Rain

After having to go to Leeds, on the nicest day of the week, for a meeting about the forthcoming fieldtrip, rather expectedly the weather crapped out on the saturday.
I decided to hit the old training patch of Ravenswick, with it's slightly overhanging walls of limestone it's the Stoney, of the Moors.

Arriving in the heavyish rain i wasn't too hopeful, but was pleasantly suprised to see the walls dry and not seepy.
Over the next 3 hours i traversed the usual traverses on black wall. Gutter Crack to Flake Crack traverse (with jump finish) being the best, but i did the variants too with bummelzug start and also Marooned (with easy beta) up then managed the 'hard' finish to the traverse.

Gutter Crack to Flake Crack Traverse from Dave Warburton on Vimeo.

This goes by traving right on the crimps then gaining a much smaller crimp, below the pinch hold. From here you much pop to the good pocket with your left. This constitutes the crux and is hard and very fluffable. I didn't manage the V7 full traverse utlising this finish.
I ended by traversing whitewall (v2 5b) along the bottom break, having a leg bar rest for 20 seconds then traversing back slightly higher. Good little session considering the weather.

Marooned - Ravenswick from Dave Warburton on Vimeo.

P.S the weather was 'mid heavy rain' you got wet if you stayed in it. What i did notice was that if you fixed lower-offs, you'd get away with climbing the routes in the conditions and the bouldering is good. Worth bearing in mind.
There are many 'easy' problems possible all along the wall.

Nesting Shoes

From now on, don't bother repairing or resoling your old, tired winter cragging shoes, just open them out, stick them somewhere sheltered say a garage or shed with plenty of access from the outside world and let them become homes for birds...

Returning from Uni, i went into the shed where my training wall is. Intent on actually using it i set about making some routes/problems and then went to get my shoes, that i'd left in the garage over the winter.

The Swallows, that reside in our garage every spring were happily buzzing around the roof space crapping at will. I was quite shocked to find my shoes had become the early attempts at a home, unfortunately for the poor Wren or whatever, i decided i wanted my shoes back.

So, if you have any old shoes - lop 'em in a shed and see what happens.

Philleas Fog

Steve Ramsden, the Moors raider from Hull found a very good looking boulder problem at Camp Hill, Philleas Fog Font 7a*.
My final exam at Leeds Uni, Maths, was over and unable to find a climbing partner in Leeds i quickly made my way back to the Moors and after a meal with mum at a garden centre, i made my way with the dog to Philleas Fog.
The rock looked good and was still chalked from Steve's ascent. I quickly jumped on it, this time unfortunately without videos!
I didn't make much progess on my 'flash' attempt. I've seen his video and it made the start look easy and the top look hard but doable. I found the start quite a shock, but made it to the lunge for a good hold before struggling to get my feet up and falling off.
Second go was much better, i gained the crimp on the right which i found good until i started to pull on it, when i seemed to slip out of the blighter.
Over time, about 20 minutes i eventually (without using a heel on the big sidepull) gained the final flake/crimp on the left. Here Steve drops his right knee on a rightward facing hold and slaps the top. I tried and failed, miserably.
I gave up on the dropknee, and just placed a foot against the rightfacing hold and jumped for the top. The holds were ok, but the friction certainly wasn't brilliant. It was about 10 degrees and no wind, i was running out of chalk.
15 or 20 goes (from standing), two of which i held the top before popping, i eventually nailed the 'good' bit and made sure i didn't come off! This time from sitting, i had got the bottom of the little left flake/crimp where i could get a smaller but more positive contact.
Very Very Very happy, with this ascent. Mainly as it's brilliant climbing but also because i'd come from Leeds to do it!
Felt very much harder than Waylander, (Font 6c+), so if Philleas is Font 7a, then Waylander must be easier.
I've now repeated two of Steve's Font 7a's and found them both tricky but eventually got them. I think this is my achieveable bouldering grade, i've done a harder one mover of his, (For Leichenstein) but i did it differently.
Food for thought anyway, but i fancy the trad or sport :-)

Philleas Fogg @ Camp Hill from Ram Man on Vimeo.

Sun is out...

I'm not a huge fan of the cold, as my finger's have shite circulation and it stops me climbing routes as i can't feel the holds! Similarly i despise the warmth, when climbing, as i sweat ridiculously.
Anyway, summer appears to have come slightly early to the UK, with temperaturing hitting the late 20's which is nice to lay around in, but slightly unpleasant for me.

Ewan and i, post exam (Gold Occurences in the British Isles), decided to get out to somewhere quickly for an evening. I was psyched to hit the lime but time didn't allow so instead we got to Brandrith. Long story short, we soloed most of the nice looking lines, including Fingerdancer (E1 5a) which is more like HVS 4c. It's a great little line though with wonderful holds, well worth going up for and it was starting to show a bit of greenery!
I also did an E2 that takes a hanging crack from the ** VS on the first buttress encountered. The line looked ok, but when i got up to it and though about the description you don't actually climb the crack at all (at least not at the grade) Instead you crimp up the wall on the right about a metre from the MSevere. Anyway, it's nice enough moves and the gear is 'ok' so it packs a bit in, probably worth doing. The E1 6a there is a bit of a leg breaker too, a tricky move that if you actually fall off, rather than jump off, you'd hit a ledge and topple backwards, not pleasant. Again, though the move is good though - Typical Gritstone really, you either groundfall or slump on gear and dont fall anywhere.

Today was my last day before a weekend of revision, so i was psyched to get on a classic E3. Dib Scar was chosen but in the morning the forecast made me reconsider, quickly.
Arriving at Kilnsey, due to it's East Facing aspect we quite quickly got on with the job in hand. A step down from Classic E3, a beaut of a line, the huge bulging Corner of 'The Diedre' (E2 5b). This brilliant looking route and classic mid grade route had been on my radar for ages but i never could get around to going to Kilnsey just for that.
Ewan quickly despatched the first pitch and i got on with the second. Brilliant juggy pulls through the bulging corner, and then a tricky traverse left gains a Tree. I was a bit put off by the gear back in the corner, i wasn't sure if i had to go straight back right from the tree or not. The Polish on the tree itself made me realise that you clip it and, staying on it's right use it to gain a break that leads back into the corner. Or at least, that's what i did!? A0?
A beautiful traverse right in a great position unfortunately lands you at a loweroff, which i clipped but wanted to ignore, topping out to the Sun. Shirt off, tanning away as i brough up Ewan.
Grade wise, i don't understand E2 5b. It's not sustained as such, it has 3 clear 'tricky' sections. The bulge pull is about 5b and well protected. Then above is a traverse left that i felt was 5cish, with very good gear. The above the tree was another traverse, again i thought 5b/c, with gear a bit lower on the tree. All in all, it's definitive E2 experience but i feel 5c is the grade for at least two sequences? Anyway, lots of gear, not pumpy, not massively sustained, but continually interesting and a superb route, get it done!

It's DRY and could do with a few ascents to clean it up abit!!!!!

After this i decided that i fancied a bit of bolt clipping as it was so warm, so we trotted around to Troller's Gill. I wanted 'Jim Grin' F7a, but decided to give a short F6c+ ago just to see. I Fell off on the O/S due to slipping, but then found the next move hard to discover the seqence for. I did and the route went 3rd go, which i was happy with. It's a nice little route actually 'Shaggy dog Show' i think it's called. Looks a bit poor but is worth the effort in my eyes.
However, i decided that 3 go's on that would probably mean 5 or 6 on a f7a, so feeling a bit lightheaded in the heat departed. Some beasts were crushing F8a. Good work.

Moors Bashing. Alps. Future thoughts...

Exam season is upon us and i'm currently revising Chemistry of the Earth, Gold Occurrences in the UK, Maths and Practical Geology modules. After this i have two weeks to spend being idle and climbing lots... Transport is the issue however i think. If i return to the Moors then i will have a car some days, but maybe lack the partners of more popular climbing haunts... There is plenty to do though, lots of shunt, bouldering to repeat and discover, FA's to hunt. But, you have to be properly psyched for some of this, will i be in my two weeks off before this shitty Geology fieldclass to Northern Scotland?
Perhaps i return to the Moors for a few days 'active rest' before heading back to Leeds where i have more hope of catching a lift to crags...

Either way, the main objective on the horizon is the Alps. The Coach is booked we'll be there on the 4th of July for a month or more. Psyched! Yes i am, but for what? I don't know yet i'll probably just warm up on a few of the quality routes Franco did two years ago, like the Cordier Pillar and i'm sure Franco has set his sights on something hard... The Frendo Spur is attractive, as Ian Jackson climbed it in his first alpine season, but we'll just see how things go. I had a pretty decent winter this year in regard to snowbashing so that might happen.

If i had a car and didn't have this silly geology thing, then i'd love to spend the 5 week's i'd have been exams finishing and Alps trip buzzing around the UK trad, getting back to something respectable like i was last summer. I only seem to be able to get above E2 by climbing a ridiculous volume of routes and i quickly lose it. Really want to spend some time on Limestone (sport and trad), Skye Maybe, Pembroke, North Wales and my favourite area the Lake District. I'm particularly envious of Franco and people heading out to Pabbay while i'm in Scotland taking dips and strikes, but i guess if we return mid August then i have another month to organise climbing before returning to Leeds for Semester 2... Decisions on where i want to go abroad, anyone know any Uni's in America that are CLOSE to climbing or have good climbing clubs?

Malham

Taking the saturday off revision; Ewan, Sean, Gareth, Rowan and I headed for Malham. Rowan, Sean and Gareth got on the Sport, whereas me and Ewan tried our hand at the Trad.
A lazy day was in order as we slowly dispatched the pleasant E2, Crossbones. I say pleasant, it's HVS for the entire route except from a 3 metre section that is in my opinion hard 5c, as i wrong handed myself on the route and had a bit of sketch to pull through the crux, as i say though, above this it's limestone bliss on a lovely exposed ramp.

Ewan wasn't feeling his best and he quickly climbed the HVS, Pikedaw Wall, that climbs a cracked niche a few metres to the left of Clubfoot (VS). I declined to second and this ate up lots of time with a abseil and walk around with the gear. We however decided to wander up to the Terrace and i got on the brilliantly exposed 'Sundancer Wall' (E2). Again, another unsustained line. An initial pull gains a break and then a hard series, where i had to really reach and pull hard gains respite on a break and a bomber superlight WC wire - i love these babies on Limestone.
After this you stroll up a great corner crack feature pulling through the top blocks on pockets in a great position. I really enjoyed this line actually and after abseiling down for the gear, we met up with Gareth and he climbed the same HVS as Ewan, Pikedaw Wall. This time i did second and it's a great little micro route with a top wall of heavenly jug pulls!

Almscliffe - Black Wall Eliminate

Hadn't been to Almscliffe for ages and since i've come to Leeds it's only my 3rd visit. I find the place a bit annoying (even for grit) with its 'bad reputation' and 'gods own rock' bollocks. Either way, Ian Jackson used to be fond of the place, ticking many of the classic lines then he'd often solo repeat them. Most impressively, Black Wall Eliminate (pumpy E2) and Five Star Finish to Great Western (HVS).
I always meant to get on Black Wall Eliminate on my second visit to the crag but ended up just doing Syrett's Roof (font 6c / E3), i think that must have been a short day?
Anyway, we arrived in the late afternoon after a day of revision and i quickly climbed Black Wall Eliminate, which i have to admit i didn't fancy soloing! I placed 3 runners and found the climbing fine but on solo, even as repeat, would have been quite goey.
Next up, two nice climbs that i didn't expect to get on really as they certainly didn't 'appeal' to me, but i was feeling energetic.
Clematis (E2) climbs up to the right of Orchist, 'via long reachs between good holds' which i decided to get on as i don't like reaches. Anyway, after fannying around placing gear and a downclimb for a rest, i made the reach out right and after a bellyflop rest under the block at the top, i topped out on this enjoyable little climb.
Checking the logbooks, people seem to solo this route? Ordinarily, i'd often log climbs as solo that most people lead but this was the other way around. Perhaps im losing my soloing head?

I decided that wasn't the case and after bouldering out the start, i quickly despatches Bancroft's Roof (E2 6b) which was nice, with a bold 5c move getting over the roof at the top.