Returning to the Moors, i had a couple of days off climbing but we soon were back to our usual antics of FA hunting. The weather was showery and i didn't have a car so Twig from Ayton drove over and with only 2 hours before he had to be back home, we quickly ran to Clemmit's Crag. A poor crag even for the moors, but the finger crack there was yet to be climbed and we did so in a team Ground up. Funny times in the rain. The harder moves are low down, but its fairly sustained, fiddly wires and an old peg for gear, at around E4 6b.
However, far more importantly was a return to Round Crag up near Blakey. I'd been here lots before but usually got shut down by the place and it wasn't my favourite crag. WE had always been torn between using hte crag as a training venue or, getting strong elsewhere and then Onsighting/Flash/Ground Upping these short, bold test pieces...Well, fit and light from sport i was quite psyched.
Steve Ramsden had recently put up a new E5, climbing the arete left of Scut di Scun ai, he called it 'Fresh Arete', apparently due to the conditions at the time. Franco had mentioned this FA before but his goal was a solo, Steve on the other hand climbed the line on Side runners in Time Out, which are placed from the ledge they both start on.
Franco said that he was up for working the line for the solo and that it was a great route to try and flash.
Franco TR'ed the line again, i watched for BETA! Then placed the Rps in the crack to the left and had a look at the slappy, compression climbing. The runners make the climbing seem quite safe, but i was far from convinced by their quality. I must say it would be a hard, pure onsight.
I reached the crux and on two undercut/sidepulls i was unable to move my hands. Sweating but unable to chalk i couldn't pop for the next hold. I was off, one move from success.
A smallish swing to the left and that was it, my flash attempt was gone, i didn't even end up that near the ledge, like i thought i might! Funnily on llowering me down Franco said he thought that was it. He didn't rate the RP's either!
Disappointed that a very flashable E5 had gone, i lowered and chalked up LOTS. Then boshed up again, this time finding a right hand chalk up point just before gaining the awkward right hand sidepull/undercut. This was enough, a tenuous smear and reach and i was slotting a cam into the crack at the top and then i grovelled over the top. Not a Flash, but my first E5 ground up.
Below is a video of Steve Ramsden first climbing the HARD E5 'Pippi Longstocking' then after, is the FA of 'Fresh Arete'.
Round Headpointing from Ram Man on Vimeo.
Copyright Steve Ramsden.
All this sport climbing has it's benefits, eh.
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