Monday 30 December 2013

Goathland

Goathland from Dave Warburton on Vimeo.

Goathland's got some more boulder problems now, based around the pleasant Mallyon Spout valley. Still a bit to do...

I'm sure people will have looked at it, maybe even pottered about. However, that said the cleaning job on a lot of the lines in the video involved the removal of loose rock in holds, so i'll stick my neck out and suggest they are FA's.

Regardless, there's a great circuit here from Font 6a to Font 7a+ which I think sees the better of the climbing in 7a territory. That said, there's a lot of rock left for easier stuff, i'm sure. I'll be back, i've got some stuff I want to do and will continue to develop the lower end of the circuit.

Highlights for me at this series of quarries, craglets and boulders is Mikhail Khodorkovsky SS - 7a** and also a great SS prow arete I called Pussy Riot - 7a** which I'll hopefully add the highball finish to when i'm back from Uni.

Monday 23 December 2013

Slapewath Quarry

Called Spring Bank Quarry on OS maps, i've seen this quarry every time i've driven to Guisborough down Birkbrow. I assumed its location would mean someone would have been... however, there are no recorded ascents and everyone i've spoken to has 'seen it but never been'...

I wandered up on a drizzly day with my brother and found a better lump of rock than I expected. A handful of lines in a convienient location. Walk up the hillside behind Slapewath adjacent to the Iron-ore works then cut through the pine forest to the crag. Easy peasy. A few grooves, an arete and some walls. Certainly not a 'good' venue but worth developing - maybe for a local, car-less Guisborite...?

All the best... take a saw for the gorse bush that shrouds a couple of the lines.

'Main Quarry...'

Very dirty but a nice compact buttress


bit sandy...


An interesting highball

Good looking route - take the secateurs