UKC

After having 3 weeks off after an operation I've just spent my last official sick day back on the rocks. The sun was shining, the climbing was brilliant but the best bit was whilst belaying just above the sea on Portlands east side we were surrounded by literally hundreds of huge fish. They were not the slightest but concerned by our presence. Anyone else had a climbing wildlife experience like this.

In reply to johnl:

Seals frequently, of course. And once a golden eagle came past below us while we were doing Yoyo in Glencoe, out in the glen in the sunshine. The only way you could see them actually looking golden, I imagine. Ten minutes watching a kestrel on a nearby perch rather than my partner's rope once.

But no fish, no. My dream is to see a basking shark while belaying. An acquaintance reputedly used to have a picture of one taken from the stance of Mercury.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously: I've done seals, eagles and porpoises but it was being surrounded by them for the whole session that was so weird. Maybe they were hungry and waiting for us to fall in.

In reply to johnl:

The penguins at Dumby are starting to become a nuisance now. It was ok when there where only about 18 but now there's upwards of 500 it's just getting silly.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Yes we had a basking shark beneath us whilst at Chair Ladder a few years back.

Would have been nice to have got a picture of it.

In reply to JLS: Is that Dumby in the Falklands?

In reply to johnl:

I've had red kites circling below me when climbing in a deserted area in mid Wales. That was lovely. Also seen seals, but the 4 red kites all together were probably the best.

In reply to johnl:

Lots, specially in the IOM. Lizards sunning themselves on ledges, Seals watching you while belaying ten feet away, Peregrine hovering twenty feet out while sitting on the cliff top, all sorts of seabirds and rarely seen land birds migrating or being on protected sites, the island is really good for this.

Sea Eagles in Skye, Marmots in the alps, wild goats all over the place, sea trout in huge numbers when climbing at Maughold, and all the butterflies you get that are not normally seen in urban areas.

In reply to johnl:

I was fortunate enough to watch three deer grazing in the woods at Caley two weeks ago followed by the beautiful sight of red tailed kites soaring above me whilst I belayed my partner (for an exceptionally long time) on a VS. My viewing was interrupted by my partner attempting unwinged flight off the crag....thankfully (and may I say beautifully) arrested by yours truly! He still lives and walks today despite the kites. That's multi-tasking for you!

In reply to johnl:

I'd watch out for the RSPCA, if I were you...

J

In reply to johnl:

I've seen a red kite circling at a crag in Yorkshire and I've seen buzzards too. Last week we saw a lizard basking in the sun and an adder on the walk up to Curbar. It was amazing, I'd never seen a lizard in England and never seen an adder in real life 8-)

In reply to johnl:More of a worry than cool,is when troops of baboons want to join in the climbing fun ,fiddling with draws and chewing the rope.
Not much of a problem in U.K. but very real in Montagu S.A.

In reply to climbingpixie:

If you go to Tremadoc Pant y Fan you may see them browsing on the rocks by the path, there used to be warnings about them.

In reply to David Best: I started an easy solo up a Kopi in Tanzania once and was a metre off the ground and several from the top when i noticed the lion's tail hanging over the edge of the rock. made it back to the car in triple quick time

In reply to johnl:

Loads! The usual seals, birds, lizards, etc.

I once nearly put my hand right on an adder at Tremadoc - I was walking along a little path in a bank, and it was lying along to bank, just at hand height.

Also, at Arapiles, watching the kangeroos bouncing around below you - pretty cool! Especially when they come to a fence! BOIIING! Oh - we saw and Echindna too (like a giant porcupine) and loads of freaky weird spiders, and skinks (fat lizards)

And we saw coyotes, racoons and deer in Yosemite.

And a desert fox and eagles in Sinai...

but I still think that seals are my favourite, especially when they get all nosy and poke their heads up for a good gawp...

In reply to johnl:

Hmm, well we often see feckin massive eagles (I think they are looking for hobbits to rescue) on eyeline level whilst climbing on the front faces of El Torcal in Andalucía. Other than that the other wildlife incident that comes to mind is the scorpion that trotted out of a pocket I was just about to use at Buoux one day...