Clay Bank Capers

Friday 26th July

Rain expected later but time to squeeze a local venue for a short day.  Still more to do at;

Raven Scar

BP reported a Swainby downpour, walked in under threatening skies and took shelter from a brief shower under the overhang next to Ahab .

View from a very well appointed little eyrie

BP catches a brief sunburst on Forest Face

Wings in a wallnut

  © Tony Marr original

Then makes the crux moves up to a rest and more gear

Conditions on the dark side provide too oppressive.  No wind.  Very humid.  Not pleasant.

Headed over to catch a welcome breeze and some open climbing at

The Wainstones

NYM Multi-Crag!

BP gets into a fine position on Ling Buttress

Local climber tackling the adjacent buttress

Little Bo Peep VS 4c

Feels bigger than it looks

Pics by BP from on belay

Same picture as above

By AT from ground level

One of these days........

2nd forced to adopt completely different approach.

Very tidy all the same.

AT sets up on Christopher

Crux proved a bit of a struggle

No change there then


Should have got that extra wire in

Local climber made it look easier

But that's because he CHEATED!

(traversed in so no problem latching the LH side pull)

HVS 5a?
Sounds fine by me!

The hike back to the cars was just fast enough
to push the sky away

Beach Bake Off

Wednesday July 24th

Trip over to Saltburn.  Posh Fish and Chips at the Seaview - aircon a Godsend.  Walk along a very hot beach.

Peak Bake Off

Tuesday 24 July
The weathermen have been wittering on about a mini heat wave sweeping the UK, so it seemed sensible to seek out a suitably amenable venue.  Ravenscar could have fitted the bill nicely, but it was time to travel further afield and so to the sylvian glades and sweeping lines of;

Lawrencefield

AT's carefully calculated Sequential Event Timeline Control system was immediately kiboshed.  BP made the round trip to Hathersage in record time and playtime was soon under way.

BP sliding up in the morning shade on Snail Crack in red pants and matching harness.

Across the way a team who'd driven up from from Oxford! tackle Three Tree Climb

AT sports a sartorial style and strikes a shapely pose, paying homage to the absent Mr B.

Red pants de rigeur today 

BP latches the good holds in the niche before launching up the leaning finishing wall on Tyrone

Nova holds on to a bit of shade


A series of puzzling moves lead to a more straightforward but dusty finish.

Climber takes a bite out of the run out finish on Gingerbread.

It's no cake-walk.

Gave it a miss - friction compromised by the soaring temperatures now at thirtysomething

Limpopo Groove a much more appealing option.  For once!


Very good climbing

AT ready to make the same moves as featured in the first pic above.



By now feeling pretty well baked off.

AT comes second in red pants run off.

A great venue for the conditions, welcome shade between climbs and also on some routes, no midges, easy walk in.

And handy shops.

And Pubs!