Mount Blanc Trip details

After some debate and fitting in work we have finially found a spare week that fits in both with us and the French weather. Rich and myself will be heading out to France on Sunday July 29th with the intension to climb Mount Blanc which lies at a height of (4807m / 15767ft) being the hieghtest peak in Europe. Although Mount Elbrus in Russia is higher most Scientist count this as being outside Europe. We have one week out there with the normal route which we intend to do first taking two days staying in the hut over night. The first few days will be used for acclimatization making sure we adjust to the lack of oxygen.

So far the trip has cost around £400 and we have not even left yet. Most of the necessarily gear has been brought with only a few item remaining on the shopping list. We intend to drive down and to save money we we will be sleeping in the car as much as we can, that is if we can hide from the French police. If all goes well on our first ascent we will be trying another more difficult route to the summit. So with weather permitting by the end of the week we should have two routes under our belt and truly knackered.
More reports and links will be avaiable soon.
Laters

Greece Dates Confirmed.

We finally got everyone together and worked out the dates for the next trip Away. September the 19th will see us heading back out to Kalymnos in Greece for a weeks climbing. It will be my second trip Kalymnos and the other lads first. Personally, I'm looking forward to the scooters the most but having experienced the climbing out there and failing on some of the routes I'm feeling good about going back out

So far six of us will be heading out with a few of them staying on for two weeks. So it gives us a couple more months of training yet before we head out there. So far most days have been spent trawling through the guide book trying to remember the best places and day dreaming of being back there. Our Olympus flight leaves on 19th and it cant come to quickly.

But before Greece.........................

Before all this me and rich are off to France to attempt Mount Blanc via two routes. We will be heading out to attempt Europe's Highest mountain in late July early August as this is the best time for the weather. with any luck and decent weather and providing we acclimatize well we should manage it. The first few days will be spent acclimatizing to the thin air and moving up and down the lower parts of the mountain slowly gaining height and later on in the week we will push for the summit. If time allows then we will then come back down and try again via a more difficult route. Updates and links will be available soon.

Day 7. An easy one.

Today was a fairly relaxed one. It was just myself in from early doors till close putting up a couple of the new routes and cleaning a big batch of holds. I also managed to make a few of the volumes today and finishing touches will be made to these tomorrow when we plan to install them. The place is really looking brighter now and already good positive feedback has been made by our regular climbers.

The Beginnings of a new Volume

I also ordered are first batch of new holds today with over 250 coming next week. This should help to really set the center of nicely. So tomorrow is set to be another busy one with the volumes being finished and put up along with finishing some of the routes to various walls we should of completed by tomorrow.

Some of the new routes on the 9m wall

Day 6. Thursday.

Another crazy day today seeing us getting loads done. It was cool through as the center was closed meaning we didn't have to worry about working around climbers. We managed to completely strip, put two coats of paint on and replace the anchors. And it only took 8 hours!!!!!!!!! although it does now look good. Dave Rich and myself spent the time hanging in harness painting section by section and then going over it again for its second coat. the features were then painted in blue so they are now easily recognizable from the ground.

Sam loosing all feelings in his legs

New routes and replacement ropes will be put up tomorrow along with the volumes that we are currently making. the wall will feature routes from 3a to 7c so will offer everyojne something to climb. So hopefully a chilled out day setting routes tomorrow with any luck!!! as always massive thanks goes out to the guys for there hard work.

The finished article

Day 5 and back wall almost complete.

Sunday 10th saw us complete the back section of the center. the only thing missing now is the two volumes. these have been forced on hold due to me completely knackering the electric plane so badly that not even dewalt can fix it. but no worries as i have drafted in another from one of the climbers, Jez Reed so many thanks for him. Hopefully the new volumes will be up and climbable by the end of this week.

Back wall as we left it sunday night
The next task is the 9m wall but we got to carefully work out when we can do it as we have to work it round groups and busy periods. Looks like Thursday when we are closed will be our best bet. Once thats done not much more will be needed to be painted. A few more volumes need to be built and T-Nutted then the centre is pretty much done. Massive thanks to Dave Rob and Rich for there route setting skills and helping get the centre climbable in time. Nice one Guys!!!!

Day Four.

What a day today was. We managed to do what we aimed for a striped painted and re coated a huge chunk of the centre. It was an absolute mission but now its done it looks good. Starting a midday Dave, Richard, Rob and myself started to strip the holds off the wall and prepare the surfaces and started to apply the paint.
Rob provided to be vary handy with his useless tips and general lazying around the place although we found him useful for some jobs but fair play to him. Oh, and he has proven to be vary handy at painting certain pictures on the walls. Enough said just don't look behind the overhang!!!!

Dave and Rich got stuck in from start to finish and with the exception of a few phone calls to be made on Rich's behalf, mainly to organise piss ups. Lessons still had to go one though so i had to teach for a while which left the lads to finish off and a what a great job they done. The painting is now being left to dry over night and tomorrow we will put in the routes ready for the evening.

The whole task took about seven hours to complete. fiddle little sections to paint and stuck holds held us up for a while but aggression got rid of them with the help of hammers

We are still waiting for the volume as reported yesterday to finish off the wall painted the other day. We will also be putting a different volume in under the overhang in the yellow section pictured above but again your have to wait and see as to what shape it will be.

Tomorrows job is to set the routes and clean all the holds we took off today. Route cards will be done for all of the routes already set up. The future jobs are set to be the hardest i reckon with the big 9m wall still left to paint. Hopefully tomorrow evening i can report on the completion of the back section of the centre and it will be open for use.

Massive thanks has to go out to the tremendous effort put in by Dave, Rich and that other guy........... oh yeah Rob!!!!!! Great job guys and session on soon!!

Day 3 and wall one and two completely finished........almost!!!

Today was an easy day compared with the others as all we need to do was set routes on the walls we had already painted. The paint had dried over night and within two hours the routes were up and the wall was open once again to the general public. So the wall is now complete.......... Almost. It is just waiting for the volume to be put up which has almost been built. Unfortunately i knackered the power plane needed to finish the edges off so needless to say work stopped. However a replacement is due Sunday so should be done by then.

The 'almost' finished wall. The middle of the red wall where there are no holds is were the volume will go.

So tomorrows plan of action. A big one tomorrow with a huge chunk of the wall being striped painted and re routed. Its a risk cause its a Saturday and bound to be fairly busy but the sooner this is done the sooner we can start on the extension upstairs. Smithy is away now until late next week and im on orders to complete it by the time he gets back. But as you can see above it has certainly brightened the place up.

Day 2 of the Re-Vamp

Day 2 of the Re-Vamp.
Well the slabs were finished off today and touched up with paint a the first of the new routes went up. The main task was the wall next to it which we striped and painted. Did not all go to plan though as smithy had a hell of a time trying to paint the top section hanging in his harness for over an hour. Not nice!!! the wall took about five hours to do which was longer than planned but we took our time having too coats of paint on and features removed and painted as well.

Second wall completed. Just the holds to put back on.

Tomorrows job is a small one as its my day off. Repainting a few of the features and setting new routes on the walls ready for use on Friday.
No work will be done over the weekend as the centre will be too busy but it will all resume at the start of next week. Again a massive thanks go out to Smithy as well as Dave and James for helping out. would of certainly took longer without them. Cheers guys !!!!

New Look Rev under way!!!!!

Day 1
Today was the first day of a new look Revolution Climbing Wall. Work has been started on the painting with the slab area now re-painted in some real bright colours. Features have been added and all holds have been cleaned ready for some route setting tomorrow.

New Slab area freahly painted. Holds still to be added!!!!!

Plans for Wednesday are to start on the wall next to it. We just have to strip it of all the holds and Features and Paint the wall surface. One section will be red the other will be yellow. Plus a giant new feature will appear on the wall but your have to wait to see what it is. Massive thanks to Smithy and Joe for helping out today. Nice one guys!!!!!