We trekked up to Ingleby with a load of gear, pads and a stake + hammer to cover any eventuality at this expansive and largely unknown crag to us. We knew the routes, but not the belays/gear etc for many potential gaps.
We warmed up on a direct start to Pepsi (HVS 5a). Franco made a quick onsight attempt, slipping off trying to reach right into a damp slot found on the finish of Pepsi. I then, after two false starts on the flake, found myself on thin crimps. I sorted my feet, a blind push into the big hole with Franco giving directions, before spanning left to a dry pocket. A good move, a pushy boulder problem with a slopey landing. We originally thought it was 6b, so E2 for effort without pads, but hindsight makes me think that it was perhaps 'only' 6a, therefore E1 and i wasn't pulling hard in a hope to retain finger tip skin!
Franco did some nice bouldering, but i chose to watch/take pictures in an attempt to retain skin, before we headed over to Love or Confusion E4 6b *. I had wanted to do this for a fair while as i thought it looked a good line with a scary mantle finish... Franco cleaned it and said the top looked 'ok'. I flashed the boulder problem start, which I was pleased with before making my way up to the gear slot. Hex placed (it's been a lot time since i've done that!) and i made the cool step up to gain the protruding ledge... Now mantle!
I couldn't make head nor tail of the mantle, so with a choice of falling or trying a different approach, i stepped right and spanned to a flake before rocking up and to the top. Felt E3 6a or so, perhaps 6b if the start is 6b and a nice bit of climbing... but not the original route!
I asked Franco to second me and see if he could finish direct. After a bit of a look, he managed to pull on two minging crimps and a high heel. Basically, a dodgey 6b, possibly 6c according to Franco move at a safe, but uncomfortable height above the gear which i would describe as adequate rather than bomber... We felt Onsight, the mantle made this route more like E5/6 6b! Certainly a good piece of climbing, but * felt correct as it's escapable at the top (thankfully).
When we were younger, Franco tried to climb the tall slim wall left of Love or Confusion, he dubbed it Physical Graffiti and reckoned it would be around 6b/c. Very small sidepulls/thumb sprags lead to an obvious thin slot via a big move. I rapped and cleaned it, something we never considered 'back in the day' and this first ascent mentality we've developed allowed Franco to quite quickly manage the font 7b? moves up the wall. It is a boulder problem in regards to style, but the landing is not great and it manages to achieve a fair height, so the old Moors/Northumberland grade of E4/5 6c seemed appropriate. I didn't bother trying, i can't dynamically climb to save my life! It looked nice though and a bit of an odd feeling, even for me, that a 'project' that had been around for so long was done. The term project is a bit of an odd term though in this regard. It was a problem Franco had tried before Uni and never looked at since!
We wandered along to the impressive buttress that host the classic VD Cozy Corner and Time Captain E4 5c **. After a quick abseil down a couple of potential projects, Franco cleaned the final groove of Ellis's Eliminate E3 5c * and i racked up with a few cams for the break. Pete Whillance apparently soloed the F.A of this climb, which would an amazing achievement if he did it onsight... It attracts a bit of dust on the crux! Anyway, I pulled up to the horizontal break, then traversed right placing gear about half way. The final moves towards the ledge were a little green, dusty and slippery in the sun... I rocked around the corner and blasted Franco for his poor cleaning skills. I wasn't bothered really though, if i'd fallen off it would have been different!
Franco quickly seconded, chalkless, which nearly cost him his clean second!
We then checked and cleaned some projects which should be excellent. Time Captain, when the slab is dry, looks amazing but actually pretty hard at the top! Stoked.
We walked back, with all the gear and I felt absolutely destroyed. It's not a long walk in, but you wouldn't normally carry the amount of gear we did! Good day to lose some weight...!
We warmed up on a direct start to Pepsi (HVS 5a). Franco made a quick onsight attempt, slipping off trying to reach right into a damp slot found on the finish of Pepsi. I then, after two false starts on the flake, found myself on thin crimps. I sorted my feet, a blind push into the big hole with Franco giving directions, before spanning left to a dry pocket. A good move, a pushy boulder problem with a slopey landing. We originally thought it was 6b, so E2 for effort without pads, but hindsight makes me think that it was perhaps 'only' 6a, therefore E1 and i wasn't pulling hard in a hope to retain finger tip skin!
 |
| Unclimbed arete left of Pepsi |
Franco did some nice bouldering, but i chose to watch/take pictures in an attempt to retain skin, before we headed over to Love or Confusion E4 6b *. I had wanted to do this for a fair while as i thought it looked a good line with a scary mantle finish... Franco cleaned it and said the top looked 'ok'. I flashed the boulder problem start, which I was pleased with before making my way up to the gear slot. Hex placed (it's been a lot time since i've done that!) and i made the cool step up to gain the protruding ledge... Now mantle!
I couldn't make head nor tail of the mantle, so with a choice of falling or trying a different approach, i stepped right and spanned to a flake before rocking up and to the top. Felt E3 6a or so, perhaps 6b if the start is 6b and a nice bit of climbing... but not the original route!
 |
| pleasant bouldering on perfect rock |
I asked Franco to second me and see if he could finish direct. After a bit of a look, he managed to pull on two minging crimps and a high heel. Basically, a dodgey 6b, possibly 6c according to Franco move at a safe, but uncomfortable height above the gear which i would describe as adequate rather than bomber... We felt Onsight, the mantle made this route more like E5/6 6b! Certainly a good piece of climbing, but * felt correct as it's escapable at the top (thankfully).
When we were younger, Franco tried to climb the tall slim wall left of Love or Confusion, he dubbed it Physical Graffiti and reckoned it would be around 6b/c. Very small sidepulls/thumb sprags lead to an obvious thin slot via a big move. I rapped and cleaned it, something we never considered 'back in the day' and this first ascent mentality we've developed allowed Franco to quite quickly manage the font 7b? moves up the wall. It is a boulder problem in regards to style, but the landing is not great and it manages to achieve a fair height, so the old Moors/Northumberland grade of E4/5 6c seemed appropriate. I didn't bother trying, i can't dynamically climb to save my life! It looked nice though and a bit of an odd feeling, even for me, that a 'project' that had been around for so long was done. The term project is a bit of an odd term though in this regard. It was a problem Franco had tried before Uni and never looked at since!
We wandered along to the impressive buttress that host the classic VD Cozy Corner and Time Captain E4 5c **. After a quick abseil down a couple of potential projects, Franco cleaned the final groove of Ellis's Eliminate E3 5c * and i racked up with a few cams for the break. Pete Whillance apparently soloed the F.A of this climb, which would an amazing achievement if he did it onsight... It attracts a bit of dust on the crux! Anyway, I pulled up to the horizontal break, then traversed right placing gear about half way. The final moves towards the ledge were a little green, dusty and slippery in the sun... I rocked around the corner and blasted Franco for his poor cleaning skills. I wasn't bothered really though, if i'd fallen off it would have been different!
Franco quickly seconded, chalkless, which nearly cost him his clean second!
We then checked and cleaned some projects which should be excellent. Time Captain, when the slab is dry, looks amazing but actually pretty hard at the top! Stoked.
We walked back, with all the gear and I felt absolutely destroyed. It's not a long walk in, but you wouldn't normally carry the amount of gear we did! Good day to lose some weight...!
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