The 2014 Moors Round Up

A brief round up of this years additions to the North York Moors.

Grey Earths Scar (Goathland) AKA Mallyon Spout:
Pussy Riot SS (7a), Money For Nothing (7a), Mikail Khordorkovsky SS (7a), Midnight Sun (E5 6b) and Arctic 30 (6a). There is also at least one hard, excellent project.

Glaisdale Rigg Quarries:
A few nice bouldering additions, plus Kingmaker (E2 5b). Then the 'Hall Wall' provided some of the best highballs on the Moors with Ivanhoe (E5 6b), Franziskaner (E6 6c), Gnaedl Maedl (E6 6a) and Top Wizard (E6 7a) which is just around the corner. Still a couple of projects left.

Franziskaner

March saw the first forays to what would become Maidens Bluff.... a huge find for the Moors this year.

Maidens Bluff:
Jugendstil (E5 6b), Archaeopteryx (E6 6c), Jungfrau (E6 6b), Iron Maiden (E6 6c), Plasticman (E7 7a) & Splice The Mainbrace (E5 6a).

Maiden's Topo

Hillhouse Nab was fully worked out with the addition of Present Perfect (E7 7a), Pretertium (E7 7a) and Penthouse Perfection (E7 6c). All these climbs are short bouldery solos above a less than ideal landing. The perfect rock is well worth a visit though.

Hillhouse

Kay Nest was finally given a proper visit. The addition of Harbinger (E4 6b) and Man on the Edge (E5 6b) were a start of things to come at this sleeping giant of a crag. Later in the year the hanging slab was nearly fully developed with the additon of Flashpoint (E4 5b), Blaze of Glory (E6 6a) and Trailblazer (E5 5c). Very bold stuff, but ultimately steady slabby solos.

Man on the Edge - Kay Nest

Elysian Fields

Our love-affair with Danby continued with Elysian Fields (E7 6a), Infinity in a Grain of Sand (E9 6c) and the super hard 'Jesus Project' getting ticked as Fly Agaric (E8 7a). Later in the season the addition of an excellent highball comparable to the best on the Moors and elsewhere 'Anubis' (E6 6b) was the best of the action. Two super bold solos Powerslave (E6 6a) and Ebola Tombola (E7 6b) were notable... Finally the Warburton brothers added the forked crack of Amun-Ra at a grade somewhere between VS 4c and E1 5a. No successful repeats yet...

Fly Agaric

Thorgill was dragged kicking and screaming into the modern day with the additions of Wheat From the Chaff  (E6 6c) (Haha Fiend) and Parochial Master (E7 7b) as well as the bold, but steady and maybe E4 Turbulent Cascade (E6 6a).

Smugglers Terrace was finally given the attention it deserved with numerous additions to its buttresses; namely:
The Basstard (E6 6c), Porpoise Economy (E6 6b), Ai No Barramuni (E4 6a), Marbled In Stone (E2 5b), Thanks for All the Fish (HVS 5b), Krill Zone (E6 6c), Leviathan (E6 6c), Clew Garnet (MVS 4b), Babel Fish (HVS 5b) and the first efforts on the 'Fox Holes' buttress with three routes between VS and HVS the best argubly being the right hand side of the sandy tower which gives an interesting HVS 4c - Hard of Herring.

Plaice Lost in Time - Smugglers Terrace

Development slowed down somewhat towards the end of the year with poorer weather, less time and less people around. However, notable additions were made thought mainly previously described (At Kay Nest, Smugglers Terrace and Danby). However, one of the best offerings to the Moors yet is a bold, dynamic and technical arete which is easily a match for Magic in the Air. Sanctuary (E6 6b) climbs the left arete of the impressive and as yet unclimbed Eskdale Wall. Plenty of projects left here!

Triptonite - Tarn Hole

A very satisfying year. What lies in wait for the next year? A taster:

Kay Nest
The Old Aid Line ~ E9 7a
Arete E8 7b
Grooved Arete ~ E7 6c
Cracked Slab to Arete ~E4 6b
Roofed Grooves 1 ~ E3 6a
Roofed Grooves 2 ~ E2 5c
Roofed Grooves 3 ~ E4 6b

Project at Kay Nest

Smugglers Terrace
Sole Direct ~E8 7a
Illusion Wall ~E9 7a

Glaisdale Quarries
Webesque Project ~E6 6a
Flakes Project ~E5 6c

Whitehill
Landslip Arete ~E8 7a

Goathland
Prow Direct E10?
Prow Crimp Project Font 7c+?
Prow Right Side ~E7 6c

Eskdale Buttress
The Walls - LOADS but all 6c or harder...
The Arete E4 5c?
Finger Crack E1 5c?

Eskdale Arete + Buttress

Stoupe Brow - (loads of time needed here)
On Crack ~E7 6b
Barry E8 6b?
Futuristic Arete E11?

Maidens Bluff
Sunrise Wall E10?
Futuristic Herring Gull Project E8 7a (classic!)

Smugglers Terrace Mini Guide

Ready for the winter season. An excellent winter venue, quick drying and sheltered from Westerly winds. Around 40 routes from HVD to E7. Go there!

Connoirs return along with the rain

The heat has broken, humidity dropping nicely and temperatures around 9 - 15 degrees. Perfect Moors trad connoirs. Unfortunately the rain has joined this temperature drop, which makes sense, but i'm also splitting my time between the Moors and Leeds.

After Sanctuary at Eskdale Crag, I was somewhat unsure what else I really fancied. I'm not as focused on projects as Franco, rather, I like to rattle off easier stuff as there is so much. Thus, my time spent around Castleton have seen me add to my tally of E4 - E7 headpointed FAs. Part of me thinks I could 'save' or leave some of these climbs either for the next wave of Moors developers, or to a time when I could do them in 'good style'. But, then I come to my senses - I enjoy climbing, and I enjoy climbing new things on the Moors in whatever style.

I soloed the groove right of Osiris, which provided an interesting E4 5c/6a. It starts up Osiris HVS 5a ** which is a cool hand crack, before stepping right into the bottomless groove (gear) and then up. Unfortunately it ends up by a large tree in a crack but its straightforward to climb up clean rock to the left with gear so its not a bad route. Osiris, incidentally is a sustained though somewhat unloved crack - well worth seeking out seeing as there are now 3 or 4 VS to E1 cracks at Danby which are great! I also found a cool, powerful and bold FA. It climbs up on slightly creaky flakes, powerful undercuts and then long reaches, all with poorish footholds. A final very bold highfooted rock over adds the finishing touch. It'll be one of my harder lines when I get it done ~ E7 6c.

Ravenswick is somewhere I see myself spending a great deal of time. I still very much want to bosh the big traverse, however I also spotted the 'pit' which has somehow gone unnoticed. It provides some of the highest climbing at the 'Wick but was shrouded by ivy. Fortunately however, Ivy is piss easy to remove and I soon had a blank canvass to climb. There is probably room for another route or two, however I climbed the central bulge direct at E3/4 6a. Classic Ravenswick stuff, decent holds if you find them but there is a plethora to choose from and that may be your downfall. A solo, though not ankle-breaky with some pads.

I finished up with a quick hit of Danby after commuting back from a lie-in at Leeds - so not a very long day! I was going to jump on my Anubis Project, but decided to check out the buttress between the Polish Jungle and Osiris. I looked at it from below; a central scoop with a left and right arete. Three possible routes with the central scoop very attractive. My guesstimates were E3 5b to E5 5a/6a sort of terrain. I rapped down and soon realised that half of the buttress is an easyish plod, but then, with no gear hard moves reach the top. Interesting. No star stuff, but interesting. I shunted the central line attempting to style it up the central groove. No chance. I laybacked but this was insane. However, a good hold was just about spannable to, so I figured out a sequence with that. Jeez. OK, so its easy up to the groove then a bit balancy to reach across to the crimp. A lurch right to the good hold then powerful moves with poor feet allow a desperate rock over lock off move to reach the top. E7? E8?? 6b. I don't know. It's a classic Danby scarefest; i'm annoyed that the start wasn't sustained 6a or something, or that there isn't any gear. The top moves are excellent but I doubt anyone would bother repeating it; a three/four move boulder problem with a 10m fall? It's less bold than Howl Psyche (20m fall), though certainly harder physically. They're certainly bold. The left arete was a 'fun' E6 6a.

Elsewhere with Katie we've been exploring the area covered by the Over the Moors guidebook. Marsden and Chew Valley and all that. Had some nice days out, trying to balance crags with lower E grades with nice VS/HVS's. Generally been fairly successful, with my highlights being Necronomicon (E3 5c 1pt ***) & Godspell E2 5b ** (this would be amazing if it didnt have a massive easy slab in the middle) at Pule Hill and The Connection (E3 5c *) & Longwall Eliminate (E3 6a *) at Den Lane Quarry.

Loads of interesting stuff around there to explore, i've got unfinished business at Running Hill Pits, Pots and Pans Quarry looks interesting, Chew Valley, Shooters Nab all have stuff that Katie and I can do - loads of stuff to look at and a COMPLETE CONTRAST to bold, lonely days out on the Moors. 

Au revoir West Yorkshire - a return to the Moors

With my Masters finishing at Leeds Uni, I boshed a couple of days out i'd meant to do for years. Heptonstall to climb Forked Lightning Crack (E2/3) and a visit to Running Hill Pits.

'The Pits' are excellent and I might return in the future, couple of E4/5's that are geared which look ace. However, I made do with a ground up of Iguanodon (E5), flashes of Phaestus (E4), Weavers Wall (E3), Wind Breaker (E2) and Yarn Spinner (E4).

Forked Lightning with Katie was a bit of a treat. We'd spent the day at Standing Stones (my first trip to the Chew Valley) we're we'd boshed a couple of VS's which were very nice. However, I requested a quick trip to Heppy and Katie obliged.... Some cams, a no-hands rest and a bit of jamming/laybacking and I was at the top. Sweaty. Lovely evening, if a tad warm. Great route a true classic. Shame it's not a bit longer!

Eskdale Buttress from Dave Warburton on Vimeo.

Finally, after some more VS bashing around and about, I got a quick shunt and solo in at Eskdale Crag. A crag i've been meaning to start developing for years, I was belayer-less so just decided to wire it and go. A bold, technical start up to around 6m above a steep, but soft landing lands you at a hand ledge. From here, gear is placeable in a vertical crack, but with no friends I soloed the bold and exposed 5c finishing moves. I can't decide if its E5 6b ** or E6 6b **. Basically the finish is E2/3 5c with gear or like E5 5c without but the start is the 6b part. A 6b pull to get onto the arete, then some easier moves to get established ready for a 6a/b sequence which is slightly dynamic. The route is moderately pumpy as well actually. I had a pad attached to a rope but I decided falling off would be unpleasant and no one will hear you scream. Could have felt more serious due to this lonelyness factor?

   

A long overdue roundup

I haven't updated my blog for a while, because I haven't done any FAs on the Moors until recently. However, I have managed to achieve a couple of targets recently, which while not my hardest or indeed 'best' accomplishments they are non-the-less important to me.

First things first, I FINALLY got myself up Jurassic Scarp (E3 5b **) at Whitestonecliffe. It's been there for years. Ian had done it and Franco and Luke had done it after the traverse but i'd never bothered. I knew it was one of the best long pitches on the Moors. Anyway on a lovely sunny, perhaps too hot day, that I skived off University, I made a quick dispatch of this excellent route. It's pretty intense, quite harrassing I felt in the lower reaches, before an excellent roof and then a pumpy and sort of committing headwall. It probably does need doing sans threads. Don't think it would be E4 5b though...? Hard E3 5b then, I suppose.

Around the same time, after running some errands in Guisborough ran up to Highcliffe and shunted Magic in the Air (E7 6b ***). IT felt fine, bit reachy on the crux but nothing to bad. I could see the rain rolling in from the Pennines so after 2 and a half shunts I ran up it, with spots of rain beginning to fall. Quick whoop at the top and then I legged it down to pack everything up before running back to the car. Still got a soaking but it was worth it! Not a bad couple of hours - if that!

However the news worth writing about is the Smugglers Terrace. Matt has tirelessly been working his way through de-vegetating the crag and bush-whacking paths through the bracken - which this year has been flattened by an easterly wind. Even so, we decided if this crag was to become as popular as it should be, it would need to be less adventurous, as folks just aren't into adventures these days.

Over the period of a couple of weeks this summer a fair few routes at a variety of grades have been boshed. This crag has so much to offer its obscene, but we're slowly working our way through it. It's a shame, I can't understand why people don't go there to do FAs? I'd much rather do 1 FA than 20 soulless routes at Stanage, but each to their own decision.

Smugglers Terrace Aug 2014 from Dave Warburton on Vimeo.

The new route list from the summer is now;

Mullet of Cocktail E2 5c *
Emersion E4 5c *
Privateel E5 6a
Ai No Barramundi E4 6a **
Krill Zone E5 6b *
Clew Garnet VS 4c *
Leviathan E5 6c **
Porpoise Economy E6 6b **
The Swordfish of a Thousand Truths E2 6a
Hake Shake E2 5b

There must be around 20 or 30 more routes to be done on the 7 or 8 buttresses that exist. Some would require a brief effort to clean and others a mammoth effort. I'll steadily be working my way through them, but considering the majority of the lines left will be easier than E1 it would be nice if folk who climb around that grade did them!

It's getting close to being make or break time too, with the easier lines holding the vegetation better than the harder lines only regular visitation will keep the VS's etc in good condition. The harder lines are fine and will be forever. It's a shame people don't venture off the path a bit more but what will be, will be!

Another couple of walls and a topo (Maidens Bluff)

A hot weekend before the perfect weather bubble bursts. First up a re-match with the wall right of Harbinger that I didn't want to do last time as we had no pads. Three pads on the ledges and a quick re-rehearse and it was done. It's got poor-ish but interesting hand holds and quite poor feet. I wasn't sure if this was 6b or 6c as it feels quite hard until your limbs are in the right place, but its steady away if they are. So probably E5 6b, rather than E5/6 6c. Either way, its only short and certainly not worth the walk in just to do, but over the next few years I can see the amount of HVS and above routes quadrupling.

Franco was busy with his GF, so I walked three pads down to Maidens Bluff and headpointed the wall between Jugendstil and Archaeopteryx. It's not really a squeezed in line, its difficult to explain. Basically its far harder to go sideways on the wall than it is to go straight up, so even though you'll probably on a metre or so right of Jugendstil, I never thought it would be easier to 'jump ship', however you might be able to hang on to push a cam into a thin break which is on Jugendstil - would box your fingers on the hand hanging on though, so i'd still probably solo it!

Its always interesting when climbing a wall like this, it needs some ascents and people to work out what the tech grades are (are they sustained 6b or 6c?) and also what are the best lines? I for example much prefer Archaeopteryx E6 6c (hard start) compared to Mullet of Cocktail (E6 6b). Both lines share the same bold, 6b/c finish but Archy has a harder start (I think). So Archy isn't the 'line of weakness' but it follows a cool flake feature which looks like it SHOULD be the line of weakness? I dunno. I just love the wall. Every route is sort of similar, a hard start, then easier moves leading to a high crux, but the moves are all wicked!

It's a bit of a play ground really, easy approach, simple shunting set ups on stakes and an easy walk up and down from the crag and only 20 minutes drive from home. Bon.

E5 6b * - Jugendstil
E6 6b - Gates of Tomorrow
E6 6b/c * - Living on a Razors Edge
E6 6c ** - Archaeopteryx
E7 7a * - Plasticman

The four other lines are not lead.

Riding The Wave

Gnedlmaedl

The perfect weather recently has allowed a gluttony of new routes and repeats from both myself and Franco. I'm going to condense this post to a mere list and some photos, but it's fair to say some of the routes I've done in the past ten days are amongst the technically hardest and best that I've managed to haul my carcass up. Loving climbing at the moment, try to get the most squeezed out of this weather wind and 'free time' before a hard finish to the Masters. What a week, all about riding the wave of momentum and not just mine, Franco's smashed some projects too.

Projekt 

Elysian Fields AKA Death Arete

The 10 days provided the following:

Archaeopteryx E6 6c ** - Maidens Bluff (Headpoint, Second Ascent)
Splice the Mainbrace E5 6a * - Maidens Bluff (Flash, First Ascent)
Harbinger E4/5 6b/c * - Kay Nest (Headpoint, First Ascent)
Elysian Fields E7 6a ** - Danby Crag (Headpoint, First Ascent)
Franziskaner E6 6c * - Glaisdale Rigg (Headpoint, Second Ascent (should have done GU but it was sooo hot))
Gnedl Maedl E6 6a * - Glaisdale Rigg (Headpoint, Second Ascent)
Powerslave VS 4c ** - Danby Crag (Seconded, First Ascent)
Wheat from the Chaff E6 6c * - Thorgill (Headpoint, First Ascent) (Would be E7 without any pads)

Harbinger

Franco in the same space of time added: Plastic Man E7 7a ** (Maidens Bluff, Headpoint), Fly Agaric E9 7a  (Danby, Headpoint) & Parochial Master E7 7b!

Fly Agaric

Awesome, hopefully I can add to this over the next couple of days, with a couple of lines on my mind at Kay Nest E6 6c, two at Maidens Bluff E6/7 6c and maybe even Rump de Stump E9 :-/

Franziskaner