Whats so Grand about this Canyon? (part 2)

Having now watched the Lava falls video many times I'm pretty sure the boat comes out without the oar frame which means for any of you tightfisted scottish people out there there must be a free raft frame (aout $600) in the bottom of lava if you want it - go and get it.

So "the canyon". I'm not too sure how I ended up knowing how to raft, or even if I actually know how but here I was accepting the fact that I was meant to know what I was doing on a river running between 9,000 and about 15,000 cfs (thats 3-4500 cumecs for you people who like decimal) somewhere in the US of A. The Colorado River is dammed above Lees ferry by the Glen Canyon Dam and below by the Lake Mead Dam. Inbetween it is 300miles of the Grand Canyon with one access point about 80miles down where you can hike to the rim in about 5 hours a possible take out at Diamond creek (@ about mile 220) and a whole lot of rapids. The rapids on the colorado work a little differently from normail with basically anything around a 2+ to 3+ on the normal scale given a rating from 1-10. This suprisingly seems to work though as ever the guidebooks seem to have not graded some things which were definitely rapids while others seemed fairly inoccous.

Our plan was to raft from Lees Ferry down to South Cove on Lake Mead, taking 25 days and all our food and gear in 4 oar rigs. We outsourced to an outfitting company for our food, transport and one boat and Outward Bound (who most of us do or have worked for) kindly supplied the other boats. The trip was way more of an exploration than I think I expected with a lot of layover days to drink cofffee, play guitar and time to go for a wander around. The canyon itself was amazing, I would continually find that I had got sucked into staring at some impressive scenery to suddenly find that if I turned round that there was something as equally amazing all around. For me one of the beauties of the trip was that no-one knew more than 2 or 3 people and therefore the whole first 10 days just really felt like getting to know people. Also with it being winter there were no guided trips and we really only saw a couple of other people in the whole 25 days. Yes we took beer. Yes we it ran out near the end.

The good news is I managed to retrieve the deleted photos and most survived. The bad news is no videos. Anyway heres some more photos.

The gear piles up next to the snow in Flagstaff (with Eric in the photo)Unkar rapid (6) from above (the weather is about to change...)Yes we had a couple of cans of beerAnazasi granaries in the wall above the classic view of the river.Yes Ryan really is a big enough geek to play chess against himself. (2nd last layover day)Redwall cavernScouting lava falls, late in the (9)Jeff and Kai get the stove going after a late pull into camp (night 2 or 3)Jeff gets the right line almost perfect.. until the end. (Peirce ferry rapid) Kai tries to find a way around in a side canyon.You shouldn't really be able to do this. The raft that popped (day11?)Rowing into the evening light, lower river (below specter rapid)

Jeff at warp speed in specter rapid (6)

The Joy of the Unemployed (Grand Canyon part 1)

The year has started incredibly. From an epic new year across scotland with Robin I then got back to my parents house to hastily pack and jump on a plane to New York. After the usual abuse of a scottish new year (both the consumption and for my accent) it was great to be in New York with Becca who quickly changed my diet (dont worry folks i wasnt quite converted to veganism(okay so thats only funny if you know the difference between the average scottish diet and beccas!)). It was great to see some of New York (in 4 days!) with my own personal tour guide though our attempts to do any hiking were soon twarted by the ice everywhere. Very quickly it was time to leave and fly on to phoenix arizona. I thought I was being met there by Ryan and Kelly but as it turned out Ryan was still miles away. This meant that Kelly and I were going to stay with "grandpa" (Ryans Grandpa) I quickly realised, after warnings from both kelly and Ryan (on the phone), that this was going to be an experience. Really staying at Grandpas was great, kelly had leftovers in her truck which we ate so that we could tell grandpa we had already eaten, Grandpa talked to kelly most of the time while I pretended to be interested in American football, he only smoked 12 cigarettes in the evening we were with him, kelly only had to use her inhaler a couple of times in his house, he only swore at the TV a few times (including telling Bill cosby to get back to Mexico), he took us out for breakfast and promptly out ate us both(with whipped cream on everything) and the next morning we headed back into Phoenix to see if they sold new lungs. And then it was off to Flagstaff to meet the crew for the Grand Canyon rafting trip.

Unfortunately at this stage my photos are very limited as I am computer illiterate and seem to have lost most photos at this stage but I will see what i can do......... watch this space, some more posts to follow.

The crew, from left. Kai, Jeff, Caitlin (me behind), Sabari (Sage and Eric in front), Levi, Ryan, James and Timbah. (taken at Redwall cavern day 4 or 5)

The rafts tied up at camp, 3rd morning.

Ryan and Kai chilling on a Layover day (day something? maybe 7)

So while I desperately search for all the photos and videos i think i've lost above should be the famous "where are the people, take a photo" video of some folks running Lava falls (one of the biggest rapids on the grand canyon) taking the wrong line and paying the price. This will have to do till I can find the video of Kai getting the line spot on (river right is the correct line, these guys run middle and end up in "ledge hole") enjoy.....

Tourist in my own country

New year celebrations are never done to the same effect anywhere but in Scotland. Today is January 4th and I have just made it home. It was not all one combined party but rather lots of things tacked together (the good old tradition of first footing). After a mammoth family christmas I headed North with Robin on the 28th of December looking for snowy bits in the mountains. The first problem arose when we almost ran out of fuel getting up to Braemar and the second when we realised we only had four matches for two nights. The Third problem was that I used the last three matches trying to light the stove on the second night (in the Garbh coire of Bheinn a Bhuird). The fourth problem was that it was very cold and we kind of needed the stove to melt water (and cook dinner and breakfast) and the last problem was that my thermarest sprung a leak. All that aside the weather and remoteness of bheinn a bhuird was amazing and it felt very strange to be back in scottish winter and not in a white out. We then headed back to Braemar to join a massive crowd of people for hogmanay (new year) Impressively this lasted from the 30th to evening of the second with people even making it to climb hills and mountain bike inbetween the massive drinking sessions. Bob and I fitted in one day of rather scary ice climbing (the water was running underneath it and all the screws kept bottoming out after 5 cm). Robin and I then continued our road trip across scotland visiting friends and ending up at a massive local music session on Loch awe side with "big gill" (i should explain that gill is not big but is marginally bigger than "wee gill" (sorry big gill))Looking into the Central cairngorms from the North top of Bheinn a Bhuird Robin about to give the tent pegs a whack in the Garbh coire (for the climbers -the ice line about robins head is "the flume" (iv 4) the one to the left of it is a grade 2/3 and the far right of the picture is the bottom of mitre ridge (VS is summer or vi 6 in winter)Robin pretending he hasnt bust his ankle with the cairngorms in the background Some of the usual suspects - Ninian, Little Rich, Sue, Iona, Wee Ben, Stu, Bob, Paul and me on new years eve day. (taken by Jus) Little Rich celebrating his 100th munroWee Ben carrying his Paraglider above Glenshee (to later fly off Glas Maol)

One of many trips to the recycling

Frozen Heather A fragile state (bobs head as well as the ice as he proved by being sick on the first belay ledge!)
The joys of Scottish winter climbing - a 10cm screw tied off after 5 cm. Nothing like a confidence booster!

Its been strange and amazing to be back in scotland all at the same time. Whats most alarming is people asking where I'm from or not understanding me when I order drinks at the bar. It also feels weird to have no idea what things should cost and having to look carefully at notes to check how much they are worth. Amazingly the weather has really been the best thing about being home (as you might see from the pictures)(okay and the people) It is so unusual to get a high pressure system in winter when you want it and the only bad weather day was the 1st which gave an added excuse not to do anything too strenous with a hangover...........

One country, lots of systems

It feels hard to write about chinese sport climbing back in Scotland fully ensconsed in a family christmas but here goes. I finished work in Hong kong drank too many beers and ate too much food before hopping the border north into china. I jumped on a sleeper bus and was soon standing in the main street of Yangshou. It was 4 am. I wondered up and down the street in the dark until a kind fellow on a motor bike agreed to drive me closer to where i wanted to be for a mere 20rmb (2 pounds). Everything was closed. At this point I decided to sleep on a bridge in west street (where the climbers hang out) till dawn. This turned out to be pretty cold as i had forgotten to bring any trousers but it seemed the logical solution. That day after agreeing with myself (around 7 am just before the sun rose) that it would be a bad idea to do any climbing having not really slept i promptly went climbing. The first day was a bit of a shock as I was not really ready for the redpoint/projecting sport climbing mentality but i dragged myself up some beautiful climbs. The rest of my 9 days saw me teaming up with a variety of climbers including eben farnworth (who some of you should know). Eben and I went and climbed some good old fashioned trad and even managed to claim a first ascent of a big unclimbed (and obvious) crack line (2 pitch 5.10a (HVS 5a) Chinese Very Severe) Trad limestone in Yangshou is definitely more of an adventurous experience than an aesthetic one though it is a lot of fun to trundle massive blocks to scare the nearby sport climbers. Unfortunately the drill we hauled for the belays ran out of juice after one bolt but at least it backed up my belay that was crumbling everytime i shifted body position...... Essentially it was great to be out in a beautiful place, eat cheap food and escape hong kong. I am now back in scotland enjoying the family life. Trad Climbing ? (racked up and ready to go)

Why do i always have to lead these pitches? the final big wide crack.

Its a hard life but someone has to do it. The Li(?) river at sunset with some of the many towers

The first belay ledge with an excess of gear.

Drilling my first ever bolt with ebens shady chinese drill
Eben climbing above my high quailty belay.... you can see the quality of the rock below and to the right of the blue piece of gear...

No. It really is a hard life

Access, Yangshou style

Eben cruising up the 5.10b cracks of the birdman

One silent clap

"they respond to one silent clap" the teacher told my colleague as he stood in front of some very noisy children. Adam looked at the teacher blankly and he said it again. "they respond to one silent clap.." Adam took a moment and then said slowly "one silent clap?" the students instantly all clapped put their fingers to their lips and all said "shhhh" before standing in silence staring at adam. Adam smiled. Last week was with singapore international school and my last week of work for a long time. Actually it was only a three day program in hong kong with one day of prep, a quick program and one last chance for me to make some money. The season has as ever flown by with me spending the first week desperately playing catch up, remembering hong kong and what happens where. Since then its been go go go, the usual for hong kong and Asia pacific adventure. Most programs this season have been in hong with my one small program on the tibetan plateau and even some corporate work (the pirates!!) for APA's sister company Paradigm consultants international. Having only taken a few days off in the last couple of months I am now looking forward to some time to relax and head to china on monday to go climbing in yangshou. After that it will be back to Scotland for christmas with the family followed by Hogmanay with my friends. Hopefully see some of you at various points. The photos are from the prep day for the last program with an evenings climbing at tung lungs "technical wall" followed by some program photosGeordie belaying in the dusk as the waves crash behind."Bon and Geordie "just one more climb!!!" actually 2 more for geordie as he had to go get the quick draws back off the route i couldnt get up! (fighting in the dark with 4 head torches on him)DT takes a swing off the top of "small roof" with emma belaying A student coming across the tyrolean at dead mans cove with the waves crashing below

Bon makes breakfast before the students turn up on day 1

Selling my soul

So it has been an extremely busy couple of weeks, first of all a ten day trip to the tibetan plateau with some AYP (hong kongs Duke of Edinburgh Scheme) Students where we summited the mighty Mt Yika (4300m) followed by a week dressed as a pirate (First mate ginger beard) on the bounty in Victoria harbour. All this then another week with some young hong kong people. The pictures should tell a better story....Kai proving that there is some climbing in hong kongThe wonderful reception at our first hotel in china (luckily the students didnt stay here)Andrew outside the Naxi guesthouse in tiger leaping gorge (our acclimatization hike)Jade dragon snow mountainStorm rolling through the gorge Our guides and horse taking a smoke break at 4300mTibetan monastery in Shangri-laHaving a meal in shangri la with our guides.Inside a nomad hut for the night at 3700m
At least they're trying!

Ginger beard

Capturing the taihitian dancers (do you think these girls have practiced posing

an unusual view of central hong kong

Jade dragon panorama