the chains at the top of the 8a. It's such a fun route to climb - 40m of the most perfect tufa climbing and when someone has the draws in all the way then you can just keep going 'til you fall. By now it was time to leave, and after packing A LOT of climbing into only a few hours I was feeling pretty tired too.