Sorry, we didnt have any cameras.
After Tuesday's rainy debacle Clare, Ewan, Kirk and I headed back to Scugdale with a mission plan to solo every route at HVD or under at Scott Crags. We estimated this at about 50 and gradually this mutated into a secondary mission plan – to climb our ages. This was all very well for Kirk, the baby of the team at 28, but somewhat pants for me at 50. We had just acheived Kirk's age when it all started going horribly wrong. Wet stuff was definitely falling from the sky. After a scurry to a cave we decamped back to Swainby for tea and scones.
Tea and scones had, we poked our noses out again. The sun was out – back up the hill went the two little cars. This time we applied a bit more urgency. Ewan's and Clare's ages were acheived (I'm not saying in what order or at what point) with only a slight diversion for Kirk and Ewan to do Pingers (VS 5a) – me and Clare, more disciplined souls, stuck to the mission plan. Finally, down to the last ten, ominous rumbles were heard and an inky black cloud loomed. All attempts at calm dissappeared in the race to achieve the magic number. With two left to achieve disaster struck – the end of the crag! Inspiration struck – race up the nearest HS then finish off in style on Pingers, a clap of thunder sounding as I reached the crux hold.
Then inspiration struck again – with 50 routes ticked it was time for pints of beer all round as the heavens opened!