Here comes the warm rock...

April 29th
Shepherds Crag
Brown Slabs Face (NB)
Brown Slabs Crack (Original) (AT both pitches)
Brown Slabs Arete - Right Side (PM)

Made the most of the one sunny day this week
Three big single(*) pitches - one each
Plan involved other routes but those slabs are magnetic!
Lots of fine open and low stress climbing - just the job!
In good company (chatted with Paul Ross - 1st ascent "Adam" and "Conclusion" - both 1955)

Brown Slabs
Big lump on left

NB going well

PM feels the warming rock

AT in fine position on the scoop before the delicate traverse back to the tree belay.

The 4c line follows the leaning crack and glassy rock immediately right
(one of these days...)

This option more like 4a

NB romps it

Looking back across to the thin finger traverse

An eyrie little spot
(*) took belay, seemed logical

Leading out on P2

PM heads arete-wards

Looked at CDM
Too weary for a pumpy route

Looked at Ant Highway, started to rain
Decamped to the H&F.....

Tesselations by Derwentwater

Paul Ross leading on Kern Knotts

1954

(c) Paul Ross UKC

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

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

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

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!

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

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!