Slate
Slate is the place. Dinorwic slate quarry in north Wales has so many lines with a great atmosphere. Its hard to concentrate on the grey rock, against grey rock, against grey sky. Often interesting conditions, always windy, mostly always raining but awesome non the less! The slate has seen my highlining progression from the 20m Serengeti lines to surfing (unintentionally) the 40m Wallaby to exposure on the 60m in Vivian quarry. The slate has not seen the last of me!
March 2014: I am going away for 6 months but there is this line everybody talks about - I must try it before I leave, I've been improving a lot over the winter months but am I ready for the Wallaby?
A good group of people are up for a slate trip - great lets rig it. Saturday we start by rigging one of the Serengeti lines to warm up. Two guys climb up and easy sport route on the far side to rig the more complicated side equalising two boulders a bolt and a tree. I'm on the near side with an easier set up on bolts and back up to a boulder. Finally the line is rigged and in comes the rain just in time! I get on anyway but just manage to stand up a few times and catch - the line can wait until tomorrow its almost dark anyway.
The first day was enough for most people and today I am mostly left alone with the line. I try facing onto the rock but its hard to focus when there is no perspective only grey slate. I try from the other end which has a nicer view. I spend all day on this line standing up and taking a few steps but no real chance of walking it all - I have a few excused hidden away if anybody asks.... But I always feel like I learn a lot on lines like this so nothing was wasted!
Now in October I went back not intending to try this line but when we rigged it nice and loose it was so fun to walk. I crossed it several times but didn't get the full send - this time my excuse was the wind but the progress I have made was nice to see. I could enjoy the line and play on it so I was pretty happy!