Return of El Andalucian and El Greco

Monday 27th April

Squeezed in a short day at Scugdale.  Energetic English photons more than a match for them in the Med; however the air here is imported from Greenland.  Both BP and CB resetting thermostats.

Five Buttresses visited.  Lost count of routes done.  Many of the usual suspects except the pokey Mantleshelf demonstrated expertly by CB.

Razor Rib HVD
BP moves up with customary sharpness

Razor Wall HS4c
CB pockets some delicate double digit moves
Bold

The eponymous "Mantleshelf" - never got up this one previously.

Right! - Now rock over and mantle as if your life depended on it.

Used up one life and got it second go - a desperate Severe 4c

Moving along to....
Oak Tree Wall HS4a
CB looks for a half decent jug to make the rather tenuous finishing moves.  Managed to find a shallow egg cup.

AT having generously handed over the lead after getting completely pumped in the course of selflessly placing the required pro.  Give Give Give as usual.

Just to the left

Saint's Wall S4a

BP taking care to make another tricky finish look a doddle

The route up the wall to the left was also seen off at VS4b

Also Pet's Corner at VS4b and Whippet Wall at VS4c

Wind got up along the edge so retired whilst going is good.

Teesdale Spring

Another pinging day in the wild west of Winston

Ageing Honda Mower  1

Meadow                         0

Wild tulips

Glorious

Scouts Honour

Wednesday 22nd April

Cub Scouts always do their best 
Think of others before themselves 
And get a good route in every week.

The weather window stayed open so three chaps out west, last week Borrowdale so looking for an amenable day in Langdale, settled on Upper Scout Crag as the venue that fits the bill.  Drive via Ambleside (thwarted by closure of Red Bank) took well over two hours (cf return via Kendal about 1hr 50m).  New half ropes made debut - very photogenic.....

The imaginatively name Routes 1 and 2 were duly dispatched, each in two pitches

NB making good progress on Route 1

PM follows up into the blue

Perfect climbing weather

AT takes a cheerful belay in a great spot

Solid enough but more scope a bit higher up

PM out-shades
all comers

Backdrop magnificent also

AT on Route 2 P1

No useful gear but steady climbing at V Diff

NB tackles the crux of all today's climbing

(guidebook P3 on Route 2, severe in my book)

PM follows in great style also, shaping like the Binks.

The patio bar at the NDG exerts its inevitable gravity 

and drags us down off the crag

Route 2 on left

White Ghyll looms top left, the notch of Slip Knot clearly visible

Got to get that done! (again)

Rockin drive home with thanks to a Rolling Stone Magazine best 500 songs

Some Stones, Zep, Beach Boys, Freda Payne, Al Green, Bob Marley inter alia all great

Borrowdale Sport Plan

Rarely seen out together, these two classics.  Is this what they mean by sport climbing?

AT at FB hooking up with NB and PM fresh from BA and SD
(Need a BA in TLAs to get all that)
Pinging day out west.

Logistics meant a later start on first route at Wodens at 12.30.  A couple of severes then a walk back to Quayfoot Buttress for the sub classic VDiff of the crag.  So all the ingredients for BORROWDALE MULTICRAG...!  NB and AT shared the stress of two pretty greasy pitches on QB but all team members up in good order - grade for the day running at about 4b in the conditions we reckon.

NB about to top out on Wimpey Way

AT puzzling the initial problem moves

Working Woden's Face

A short steepening on the very amenable slabby wall

PM finding some early season form

NB followed direct over the bulky perched block for a bit of sport

Then on to Quayfoot Buttress

First pitch initially dry but the finishing groove of P2 rather dripping.(no sign of the arete described in the guide)

NB catching some rays on belay top of P2.......

.....and looks on as AT tries to mask rising enthusiasm for the wet rock just round this corner

Skiddaw lofts mightily in the distance.

All in all two gripping pitches somewhat outside the VDIFF envelope

Fast drive back

Easter Crag

Thursday April 9th

The weather has been lovely all week, and the window stayed open long enough for this years first major outside effort.  Original plan (AT) suggested a mountaineering day up at Tarn Crag Langdale, but woke up feeling more like a day with more climbing than walking and some user friendly routes to get re-oriented to outside games.  So in keeping with these preferences stopped off instead at:
Castle Rock of Triermain

A pleasant circuit
Crag got very busy pm

NB loads up the crag with gear and gets ready to solve the finishing corner's problem moves.

AT leaves the gangway and heads for an early belay

Unknown climber below the crux on Kleine Rinne (VS4b)

NB gets some beta...

Another party arrives

It is Easter after all

An excellent start to the new season

Open Top TT tunes