A cheeky if not precocious grin. Good to see the kid out there and wearing a helmet. Would’ve given another star if on lead , but that’s obviously coming. Wonder what gnaguts would say about the pic , given the previous conversation he had about kids ability? Well done photog leader and kid! Ps Imaguessing he is lighter than leader , so hope he is suitably anchored for upward load belaying. - Jayford4321

Kai loves multi pitch trad adventures and has been climbing all his life. The grin does say it all. Don't worry about the belaying. Though I do let Kai belay me on routes that are well below my limit, when he does he is secure. On this route however I was belayed by another adult not in shot. BTW you are Gnaguts aren't you Jayford? - Karl Bromelow

Climbing with the kids is so much fun. I wish my kids were more excited about it:) And the pic is very cool! - Miguel75

Cheers Miguel. And I hope your kids develop an interest. I get so much joy from sharing all these golden moments with my boy and his Mum. Just got in from another day climbing with him. 3 of the last 4. - Karl Bromelow

that is a cool photo. especially cos its evidence of the kid taking the sharp end and seconding a traverse on the rope with no runners. Meanwhile the pussy adult sticks around on the ledge below pretending his self preservation instincts are altruistic cos he's saving the kid from taking out runners on a traverse. - stugang

. . . then again kid could be on a sneaky hidden blue back-rope to avoid any potential pendulum? KB , who or what is Gnaguts? - Jayford4321

Thanks Stugang. Kai is a very confident climber and I knew he would be fine seconding on the relatively easy short traverse so I didn't clip his rope (yellow) into the gear. He had no back rope. Next up however was his friend Seb who is less experienced in situations like this being only 7! Seb was tied in halfway along the blue rope and his father also had him on a loose belay from below. When it came to the traverse he unclipped from the runners in front of him and reclipped them behind to help protect his dad and also to reduce his own chance of a pretty safe but maybe unsettling pendulum into the corner. It was an excellent adventure and we topped out on a stunning sunset. - Karl Bromelow

"Gnaguts", "Stugang", "Jayford4321" are you all the same? Gnaguts comments on an earlier photo of Kai were reattributed to Jayford4321 on archiving: 4 starz 4 a good pic despite tha poor slab techniQ exhibitd. Stand up kid, kneezanelbowz R4 old tradz or bouldererz like simes wearin KT26's mantling rounded topoutz in beechD whale styl. - Jayford4321 I did post myself in response to the last comment above but decided to let the 10 year old come back himself. Kai says, "I wasn't using my knees and elbows, I was using my hands and feet. What's his problem anyway?" That's you told. - Karl Bromelow This is a link to the sun actually colliding with planet earth a few years ago. How the heck did we all survive do you reckon, Snagtug? http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? fbid=14548226331&l=19165b1f6a - Karl Bromelow That pic iz almost az grainy as tha beach it showz , but 5 starz for bean ther an capsharin tha moment. Afta such a calamnus event itz a wonder we survivD indeed , and surely our livz have bin foreshortnD (@ leest telepictor ally) , by it. . . . bout az much az last time ed shortroped hisself ropesoloin @ tha Piles, or som kid leanin in2 a slab 2 create smeary wobblmomentz. - Jayford4321 There's no beach on it, Snagtug. Nice to see you came back though to check for the reaction like I do, Snagtug. - Karl Bromelow U were otto focussin on tha sun an not tha wavz? Wot size lenz? - Jayford4321 - Karl Bromelow

#twitter - Fake news. - twitter# As Pres said: “was one of the best , but was sloppy , so is gone now” , - as far as I know. - Jayford4321

Moving right along / back to original topic ... A good photo, along with intrigue factor for climbers given the 2nd rope involved that has subsequently been explained in comments above. Well followed Kai, and well photographed KB. - IdratherbeclimbingM9

If you have as much fun as he looks like he's having when you climb, then you're doing it right. - bigchris

Too right bigchris. He does love it. Though he can get a bit upset with himself as he did yesterday at Camels Hump. Though we all thought he climbed brilliantly he fell short of his own big expectations and it overwhelmed him a bit. Being 11 though, he was soon laughing and fooling around again as we all squirmed around in the caves behind Omega Block. Happy days. - Karl Bromelow

What does that ^ remind me of? Oh , yair , . . . now I remember , sounds like another ODH in the making? - Jayford4321

Good pic bro KB. Good to see young guns out there. When are we going to see a photo of Kai leading something equally speccy? Perhaps equally importantly, when’s Kai getting his own Chocky account, to continue to get in the face of the naysayers? - Duang Daunk

Thanks DD. Kai does lead but I don't have many shots of him worthy of posting apart from one's that would provoke irresponsible parenting comments. Here's an old one of him 2 years ago (age 9) onsight leading, and placing his own gear, on the second pitch of a relatively easy route on a trip to the UK to visit family and friends. http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=278931 and another from the same UK trip http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=274070 - Karl Bromelow

Good shot. Do you have any pics from lower down? - widewetandslippery

I do and they all look similar haha :D I'll upload some more when I get home. I've got a few of me on TR when I broke my harness also (i think). I was pretty sketched on lead so Chris (belayer) wasn't concerned with two many photos until I got to the 6 section at the top :D - bigchris

This really does look an awesome line.... - shortman

Amazing natural feature - looks like a great climb. Shame that there's a line of bolts up a crack - is it protectable with bongs and large cams? Also a shame you can't see what the climbers doing... - Martym

Shortman - you should go and throw your carcass at it! Martym - I'm sure you'll find that after you've climbed it, you'll be glad that the bolts are there. The only place you fit a cam in there is a 6 at the top and it's almost tipped out. Unless you've got Valley Giants! :D :D - bigchris

Martym I agree about shameing line of crack bolts. Even if it needed bolting, it looks like one or two too many, specially given out of Africa BA mans precedence setting as per other thread posts on Chocky. Foreshortening or are the bolts getting closer together towards the top where you’re less likely to hit the slab if you fall? If the bolts are legitimately required, then how does that fit with the looks like bold unbolted slab approach? - Jayford4321

You'll have to go and climb it and find out for yourself. Or you can just play keyboard warrior. But hey, who am I to judge what you think? ;) - bigchris

Take out a couple of bolts first , to make it worth my while. - Jayford4321

No worries internet guy or woman! I'll do that just for you. Oh hang on....no I won't :D :D :D And stop half starring handsome Chris's photo. He tried really hard. He's my special friend! - bigchris

4 starz for something different , minus 1 for carnt C tha leader. Ay Hamy , U shoulda taken tha pic selfy style! A flying jacket and pantaloonz that would do tha flyin nun proud. Was Olly about 2 base jump 2 escape tha boredom of a leader faffin wiff a camera? - Jayford4321

@ "having fun at Ben Lomond" Type two fun I guess! ;-) I like it because it tells a story that I suspect sums up a lot of peoples experience of Ben Lomond, and evokes similar memories for me of climbs elsewhere. Some of the times I have climbed with mist about have been ethereal experiences, ... really quite magical / breathtaking as it parts to reveal glimpses of the void, and the sun sparkles albeit coldly, on the invigorated lichens on the rock... Is it coincidence that the current Chockstone Photography feature photo is kind of similar in theme? - IdratherbeclimbingM9

Good one bro Ollie. Who or what tax dodge or relationship breakup are you hiding out there from? - Duang Daunk

I like it; misty, ethereal, type 2 fun... reminds me of climbing;) - Miguel75

This picture completely describes what chockstone has become. Still some elements of climbing sometimes, but mostly now just a place for people to hide out and be miserable pretending they still climb more than they actually do. 5 stars. - daave

Ay daave bro, you have that wrong. . . I can’t speak for the others, but I’m not miserable. - Duang Daunk

To me that looks a guilty grin...he's hiding something...a dismembered body perhaps? If I were the tassie police I'd be looking up the missing persons list. - stugang