I am a great fan of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, so much so I have read the books and watched the films multiple times. And all I could think of, as I watched my wedding ring disappear between the boulder, was the sound of metal bouncing off rock when Gollum dropped the one ring in the deep and dark tunnels within the Misty Mountains. I would normally take my ring off in the car and attach it to my car keys, but today I waited till we were at the crag. And all Josh and I could do was watch it fall and then disappear below the boulders, listening to the tink, tink, tink that became more faded with each bounce:
We had an initial look, and then started to move a few of the more manageable rocks. We could see what looked like the bottom, but no ring was insight. The rocks we moved started to get bigger and bigger, and we need to take great care not to crush our fingers, hands or feet. Each time checking if we could see more clearly, but no luck. I was ready to call it quits, after all we were at the fittingly named Lost Buttress. But Josh reckoned if we moved the big boulder that looked iron stained, we’d be able to move the smaller ones underneath and see more clearly:
So we collected some flotsam and strategically moved some pretty big boulders to create space for the big one to fall into. It was starting to remind me of the reality television shows showing people shifting boulders on treacherous scree slopes to find gems. But with a bit of thought and care we managed to roll the biggest boulder out of the way. Next we began to lift and roll the rocks, previous pinned down by the big one, to one side. We spent a good half an hour all up, but thanks to Josh’s optimism and persistence we finally found my precious:
After the hike along the coast to get to the crag, and warming up every muscle in our bodies by shifting some sizable rocks we were finally getting down to why we came here. We started on No Nuts Required, a gentle but fun climb to begin on. Today was a bit of a slightly later start not due to the shenanigans thus far, but because it was forecast to be a bit cooler today. As such it was close to 8am before we started climbing, when I found this March Fly that was feeling too dozy, cold, or lazy to fly off. It simply walked away from me:
Only the female flies bite, with the sole purpose of getting protein from blood to develop eggs. They use tiny blades to slice into the victims flesh so they can drink the blood that pools in the wound. But fortunately for us this was the only one we saw today, and it didn’t seem in the mood to try and get our blood. Josh followed up with relative ease, the hard yakka of the morning hadn’t dented his stride. I had already mapped out a bit of a plan for the session, and we quickly scrambled back down and got ready for the next route:
Jenga was up next. And after we had shifted the large boulders at the base, some of which seemed to have moved a bit too freely, it made us think about the large boulders that give this climb it’s name. Large jumbled blocks at mid height that it is impossible to avoid. Some of which seem to be balanced in place, but I have never noticed any indication of movement before. We experienced the same today, they didn’t budge, but it didn’t stop us being that little bit more cautious, as we gingerly edged over and past them:
This one made Josh think a bit more, but he managed a clean ascent so we moved onto Washing Away the Blues, creeping the grades slowly upwards. While, just like the top of Jenga, the top of the third route played a little with his head. But each time he gave himself a little talking too, and then powered through. As I led the fourth route I felt it may have been a tad too hard. Due to the smeary footholds and steeper sustained nature, in a very exposed position. Despite all of this he worked hard and it wasn’t until the final moves at the top that his footwork let him down, and his arms started to give out:
This time when we got back down we packed up the gear and left Lost Buttress, but we were not heading out yet. After a short boulder hop we dropped the bags at The Playground, it was time for Josh to pop his leading cherry and he was sounding keen. With big juggy holds and a soft sandy landing this place is a great spot for a first lead. Before he set off on his first lead we talked a bit about gear placements and rope work. Chimpanzee was a good one to start on with comfortable stances from where you can place the gear. Despite his arms having started to give out earlier, he managed the route and placed bomber gear:
Some people don’t like lead climbing, the rope being below them makes them nervous and plays with their head. Even on climbs they may have got up before with relative ease. I therefore checked in with Josh and said he really enjoyed the feeling. So I sent him up a variation of Cookie Monster, which made him work a little harder. But not too much, and he climbed it safely popping in well-spaced and placed gear. He was eager for more, and I pointed him to a section of the wall that provided the steepest and most sustained challenge yet. I could see he was working harder this time, but again he got good gear in as he methodically worked his way up:
Confessing his arms were now well and truly ready for a, well deserved, rest we finally packed up. During the rock hop back along the boulders we spotted a White Faced Heron, and I couldn’t resist including the image. While they are known to inhabit tidal mudflats and beaches, I was a little surprised to see it on a rough rocky coastline with nowhere for such a wader to hunt for food. Unlike the Heron we had however been successful in looking for what we wanted today, firstly a great adventurous morning out and secondly my ring. But so as not to tempt fate it was not until we got back to the car that I popped my wedding ring back on my finger:
Sandbagged 