Dave (Stealth) is quite young and so he knows little of the old climbing tradition in the UK. He has no moral allegiance to one sort of climbing than the other. No notion of one type may be a purer form than the other.

I remember once when Stealth had just joined the club (and had just started climbing) he said if it were up to him he would bolt Scavenger on Three Cliffs.

Well... Stealth really enjoys climbing on bolts (actually so do I) but just recently he has shown an interest in Trad. So... today we went to Pavilland so that he could lead "The Ring".

Pavilland is a very beautiful area and the weather was glorious. At the abseil point we geared up and I took him out on a little hillock overlooking the main face. He said that it looked vegetated and steep, which it does. I don't think he was keen at that stage.

At the bottom of the climb, he looked a little miserable. He looked even more miserable when the climbers next to us doing "Shelob" knocked off two large blocks. "I'm liking this crag less and less", he anounced.

Still, I set up my anchors and I think by then he had settled to climb the route. The alternative was an agonising traverse and walk out in his Anasazis!

Stealth did well. In fact his ropework was impeccable. I was surprised. His gear was good and well thought out. At the "cave" he looked a little doubtful. He spent 10 minutes there. He called down, "I'm bored".

Still, up he went and then spent sometime aranging an anchor in the poor placements at the top.

It was hot. And on the rock it was very hot. I was carrying a rucksack and full rack and the sweat was pouring off me. Dave's gear was good and his top anchor was about the best you could get on those poor placements.

"That's never an HS", he announced.

"What do you mean", I replied.

"That's more VS".

I said, "Dave you did very well, you led that no problems".

"I didn't like it... all that vegetation".

"The top's not vegetated though".

Dave looked a little disappointed.

At the Joiners he said, "This Trad climbing, it's a whole different game isn't it! It's all up here", he said pointing to his head.

I think he's right...