After a load of Emails were sent whizzing around the internet the High Neb area of Stanage was finally decreed. So I set off with Kate, Debbie and Liz and from the other side of York Rob, Peri, Carmen and Simon were also getting mobile.
Driving down in the car I informed the Ladies that their first job of the day would be to guide us all to the Crow Chin area (I had provided four different guides that covered Stanage). After some debate… "where are we going ?…. is it in this book?……where are we parking?…… I can't read in the car…..", Debbie, Kate and Liz were fairly confident that they could find the place.
The weather did look a bit grey and cloudy as we drove across the Strines moor and up past Bamford edge. NB taking the short cut up past Bamford edge was a good idea as a local cycling club were on a training ride/race and the peleton was blocking traffic from overtaking.
On the walk in I texted Peri to find they were in Outside, Rob was trying to change the rope he had ordered from them (he didn't like the colour, you know that shade of pastel is so last year….). Following my "guides" we walked in on the bottom path and the top path, over shot slightly but we got there in the end.
The weather looked like it could drown us any minute so I decided to start on something nice and easy Kelly's Crack VDiff ** and just as I started up some small drops of rain started falling. As the crack was fairly sheltered it was very dry. Half way up the route Peri and Rob arrived grumbling about the walk in and the weather, they hid in the cave and had a coffee and waited for the rain to end. It didn't last long and it was the only small shower of the day. So now with three leaders available a major assault was launched on the cliff, of course we had to work around the other two small teams of climbers who were there but everyone was very friendly, even when Rob was dropping abseil ropes on people.
The weather did play pretty nicely, we had moments of bright sunshine and no wind but most of the time it was cloudy and very windy. People topping out on climbs were almost lifted over the edge.
Debbie on her first "trad" lead, Peri on October Slab HS **
We gently cajoled Liz, then Kate and Debbie into leading their first "outdoor trad" route on pre-placed gear that the more experienced members of the group had placed. We also oversaw them setting up solid belays at the end of the route so they could safely bring up the second
Of course Rob had a plan that he had not mentioned to the rest of us, he was up for soloing or leading everything under E4 at the crag (HVS 5B then a massive jump to a single E4). Have a look at Rob's climbs for the full list.
meanwhile elsewhere on Stanage the other YAC team were playing …
Declaring "bah humbug" to Crow chin both had their hit list of climbs for the day.
Carmen attacked Cosmic Crack (VS 4c **), X-Ray (HS 4b *), Cave Buttress (S 4b **), most of the things on her list. She also led Heather Crack (HVD *) and Overhanging Chimney (S **). Simon didn't get to anything on his hit list as they couldn't be bothered walking that far! He led Electron (VS 5a *), Typhoon (VS 4c **), Inaccessible Crack (VS 4c ***) and Straight Crack (HS 4b *).
Memorable incidents include Carmen almost blown over as she topped out on Cosmic Crack. Simon spending over an hour repeatedly climbing up to, down climbing from the crux of Electron, before eventually climbing to the ground, taping up his bleeding hands, eating some lunch, and then leading straight to the top! Carmen could possibly have exchanged some good Anglo Saxon expletives with Peri when she found out that she could not reach the crucial holds on the crux of Typhoon.
We had a great time at Crow chin, the ladies and I left at about 6:15. This allowed Rob and Peri to go and find Simon and Carmen for their lift home. Finding them at High Neb area Peri made short work of the classic High Neb Buttress VS 4c *** with just a little wibble, before heading home at 8.15
More photos …
