Kippling Groove - HVS 5a ***. With Joseph Dixon and Andrew Mitchell.
Wow! What a route, despite my slight stupidity with regard to route finding and mainly being dim we got to the bottom of the climb. The overlap, was just as remember it, just not as gripping. Looked up to the groove of Equus, which looks stunning definatley one for later in summer. The top pitch, which is equally brilliant and quite sustianed with two definite cruxes kept me entertained. The crux felt a damm sight harder from when I first climbed the route, aged 14 and lived up to it reputation of being ruddy hard. (Ruddy 'ard, Ruddyard, Kippling Groove. Get it.) Whilst belaying at the top, I saw a guy take a pretty cool fall of Spring Bank, that wee roof looks spicy.
D Route - Severve *. With Joseph Dixon.
After abing off, Joe and myself descided to quickly nip up this rather nice little route. Met Ian Jackson from UKC on the top.
Sunday 27 May 2007
Sunday 20 May 2007
Saturday 19 May - Brimham Rocks
Great Slab - HVD *. With Andrew Mitchell
Pooring with rain in the Lakes today,.so set off to Brimham with the hope of finding dry rock. This turned out to be a good crag choice being bone dry, but it was extremly windy especially on top of the little Gritstone tors. First grit of the year and it was nice to lower my grade a little. Good wee route.
Square Route - HS 4b *. With Andrew Mitchell.
Another nice wee climb, really nice frictiony, rockover moves of the type that you never really get in the Lakes.
Thin Line - HVS 5a **. With Andrew Mitchell.
Very similar vain to the lastroute. Cool rockovers betwen horisontal breakes and bomber friends. Not sure if it was HVS, felt loads easier than Rough Wall.
Heather Wall - S *. With Andrew Mitchell.
A good route with quite a technical first move. Then very easy.
FAILURE! (again!) - Rough Wall - VS 5a ***. With Andrew Mitchell.
Thought i'd attempt to lead this excellent route again over a year on from my first attmept. failed at exactly the same place, the very top move. I must have tried it 4 or 5 times, but couldn't commit to it. I think i need to improve my bondy tension. This route is becoming something or an archnemises for me, maybe I'll lead it one day.
WARNING ALWAYS CHECK THAT BOTH ABSAIL ROPES ARE TOUCHING THE FLOOR!
I nearly killed myself while absailing to strip the gear on this route. I failed to chech whether both ropes were touching the floor and as a result nearly abbed of the end. ALWAYS TIE A KNOT IN THE END.
Majoa - VS 4c **. With Andrew Mitchell.
Best route I did all day. Great climbing, with a cool layaway up the fluttings.
Central Crack - VS 5a **. With Andrew Mitchell.
Last route of the day. Really nice hand/fist jam crack up until the body jam crack at the top. When it started to rain, had a top rope lowered! Poor effort. Need to work on offwidths.
Pooring with rain in the Lakes today,.so set off to Brimham with the hope of finding dry rock. This turned out to be a good crag choice being bone dry, but it was extremly windy especially on top of the little Gritstone tors. First grit of the year and it was nice to lower my grade a little. Good wee route.
Square Route - HS 4b *. With Andrew Mitchell.
Another nice wee climb, really nice frictiony, rockover moves of the type that you never really get in the Lakes.
Thin Line - HVS 5a **. With Andrew Mitchell.
Very similar vain to the lastroute. Cool rockovers betwen horisontal breakes and bomber friends. Not sure if it was HVS, felt loads easier than Rough Wall.
Heather Wall - S *. With Andrew Mitchell.
A good route with quite a technical first move. Then very easy.
FAILURE! (again!) - Rough Wall - VS 5a ***. With Andrew Mitchell.
Thought i'd attempt to lead this excellent route again over a year on from my first attmept. failed at exactly the same place, the very top move. I must have tried it 4 or 5 times, but couldn't commit to it. I think i need to improve my bondy tension. This route is becoming something or an archnemises for me, maybe I'll lead it one day.
WARNING ALWAYS CHECK THAT BOTH ABSAIL ROPES ARE TOUCHING THE FLOOR!
I nearly killed myself while absailing to strip the gear on this route. I failed to chech whether both ropes were touching the floor and as a result nearly abbed of the end. ALWAYS TIE A KNOT IN THE END.
Majoa - VS 4c **. With Andrew Mitchell.
Best route I did all day. Great climbing, with a cool layaway up the fluttings.
Central Crack - VS 5a **. With Andrew Mitchell.
Last route of the day. Really nice hand/fist jam crack up until the body jam crack at the top. When it started to rain, had a top rope lowered! Poor effort. Need to work on offwidths.
Monday 14 May 2007
Monday 14 May - Reecastle and Shepherds.
The Noose - HVS 4c (5a in my book) * - With Joseph Dixon.
Headed to the crag after a stressful day at school. History exam went ok, newer have to think about the stupid 1832 great reform act again. It was great going in Joe's car rather than having to get lift every where with parents. Reecastle was much wetter than I exspected. I started up the rack, which looked wet and turned out to be soaked. Went on the Noose instead. Awkward and strenous, was how i remember it and that time it wasn't wet. This time it was and I had a bit of a wobbler on the groove and then speant ages at the top trying to work out this move, which was much simpiler than it seemed. I had a look at the Gibbet Direct, but E2 is had enough when its dry let alone wet!
Little Chamonix - V Diff *** - With Joseph Dixon.
Thought we'd get second route in. Dashed up little cham in trainers in two pitches. Fisrt time I've done it this year, but still brill.
Headed to the crag after a stressful day at school. History exam went ok, newer have to think about the stupid 1832 great reform act again. It was great going in Joe's car rather than having to get lift every where with parents. Reecastle was much wetter than I exspected. I started up the rack, which looked wet and turned out to be soaked. Went on the Noose instead. Awkward and strenous, was how i remember it and that time it wasn't wet. This time it was and I had a bit of a wobbler on the groove and then speant ages at the top trying to work out this move, which was much simpiler than it seemed. I had a look at the Gibbet Direct, but E2 is had enough when its dry let alone wet!
Little Chamonix - V Diff *** - With Joseph Dixon.
Thought we'd get second route in. Dashed up little cham in trainers in two pitches. Fisrt time I've done it this year, but still brill.
Saturday 5 May 2007
Saturday 5 May - Grey Crag Buttermere
Unfortuanatley due to lack of climbing partner and obscene amounts of revison i've been unable to get out in the stunning weather all week.
Harrow Butteress - Diff ** - With Ian Carter.
Set off home earlyish to avoid the bank holiday crowds in Buttermere. The walk in was pleasant and took longer than exspected. My feet were a little sore in my plastics, but they soon settled down. We arrived at the crag, via a very tedious scree slope and just before the crowds. We geared up for moving together and i lead off. The climbing was superb and flowing, but quite short. A great Diff, but not as good as Corvus.
Slab Ordinary - V Diff * - With Ian Carter.
From the top of Harrow Butteress we countinued moving together to the foot of the next butteress. I set off up the first pitch of Slab West Route, a somewhat bold Hard Severe, but ended up on the belay ledge of Slab Ordinary. The first pitch of Slab West Route I'm sure offers excellent slab climbing, however it was rather interesting in plastic boots and the lack of gear focuses the mind. We then followed Slab Ordinary to the top, which we moved together on.
Oxford and Cambridge Direct - Mild Severve *** - With Ian Carter
Wow. A stunning line on superb, perfect rock. We climbed it as two pitches, the first was good, but not as memorable as the second, which climbs up to a crack on to a slab where the crack contiues and then continues some more as the rock steepens. The climbing was excellent and the gear was good, with a great sort of rock overmove (remember you can't smear in big boots) up to an insitu cam, which wouldn't sucum to Ian's efforts. A strong candidate for the best easy line in the Lakes. We than, after a quick chat about first aid, walked pleasantly along to Sticks Pass and down to the car. Another stunner in the Lakes. I called in at Needle Sports on the way home and brought North Wales Rock and by the looks of it there are some equally stunning days to be had down there!
Harrow Butteress - Diff ** - With Ian Carter.
Set off home earlyish to avoid the bank holiday crowds in Buttermere. The walk in was pleasant and took longer than exspected. My feet were a little sore in my plastics, but they soon settled down. We arrived at the crag, via a very tedious scree slope and just before the crowds. We geared up for moving together and i lead off. The climbing was superb and flowing, but quite short. A great Diff, but not as good as Corvus.
Slab Ordinary - V Diff * - With Ian Carter.
From the top of Harrow Butteress we countinued moving together to the foot of the next butteress. I set off up the first pitch of Slab West Route, a somewhat bold Hard Severe, but ended up on the belay ledge of Slab Ordinary. The first pitch of Slab West Route I'm sure offers excellent slab climbing, however it was rather interesting in plastic boots and the lack of gear focuses the mind. We then followed Slab Ordinary to the top, which we moved together on.
Oxford and Cambridge Direct - Mild Severve *** - With Ian Carter
Wow. A stunning line on superb, perfect rock. We climbed it as two pitches, the first was good, but not as memorable as the second, which climbs up to a crack on to a slab where the crack contiues and then continues some more as the rock steepens. The climbing was excellent and the gear was good, with a great sort of rock overmove (remember you can't smear in big boots) up to an insitu cam, which wouldn't sucum to Ian's efforts. A strong candidate for the best easy line in the Lakes. We than, after a quick chat about first aid, walked pleasantly along to Sticks Pass and down to the car. Another stunner in the Lakes. I called in at Needle Sports on the way home and brought North Wales Rock and by the looks of it there are some equally stunning days to be had down there!
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