Saturday 14 April - Gouther Crag

Hindleg Crack - Severe * - Gouther Crag. With Joe Dixon and Andrew Mitchell.

Hot and sunny today, Bizarre weather for April! Would love to be out and about on the big crags Scafell et all, but AS levels are looming all to close. I’ve been forced by Dad to do four hours revision this morning. Maths maths maths. Andy and Joe came to picked me up and we headed over to Swindale. The walk in was sweaty. Truss buttress was surprisingly busy, but the main crag contrastingly empty. Started up Hindleg crack, a traditional looking route that was in the shade. The guide book description said, strenuous but I didn't find it so. You just had to bridge. The route had a rather awkward pull round a chockstone, from inside the chimney. Very traditional, but it was good entertainment. Andy and Joe seconded with ease.

Bloodhound - E2 5b ** - Gouther Crag. With Joe Dixon and Andrew Mitchell.

I wasn't exactly psyched for the Bloodhound, but decided this looked like good fun and was my style of climbing. I spent ages working out where the line went and where the gear was. The route was in full sun when I started up it, the rock was very grippy, which was lucky considering how hot it was. I climbed easily up right and managed to arrange 3 runners, one of which could have been considered a side runner, but I'd have still hit the floor before I managed to place the next one. Next, the difficult traverse left, lots of small holds and masses of friction. I backed off a couple of times, before I worked out the sequence. I then got to a big handhold, which mantled on so I could arrange some more gear. If I had fallen then the alleged side runner wouldn't have stopped me. I then continued up on small but positive holds arrange more gear on the flake and just above. Then up on to a sloping ledge, tiptoeing down it, balancey. Up into the groove, where a good runner was arranged. Now the final bridging moves to a big hold, The climbing eases. A big whoop and the top. 3rd extreme of the year and third E2 onsite, good sustained climbing, which doesn't ease until the very end. Andy and Joe did really well seconding. Neither fell off, despite it being their second route of the year and Andrew hadn't even followed E1 before!