Rylstone

This was my first trip to the grit crags of Yorkshire, although i've been to Brown Beck crag and Slipstones, these are most definitely North East crags and don't count as Yorkshire Grit. (After recent events on UKC, i will clarify this. I believe Slipstones is a Moors crag, as it was pioneered by lads from Teesside and it doesn't have the feel of Yorkshire Grit at all. The Definitive guide is also the north East England guide, not the Yorkshire Grit guide. That is my arguement, you don't have to listen!)

I drove down to Rylstone, really really hoping to get a good day on the grit and hoping that my recent lack of climbing wasn't going to be too noticable.

Franco had been once before, with the Ian's and wanted a good day at the crag as his experiences last time were mainly wet and cold.

Looking up from the road i could see the monuments and i got a feeling it would be a good day for us, expecially with it facing north west the sun wasn't going to be too unbareable or reduce the friction.

We arrived at Monument buttress and i looked at 'Monument Crack' (E1) which i decided was probably a very good climb well worth doing. But it also looked like the kind of E1 which can give you are very hard time if you a tad out of practice. I left it alone.

Franco decided to 'warm up' on 'Pocket Battleship' a micro E3 to the right. It looked hideous, pulling on slopers around a bulge and i decided it wasn't for me. Franco persuaded me to climb 'Monument Crack' and i did really like the look of it.

I climbed to the roof and decided i was far too lazy to try and place some gear so i reached the jugs and pulled around the roof. I then 'scraped' my way up the next section to the rest and placed some gear.

No handed rest in the niche was very nice and franco walked around taking some photos. I chalked up and got ready for what i thought was going to be the crux. Electing to jam rather than pull on the side of the crack, i climbed the last section with ease getting lovely 'sinking' jams.

We then walked over to 'Dental Slab'. What a climb this is, seriously if you haven't done it, do it and if you have do it again. Currently loving jamming, i jammed all the horizontal breaks and rocked over onto them to reach the next. I don't know whether this is the way to climb it, but it certainly was enjoyable. The mantle to reach the flutings was good fun solo as well. A classic that definitely failed to disappoint!

We then climbed another couple of crag classics. 'Crazy Diamond' was a route i really wanted to do, due to the fact i like Pink Floyd and Shine on you, Crazy Diamond is such an amazing song and also the line looked challenging. The initially techincalities were quite straightforward and then the upper slab was good fun, standing on pebbles. It did feel abit E3- 5b while on it. (edit, we climbed the wall to the left of the arete)

We then climbed the 'easiest E1 on Yorkshire Grit' which is 'The Hot Line'. I decided to 'Jazz' it up abit so i alternate lead it with Franco, who actually quite liked the look of the route, so i was happy to sit on the big ledge and look at the view while he climbed. :-)

We then climbed Veteren, which was quite bold but at a 'just to say' friendly angle. Very escapable though.

Then over to Poetry in Motion, which was a bit disappointing really. We walked down in the dark and then drove to Harrogate to get a pizza! 2 for 1 in some overpriced shop, which worked out to be.... like buying two pizza's...

I drove home and franco snored, i was impressed with my navigational skills on unfamiliar roads and at night, with headlights (when dipped) which are absolutely shite!

Gehenna

This is a climb that is coverted as one of the best in the region and the fact it was a jamming line made it appealing. This would be a stuggle. UKC logbooks showed that there had been some attempts recently but non of them were clean leads. It certainly sounded like a classic moors sandbag.

We arrived for our first trip to Beacon Scar. I liked the look of the place, certainly need to go back and do Mongol, Tremor and no doubt franco will want Fat Bastards Last Fling, a bold looking E5.

Looking up at Gehenna, i liked the look of it. It was a proper jamming line, a nicely sized crack with very little either side for the feet. It certainly didn't have the 'feel' of getting on a HVS.

The climb starts with a Niche, which you can arrange protection in before exiting it up and leftways, via some rather awkward moves on shallow jams on slightly damp, green soft sandstone.

The jams kept going for longer than i was expecting and i reached the horizontal break after about 7 or 8 jams (i looked like 2 or 3 jams would have got me far enough from the ground!) I placed some gear here as the run out from the niche was too far for comfort and i was tiring.

Luckily, you can rest on a good jam here and after placing a nut and cam i got my final jam, gastoned the crack and reached into the lovely pockets at the top. A truly great climb. Harder than it looks and it looks hard! but funnily enough HVS doesn't seem too bad for it, perhaps E1.

Another moors classic ticked and i was happy that the climb was a struggle. We didnt have enough time for anything else and i was tired anyway, pleased that i felt i could jam. This inspired me to visit yorkshire grit the next day.