Page 25 - 2020 AMA Summer

View of the Piton from the pool area
that needed it completed Multi-pitch Competency Assessments and those that didn’t got some great climbing done. With the entire group RMT or above or having a competency assessment meant the Jamie McGrory (RML) would be able to lead climb with anyone in the group. It was also the first introduction to multi-pitch climbing for some members of the group. This trip would become a baptism of fire into multi-pitch climbing for some.
The next day we ventured out to Echo Valley 1.5 to get the group pushing their grades. We also spent time confirming the group were competent in re-threading the anchors and could lead before letting them loose. This was time well spent as we visited Alcalalí the next day. With big routes and harder grades, even the 4s seemed hard, we pushed ourselves and some learnt to use their feet and not their arms. It was at Alcalalí that Laura Stead managed to produce the worst rope coil I’ve ever seen, blaming it on Ryan’s instruction.
On Wednesday we woke up to rain. This was looking like it was going to be a waisted day as we sat nursing our coffee and watching the rain. After a slow start we decided to drive to Decathlon and get some much needed, or not, gear shopping done. In the afternoon it was a bit dryer but not great so we went back to Echo Valley to do some trad leading instruction. Richard spent the afternoon jumaring up a static line coaching the leader through their protection placements. In the meantime, Jamie and Kris went off getting as many trad leads in as they could for their next JSAT qual.
Thursday saw the group venture further afield to Marín. The alure of some top 50 multi-pitch climbing was too great and so we made the hour and a half trip. Here we split into groups based on JSAT quals
Laura convincing me this is how Ryan showed her how to coil a rope
we left Marín very tired after having climbed some pretty awesome routes on quality rock
and got some fantastic, short multi-pitch climbs in. Including the top 50s Prats and Jhony. Ryan took Jess and Laura off and jumared up along side them while the alternate lead Jhony. So it was that we left Marín very tired after having climbed some pretty awesome routes on quality rock.
Friday, the trip was drawing to a close and we thought it was about time we bagged a big adventurous route. With an audacious plan to get the whole group up the Peñón de Ifach on Vía Valencianos VS 5+. It involved an early start, walking into the route before sun up. As we were
trying to get everyone up the route, each team needed to move fast. Luckily no other teams were on the route and as it happened, we had it to ourselves all day. This is a fantastic day of climbing with 8 pitches from sea level to the top of the Peñón that towers over Calpe presenting amazing panoramic views. For some this was the longest they had spent on a climb and so it truly tested their resolve. Everyone completed the climb no
Richard coaching Jess
as Laura hangs around getting those killer snaps
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