Team Geared Up

TON SAI, THAILAND (Team Geared Up) - Sean Vilanueva, aka ‘Belgian Sean’ has climbed E8, freed an A0 roof pitch and had a nasty abseil on 3 day trip to Fairhead.

Wednesday turned out wet but Sean had a look at A Bad Skin Day (E7 6c) before the rest of the rain set in. The next day it was still a little wet so Men Of Kernow (E5 5a,6a,6a,6a,5c+A0) was the choice of route. Stephen Mc Gowan led the first pitch and Sean ran pitches 2,3 and 4 together before he went for the final pitch freeing it at 6a/b for what we think is the first time. The final pitch is a huge roof which looks impressive with we think only 2 previous accents.

Later on Thursday Sean went for ‘A Bad Skin Day’ after practising the moves on abseil placing 2 sky hooks between the two pegs on lead he cruised up it for what is probably the 3rd ascent.

Sean is well known for his previous (accidental) onsight attempt of the Complete Scream (E8 6b) where he broke the peg and ended up down-climbing only to find out then what the route was. With a score to settle, he spent some time practising the routes on abseil on Friday. Just as he was about to abseil one of his anchors popped as he was going over the edge and he took a 5/6m fall over the edge. Luckily the other anchors held and he climbed back to the top and debated if he was going to do it or not. With a little rest for a while nursing the chunk that he’d taken out of his palm on the fall then decided to give it one top rope before the attempt. He cruised up it so he got geared up and off he went.

He cruised up it to the first piece of good gear and let a huge roar, now that he knew he was safe. Its said people around the corner on ‘Aoife’ heard it! Apologising for the scream he flew up to the top finishing just as Stephen was getting worried that he was going to run out of rope (2m left on 60m doubles). He abseiled and cleaned the gear to finish off a great 3 days.

-Neal-

(Image Credit: Sean on new E7 on Mirror Wall, Ailladie, by Pat Nolan)