15/01/2010Central Icefall: A Personal Account

Today, the inevitable happened. As rainfall replaced snowfall, the white blanket covering Wales rapidly begun to disappear. It may be back, but in the mean-time there are a lot of memories out there of the incredible past month when long-held dreams came true for so many climbers. It's the ephemeral nature of Welsh winter climbing that partly makes it so special. In the meantime, Mark 'Baggy' Richards has sent us his personal account of how one of his dreams came true this week on Craig y Rhaeadr in the Llanberis Pass.

Ever since first grasping a copy of Cold Climbs 26 years ago and seeing the photos of Central Ice Fall Direct on Craig y Rhaeadr, this route became the one I've wanted to climb more than any other in Britain. Those pictures of Mick Fowler on the top pitch and the stunning black-and-white shot of Stevie Haston looking so 'out there' on the second pitch are utterly inspiring.

The stories of epics, climbers struggling up the middle pitch and attempting the top pillar, only for it to fall down, in a strange sort of way added to the attraction. As the desire grew so did my levels of apprehension.  

North Wales has so many fine routes, but for me, this is the big one. But hey, it’s hardly ever in condition and when it has been, I've either been away or working. It seemed like I would never get it done.

In 2009, I managed to climb Cascade and Chequered Wall either side of Central Ice Fall: its brother and sister. They were two ticks anyone would be pleased with, but no, that column of ice forming over the overlap is such a fatal attraction. Whilst on the siblings I had time to gaze at the pillar, each time seeing it wasn't quite there. Or was that just an excuse? "Just a few more days", I told myself each time. Then suddenly it'd go warm and that was that.

Finally, last Sunday word was out it'd been climbed. That was it, the beginning of the psyche. My next day off was Tuesday, the weather looked good, it all seemed to be falling into place. But by Monday afternoon I was despondent. A niggling injury in my leftarm and shoulder suddenly worsened and meant I could barely lift my arm above my head. "This cannot be happening to me, not now after all these years". Time for drastic action, Ibuprofen and paracetomaol, lots of it and see what happens Tuesday was my only recourse. After all Gaz is handy I can just second sort of one armed.

Having failed to tell Gaz the true extent of my problem I decided we should leave early as I knew two other handy teams also had their sights on this climb. An early start would allow for any slowness on my part due to my injury and I also hate queuing for any route.  

Leaving the road at 6.00 a.m. the walk-in was very subdued. I was anxious with regards to my shoulder and the psyche was kicking in. Gearing up was an unusual laid-back affair without much banter.

"What pitches shall we lead" I ask Gaz. A pause, so I got in there first. "Thing is Gaz my shoulder is worse than I explained last night, so I'll take the first, you can have the second and lets see where we are after that." Not convinced with Gaz’s reply I probe more. Ah, it turns out that Gaz also has an injury, a pulled calf. This isn't turning out to be so straight-forward.

As I set off on pitch one, under torchlight, the shoulder feels weak, but with good placements I am encouraged upwards. The pitch feels steeper than it should but I slowly get into a rhythm. Pulling over on to easy ground and up to the belay I'm slightly relieved that we are under way and I can relax as it’s Gaz pitch next.

Gaz leads off but I can tell that he isn't flowing, with the calf clearly giving him problems. I suddenly realise that its now up to me as Gaz returns to the belay. Time to switch back on if I am going to get this route done. The pain in the shoulder will just have to be put to one side, as there is a steepish VI 6 ahead. I think to myself: "I am not giving up this chance to possibly have to wait another 25 years for an attempt".

Once last glance back at Gaz before committing to the steep shallow groove and I notice there are now another three mates on the belay with him, that is four watching my every move, no pressure here then? The Anarchist's give me confidence as they bite well into the ice and I make progress.

Arriving at the belay I feel somewhat relived and excited, but at the same time need to stay focused. The historical column of ice hanging above is still to come. Will it be my lead or Gaz’s? From my perch I convince myself it looks o.k. Settling into belaying Gaz up, it becomes apparent the situtation I am in is very exposed. Only forty-five minutes from the road in the Llanberis Pass, but here I am 70 metres up on the steepest part of Craig Y Rhaeadr hanging off a couple of screws and an Abalokov.

Gaz arrives and we swap the gear over. Yes, its my lead again but I convince myself only it's only one small pitch left. I'm nervously confident. Look up, aim, swing, thud, it’s a sinker, time to pull out. There I am standing on the pillar, swap hands, shake out, leash-less is so good, few screws, upwards, I am up! A desire to shout out with joy surges through me, but no, its not over yet, no glory cappuccino for the moment.

Climbing up over grade II-III mixed ground for 20 metres with no pro after pulling over the top of the column keeps me focused. We only have 50 metre ropes and looking ahead the good belays are just too far away. I push on, then the ropes go tight, that is it I am out of rope. I scour around, there is nothing apart from a small blunt spike sticking out the snow. I move over, give it a tap and my fears come true. It is not that good but there is nothing else. I whack the tools into the turf above and tie into these three anchors adopting a braced stance.

Belaying Gaz, I suddenly have this wave of emotion. I find it hard to believe that I have just topped out on the route of my dreams. I really did think I would never climb this route. It was more than I thought it would be in a variety of ways and I had to work for it. Twenty-six years of waiting over. I sit pondering what next? The fact the cappuccino is in the bag quickly comes to mind.

Gaz arrives below me raving about the pitch, I give him that old story about the belay being poor, he laughs, "No have a look" I tell him, he looks at me and laughs again. Ah, I had confidence in you young man.

Time for glory, coffee and medals.

Photos:

top: Baggy on the amazing finale of Central Icefall Direct having made the dramatic swing on to the icicle of the top pitch. © Mark Richards Collection

lower: Baggy can just be made out belayed at the top of the second pitch of Central Icefall Direct on Craig y Rhaeadr. © Ray Wood

Thanks to Baggy for sending-in the article. He runs a Welsh winter climbing blog here. People are being encouraged to add descriptions of new routes or update existing route descriptions on the winter wiki.