Snotterdale Crag - New Routes and bouldering (Video!)

Felt un-stoked for Danby today, but still in the mood to climb. I was actually looking forward to maybe repeating some probably un-repeated lines and the best place for that we decided was 'Snotterdale', the blacksheep of the Scugdale family.

I'd been before and climbed the excellent E2 of Desperandum, which is reason enough to go alone. However our last visit had made us aware of an FA or two. There were also a couple of E3's which are Steve Brown and Dave Paul routes, i think, which are always interesting to try to climb!

Carrying on the current tradition of looking for warm up boulder problems at these cliffs, we soon found a rather cool looking prow system. The rock was clean and the holds provided were really good! A quick look and soon a quality, albeit short sequence was put to use. It's a tricky one to grade, but there is a definitive crux and we decided a Font 6c* would probably suffice. It could be a tad easier? Either way, we were both certain it was a very worthwhile little problem to do at the crag.

Font 6c - Wizard's Prow

Wizard's Prow

We the turned our attention to the line we had spotted last year. An obvious hanging crack, slightly remeniscent of 'Strapadictomy', but obviously a statement to be taken with a pinch of salt!

Franco was stoked to climb the line onsight. But it was in serious need of a clean, so i volunteered. However Franco was adament that a onsight/ground up ethic was in place on the line and that he was capable of climbing the line while cleaning...

Long story short is he was. After two or three gos up and down, cleaning as he went he said he fancied a crack on lead. The small tricams, cams and mid sized sideways nut providing the gear in the horizontal break. A quick rockover to a gaston and then a relaxed 'flow' onto this allows the top to be reached. I then repeated the line with the beta of Franco's successful ascent, but the crux couple of moves are excellent.

An odd climb to grade, as the gear is ok but the landing isn't perfect. It's not high, but the move is tricky. It's a 6a move and the gear is there but it might not stop you hitting the small series of ledges and, it may well pull out? We opted for E4 6a** and named it 'Snotterdictomy'...

After this i was interested to either climb 'Soothsayer' a rather cool looking E1 5b wall climb, or 'Sixth Sense' an interesting slabby wall at E3 6a. I opted to look at Sixth Sense and quickly gave it a clean which it was in dire need of! I then soloed the line, eventually making the unbalancing and bold move to the pocket at the top. I then panicked and asked for Franco to run around for a rope. However while he did this i remembered what i was doing and made the move ok. The top out is a bit rank though! Franco said he wasn't really that interested in it, but i told him it was good. He repeated it and agreed it was a worthwhile climb, certainly worth a * which is doesn't receive currently.

The midges arrived in a bad way, so we quickly climbed the quite long, angled arete at the lower tier which went at Font 6b** which has a couple of really good moves including a long slap for a sloper. Excellent!

Taken in poor light with the last life in the camera - The long and very cool Font 6b arete, 'Lady of the Lake'.

The film below might be a bit shite, as i have put both ascents of all the routes on, in an attempt to help get an idea of how to climb the routes, Franco will often LANK lines and i'll often make things look desperate...


Snotterbad Little Movie... from Dave Warburton on Vimeo.

Palma Ham - Font 6c (video) - Danby Crag

We noticed a large slab, covered in moss and dripping wet and i cleaned it of the thick of the moss yesterday. The intention was to progressively just keep cleaning the slab as it dried over the days and weeks... however returning to Danby today, it looked a good deal drier than yesterday.

I first had a shunt of 'Otter Wilderness Direct' the E7? 6b route just to the left of The Hypocrisy of Moose. It's very good, two star and bold as brass. Really look forward to it and i'm hoping to find myself in a similar state of mind and ability as Fresh Arete last year.

Anyway, after this we gave the slab a look and after a quick clean from Franco he quickly soloed the upper slab with a large rockover. I however was scared by the fact the rock, when stood on or crimped, turned a damp dark brown colour. I tried Franco's method and quickly chickened out asking for a rope, which i used to clean a few more holds and practice the top moves, which was now more to my liking and then made a similar rock over but with different hands. Excellent little slab, something the moors lacks.

Franco then quickly (his second attempt) managed the direct from the ground over the undercut start, utilising the flake on the right of the 'roof'. He did it stylishly with a heel and an egyptian move to get established. I, after a few more attempts, was happy with the heel but found i would flounder while crimping on the wetting holds, but eventually managed a very ungainly and shin scraping entrance to the upper slab.

Franco rocking onto the Slab

Awkward little move

Excellent slab climbing, shame it doesn't keep going and going

 

The crag now has arguably 4 quality boulder problems, with the Ravine Boulder hosting a Font 6b+ Arete and a Font 6c Traverse. Chocolate Moose is a highball Font 6c+ arete which is hopefully going to become popular and now this slab, a rarity in the moors, should *hopefully* attract some attention to Danby Crag. Moreover, another E7 in the form of the Otter Wilderness Direct, should attract some attention too. Stoked.


Palma Ham E2 6a (font 6c) - Danby Crag from Dave Warburton on Vimeo.

An outsider ventures where few dare go... (video)

Franco invited his fellow Manchester Uni climber Jack Metcalfe, up to the Moors for a day of boshing out our recent developments at Danby. Jack was psyched and laden with 4 mats between us, we had a line-up for what was going to get done.

Jack warmed up with a swift and assured onsight of 'Jungle Drum' - E4 6a**, confirming the grade and quality and also that myself and Franco were right in downgrading after the discovery of the 'easier' start. Cracking route though, get out there and get on it.

Jack, cruising the Jungle Drum (E4) onsight.

We then moved onto the current Danby development centre, 'The Ravine' where myself and Jack were stoked to repeat Franco's, 'Chocolate Moose' - E5 6c*. Jack quickly figured out a sequence and was soon 'boshing' his way up the larger holds at the top of the arete and pulled through the horrific top out. I then managed the same feat after 2 or 3 false starts and a jump off the top out... thankfully the 4 mats were put to good use and the manner we ascended the route was deemed a highball Font 6c+ and after contemplation the grade of E4 6b*** was considered correct but for once it appears this arete is probably best approached above a stack of pads!

Franco then showed Jack his two current projects, the blunt rib and the 'E7' arete, which he felt wasn't far away from being completed.

The final actions of the day were a quick, infact flash, of 'Body Torque' (font 7b/7b+) by Jack. A very impressive ascent, quite faultless and quite useful as it was midgey are fook up there in the windless conditions!

Excellent day out, good to have the quality and grade comparison from Jack and hopefully this may spur a few more folk to repeat or go searching for FA's too.


Another Danby day out, with Franco, Dave and Jack from Dave Warburton on Vimeo.

Bit more bouldering... (V11 video)

An odd day. We both felt weak and a bit tired after yesterdays quite 'full on' day, which involved digging ditches, Font7b+ bouldering and some route cleaning, not to mention the walk ins.

Anyhow, we opted for the quickly drying Wainstones as the light rain fell and we opted for just boulder mats. Franco had talked of 'being able to do' Steve McClure's V11/Font 8a heinous problem 'The Finger'. The problem involves a small sidepull and a mono which is an old bolt hole.

I looked at the problem and thought it would be very risky for an 12st lump to start yarding on singular digits while they are in very 'tweaky'pockets or in this case, bolt hole. After a bit of warming up and 2 or 3 'practice' runs, Franco suddenly nailed the top hold and began his oddly familiar dance of victory with obligatory rockshoe throwing.



Not a bad effort on what was, until recently, the very hardest boulder problem on the Moors, but i do believe some of the recent work at Oak Crag may have changed this?

A tad disgruntled that my physique and psyche didn't allow me to do more than just hold position on the mono and sidepull, so i seeked out Jas Wood's 'Fade To Grey' - Font 7a* a thuggy sideways boulder problem situation under the omonous Garfit Buttress. After a 1st go to check the sequence and figure the thuggy, groping top out, it went second go and i did it again for good measure. Very nice.

Danby, Stormy Hall and Round Crag

Feeling 90% after my recent shingles episode, I was looking foward to climbing. Franco had returned from the Lakes where he had been a couple of days, just after me.
The weather was pretty piss. Raining and grey with no real look of brightening up we waited until it had stopped and set off for Danby, both myself and Franco convincing ourselves it would remain dry.
For a sheltered, north facer it had coped well but 'Chocolate Moose' E5 6c had unfortunately developed a wet streak. Franco and I decided it was just a day for cleaning and 'looking', but we soon gave in as it was apparent the rock was actually a bit too damp to clean on 'Otter Direct'. Franco had just had a clean and shunt of 'Death Arete' which meant the trip was not a complete waste.


I was a bit disappointed by the lack of climbing and i was really interested to see if i was capable of climbing my best after the lay off and the pain in my back from the shingles. The day i fully developed shingles, i had fancied popping up to Stormy Hall and repeating Steve Ramsdens' 'Body Torque' Font 7b+ from sit, so see how it related to 'Paparazzi Arete' at Clemmitt's Crag Boulders.

Franco was stoked for this and the 'free falling' pinnacle takes no drainage so was a good bet to be dry and it was.
After some initial false starts and a visit from Dave Butler, walking home from a shift at the Lion Inn, we both eventually managed a very dynamic ascent of Body Torque.

Body Torque, Font 7b+ at Stormy Hall Boulders

After consulting Steve's Video's in the food-rich environment of Franco's kitchen, we saw how Steve ascended with a craft heel in the pocket myself and Franco put our right hand in. Anyway, if i go back i'll use a heel to make it more static.
Finally, with mist rolling in, we decided to leave Franco's house at 7pm to go to Round Crag. My thoughts here were to dig a trench allowing the free drainage of the boggy arete to the north of the buttress and also show Franco, 'Heel of Approval'.

Heel of Approval - E4 6b - Round Crag

 

 We did both these things, but the damp, misty conditions put Franco off an ascent of 'Heel...' and we then dug a rather belting drainage channel. All in all, a very mixed and useful day out on the Moors!

Gowbarrow Crag with Mother

I have thankfully seen the worst of my Shingles issue, the rash and associated pain diminishing fast and as a result climbing could recommence.
A family camping meet up in the lakes provided me with a couple of days of rest but on the final day, i took my Mum (a total non-climber) to Gowbarrow Crag to 'show her the ropes' as we both felt it may go some way to allowing her a better understanding of what safe practice is and such like - she was especially interested as a result of Franco and Lukes' escapades in the Alps (not really relevant) and also the events surrounding IanJacksons death.
Anyhow, the day was a success, after all the initial work of showing mum abseiling and prussics and belay set up, i set up a Top Rope on the lower buttress at Gowbarrow and mother very quickly despatched a 'Diff' crackline and a VD wall climb, after i had soloed them to show her climbing technique.
I was quite impressed, two faultless ascents of actual climbing the VD wall was actually on quite small holds for hands and feet and probably wasn't VD...

Suitably satisfied by mothers climbing ability i decided she would be able to give 'The Whistler' MVS 4b** a good go and it looks like good climbing and also a perfect situation to place some gear and get mum to 'second'.
I set off on solo, dragging a rope and placing gear to keep the rope on line for mums second, i didn't bother to teach mother to belay as it was unrequired on the day and i quickly made my way to the top of that excellent route. It's well worth a quick pop up if you are in the area perhaps?

Mum seconded again with very little issue, a slight struggle to get past the roof but another clean ascent - A fine effort!

Illness - Shingles

The week that started with a walk around near Highcliffe and a couple of sessions at Round Crag, was a week I was constantly aware of a slight tenderness under my right arm and a painful upper shoulder/back.
While Soloing at Round Crag, i quickly decided enough was enough and left waking up the following morning in some discomfort. Still psyched and aware i was going to Surrey for the following week, i decided i HAD to go climbing again, so Clemmitt's proximity and the Font 7b arete was an ideal target, which i achieved.
 I did however feel pretty poor at Clemmitt's, in regard to my back being very painful and i returned home at 9.30 pm and went to bed.

I had a half plan to get up early before it got warm and go to 'Body Torque' the Font 7b+ boulder near my house, however, the morning was just too much of a pain and lethargy consumed time. I soon developed a small rash under my right arm and by the evening a fully blown angry rash from my chest to my back, only on the right side of my body.

Unfortunately, by this time we had arrived in Surrey so i popped into a NHS drop in centre and was quickly diagnosed with Shingles, something my mother and I had already come to the conclusion of.  Apparently, i must have experienced a great deal of stress recently, which affected my immune system - can only imagine it was the idea of all these FA's on the Moors and not enough time to climb them all! ;-)

 Should be cleared up in a couple of weeks or so, rash is still prevalent but hasn't spread to my left side of my body or any of hte adjacent nerve pathways - hopefully wont develop the after virus either, (as im on anti-virals) which can result in months to years of muscular pain... joys.

Psyched for more Moor's based action, with the added bonus that Adam Van Lopik has confirmed that Octopet climbs the slab to the left of Honey Arete and not the line of Vampiric Obsession. This is good on two fronts - 1. Vampiric will remain one of our FA's and is a good climb and 2. Octopet looks fooking ridiculous at E4!!! Can't wait to give it a look now!