York Alpine Club Blog

Dodgy forecast and showers and lethargy meant a local w.e for Peri, Dave S and I, climbing at Scuggy with Roy on Sat and Brimham with Rachel and Graeme on Sunday.

Got some good problems done at Scugdale spending some time working with Roy on techniques, so easy to practice with such a variety of quality short climbs and able to repeat and try different methods. General messing about and Roy did a lead with Peri while I spotted Dave on the Shelf.

A beer rounded off an excellent afternoon's chilled fun.

Sunday I found Peri and Dave about to do a repeat ascent of Green Prioress which Dave flew up really really easily, I opted for a rope and glad I did as it wasn't happening at all for me today. We then top roped a fine looking slab E3 5c which was really a bit disappointing as despite appearances the route seems to wander.

Ho hum, good to be out and in the sun while York got a drop or rain or 2.

Peri and I had Monday off work and organised a little trip via YorkClimbers.com with George Wright, we headed to Rivelin,. Rained on the M1, threatened a lot at the crag then got so hot we had to run away and hide in the trees! Rivelin's a fine crag with loads and loads of quality routes at all grades from D to something way too hard for mortals. Many good S, VS and HVS though, and we were alone.

Highlight of the day was our trip to Altar Crack (VS 4c ***), great layback up a fine corner, more gear than you can carry, but – and its a big Nigella sized butt – you won't be able to hang on and place it without getting pumped – so be tactical!

Peri then practised her technique for 'The Nose' with an interesting ascent of Nonsuch (HVS 5b). After Renshaw's Remedy (VD **), a tad dirty but lovely route, we returned to the main area where it was now cooler, and I led Jonad Rib (VS/HVS in diff guides) easy-ish gearless climbing takes you near the top where good medium cams and a sling round the tree finish it off.

Great crag lots on my wishlist still, oh and the car park is free but closes at 7.30 – though you can park outside it!

Good times.

Pix:

• some piss poor Brimham photos from my camera

• My Rivlein
  
• Peri's on facebook
  

Yet another late decision as to where to head to avoid the rain, this time we opted for Brimham. As we headed west our hearts rose, there was blue sky, no rain and the roads were definitely dry. We carried on, deciding if the worst came to the worst we'd have to try something hard. But faith was rewarded! even though the road to Brimham was dry, as we turned into the car park the ground turned miraculously wet – it had been raining heavily at Brimham itself.

After wandering around for a bit searching for some dry rock, Carmen picked out Right Hand Crack (VS 4b), scene of many a previous epic, all of which had somehow been forgotten. So she set off anyway, opting to make the route a little more interesting by missing out as many foot holds as possible, but eventually she reached the top (minus most of the skin on the backs of her hands). I followed in fine style (ahem).

By now the sun was out and it had turned into a fine evening. Gordon and Dave K arrived for a rapid ascent of Cracked Corner (HVD), having no doubt already ticked off several other routes, before disappearing into the night.

Peri led Birch Tree Wall (VS 4c) pronouncing it damp but OK, and well protected courtesy of her behemoth cam. While I reacquainted myself with Difficult Crack (VD) – years since I did it, I'd forgotten what a nice little route it is – Roy led President's Progress. We were accompanied by a drum serenade courtesy of a guy from Sheffield whose son was perched precariously on the edge of a big drop, asking us abut how many accidents we'd seen while climbing.

I finished with President's Progress while Peri scooted up Lichen Slab, with a large piece of tree stuck down her shirt (your guess is as good as mine). The midges were starting to arrive, so we fled to the car, leaving Roy and Peri practising abseiling down the slab.

the easy peasy monday sessions continued this week with another Brimham sesh. As we headed west our hearts sank, there was a big black cloud, light rain and the roads were definitely wet. We carried on, deciding if the worst came to the worst we would just top rope. But faith was rewarded! even though the road to brimham was wet, as we turned into the car park the ground turned miraculously dry – not a drop had fallen at Brimham itself. Result! We had two teams Team1: Courtney, Cef and Cef's friend Steve; Team 2: Peri and Roy. This evening Courtney led Pig Traverse (HS) partly on preplaced gear, and Roy led Grit Corner, a V diff which was a little harder than sometimes as the start was quite damp and greasy. Other routes done were fag slab, fag end, fag slab variant – in fact looking at that list of route names I think we should all have lung cancer by now. No abseil practice this evening – we ran out of time, the sun had set and the midgies were getting hungry.

If the weather continues to play ball there will be another easy rock session next Monday – a good chance for people to do stuff on easier routes, whether it's starting to lead, getting a bit of abseil practice, or just having an easy relaxed evening.

Carmen had gone to do battle with the trains on a trip home and Julie is busy building stuff in her garden so Simon and I had planned a w/e trip somewhere. Friday am we decided on Lakes, by about tea time we had decided on Dow so we drove over and camped on the Walna Scar road. Up early (not Guido early) we were first to the crag, beating those camped at the tarn, it's only 30mins to the tarn and another 15 or so to the base of the crag. It's east facing and qute high with a reputation for being cold, hmm we were in full morning sun being burnt!

I had walked up three times before with my eyes on Eliminate A (*** VS 4c) – surprisingly not a Classic Rock route but highly praised, only to be met with a rope from bottom to top – not this time. 6 pitches are described with two crux 4c sections P3 & P5 which I got. Starting off quite boldly there is good spaced gear and steady climbing to the huge ledge belay. Climbing continues up a groove with better gear to the excellent pedestal below the roof and it's easy to combine these into one, as most people do including the two teams behind us.

It was rather a hare and tortoise affair, they would rush along then wait for ages to be joined by team 3 – as we pitched it all and worked out the way but I wasn't going to let them through! The next pitch is a slightly wild but well protected traverse left and up onto a ledge and cave and Simon leads through the excellent continuation traverse. The team behind's suggestions that these two pitches can be combined are politely ignored 🙂

Next is the allegedly bold second crux, a traverse right above the overhangs. It says unprotected, unless you have a rock 4 and a friends 1 and 1/2 and another medium sized rock! Plenty enough gear and good incut holds lead across a great little pitch and up a groove to another huge ledge. Simon takes the last pitch, be hard to combine these and we faff trying to find a decent descent route — seems now everyone goes to the top before descending a chossy gully that had seen a number of ascents during the day.


Seeing as we are over that side of the crag, Simon suggests the three star Arete, Chimney and Crack (*** S) and dispatches P1 up the quartzy arete – nice. I scramble up the next 2 pitches in one to the common belay ledge and Simon gets P4s excellent chimney.
 
Another route shares P2 & P3 so we ab back down to the ledge and I lead Gordon and Craigs (** S) top 2 pitches together including a wild traverse  pulling on some dubious looking blocks. Back at the bottom we opt for P1 of that route to get the full tick, but it's not great. Abbing off the huge flakes brings us back to base, with just time for a romp up the huge quartz slab of Giants Crawl (*** D/VD).

We wander back to the car/tent, cook, drink some wine and chill out, chat to a few folks. Forecast is low cloud and we ponder what to do. A lazy start the cloud is quite low so having had a great day we decided to head far from the madding crowds – Trowbarrow – where hardly anyone else is (quite normal Simon tells me).

It's warm and sticky and I nearly grease off Jean Jeanie (*** VS 4c) a few times while fighting to get the gear sorted – jammed hexes, cam wires messed up, nut stuck but not safe – you know the sort of thing. The climbing is steep, straightforward on good holds (a bit like Peak scar but better) with one harder wider section.
 
We both felt a bit wasted after that and we messed about (slept in the baking sun) for a while before doing Ramp Ant(* S and cleaner than it looks), Coral Sea (** VS 4c) and Jomo (*** VD) with no gear at all for the first 15m!

We call it a day and leaving at 5 we were back in York at 7 – long way around via the M62 but quick! Great weekend and injuries not playing up too much – result.

Simon's pictures.
Rob's pictures