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Saturday, 26 April 2014

Foodie walking

24th - 26th April

At Fairbank with Vikki


Short walk pre-lunch....


....at the very fine "Chesters" by the river at Skelwith Bridge.


Ranging fashionably free


Return to car via the pretty Loughrigg Tarn

(seen here in much better weather)


Evening meal at the rather splendid local hostelry round the corner from Fairbank

Monday, 21 April 2014

West Side Story

21 April
Easter Monday
Big split from East to West (11-19 degC)
West side story down Derwentwater


Glaramara and
Great End

Crossing the boardwalk

Climber on Ardus
(Sunlit left upper third)
Photons

Sunday, 20 April 2014

Ready, Steady, Crook

19th April - Easter Saturday
Making debut at;
Crookrise

Octopus (S) AT
Chockstone Crack (D) BP
Bilberry Crack Direct (VS4c TR)
Traverse and Crack (VD) AT
Long Climb (MVS 4b) BP
Arsenic Slab (S) AT
Rushlight (S) BP
The Flake (S) AT

Third day out in 8!



AT tries to warm legs, arms and everything else up on Octopus

Tricky finish through the niche

Unknown climber getting well stuck into the Long Climb MVS 4b

Moves mostly awkward, perverse and generally unnatural


By contrast, AT imbibes fine, open slab climbing on "Arsenic"

Bold start
and
similar finish......

More peerless rock, sky and climbing  on "Rushlight"


                                             Splendid walk out


Looking back from the LH end of the crag
© Jamie Moss UKC




Wednesday, 16 April 2014

Cracking the Easter Egdges

Tuesday 15th April
Stanage
Heaven Crack S4a (AT)
Balcony Buttress S4a (BP)
Scoop Crack HS4b (BP)
Amazon Crack S4a (AT)
Louisiana Rib VS4C (BP)
Right Twin Chimney VD (AT)
Hell Crack VS4b (BP)


Unknown climber in a sensational position making last few moves on Balcony Buttress, a great Severe at the very top of the grade.

Scoop Crack - crux

Jam, step up left, reach, rock over.
Then...
Retreat and let today's go-to climber finish the crux sequence with a high stepping rockover back right.


BP on the finishing wall on Louisiana Rib,
A delicate full value VS4c.
The bold middle third protected on the right by a big bong, a large wire and a good friend.  Still quite bold!







Amazon Crack

Tough start

Great gear all the way


Padding up Right Twin Chimney
Good gear coming

Heaven Crack to left, then Louisiana Rib
Climber(?) still on Hell Crack, (using gear for aid) after we had topped out, coiled rope, walked off, racked off, packed up, snacked up, and walked out

Mr P can't believe how smug it feels to see the guy struggle!

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Limestone Trauma

11th April
Full team out at 
Twistleton Scars
Christine (D)
Skeleton Scoop (VD)
Night Club (VD)
Supreme White (S)
Left Hand Crack (NB)
Hand Jam Crack (S) (BP) - no further takers!
Some pretty tough routes at those grades.

Full body jamming routine






BP high on Supreme White

A very fine line


Hand Jam Crack

Jams in fine;

Moving up is still to figure out...

So goes down as a DNS



More pics possibly  here

Tuesday, 1 April 2014

Clocks forward

And after 4 days of eastish gloom the sun has finally broken through
Daffs and blossom out, hedge on way.

Mamba Sun

31st March 2014
East Raven Crag Langdale
Mamba S4a (NB)
Jingo VS4b (AT)
Speckled Bad VD (NB) RH start
Watson Wall MVS 4b (AT)


Ullswater
moods



After a Jingo jangle, NB follows up with some serene climbing on Speckled Band.

Big bong belay for LH routes

Less so at Watson Wall.....
30m route plus 17m up grass to spike belay, resulting in a good plot for a Janet and John story.

"....Andy says he's safe
Norm says that's him
I wonder what they will do next?....."

Postscript:
Clip of someone on Jingo here
(They think it's Speckled band however!)
I went a bit further left into the pale niche
(upper left of frame at 9m 24 seconds in)
Good gear there phewnally!