So early Saturday morning I was just heading into the shower and I get a call from Debbie "so what is the plan for today". I didn't know I was waiting for a phone call from Rob…….
So I was talked out of my shower ( have one when you get back…. ). We all met at Rob's at 10 o'clock, jumped in my car and headed off to the North York Moors. We hadn't yet decided where to go but it was a wonderful drive, beautiful scenery, great weather and little traffic until we got to Helmsley ( but we skirted around the back streets ). As Debbie had not climbed in the NY Moors before we decided to go to Wainstones, lots of nice shorter routes and great views across the moors.
We parked at Clay bank and walked along the lower Cleveland way bridle path past Raven's Scar to Wainstones. There was the final short sharp walk up to the crag and we had the place to ourselves.
I started off leading the classic Sphinx traverse, it was very hot and sweaty, move hand or foot wipe the sweat away, move hand or foot wipe the sweat away, move hand or foot wipe the sweat away,………., repeat until end of climb. Rob came up second and decide to hang out at the end of the traverse ( I did tie him off safely ) so he could take pictures of Debbie as she came across the traverse.
Rob then led the Bulge direct VS 4b/4c, thin gear and one hard move to get onto the upper slab. I then led wall and ledge 2* Vdiff, which I packed with gear so that Debbie could get more practise seconding trad routes. Rob had left his rigging rope at the top of the slab ( for me to rig a bottom rope, his excuse was that I needed the practise for my assessment ) o we could try the protection less Central route and Slab climb.
Rob then pointed me at Christopher VS 4b/HS 4b, something that he had looked at but backed off from soloing. Well I started up the gully placed some gear, moved across placed some gear, came back for a think/rest, moved across placed some gear, came back for a think/rest, moved across placed some gear, came back for a think/rest,….. this must have happened 5 or 6 times before I went for the balancy delicate move. I definitely felt much better standing on the upper slab with another solid wire in. It was only when I got back to the ground that I found out it had a rockfax fluttery heart symbol.
Rob then had a look at leading Concave Wall HVS 5b, he got up to the break and placed some gear but the move was very precarious and delicate and he eventually backed off this and finished up Ridge Route right hand HVS 5a.
We then packed up and started walking back along the upper walker path, we had only seen three other scramblers/soloists all day.
We speedily headed back to York as Rob had a dinner date with Julie & her friends in Leeds. Debbie and I needed to get to the York wall for some route setting.
I finally arrived back home and had my shower at 10:40 pm, the end of a brilliant day, now set the alarm to get up at 7:30am for Stanage……..