well i would have done if i could make the move.
Peri and I headed for a quick session at Almscliff, she had her eyes on black Wall and i've taken a fancy to few VSs nearby that i havent done. Peri offered me the first lead and in a reversal of roles, stood at the bottom offering no constructive advice but quite lot of laughing, heckling and abuse.
The move off the wall is reachy and technical on this VS 5b P2. I had got a good cam 1.5 in but making the move was hard. I had a few goes, then a few more, then took small fall, then tried another five or six times before going back to the original long reach approach and making it … just
So I thought it was all over and tried to go direct over teh bulge using the excellent flake – but that was way hard so I down climbed, tried again (twice) , down climbing each time and eventually scuttling off left before stepping back right onto the flake (as per description) From there a few slab steps leads to the top and Peri's go.
Funnily she stopped laughing and shortly started swearing and throwing tantrums and I had started laughing an hauling. I did wonder how she'd make the reach the way I did it. A bit of gear hauling followed by abandoning cam and she was at the top.
All that was left was for me to ab down get the cam and lead the retreat to the pub.
Fun evening but not very productive !
cant even remember the last time I resorted to hauling on gear! most frustrating.
Are you sure you were on the right route?
I seem to remember doiing this with Jim in 2007 & it was just one move.
I was not climbing very well at the time cos I was just starting back after a 6 year layoff & recovering from serious illness so it can't have been very difficult.