The Meseta – Walking the Demonic Section of the Camino

From what Heather has written earlier, there’s obviously a whole folklore of agorophobic terror  surrounding the walking through the Meseta.  But according to today’s update from her, it sounds like going home to Essex in high summer – with a few less trees! Now you couldn’t give that beautiful french lass my phone number could you Heather 😉 So, amigos, amigas, I read a lot about The Meseta (the plains).  How there was nothing, no trees, no shade, nothing.  I listened to those two at the refuge at Viloria who said that people came in angry to the refuges, problems, demons doing a bolero in their heads with no other distractions. Jackie and Mike (thank you, both) said that there was nothing to worry about. I walked through Rabe and onto the...

Dodging Showers at Castle Rock South Crag

Out for a quick blast away from the rectangular screen this afternoon, and for once we just timed it right.  Walking up to the South Crag in the drizzle didn’t exactly feel like getting it right, but once we were at the base of the routes the wetness quietly vanished leaving us to a deserted, drying crag. I was with Ben and Kath Daines who were sticking their necks back into the climbing game again after a long absence.   So some easy reintroductions were the order of the day.  Slab climb, Wall Climb and  Gangway were dispatched quickly with the seconds climbing more or less together.   Then Ben decided he fancied a bit of leading on something easy, so we  got him pointed up that easy ground further right where Noname goes. Don’t know how many times...

South Post Direct: a Winter Climbing Classic

For more years than I care to remember, the Post Face of Creag Meaghaidh has exerted a mixture of fascination and repulsion on me.  Years ago, when I was climbing at a reasonable standard; when I could have dealt with all the classics in reasonable style, I somehow just never got round to those routes.  I squandered much quality winter, in the eighties, scratting about on little miserable crags instead of getting myself north. A couple of years ago I went out with Mike W and we had a crack at Centre Post.  I didn’t have the arms to contemplate the direct pitch, so we beetled off around the old original route, which has a lot to recommend it if you’re not a full on modern ice warrior.  At last the spell had been broken and I had finally got a post...