Thursday 21 August 2014

Hosting friends from Japanese Workers' Alpine Federation

Eiko high on Flying Buttress


This has been a really international couple of weeks! My friends from the JWAF came over from Tokyo to stay with us and sample the delights of Welsh climbing. Despite the vagaries of August weather we managed to climb every day and they sampled most of the major climbing venues. For the final couple of days we were joined by William Leigh, a member of the Beijing branch of the Chinese Mountaineering Association, a keen walker but with no climbing experience. So we took him with us to Holyhead Mountain where by coincidence we met a German team who I had climbed with 25 years previously! We followed this experience with a mass ascent of the magnificent Flying Buttress on Dinas Cromlech, for which we were also joined by my friend and fellow Guide, Chris Parkin.




The team, L-R: Takashi, Eiko, Will, Steve, Chris
Chris hanging out to leave room at the stance
William enjoying his first big climb