Gorple, Scout Hut Crag, Hawkcliffe, Stanage & Eastby - A Recent Roundup!

Jacob is strong at the moment and we decided to wander up to Gorple to give Eternal and Carmen Picasso a look. I was happy to look and either play on a TR or give it a bash GU on Eternal. Unfortunately it was far too windy, it was ripping past the crag. We decided to walk all the way back to the car and save the day with a afternoon hit of Scout Hut Crag.

I reckon Scout Hut Crag probably saves the day for lost Widdop and Gorple days and sure enough it was dry and the friction was fine. We all warmed up flashing or getting second go the classic Needle of Dreams (E4 6b *** / Font 6c) and then quickly turned our attention to the harder twin on the left, Strone Road (E4 6b / Font 6c+). Jacob and I onsighted the route, which I thought was host to some great holds and moves, with Will and Huw getting it shortly after. Two great short solos/highballs down and with plenty of energy left Jacob quickly lead Loogabarooga (E3 6a ***). I however couldn't turn the lip safely so I didn't bother. I didn't like the gear and it felt greasy. Jacob was still keen so we pointed him at 'Lie Down Dave' E3 6b** which he cruised and I repeated this very short, but very fun sloping top out. Job done, day saved.

The next day was humid. It didn't stop Jacob flashing Cindy Crawford (Font 7c ***) at Ilkley but myself and Billy chose Hawkcliffe. I fancied looking at the Pigeon (E6) and Stepmother Jag (E4), as ive only a few of the harder routes left to try after getting Blood on the Shamrock, but also wanted Billy to do Squirrel Crack (E1 5b ***). We warmed up on Syrett's Slit (E1 5b*) and then I tried to climb Crack of Dawn (E3 5c *) which I couldn't do! I took a couple of falls and sacked it off. This felt nails?! I bouldered out Stepmother Jag and found I couldn't quite reach the bottom of the v-groove - a bit more height i'd get it but I wasn't strong enough at my dimensions.... We warmed down climbing RIP (E1 5b *) as Squirrel Crack was wet. It's worth mentioning that RIP is a terrific little climb, well worth popping in to the crag for the E1 leader. Squirrel, RIP and Syrett's would be a good haul at E1.

A crisp, sunny Saturday was forecast and a plan was hatched to head to Stanage Plantation with a stack of pads to ground-up things. I don't usually like popular crags, time for them when i'm old, but anyway I thought this sounded 'goose' and filled my Volvo with other peoples bouldering mats.

Unfortunately, people didn't really fancy grounding things up and started doing things like Captain Hook, Green Traverse and what-not. Shame, being at the crag with like 17 pads or something and not putting them ALL under things. Jacob and I managed to get hold of about 10 and proceeded to try The Unfamiliar (E8) ground up (unsuccessfully) and instead turned our attention to Ullyses Bow (E6). We were joined by Matt Ferrier and both Jacob and Matt managed to get through the crux at the top of the big arete with myself not committing, being unable to gain enough purchase on the arete, so I took the big jump. Fun jump, wish i'd done the route...

Not To Be Taken Away (E2 / Font 6b)

Sun setting loveliness above a stack of pads.

I finished up with some nice solos, Big Air (6b+), Not to be Taken Away (6b) and Satin (6b+) and thoroughly enjoyed my day in the Peak, I might return, its not far from Leeds.... Rivelin is close, Wharncliffe too.

Billy on Big Air (E6 / Font 6b+)

And finally, I managed to get back to Eastby to ground up Dead Babies E5 6b **. I'd tried this a few weeks ago and fell off slipping on my bouldering mat and narrowly missing a rock. I decided i'd head back with a chum. Anyway, I didn't have any friends, so I went on my own. It was a warm, sunny but only 75% humidity at about 5-6oC. It wasn't perfect but it was nice enough. I warmed up on the pebble slab of 'A Pair of Teeth' which is a pleasant, bold-feeling outing which is well worth seeking out at about font 6b I think? The arete then went with little issue. I fell off first go landing on the rocks(!) and smashing my elbow. I mopped up the blood and then went again before it seized up, this time not missing the foothold and, after standing below the last move for 5 minutes, managed to top out without standing on the important pebbles!

Dead Babies E5 6b ** - Eastby Crag from Dave Warburton on Vimeo.

I then quite quickly worked out the 6c direct, which if your tall or start off a pad feels 6b, so i did it without and sure enough it adds a fair pull from the ground which is probably 6c? Not sure, I don't climb many. Worth doing the direct, it adds 3-4 moves to the arete at about Font 6c+? and you get the rest to chalk up before the E5 / highball 6b+.... If I was doing the guide I put it in as E5 6c ** with an option to step in from the right at 6b.

Smugglers Terrace (November 2013)

 A couple of new additions to Smugglers Terrace. A cracking crag providing shelter from battering (and cold) westerlies.
Ben and Nick provided Anniversary Climb, HVS 5b, while Dave Richards, Peter Holden and Chris Woodall got in on the FA act, rolling back the years, with 'Six of the Best', Severe. Dave Everett and Ben Pearce then added 'Consolation Climb' VS 4b while my bro and I quickly started the development of the low to mid-grade Extremes of which there appears to be plenty adding 'Porpoise Economy' E3 5c and its sister route 'A Plaice Lost In Time'.

Starting groove - better protected than the arete direct

Moved back left to the arete - good rest with a toe hook (gear can be found here...if you're not blind)

Eyeing up the holds

Balance... facing a ground fall

Hope to get back to the Terrace sometime over the winter for some more photos and hopefully it'll be warm enough to climb! Pink/green lines are done, blue is musing for further development.

Easter Island Buttress

Aurora Buttress

Contraband Buttress

Evasion Buttress

Illusion Buttress

Healheugh - Sinn Fein

I'd been to Healheugh before, on a windy grey and cold day when we stopped off driving over to the Lakes. We'd just quickly soloed a couple of the E-grade slabs and then ran away. I always wanted to go back on a crisp windless day. Today, was sort-of one of those days...

The frost meant we were not that stoked to return to Smugglers Terrace, so a sun trap was favoured. I fancied looking at Steve Crowes bouldery arete Sinn Fein (E5 / Font 7a) as well as Emerald Isle (E5 5c) and Blood Red Streets (E6 6c). Nick was also interested in the venue as he'd never been or considered going.

We warmed up on a few boulder problems and I quickly sorted out Sinn Fein, failing to latch the break when I first went of it. Damn! Next go, no problems. Then again for photos. A great sequence and it does feel higher than it is, especially as its smeary. I think you could fall quite nastily off it, if your foot blows from the smear. Anyway, a joyous bit of climbing on perfect rock. Bliss.

We led the routes West Face E2, Toil Arete HVS and Nikki (E2), but by now it was already starting to get dark, the 1 1/2 hour drive and late set off meant the day was over, so Emerald Isle and Blood Red Streets will have to wait. 'Their Glorious Wealth' E5 6b might need a bit of training for - has the block slipped as that looks SERIOUSLY steep! Jeez.

Dovestones (Raven's Peak) - The Great Santini (E4) and Full Throttle (E4)

A crag i'd seen from a school bus years before I was into climbing. I remembered the unusual angle and its position across the 'ravine'. The whole position felt epic. I then drove past the crag a year or so ago while at Uni and was hit by a huge wave of deja vue. Anyway, I didn't make it to the crag during my undergrad years however, my second coming at University provided me with that opportunity.

I picked up Will from Bingley(!) and drove via dark grey cloud and a stiff breeze to the crag. It was certainly windy. We warmed up on August Arete (E1 6a) both getting it second go in the howling wind. We both then also climbing an eliminate wall at about 5c.

The main target was The Great Santini E4 6a and Full Throttle E4 6b. Based around the same line on the main and tallest part of the crag. I led up placing gear, traversed out to a friend, pulled up via crimp and was in the process of standing up when I totally lost my bearings/crimp strength/balance? Anyway, I fell off. Will flashed the line on my gear and after ANOTHER stupid fall, I too completed the line. A great climb and a nice soft touch at E4.

Will and I then looked at the brilliant looking bouldery arete which provides the start of Full Throttle, before the climb joins the crux of The Great Santini. Will flashed the boulder problem, truly in his element on these technical but protected moves. I struggled with the start, blaming my down-turned footware/the wind/conditions. Eventually however, I made it up to the crux, via 'the reach' which felt like the absolute end of my reach on the day (though i'm sure I was climbing badly!) and then proceeded to fall off The Great Santini...

Allowing the frustration to totally take hold, I got angry and a bit upset and ended up cruising up the line with no difficulty and wondered what the frigg had been going on before. Conditions, definitely conditions...

Two great routes, well worth dropping in for - Full Throttle is up there with the best routes on Yorkshire Gritstone that i've done.

Weather Beating: Wharncliffe, Bird Flu (7b) & Daytona Wall (E5)

Every day seems to bring a bit more rain. Either a constant drizzle or heavy showers. It's pretty grim. The last three crag visits have been 'bold' outings hoping to find rock dry enough to climb.

Huw and I departed mizzle in Leeds and drove to Wharncliffe, with the forecast for 'proper rain' at 3-4pm. We managed to get a couple of solos, a lead of the classic arete E1 (which was wet at the top providing a harder sequence tip-toeing direct up the arete) and then a lead of Banana Wall (never E4!) and the pretty sweet October Arete E2 5c. I've got a few lines in my mind from there, Into the Air (E5), An E3 through a small roof and October Wall E4 6a all looked well worth returning for - plus Desolation Angel E6, if I get a bit bolder.

Rain that night, with rain forecast for 3pm the following day provided Jacob and I enough stimulus to head for Trollers Gill... It was wet. No seepage just entire crag condensation. We only had ropes and draws and one pad so we decided to run up to Simon's Seat to see what was what. Everything was wet... but there was a breeze. We sat around, talked and ate some food and eventually, after a little bit of dabbing with a tea towel, Hen Arete 7a and Bird Flu 7b at Hen Stones were dry. Jacob onsighted Hen Arete before very quickly dispatching Bird Flu via a strangely powerful move on a slabby arete. I how struggling, I couldn't seem to lean my body far enough away from the rock to get my feet high. I couldn't do anything having got my right foot on the nubbin'. So eventually, started to work on a step through move, which, with some refinement from a now bored Jacob, provided me with a pleasing tick of a tricky arete on a day where I could have done nothing! We had a quick look at The Naked Edge E3, but it was wet, so we walked down and got soaked by a thunderstorm... Heated seats FTW!

The following week saw more of the same. Except, amazingly the Thursday forecast seemed to indicate SUN...all day! Being at Uni, i allowed myself Thursday off to take full advantage knowing full well i will almost certainly end up working weekends in the future. Huw and I raced to the Lancashire/Yorkshire boarder and walked into Cow's Mouth Quarry. A route that had been on my wishlist for years was Daytona Wall E5 6a, but i'd never driven over to look. Huw however lives quite close and said it would be dry and clean. We walked in through wet mist looking at gopping wet walls. I was a tad disheartened. The crag however was dry and I proceeded to flash Daytona Wall after Huw had a quick play and clean of the holds on a rope. Efficient. Huw repeated the trick and I bouldered out the direct start - which is worth doing for an extra 6a move before the 5c/6a move through the overlap. Great route, loved it. Perfect solo. We had a bunch of pads, but I really wouldn't approach the line with a 'highballing' mentality, its a solo.

After eating our weight in donuts, pies and other stuff bought from Morrison's en-route we decided it would be a good idea to drive to Summit Quarry. It was starting to get towards sun set so we raced up, and found the crag. IT was wet. However, the buttress that has recently seen some attention from Nik Jennings and AK Hughes was dry. I didn't know what any of the routes were so, in what felt like fading light, I climbed the left crag of the bay, which climbs nicely via a couple of wire slots to the break. Small fiddly gear and a powerful feeling layback (bit iffy when wet!) leads to the top of what I later found was a E2 5c "First Circle". Probably a tricky one at this grade? but it was all a bit rushed. What this visit did tell me was that I want to go back... Jaggernath E4 6b and its associated routes (E5 6c & E7 6c) look brill, as does Jim's Route E6 6c. The mono-wall of Summit Quarry (E7 6c) also looks attractive, but mono's aren't my thing otherwise i'd love to give it a bash.

dayton wall flash from huw goodall on Vimeo.

Rushing back to form?

I felt like my best climbing days were towards the end of my degree, when I was using the full spectrum of climbing variety, including indoor walls, sport at Malham and Kilnsey and trad trips. Usually, I end up doing just one thing for a set amount of time. Living on the Moors, the nearest wall is a 1hr drive and its 1 1/2hrs to a good one, but you're surrounded by rock, so you can't bring yourself to do it. Leeds on the other hand is far simpler to hit the wall and get pumped - something which is incredibly hard to do upon the Moors...

Anyway, i've started as I mean to go on, climbing regularly at the wall on evenings and taking any free time to head outside and now even more confident to just go and shunt (with the possibility of a solo involved) if there's no partners, i should be back up to fitness in no time?

Anyway, a brief recap of my recent days...

After my solo trips to Halton Heights and Windgate Nick, I returned to my alma mater(?) for gritstone shunt soloing - Hawkcliffe. Perhaps my favourite venue consisting of the fabled gritstone. I went knowing it had the potential to be damp and cold following some rain the day previous. It wasn't.

I stuck a rope down Pigeon E6 6b, a Ben Bransby 'micro-route' with a horrid landing. After a quick scrub to clean some of the upper pockets (certainly would have fucked you up getting the wet mud in the top pocket!) I gave it a shunt. Tricky...
It's a big reach and at full reach off smears I knew it would be a bit 'iffy' on solo. The rest is no harder than 5c but probably E4. Anyway, I decided i'd give it a miss today perhaps a bouldering mat below would provide a bit of encouragement? Well, a spotter anyway.

So what to do. I was at a crag, perfect conditions, no partners and two routes i'm desperate to do. Blood On The Shamrock E6 6a *** and Driveby E6 6b ***. I decided to abandon my pretty ropey ethics these days (which was that I was saving BOTS for the flash) and shunt the beautiful and terrifying looking arete. I flashed it. Just. Happy with that, I refined a sequence which actually felt pretty secure with a crafty heel, to allow a breather before the smear of doom. A trouser shitting move to get your feet on the ledge follows and you're standing there 15m? off the deck. It's an absolute gem of a route. Short and sharp but set way up above the branches. I'm sure its safe with gear?! Regardless, full on as a solo even if it was a headpoint. AMAZING.

Sunday was nice; sunny & breezy so I teamed up with Yorkshire Waters eloquent junior employee Will and headed to Simon's Seat. I was looking forward to returning to the most perfect rock in the Pennines south of Healheugh and I wasn't disappointed.

Arriving at 'I'll Bet She Does' we found a team already plundering most of the excellent highballs and bouldering in the vicinity. Making full use of some additional pads Will quickly warmed up on the left arete "And She Was" E3 6a (font 6B+) despatching it with ease in the chilly breeze. I too warmed up on the highball wall, with a couple of false start getting off the ground on the central line of 'I'll Bet She Does' E3 6a (font 6C?), I was soon climbing this brilliant but somewhat eliminate feeling(?) direct up the wall. Great holds at the top and after totally missing the good holds, a bit of sloper-fest at the top. Good stuff.

Will repeated Galaxy font 7A and I tried it as its something I'll do in the future but my finger tip skin cried a little which was worrying for the second route of the day so i sacked it off. To Hen Stones!

A short session on the gloriously situated buttress with about 6 or 7 immaculate problems. I finished up with Hen Arete font 7A and the crack line font 5, while Will repeated Hen Pecked font 6C+, Hen Arete and made progress with Bird Flu Font 7B. I'll be back for this one also, as after initially wanting to get it done, I decided to save my rapidly deteriorating right fingers for The Naked Edge E3 6a.

With the afternoon drawing in, and the temperatures just dropping slightly we called it a day and wandered back toward the car, via The Naked Edge. I re warmed up, had a good look at the line and then set off. About 1/3 of the way up I felt like i'd made a mistake, I was starting to sweat up the only hand hold available at that height. I didn't want to lose the onsight of this one. Fortunately a bit of clear thinking allowed an arete side swap and a continuation to the top. Which isn't at all as scary as the guidebook made it sound, finishing on good holds. Got me fairly psyched to try Dino-Mania E5 6b to the right as well. I felt fairly comfortable at that height so if i'm there with a glutton of pads or a mere towel i might give that a go. Great crag, can't wait to get there bouldering this winter - though by the events of today, perhaps my tips can?  

Halton Heights - Runt (E5 6a) & Greenham Cruisers (E4/5 6b)

A crag i'd often eyed, just beyond the scrappy-looking Eastby Crag, while driving towards the Limestone or such like, but I never thought i'd go. However, a new route online at E5 6a called Runt along side a couple of E1's and E2's made me think i'd give it a bash.

I got a bit of a shock.

I didn't really look at the crag heights in the guide, with most buttresses being 10 - 15m very much in the trad rather than boulder/soloing height range. I sort of thought it would be an extension to the Eastby Craglets. The routes looked to mostly be well supplied with gear though were mainly very heathery now; it was clearly was popular at some point in the past due to the abundance of stakes. The old quarry workings providing the usual square cut corners, aretes and slabs reminiscent of some of the Lancashire Quarries.

Anyhow, I warmed up soloing the "HVS 5b" which climbs the arete straight on whereas 'Runt' E5 6a climbs on its left side above a 8m fall zone into rocks. I found the HVS interesting, i backed off twice, before committing and upon doing so thought I might have done the E5! Necky route! HVS going on E3 i'd say, felt as hard as Veteran at Rylstone for example or at least how I remember it anyway. Perhaps I missed something, but it seemed pretty thin. Good slab climbers back in the day I suppose...?

I set up a top rope and tried Runt. I didn't like it. Up the dual arete, then swapping onto the left arete only dropping your weight over the abyss below. Foot smearing, bump the right up a tad to allow a final reach to a crimpy jug. I really didn't like it. Felt like, dare i say it, the hand holds needed a 'stiff brushing' to bring them into any sort of condition, and it also felt like I was chasing a grade not a route. I have to admit if it was E6 I might have thought again. I decided i'd leave it and come back after searching for another climb which i could stay warm on in the chilly breeze.

I found an E4 6b arete which i'd totally missed in the guide before setting off, so I was pretty happy about that. I rapped down, hoping to flash the line, but it looked a bit blank at around the 6m mark and I was padless. I noticed some old bolt holes too, so wondered if the line was lead using them originally?

I soloed up and down but the lower section is tricky to up and down and the higher section looked too blank to suss out for me. So i stuck a shunt down it. I read the move high up correctly, however I didn't flash the section so i suppose i made the right decision. The lower section is awkward 5c climbing up to an obvious rock scar which provides a good crimping ledge. Utilising this and some small crimps on the headwall one rocks over the overlap and up under the roof. Easy jug pulling leads to the top. E5 6b? There is a small pocket which might take a nut but i'm not sure how good it would be? I checked the guide, Derek Hargreaves soloed the FA along with several other routes - onsight? Nice one regardless!

I can see a return with some pads and chums to help keep this line clean, I liked it.