Sunday Best

Sunday April 23rd
NYM calling.
A bit of regrouping to do after the somewhat sobering sport climbing fandango.
So best stick to what we know and love at....
Scot Crags (Scugdale)

Climbed in good company with TM and MT out for a training day with C.

A few quick ups and downs to get us going, then worked our way rightwards with a rope taking turns to lead.  As luck would have it that landed me three great routes along the way, Pet's Corner, Tooth and Nail (gulp) and Jack's Delight.   BP landed on Whippet Wall, Pingers and Gravity Wall.  Although the routes are quite short they are all packed with interest there is no bimbling about!

BP gets Oak Tree Wall in the bag

Don't think it gets much traffic

AT feeling right friendly on the brilliant Pet's Corner

  

First of three solid placements taking the bite out of Tooth and Nail

Avoided the dreaded left-foot bridge wimp-out to keep the grade hammered in near the top of 4b

A good jam unlocks the finishing crack

BP nails the poky start and reaches better holds

Nearly as steep as Winspit



Photo courtesy Tony M and a proper camera.

TM seems to belay in a bush

The fine fingery climbing of Pingers on the left

No gear

Nothing

Zilch

Another fine lead by BP

AT wishes for weightlessness moving above the good hold on Gravity Wall

A fluttery finish on the lead


Photo by TM with thanks








New style route grid courtesy BP
Nearly double the distance of the last Lakes trip
Good value!

Dorset Sport

17-18 April

BP in Dorset, AT in Hove.  Fairly simple train journey opens up a window into 2 days of climbing on the glorious Isle of Purbeck.

Day 1 BH Monday
Venues;
Hedbury Quarry just west of Dancing Ledge
Winspit - due South of  Worth Matravers
Three routes at Hedbury (see day 2 below)
Waited a while to get on a 6a but the bloke on it was spending forever trying to get to the third bolt.
No amount of "help" from his mates did any good
Go on Stu!
You can do it!
Just commit!
etc.
BP lost the will so we moved on to Winspit

 About 30 mins along the coastal path

 

 Arriving at Winspit
Tom's Patience (4+) highlighted and climbed
Climbers on Stone Mason (6a+)

BP gave it his all but it wouldn't go
Neither would Resin Devotion at 6a .......
 

 Weather improving at end of day's climbing

Stone Mason (red dot shows height of first clip!)

Tom's Patience (green arrow)

Back up to Worth Matravers for gentlemenly libation

Two pints of Moonlight (each!). Hit the spot!

Regroup and eat out with visiting neighbours.  Regale dutifully with Tales of Derring Do.

 Day 2
Tuesday morning bright with a chilly north east breeze

Leave Dawn's place (R) for trip to Dancing Ledge (quarry plus lower tier)

Dancing Ledge Quarry
AT basks in the glory of a clean 5+ lead (highlighted)
From there everything went pretty much to pants, BP backs off the next 2 routes at 6a and 5+
AT didn't trouble himself making any kind of effort whatsoever over and above belaying. All looked too hard and lairy.

The four top ropes on the lower tier were somewhat more amenable

Short walk to Hedbury Quarry to have another looky there


Repeated routes from Day 1 in much warmer weather
Moral Flexibility (5) on right
New Age New Style (5+)

Tethered by Gravity (4+)

The grade is a bit stiff once you know where the obscure holds are.

BP gets them again!

To finish off BP has a crack at
Goddamm Sexual Tyrannosarus (5c)
(Waited too long on day 1)

It was reported as "highly polished" ten years ago!

It still is.

By the end of day 2 we are getting the hang of orderly and honorable(?) retreats

Next stop.  PUB!

Will have to come back and do some proper climbing.  Trad?

Easter Coaster

13/4 - 20/4

Train trip down south

Good Friday - gone fishing
Well, shopping actually

Brighton is European, so they say

Blossom out back

New concourse coming together by the i360

No Hove trip complete without one of these














Nice Good Friday late liquid lunch at The Better Half

Easter Sunday Scooters and Geezer

Evening out at Terre a Terre cheers V a PPI special

Dorset bound 

Station to Station

All 20 of them

Rare

V750

Eldorado

1972

Parked on

Norton

Road!

Scusi!

Ground Control to Major Pollard

Great effort by the Connick Tree Care team

Once we'd got that stupid Smart car out of the way

New light floods into Flat 4.  Brilliant!

Itinary summary

Thursday - arrive - lift from V - thanks!
Aperros at Brooker
Friday lunch out at Better Half fish supper at 4th Ave
Saturday apperros at 4th Ave followed by take away Fatto a Mano
Sunday Terre a Terre
Monday - Dorset trip
Tuesday - IDD then Lewes, more Dorset - back for a take away Giggler
Wednesday - walkabout and aperros with P then Bankers!
Thursday - V lift to station and away!

Social Climbing

Sunday April 9th

The one day of summer heat in April arrived as promised by the Met-Men.  Taking no chances after Thursday's Eastby retreat - so headed for guaranteed shelter and sun on offer at;
Lawrencefield
Numerous groups already in action, after all it is a warm Sunday at a user friendly crag.  Plenty of chat about who's doing what next, mostly no problems getting on to the right routes.  Pretty noisy with persistent barking dog and overlapping climbing calls.  But a good venue as the wind got stronger through the day - the edges would have been wild.

Three Trees Route
HS 4b

Rather taxing.

The layback in the shadow above requires commitment


Usually avoided by devious moves up right.

Stop mincing about and get up there!

By 12.15 the sun was out on the slab

Along with the world and his wife
 
The lines of Limpopo Groove, Gingerbread and Meringue follow the corner, arete and crack in the left of this pic

All very different in style

Gingerbread
VS 4b

Delicate moves up to here, and more of the same higher up

The good news is there are 5 good nuts on the route......

The bad news goes without saying

Steady head, hands and feet holding it together for the last 15 feet or so












Climbers on Great Harry (left) and Suspense (E2 5c)

AT does his best to be the Boss on Nova (HS 4b)

Good gear and some thought provoking transitions between small ledges

BP gets the Power on Tyrone (VS 4c)

Limpopo Groove (VS 4b)

Dry and ungreasy for a change

BP gets 9 bomb proof wires in 10 metres

Here's one!


"There was so much gear.... if I came off  I''d have fallen upwards....."



* on top rope

To be played at maximum volume

Langstrath Corker

Saturday April 8th

Drive over to Keswick, catch 78 to Rosthwaite

Far from the swarms on the Lodore boardwalk, peaceful walking up the south east leg of Borrowdale
5.7 miles
Perfect weather

Lunch spot at Johhny House Bridge










View down the valley from Black Moss Pot

 Black Moss Panorama