Moor Marauding

 Thursday 26th August

Tuesday trip to Scugdale cancelled, to be replaced on Wednesday by a Thursday Brimham plan, to be replaced on Thursday morning following a fair bit of overnight rain.  So we ended up where we started at;

Scugdale (Scot Crags)

A watery sun gave way to actual spots of rain on arrival, and although there was not a breath of wind the rock was totally dry.  Right hand end occupied by a group so we got busy with the rope out left on Scot Buttress.

Corner Left Hand (S 4a)

Steady climbing 

From here up to another small foothold

The handholds up there are.... well,

BIG!

CB sets out up Gravity Wall

Ready to move right for the variation finish 

"Defying Gravity" at 4c is another grade up from the usual way trending left.

CB reaching for more gear to take care of the powerful moves in prospect on Scugdale Chimney Eliminate      (VS 4c)

AT managed to get far enough up to retrieve these bits of gear.

Except the one in the top break which remained way out of reach.

AT (ever obliging) led up the Chimney so CB could sweep it up

CB finishes the day off with one of his favourites?

Pet's Arete (VS 4c)

He can't leave it alone.

More County Lines

 Thursday 18th August

Continuing the County climbing series, looking for a change of scene from the regular venues so undertook a long drive crossing wide open country, past ancient battlements, and through country estates  to the delightfully user friendly rootin' tootin flutin' walls of;

Berryhill 

This picture from last visit four years ago and the gorse is now starting to grow head high below the opening routes on the flutes

Here's AT in the same spot

AT rampant on this lovely climbing

So is the gorse

CB prepares to toot the flutes on Hi Diddle Diddle (VS 4b)

Playing some good tunes higher up

AT contemplates the slant on Slanting Crack (HVD 4a)

Opts for a direct finish straight up

Marcher Lord (VS 5a) was always in today's mission.  Both going well so CB kindly went first (again!).

It's an imposing line with a 

BIG FINISH

© OLGrady UKC

CB about to launch upwards 

Jugs are out of sight ready to help with the powerful moves out left.

All done with minimum fuss as usual

AT followed in good order, would have been a gulping lead.

AT opts for the alternate way up to Western Arete (VS 4c)

That's why it's a separate route called Cheat (VD)

Nonetheless it's quite an adventurous outing as per this picture from 2018, like today the wind was well up.

CB showed how it's done following the line up from the left

Very tough start, 5a at least.

Eastern Arete (S 4a) is good value two star climbing

The finish round the arete is suddenly steep, by now the wind was really gusting. 

Steep finish The Flange's the Thang!

Guess who on the same route from the Northern Rockfax Guide picture

©UKC Articles

CB whipped up a route to finish off, somewhere right of Marcher Lord going left of a tree.  Not described in any guide

L-R

The Flutings

Hey Diddle Diddle

Marcher Lord

(Not in guide)

Slanting Crack

Eastern Arete

©27 crags

End of day

Brighter

Windy

Alexa!

Play Walking the Dog!

Dr Feelgood

Loughing it

 Saturday August 13th

Temperatures now in the late twenties.  Wish we were.  Home alone for the weekend so a big day up a big mountain crag out west had been mooted.  The prospect of the long drive on packed roads into the busy Lake District, plus tricky parking and a sweltering long walk in led to a rethink.   How about an easy drive with guaranteed parking to a nice shady crag?  Where else but;

Crag Lough

Eight a.m. start and a nine thirty arrival.  A great drive started under blue skies then later featuring wondrous atmospherics, with views across to an east coast blanketing in thick cloud, then swirling mists with sun burning through in the Tyne Valley.   Walked in (25 mins) and wasted no time getting stuck into AT's pre-prepared hit list (thanks to BP for introducing this concept!)

No sign of Robin or Maid Marian

Starting out on Face Route 

A very pleasant climb (at S4a) and is surely worth a star given the airy traverse to the finishing cracks.

Can't believe it's seven years since the last visit, on a similar hot day.  See here for details. 

Here's BP in action higher up the route on that trip.

CB found guide left behind at foot of next route.  Open at this page featuring none other than..........??

CB below the crux of Route One 

(HVS 5a)

The first ascensionist (whoever it was) showed no imagination for naming this compelling line.

Scorpion an obvious contender.

AT has a rest after a bit of toe jamming up the corner

More work needed on that particular technique (see later).

The top of the route features an airy belay off two bomber slings.

Pinnacle Face (VS 4c) is just round the other side of same buttress.

CB dips some chalk before launching up the crux

A hidden hold deep in the cleft helps the move onto the main face, CB cruising up the final five metres.

Loughly climbing.

Meanwhile another pair go roamin up Hadrian's Buttress.

A legiondary route.

AT on Jezebel Direct.  The obvious leaning corner succumbs to solid toe jamming technique and awareness of small but useful holds.

Unfortunately AT was missing both of those and had a rather desperate struggle.  CB helpfully pointed out the one useful foothold and things went better second go. 

Another solid belay up in the hades of Hadrian heat..

Time for one more, to save on the walk down and the lumpy track back to the sacks they were carried up the climb.

Bit like climbing in the Alps.  Apart from the scale.

A really brilliant middle section higher up.

The refreshments in Corbridge were particularly welcome, what a great day on and off the crag!

Red hot white boy blues

A Dream Sequence

 Wednesday 10th August

The crag (maybe better called a cliff) has been on the list for a long time.   Earlier this year we arrived at the venue but the rain was persistent.  There was another time we made a plan to go but ended up going elsewhere.

Good weather is nailed on.  In the last few weeks some longer routes had been despatched without too much drama.  There was finally no excuse but to go and get it done.  CB had a window for a short day.  A quick drive and an easy walk in leads to a place just off the main path where, without warning, horizontal becomes vertical and the stomach drops, the heart jumps and klaxons start to sound at the the thought of DOWN THERE one hundred and twenty plunging feet to the foot of;

Whitestone Cliffe 

Some decent rope plus a steel carabiner was wrapped round a good tree at the start the the abseil into today's mission:-

 The Nightwatch (VS 4b).  

The edge of everything was just a couple of metres away.

CB added our own gear to the in-situ static.

AT clipped in, racked up and nearly ready to engage with the ab rope.

Well almost, the harness check revealed a minor point of detail if you can spot it.....

AT hanging free here, near the end of a long abseil down out of the dazzle and into the stygian gloom.

Deeply atmospheric.

Note to self, a thin prussik on a thick rope is safe but very hard going.  Talk about triple lock!

AT had ambitions for an on sight.  But these got lost somewhere in a head full of the daunting atmosphere, the difficulties with the abseil, and steepness of the route over its entire 35m length.    All of these turned out to be unfounded, but at the time the drain-cock for these unwanted images could not be located.

So CB loaded the rack and set off. Short clip here

The route requires three dimensions in body.  

And a few more in the head.

CB has all those and some to spare.

Shot up there in about 20 minutes.

AT follows with a sequence of moves from somewhere in The Nightwatch dreams.

Stupendous climbing all the way.

Pictures by CB - AT playing with positions on abseil

Is that  it for the day?

CB says enough climbing to last us a week, so.......

Time to take in the vista

and......

Tales of derring do at the Old Oak in S. Kilvington

Like a Rolling Stone