Pliers and Prairie Dogs
The Bird Conservancy of the Rockies seek to conserve birds and their habitats in the Rockies and beyond. I had the opportunity to attend one of their educational and bird banding sites Chatfield State Park whilst at World Ranger Congress.
They host a large number of educational groups and give people the opportunity to see birds in the hand and talk about related environmental issues whilst gathering valuable scientific data through bird ringing or banding. When bio-metric data is gathered about a bird and an individually identifying metal ring is fitted to the leg.
Yellow Warbler
Black-headed Grosbeak
Red-winged Blackbird
Barn Swallow
After the bird ringing demonstration we had the opportunity to travel around the local area in search of more wildlife.
Two of the highlights were a family of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs and some Yellow Headed Blackbirds. Click thumbnails for larger images.
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Rocky Mountain NP
In June I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to attend the International Ranger Federations World Ranger Congress at Estes Park on the Edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. As well as there being over 300 rangers from over 60 different countries there was also abundant wildlife, below are a selection of some of the wildlife I saw in and around Estes Park.
Entering the park
Looking towards the mountains
Broad Tailed Hummingbird
Broad Tailed Hummingbird feeding
Broad Tailed Hummingbird feeding
Golden-mantle Ground Squirrel
Golden-mantle Ground Squirrel
House Wren
Western Gray Squirrel
Western Gray Squirrel
Least Chipmunk
Albarracin cont.
Back in happier times when the EU was still thought to be as solid and reliable as the US electoral system
A journey continued in the lost world..
a beautiful town was found..
nestled among the hills..
a journey into the town…
with an aim to get a handle on the situation…
led to an uncomfortable love of the camera.
Going back to the black and white world of climbing…
which was found to be awfully cold…
this world of climbing led to confusion…
as men flew…
and danced…
their way under rooves…
seeking to go…
ever onwards…
and upwards…
to reach the heights of their reptilian overlords…
with those unable to climb feeling despondent left on the ground.
Oaken Bank Fire
In May some thoughtless individuals had and a BBQ in one of the nicest areas of the Peak District, this BBQ then set fire to approximately 100 acres of moorland and woodland, some of which had been regenerating for around 20 years. The photos below show some of the damage as it was the day after the fire had been successfully put out by a large number of dedicated Rangers, Firemen and Gamekeepers.
Once a wildlife haven
The path to dantes inferno
High tide mark
Tracks preserved among the flames
Rangers survey the damage
Eggs destroyed by the blaze
Smoldering ant hill
An island in the soot
Panorama of destruction
Albarraspring part I
In March of the year 2016 3 intrepid acquaintances traveled across the EU whilst they were still able to move with the possibly soon to be destroyed utopian ease of the Schengen agreement. The images below chronicle the first part of their journey which included; joy, despair, hope, probably exiled mafiosi, inanity and large amounts of cheap Spanish wine.
Alex displaying characteristic British technique on Spiderpig
Anonymous Euro powering through Spiderpig
Renegade bands of climbers leave cairns along safe paths…
with surprising levels of finesse
A night on the tiles can be unsettling…
with sinister individuals such as this man…
and his partner
Noguera’s answer to the aristocats
Alex on a classic Climbing Works style contortion problem
Which left his spine feeling tenderly exposed!
Jon prevails through the contortion…
To the glory jug
The door through to part II
Part II coming soon
The Farne Islands, like Magaluf but with more birds
I did a brief stint working on the Farne Islands with the National Trust. Below is a brief selection of some of the photos I took during my time on the islands.
Pilgrimage
Yesterday I made the trip over to Parisellas Cave with Alex and he managed to quickly send Malcolm Smith’s un-repeated mega voyage Pilgrimage. Rather than go on a massively irate rant about the use of knee – pads (as I’m sure this will happen enough of its own accord) I thought I’d just show you the photos I took.
Getting horizontal
Cranking through Rock Atrocity
Finishing up Beaver Cleaver
The final moves
The send as it happened.
Snow Barrows
Contrary to the predictions made in one of my earlier posts the snow has not stopped climbing outdoors. Though for those looking to whine I’m sure all the melt water will inevitably soak the crags in a deluge that Noah would be afraid of; the people climbing snowy cracks at Stanage Popular will have nowhere to hide as they are swept into Hathersage by the raging torrent. Until then I’ve been quite enjoying climbing in the snow, the purity of the snowy landscape is the perfect juxtaposition to the jumbled and contrived lines of limestone bouldering. The thick icy blanket also brings a sort of tranquility, one that is only broken by the infamous Alex Barrows pontificating over the merits of pre-taper ancapping against sustained under aerocapping and whether his latest kneebar to double toe hook beta makes a problem any easier. It was in these idyllic conditions that I found my self at Roche Abbey.
Barrows faces the grim reality that he will not be able to downgrade another problem.
Barrows decide to try Addiction and with the expected amount of trickery he sent it, now the problem had been done the important decision of whether it warranted a downgrade could be made. In this instance his brave and humble instinct was to stick with the given grade, which is probably just as well as the knee-bar opposing luddites surely can’t tolerate many more downgradings before they rise up and lynch him.
Barrows on Addiction 7C
Snow and Barrows
Bouldering, Boulders and Boulderers
I have upload a load of bouldering photos as a bit of a showcase, I hope you like them. Regulars to my blog will be sure to find some of their favorite stars, or, their most despised climbers. Sadly at the moment it is lacking the most controversial blog star, Alexandre ‘The Tufa’ Barros, but I’m sure this will change now he requires photos to be allowed to keep his clothes. Find the goods at the end of this link: Click Here
Exams are over and so is climbing.
I finished my final exam today, which is probably of little interest to anyone that happens to be reading this. However now I have finished I do have more time to finish off uploading photos and tinkering with the blog, so hopefully that will at least please the narcissistic people that are waiting for their photos to be uploaded (Mark 😉 ). These latest set of photos are from the same Magnesian Limestone or Dolostone (CaMg(CO3)2) crag as the last lot. Dolostone in the UK is from the Permian era and is composed predominantly of the mineral dolomite with a stoichiometric ratio of 50% or greater content of magnesium replacing calcium, often as a result of diagenesis. Now my science critics have maybe been satisfied (they are an awfully ruthless and ravenous group), I can only hope that you enjoy the photos as the snow has probably ruined any chances we have of climbing outside in the next month.
Is this Yellowism?
Mark Tomlinson also sending Epic of Gilgamesh
Jo crimping hard on the send of Epic of Gilgamesh
New Gallery Created
I have now created the ‘Nature’ gallery which can be found here. Lets hope for good weather for climbing tommorrow!
Happy New Year
While everyone else was suffering on new years day either because they drank too much or because they decided to climb on the grit, I felt very smug going to check out another magnesium carbonate venue near Anston. It’s pretty amazing kind of like an outdoor board and it was dry which is a good sign for future conditions as the weather has been shit! Here’s some photos of James Noble on Rapture 7B+
The Real Fat shady
It’s the return of the, “Ah, wait, no way, you’re kidding. He didn’t just say what I think he did, did he?”
Jon Wells makes a return to rock climbing after a month of revision hibernation and eating cookies!
Photos below are of him on the 7A+ roof problem at Crag-x.
Moving out from the back of the cave
Eyeing up the lip
Bustin’ a move to the lip.
Techno prisoners
Bob Hickish did a new route called Techno Prisoners at Chee Dale Cornice the other day, it starts up Kristian Clemmows 8b Gran Techo, which looks like some of the best roof climbing in the peak! Techno Prisoners then continues straight up the headwall via some big spans.
Sadly the light wasn’t great as it was getting dark, but I managed a few reasonable shots.
Stretched out, high on the headwall (click to enlarge)
The crux move
Pressing out left.
Quality Control
A selection of photos of Quality Control F7a at Chee Dale Two Tier.
Emma Hanna in the lower crux
Emma approaching easier ground
Tim Hill wishing he was at Gogarth
Chee Dale looking very green (click for larger version)
more Dws action
Some more DWS photos from Dorset, all these were taken on Portland at Cave Hole.
Oli Hill on Ixtalan F6a (click for larger version)
Adam Bailes on the 3* Russian Roulette F6b+
Theo Elmer on Russian Roulette F6b+
Gus Hudgins on Russian Roulette F6b+
Spectating
Chris Barr on the classic Octopus Weed F6c
Obscene Toilet
Chris Barr on Obscene Toilet 7c at Ravens Tor
Setting off up the lower wall
Moving into the crux
Mid-Crux
The Free Monster
The Cornices are drying; then getting damp; then drying again! Mark Tomlinson on The Free Monster at WCJ Cornice.
Setting up for the crux
The crux move
And again, but wider (links to larger copy).
Lulworth
Some DWS shots from Lulworth Cove, Dorset.
Bob Hickish cutting loose on Mark of the Beast (click for large copy)
Adam Bailes off Mark of the Beast
Adam Bailes, splash down off Mark of the Beast
Bob Hickish shaking out lowdown on Adrenochrome
The Thumb
Bob Hickish on one of the best lines at Kilnsey and also its first 8a, ‘The Thumb’
Click For large copy
The Boltest
Adam Bailes and Bob Hickish attempting the classic 7c ‘The Boltest’ at Long Tor Quarry. A quality little north facing sport venue opposite High Tor.
More action at crag-x
The lime has been called! To celebrate a few photos from my favourite limestone bouldering crag.
Adam Bailes on Cherokee Lane 7B
Bob Hickish on the classic ZIppys Trav. 7A+
The roll over move on Zippys Trav.
Chris Lockyer 