As promised I will update with some interesting goings on in my quest to find new routes and unclimbed rock in Bolivia.... suffice to say it is going well! I am having an extremely busy Aug/Sept time but still managing to get out a couple of time a week at least. Around Sucre I have located some more boulders and a couple of micro crags that have a few projects on (I'll hopefully get ticking on those soon) and i have visited the Sica Sica boulder a few times and put up a couple of (i think unclimbed) links to existing problems. These boulders, being only about 10mins from my house are pretty much my training ground. I have a short video of a few problems and some of the climbing around here that I will try and upload buy I am sorry to say that with the shabby connection they excuse for internet here it will take some time.

Here are a couple of photos of Steve, a local climber expat learning to trad lead on the Sica Sica crag

Now onto the main cause for excitement to all you adventurous type climbers out there.... a truly awesome discovery.

I had heard rumours and seen on a previous trip a fin of rock that I thought would be worth an explore, so early on a monday morning a bleary eyed group of us jumped on a bus and headed a couple of hours down the road keeping our eyes out for any decent rock. Oh how we were rewarded!

The "fin" of rock we found was just the tip of the iceberg, but as you can see from the pictures it is no tiddler, this is some big fish, i estimate its about 6 pitches to the top from the lowest base with several pinnacles and summits, at an estimate, this feature alone is 500m in length.

The fin has several faces, many many slabs (some very vegetated cracks) and is like all of the rock in this new area, a mostly hard sandstone. Probably due to the orientation one side has significantly more greenery than the other and also has snappier/ flakier rock but there are a plethora of mult-ipitch routes that will go, including dihedrals and hand-cracks all finishing in a pretty cool location on the summits of the fin.

One half of the fin from the  "greener side" with its slabs and cracks. for perspective it is about 4/5/6 pitches to the top from this aspect

The Fin extends for quite a distance and has several distinct summits and peaks

Climbing on the other (mountain) side of the fin there are many sections of overhanging rock, much of which will need to be bolted as it is pretty compact sandstone in places with not many cracks. This should yield some amazing sport routes

We put up a f6a and an f7a that need to be bolted and I did a trad route of 5.6r/ VS 4b on the other slabby aspect. Will be going back to pick off the plum lines soon but there is a lifetimes worth to go at.

The "fin" with one of the rock covered mountain valleys behind, this is one of 2/3 valleys that seem to extend for a few miles and as far as I could see are littered with various buttress' and crags as well as boulders in the valley floor

That is just the start, the surrounding valleys have an incredible amount of rock and for future investigation the mountains around the rim of the valley look to contain alpine style rock, big cliffs, slabs and crags and some awesome looking ridges. The best part is as far as I can gather all the cliffs and crags are waiting for first ascents from trad, sport (need bolts and a drill) and bouldering of all grades!!

fyi this "boulder is about 25ft high and its one of about 20 in one of about 10 spots is spied on our quick walk through.

If you want to get out here and join what i hope will be a 1st ascent rampage then shoot me a message at

                                 verticaljourneys@hotmail.co.uk

As ever I am battling with the Bolivian Internet connection but I will try to update this blog when every we explore more places and put up some new routes... until then... get cranking...

Bolivian Jungle

Heading down to pampas in the Bolivian lowlands required yet more bumpy travelling in land cruisers on extremely dusty roads to reach the Yacuma river. Our journey was only interrupted by typical traveller problems of broken down vehicles, a snapped throttle cable being mended with wire scrounged from somewhere in the back of the truck. Our thrash down the road was also intterupted when we came to a screaming halt and raced out to take photos of a sloth.... slightly hasty actions since they are not known for running away in a hurry....

 The view down the road, sporting the red markings that the local indians use as a dye gotten from a fruit with blood red insides.

 On the river there are literally hundreds of alligators on show, plus the more elusive and more malevolent black caimen.

Cruising up the river listening to tunes on my ipod watching out for the wildlife, not a bad days work

On the 2nd day we got to go fishing, quite an experience pulling in pirañas with chunks of meat on the  hook. Got to be careful though, especially with the red ones, large teeth have a wicked bite if you slip!

sunset over the river from the lodge, beautiful day

Spider monkeys, inquisitive little creatures that jumped on our boat  to investigate us.













So a fantastic trip was had by the group, far too many stories to type them all up, I am staying in Bolivia as a base until next year, upecoming blogs should include some alpine ascents in the corderilla real and first ascent rock climbing.

Vertical Journeys will be offering first ascent rock climbing to Bolivia soon as there is such a huge potential here in bolivia for exploratory climbing. Ill be documenting areas as I find them and posting pictures of the cliffs and routes. If you want to come and make your mark and put up first ascents then get in touch and I will put together a tour for you and your team. verticaljourneys@hotmail..co.uk

South American Adventures and Pictures

South American Adventures and Pictures

As its the end of July I will update the blog with a few recent adventures and shots I have taken, I recently led an expedition out to Bolivia with a group exploring the mountains, jungle and the other worldly area of the salt flats of the volcanic Chilean/ Bolivian border.

The Bolivians always love a good party and any excuse to block a street, dance and eat fast food is take up with glee, this is what greeted us on the street outside or otherwise quiet hostel... if you can't beat em join em.

While in La Paz I got to work with a children's project that provides alternative and creative learning through games, art and other interactive mediums. This was great fun and rewarding although playing tag at 4000m above sea level is a bit taxing on the lungs!

The next part of the trip took us to the otherworldly land of the Salt flats down by the Chilean/ Bolivian border, and area i have been to before but one that is so photogenic that its alway a spectacular chance to get some new shots.

The salt and mineral train graveyard near Uyuni, many of these locomotives from the 19th century mineral boom were manufactured u

in the factories England, they've come a long way to finally rest in this eerie land. 

Salt is still mined here using the most basic of labour, a man and his shovel, hard work in what is an incredibly bright land as the sun glares down and bounces off the white salt all day.

The classic team picture of the spectacular flatness of the salt flats

 The volcanic mountains of the area are spectacular and have many beautiful mineral lakes below them, fantastic area apart from the smell of eggs from all the sulphur.

The wild world of the volcano area and the salar means that some pretty interesting adventure travel must occur, usually in the back of a land cruiser, these shots of our convoy whipping up the dust convey the scale and scenery that you thunder (and bounce and shake....( across for days.

and finally the spooky geyser area at a very cold 5am, some cold tourists watching a steamy sunrise.

thats is the first part of the Bolivian expedition adventure, i will update next with the mountains of the north of Bolivia and the jungle tour down in the pampas/ amazon area and there will be more from Bolivia as well as i will be located here until next year scoping out venues for first ascent rock climbing, keep checking back.

more adventure highlights

so in 2010 I took a group of guys up to Mount Everest Base camp in the Nepali Himalaya. The Trek starts a 45 min flight from Kathmandu (or 6day walk if u don't fly) at the worlds most dangerous airport, Lukla. The runway is up hill and ends in a wall into the side of the mountain. Quite exiting to land there.

The guys, waiting for clearance for the plane to take off, in Nepal if there are clouds then they cannot fly so they wait, because in Nepal with all those mountains.... I quote a Nepali pilots saying : " we don't fly in clouds here, because our clouds have rocks in them...."
we ended up sunbathing next to the runway.... don't let u do that at Heathrow

A couple of shots from the 9 days trek up to base camp, we got stormed on overnight when about 4000m high, we made it to the village as the snowstorm started and stayed in a lodge but an unfortunate porter died of exposure in the valley that night.

The snowstorm made a spectacular place even more beautiful

we made it to base camp where we celebrated by drinking beer, wine and whisky that we had hauled up from the valley.


On a different note, here is a video of a particularly wild day out, proving how awesome conditions can be in the English Lake District mountains. We were descending after and ice climb in Langdale and it got a touch windy.......

Also in Nepal in we went paragliding in a very nice town at the feet of some truly huge mountains the Annapurna range called Pokhara, beautiful place to fly, and we had a view of the big mountains as well.

A few photos taken on trips this year... enjoy

Headed down this weekend to the peak district and was rewarded with perfect conditions, sunny, cold and brilliant friction. Hit up Stanage and Burbage, plenty of people cranking hard and sending routes.

 so close yet so far, climbers airborne on Deliverance

Climbers on the green traverse, font 7a and an awesome problem with a wicked lunge move in the middle and a pumpy finale

slabby friction problems at burbage south

 Me focusing hard on green traverse

The arete left of remergence, burbage north, went well untill i pulled my shoulder.... oops

An awesome day bouldering had by all.