The YMC hut in Clapham is always popular when we stay there, and this year was no exception, with another sell-out meet.
It rained heavily on Friday night, but nevertheless a group of optimistic climbers spent most of the morning hoping the showers would stop and give the chance for a crag to dry out. Carmen and I eventually gave up waiting, and went on a run instead, taking a valley route from the hut to near Horton, and then doing 2 of the Three Peaks (Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough) before descending back to the Clapham. It stayed dry all day, until about a mile from the hut, when the heavens opened and we ran through a thunderstorm, soaked to the skin.
Leni and Alan meanwhile had driven to Horton to run the full Three Peaks. We met them on top of Ingleborough, and they managed to get back to their car in Horton just before the rain started. Leni said the route was easy, but was knackered by the end.
The rest of the climbers had more patience than us, and were rewarded by a good afternoon's climbing at Twistleton. The first routes were a grade or 3 harder than normal due to slippery rock, but it dried out quickly, and climbing was only stopped by the return of the rain at the end of the afternoon.
On Sunday, most of us drove to Malham, where we did the walk to Gordale Scar and Malham Cove – one that most of us have done many times before, but it's always worth doing again!
