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Words By Ricky Bell, all images (C) Craig Hiller Ricky on War Horse E5 I've been pretty busy recently with a lot of things really. Myself, Craigy and Si Moore have been busy writing the new Mournes Guidebook which has been great fun so far. Been out climbing a lot of the routes again that I did when I was a kid, confirming grades and checking descriptions, and mainly just running around the Mourne Mountains having fun. I've not had too much access work the last month or so which has been a bit stressful money wise but on the other hand I've been training harder than I ever have before and it seams I've got a notch stronger for the first time in years which is really nice. Ricky being filmed falling Alastair Lee, the Posing Production dude got in touch with me a month or so ago and came over and filmed me onsighting a few routes at The Head and trying a new line in good style with a wild dyno on it. I ended up getting horribly pumped and taking a huge fall when I didn't quite stick the dyno. He's coming back over in a week or so, so I'd be pretty keen to finish that line off and maybe try a few more new routes in good style that I've had my eye on for a while.   A couple of weeks ago I got up to The Head and finished off a project that I'd had since last year. An amazing new line up a blank wall three pitches of the ground. I'd been on it in December but it still felt a bit beyond me and it was a bit too cold to try and lead then anyway. I went up with my mate Andy as he was looking at a new line at the other end of the cliff, but hadn't even planned on trying it. Conditions were perfect though and I decided I'd try it on top rope. There's no gear for the first 25 feet and there's a couple of insecure moves on slopey side pulls that had always made me wait for a better day. The bottom half of the route felt amazing, the slopey side pulls felt like jugs. I cleaned and practiced the top bit again and it felt alright, a bit on/off but it's safe there. The crux is pretty much the last move, a step through onto a poor smear to get stood up for a massive jug. I chilled out for a bit and decided to tie in and have a go. The first moves felt really bold then it all flowed to the top crux. That trippy head pint feeling where it feel like your watching yourself from outside you body suddenly disappeared as I kicked a bit of grit onto the slopey smear right at the very top and everything snapped back to where I was. It felt like a big deal to finish it, I was so psyched.   An Bealach eile E8 6c means ‘The Other Way’ in Irish.  Definitely the hardest trad route I've done so far. A bit of a step up for me.   Since that I've put all my time into Divided Years. Had a go on lead for the first time last Sunday. It's pretty safe but the climbing is tricky for me at F8a+/b. I placed all the gear on lead and got just a bit too pumped to do the move into the crack. Pretty much the last hard move- was close! Felt really good to actually tie in and try this line. It's totally amazing and something I've wanted to do for a very long time. So I left all my gear at the bottom of the route and had planed to go up this week but the weather hasn't been great.  So just waiting for a good day really and hopefully it'll go! Psyched….! Ricky working Divided Years