Article Category Results

Sport climbing in Thakhek, Laos

13 February, 2017

Previously Angus Kille had sent us a dispatch from Yangshuo but unusually chilly and damp weather meant it wasn't long before he was heading to Laos.

Climbing in Yangshuo, China

21 December, 2016

Angus Kille (pronounced with a silent 'e') is currently taking a couple of months out from life in north Wales to climb in South East Asia. He began his tour with a visit to China's best-known sport climbing destination, Yangshuo, and shares his impressions.

Andy Winterleitner climbs 9a

04 August, 2016

After repeated visits over three seasons to Gimmelwald in Switzerland, Andy Winterleitner climbs his first 9a with a redpoint of Jungfrau Marathon.

Two 8b+'s for 12 year-old Jonathan Hörst

21 August, 2015

Fired up from a family trip to the Frankenjura in June, it wasn't long after getting home before the 12 year-old American climber, Jonathan Hörst, sent his third 8b+/5.14a.

Alex Megos on living the dream

24 June, 2015

Even by Alex Megos' standards he has had an amazing 2015 and we're only half-way through it. Kicking off in late January with Lucid Dreaming (V15/8C), he continued to make the headlines as he visited Japan and Australia. Now back home in the Frankenjura, and having had time to catch his breath, we asked Alex a few questions.

Felix Neumärker repeats two 9a's in three days

26 May, 2015

Felix Neumärker repeats To tu ještě nebylo (9a) in the Czech Republic followed two days later by the legendary Frankenjura route, Action Direct (9a).

North Wales climbing

28 April, 2015

In spring 2013, a group of climbers from Austria, Switzerland and Germany, visited DMM to experience north Wales' trad climbing ethic and enjoy the wide variety of crags. Here are their thoughts on the trip.

Dawes' Coeur de Lion repeated 28 years later

10 April, 2015

James McHaffie and Pete Robins, have made the second ascent of the remarkable Coeur de Lion E8 7a on the Quarryman Wall, 28 years after it was established by Johnny Dawes.

Early season success for McHaffie on Megalopa

31 March, 2015

Having made the third ascent of Megalopa (8c+), at Lower Pen Trwyn, James McHaffie can cross off one of his goals for 2015. Megalopa breaks out right of The Walking Mussel (8b+). The new North Wales Limestone guidebook describes the 2011 route as turning: "…an already brilliant tussle into another stratosphere of quality and difficulty."

First female British 8c ascent for Twyford

11 August, 2014

Emma Twyford becomes the first female to climb a British 8c with her ascent of Unjustified at Malham. It was a battle that began in 2011 with a two year break before her eventual success.

Robins earns The Pink Star (8c+)

10 August, 2014

Pete Robins has opened his 'Diamond account' for this season in fine style; with the first ascent of The Pink Star (8c+). The route climbs probably the most obvious feature at the crag: a rising left-to-right crack through the arching steepness at the right hand-side of the cliff.

Strandcafé (XIb/c) redpoint for Neumärker

27 May, 2014

Top German sport climber, Felix Neumärker, recently completed a long-standing project with the first redpoint ascent of Strandcafé (XIb/c), in his home area of Elbsandstein.

Esoteric 7c slate groove

07 May, 2014

Esoteric but accessible might be the best way to describe the location of a new 7c slate groove climbed by Pete Robins...

Six pitch slate route

26 April, 2014

When The Rock Bottom Line in Dinorwig Quarry was climbed it was tagged as Britain's longest sport route. But Ian Lloyd-Jones and his eleven year-old son's new six pitch addition to Twll Mawr can now lay claim to that title and with no climbing on it harder than F6c.

More new Orme routes from Robins

20 March, 2014

Pete Robins undoubtedly deserves a campaign medal of some sorts for his continued efforts in adding new routes to the Ormes. This time it's two top-quality routes, an 8a+ and an 8b, both involving some burly roof climbing.

Megos trip report from France & Spain

17 January, 2014

Alex Megos' trip reports always leave you a little bit in awe when you read how quickly he sends so many hard routes.

Megos in Kalymnos

31 October, 2013

Alex Megos' plan for his Kalymnos trip was a relaxing vacation after a busy year, but that didn't seem to get in the way of him completing seventeen projects up to 8c+ and winning the North Face Festival PROject Competition.

Dark Energy first ascent 8c+

31 July, 2013

Pete Robins continues his campaign of hard new routes on north Wales limestone. His latest addition, Dark Energy 8c+, takes a spectacular line across the huge roof of Pigeon's Cave roof at its widest point. 

Pump up the Jam 8c

09 July, 2013

Pete Robins continues his long-standing affair with the Ormes, completing the Pigeon's Cave 'crack in the sky' project, to give Pump up the Jam 8c.

The world's first 9a onsight

26 March, 2013

Alex Megos is a name that has been under the radar on the international climbing scene but all that has now changed with his ground-breaking ascent of what is widely accepted as the world's first 9a onsight.

Mina Leslie-Wujastyk interview

06 February, 2013

Mina's ascent of Mecca (8b+) last year set a new standard for female climbers in the UK. Having also climbed V12, flashed 8a and looking to improve her performance in this year's Bouldering World Cup comps she is a breath of fresh air when it comes to telling you exactly how much effort is required to succeed at the top level of the sport.

Brits shine in Siurana

29 January, 2013

On the same day in Siurana, the Spanish winter gathering ground for hard sport climbing, Ryan Pasquill redpointed his first 9a and Mina Leslie-Wujastyk flashed her first 8a.

Multi-pitch sport climbing in Morocco

29 November, 2012

Mike 'Twid' Turner has sent us a report on his recent visit to the walls of Taghia in Morocco's Atlas Mountains, where his team added an eight pitch 300 metre sport route, Fat Guides 7b+. A rack of 15 quickdraws is all you'll need to repeat it.

Jewel in the crown for Robins' climbing year

13 October, 2012

Pete Robins was mightily relieved to be able to find the reserves of energy to complete his F8c+ project on the Little Orme as climbing conditions at the Diamond become increasingly unreliable with the approach of winter.

North Wales Limestone

24 April, 2012

The North Wales Limestone guidebook should be with us by the end of the year. In the meantime there is a taster app and we've added a topo download for the recently developed Creigiau Heulog.  

Like father like son

28 November, 2011

The slate quarries are clearly in the blood of the Lloyd-Jones family as nine year-old Celt climbs a new line in the Dinorwig Quarry a few days after his dad adds yet another multi-pitch route to  Twll Mawr.

'Line of the Ormes' climbed & Detritus Wall access

24 October, 2011

Pete Harrison has spent several days opening up access to the Little Orme's rarely visited Detritus Wall, despite its three-star sport routes, before going on to climb what Dave Lyon called the 'line of the Ormes'. Alberta Rose 7c is comparable in quality to the 1991 route just to its right, that itself has been described as "one of the best sport climbing experiences the country has to offer."

UK's longest sport route

03 October, 2011

Ian Lloyd-Jones' latest route on the slate can claim to be the longest sport route in the UK. Rising for 133 metres in five pitches from the very bottom of Twll Mawr, it even features a Quarryman style groove.

Robins completes LPT F8c+ trilogy

31 August, 2011

Having missed out on the first ascent of Megalopa F8c+ at the Great Orme, Pete Robins 'digs deep' and settles for second, completing the trilogy of F8c+ routes at Lower Pen Trwyn.

Pen Trwyn F8c+ project falls to Dyer

09 August, 2011

More action from Lower Pen Trwyn on the Great Orme. Neil Dyer finally redpoints the project that he has looked so close to completing over the last few weeks. For Pete Robins, who was with Neil at the crag, it was a bitter-sweet moment as they had been trying the project together since the end of May.

McHaffie makes historic repeat

31 July, 2011

James McHaffie has written his name into British sport climbing history by making the first repeat of Carson's The Big Bang F9a at Lower Pen Trwyn, nearly fifteen years since it was established.

Mecca quickdraw test

29 July, 2011

DMM's strength-test results on the perma-draws recently removed from Mecca at Raven Tor highlight the potential dangers of fixed gear such as tat and slings, aside from their visual impact.

Four pitch sport route added to Twll Mawr

07 July, 2011

Well known slate activist Ian Lloyd-Jones and Sion McGuinness add a four pitch sport route to the South Wall of Twll Mawr in the Dinorwig Quarry. Supermassive Black Hole at F7a, 6b+, 7a/6c+, 6b is likely to become a slate classic.