Donal wanted to get of of Yorkshire to do some longer routes so Rob, Donal and I headed across to Borrowdale to Sheperd’s Crag. This is a crag I’ve never been to but always quite fancied Little Chamonix, the classic 3-star VDiff of the crag.
Waiting to attempt the crux on Little Chamonix (VDiff ***), snippets of advice regarding my reflection in the polished hold I needed stand on in a few moments, the view was magnificent.
It wasn’t an early start, made even less early by a stop at the cafe below the crag for a brew before we started climbing for the day. Brewed up, the first stop was Little Chamonix,it really is a lovely climb, we did it in three pitches but had to wait for the party ahead of us, not the easiest option given I was sitting on a polished slanting block just before the crux (even the banter from Donal and Rob about being able to see my face in the polished holds of the crux, given from their nice flat belay stance didn’t put me off – too much) but as compensation the view down Derwentwater was stunning in the early afternoon sunshine.
Rob completing the picturesque final pitch of Little Chamonix, below him were two solo climbers who just nipped up on their way to another crag!
Once the route cleared we finished the upper pitches, the route has varied climbing styles and definitely deserves its reputation. Next stop Fishers Folly (VS 4c,4b), this was supposed to be 2 pitches but I strung it together into one. Good technical climbing up to the first belay stance followed by an airy traverse. Two options are described in the guide book for the finish, either straight through the overhang on good hold or to its right with additional traversing to boot. I tried for the overhang but failed, after several attempts, to find the good holds promised by the guide book, instead opting for the additional traverse around the overhang. A three star route on UKC but only one in the guide book, this time I think UKC has the edge. As we’d climbed two routes it must have been time for a cup of tea and some food, so we headed back to the cafe, sojourn over we headed for Donkeys Ears (S 4a), it was fun, but the route felt like more of a scramble, I think we messed up on the top pitch an ended up the VDiff finish but other than the hand traverse at the beginning of pitch two the climbing never really materialised. As the midges we now incoming we headed home, nearly, due to some poor diversion signs, via Gateshead!