Andalucia 2018

Nov 10th
House sale all gone to ratshit so what the hell time to get out of Denver and hit the Spain Drain.  Down to Hove, Ferry to Bilbao Wednesday 14th.  Great sailing, calm sea.

Very comfy cabin

Decent sleep




Leaving harbour

Dawn
Bay of Biscay

Overnight Casita, Boceguillas

The Casita was a bit isolated, almost quit but fortunately some other people turned up to occupy next door.
 
Finally made it it to safe haven at the Ho Hotel in Jaen

The minibar gave up without a fight 

Saturday 14th November - Arrival at La Herradura

22 Los Girasoles

All the sun going!







Location
Looking out east over the bay

Garden at Los Girasoles

Tania does her thing with Pablo and Diana at the Maravillas

Biblical rain storm going on
 
It came and went on an off for the whole week!

 

Much improved by the following Saturday!

One of a few dozen sunsets

Around Los Girasoles

Almunecar strolls

Phil visits

In Malaga 

Los Girasoles on the far side between A and P

 

Sunset by the market

Sundowners at The Mango

And at the Bueno

At the Alhambra

Fabulous

More pics here

Another amazing scene

Christmas Eve

 AT the Parador, Malaga

Waiting for news of BA flight from Gatwick

Made it!

Ready to sally forth on Christmas day for Birthday Nosh

More pictures of the Malaga stop over here

CT polishes off a plate of boquerones on the harbour in Malaga

Packed out for the Flamenco at the Maravillas

A morning walk down the front

On the walk down to the front from Los G

Scenes in Frigliana

 Botanical Gardens Almunecar

Last Sundown before launch back to Blighty

Saturday Jan 5th

Viajemos!

Burgos 8 hours

Poitiers 7 hours 30

Dieppe 5 hours 30

Arrive Hove 10pm
Jan 7th 2019





More pics here
And here

 Another town, another beach

Only 1158 miles away

The Kyloe Variations

Thursday October 25th

One more good day left before winter temps arrive.  Forecast good for SE Scotland so headed up that way to see how good it was at;

Kyloe

Sunny spells and reasonably temperature - picking up from where AT and CB left off in August on Fir Tree Buttress to explore some more new lines.

NB heads up Burns Offering (Direct)  at something like HVD


Grades hereabouts are at best enigmatic

The finishing wall is awkward to gain via the flake but offers rewarding holds

AT varies the ramp start on Ramp and Wall


The Wall also got varied with a section from Conifer Direct

No prizes for guessing what went wrong.

Earlier on CB had eyed up the red line

Bulging, undercut unprotected start

Gets VD in the guide


As in Very Desperate

CB renders it feasible

Hand grabbing arm stretching feet flailing body rocking good









Pleasant finishing wall at about Mild Severe

NB takes a Mo to think about the first bit of gear

CB knows something we don't.

NB makes some mo' shapes

A few Mo-ments later

A fine line

The bulge and hanging slab is "The Glade"

It's been on AT's list for a long while



Time it came off.

Runner in the RH crack helps stop the nerves jangling before the make or break rock over up onto the slab


Feels a bit under-gladed

and briefly precarious until....

....a couple of moves lead to a landing on the one big(?) foothold



Phew!

More big holds provide a satisfying exit

CB on a cruise

Another new route on the crag

Diminuendo 4b provides an off width intro


Until recently all  hidden behind a huge tree

"head torch optional"

CB opts for a variation finale up the steep wall of Fawlty Towers at 4c



Run out

AT on the starting moves

Off width layback the best bet - can't hang about






Two takes on the big finish on Fawlty Towers

Yet more hybrid combo climbing

AT starts up Twin Cracks before moving out left onto Chris's Route






 Proper start is up the undercut nose centre pic

Open climbing up the face provides a great contrast

NB popped up Miny, then CB finishes off with the classic line of Tacitation

The climbing is never desperate

Except for the first three metres, all of which are.

Another great late season day out

Could be the last outside in 2018

A brilliant year

Notes on climbs
1  Grade not given in guide
2  Grade guessed
3  Grade as per guide, start is maybe HS 4b
4  About right
5  MVS 4c is a wierd grade, implies well protected crux.  VS 4c
6  Grade S4b start about right, VS 4c finish very run out
7  About right
8  The RH start reduces the HS to S and easy 4b
9  Very hard start getting harder.  About right overall