Twistling the Day Away

 27th April 2022

CB is on a limestone high, spent Tuesday on Giggleswick and once again followed the sun across the Pennines with AT at the wheel, driving past Viaductus Ribbulus for some more prime lime on the off-white walls of;

Twistleton Scar

Quite cold on arrival, air at about 7 degrees with a gentle but very cold NE breeze adding to the chill factor.   Got going straight away and soon after noon clouds parted and some solid rays brought ideal conditions.

Priority (VS 4c) 

CB goes for a good wire to help take care of the rather worrying moves up right across the polished hanging slab

Back in 2012 another climber ponders the line across the slab to where there are footholds that can be relied on.

Ten years have passed and it's still a gibber fest.

Talking of nerves CB seems to have none.

AT has some way to go to reach this level of confidence!

Especially as the doubled 30m rope needed a bit of stretch to reach safe landings.

As Duane Eddy used to say "The twang's the thang.!"

Belays all good

Two more routes up this sector

AT had started up this one (Angel Delight HS4b), and placed the gear, thought about the big move right.

But got cold feet and scooted up the left hand groove instead. (Cold Feet VD)

CB had no such worries with a fine finish to another excellent day.

Ingleborough dominates the skyline

Locals

Climbing at cruising altitude

Eden Valley Esoterica

 Wednesday 20th April

In keeping with an effort to avoid Easter hot-cross-spots, we continue the consideration of less well travelled venues, and stuck with the plan mooted in the Jet Miners last Friday.  So we travelled just over the Pennines into the Eden Valley.  A sylvan glade up above the river Lyvennet reveals numerous bays of rough limestone feature soaring cracks, corners and faces, taking its name from the nearby hamlet of;

Kings Meaburn

Also known as Jackdaw Scar and home of some of AT's early climbing escapades with JW and the Gman.  Last visited (briefly) with BP in 2009!  The pre blog-world!

Lovely dappled light creates a delightful atmosphere.

Rock dry and quite clean, some chalk in evidence here and there.  Perfect climbing conditions.

Not a soul about, tranquility rules.

Bay Rum at VD takes the obvious leaning corner, which is surprisingly steep (as are all the routes here).  The corner  is too big for any of our gear and other placements are hard to find.  Plenty of adventure at the grade then!

Archive picture looking down the route.  The big tree is now on the ground and has created some very useful benches for sorting gear, having coffee etc.

Image (c) abowland climber

Colin gets ready to tackle Ged (MVS4c) the compelling crack line on the adjacent wall.

Again very steep until the difficulties ease at 2/3 height.

CB efficient as ever

AT follows cleanly, excellent route.

(Photo-montage)

AT summoned up maxi-gumption to overcome the steep, bold and intimidating start of Kirsten Wall HS4b 

(otherwise a very nice route!)

Climber is on Scarlet  Lyvenett MVS 4b (will have to come back and do that one)

Image (c) abowland climber

 Then CB upped the ante to make a fine lead on Marik (pictured).

(H?) VS 5a.

Havnor (VS5a) is 4 metres left.  AT led some of it, then retreated unselfishly so CB could do the more exciting bit higher up.

Give Give Give!

Image (c) abowland climber

The Flake (HS 4b)

"A fine climb which requires a determined approach"

Colin had one of those handy so he led up it.

Leaving AT to finish on Percy Throwup (VD) after some serious gardening to reveal the holds buried under a carpet of ivy.  Had a bit of a gibber when a hold came loose.

Life's a beech

Lyvennet up!

Routes 5 and 6 worth a star

Park Nab Mob Job

 Good Friday April 15th

Today's choice driven by bank holiday factors, in particular avoiding traffic jams, parking pandemonium, and crag chaos.  Taking account optimum weather forecast, it seemed a good call to go for the relative obscurity of;

Park Nab

Arrived at about 10.15, no trouble parking but someone else had already had the same idea!  A couple of guys had rolled down from Chester le Street and beaten us to it.  But that was it for the day and they were good company so all-in-all a good call.

Welcome party laid on by the locals

CB sets out on the monster walk in

All of 10 minutes

The Durham crowd (the two of them) take on Zero Route

Moments before the leader kicked out the gear.

Kept going, not much option!

Cracked off  a few routes, all a bit of a struggle.

CB get's ready to belay AT up the always intimidating Twin Cracks.

Despite a trepidated mind-set and a bit of initial gibbering managed to complete the lead without too much drama.

Finished direct over the rocking capstone

CB after lunch on Pinnacle Crack Right Hand.

It's all in the name.

A tidy top rope by our companions for the day.

Hari Kiri Direct.

Long Bow led by CB, nearly finished off AT struggling on second.

L-R

Forked Cracks

Twin Cracks

Lady's Gully

Pinnacle Cracks (Left and Right)

Chockstone Chimney

Wall Bar Buttress

Long Bow 

The sun came out again so a trip to the Jet miners was just a small detour.

Note; D = Desperate

(all grades start from there)

NYM on a Whim

Saturday 2nd April

Incoming message from BP at 09.01 offering a session up on the NY Moors.  Replied with the GO-CODE at 09.06 and by 09.24 the fix was in.  An afternoon visit to the go-to crag of the decade;

Scot Crags Scugdale

Setting out from York and Darlington, the weather was glorious.  Swainby on the other hand was in its own microclimate, as is often the case.  The rope was out from the off, seemed sensible given the contradiction of bright sun and intermittent showers - rice-grain pellets of hard white sleet.  Persistence paid off as things got better and by 2pm all was optimal.  Warm rock, blue sky, no wind, and satisfying rock action.

AT ready for climb #3 as the weather improves.

Up to then it was a bit gnarly.

After wasting a few minutes trying to start Saints Wall, AT gave up praying and settled for a pleasant lead on Oak Tree Wall.

BP duly showed the way up the awkward start up SW, seen here with belay and matching beard.

At managed to get up Pets Corner without drama

Then BP got another entry in the dogbook, 

 .....with a steady lead up Pups Climb at 4b

The finishing moves are gratefully well protected after some thin moves above good gear where offsets rule.

Look at that sky, life's begun.

Woodpecker Wall has nothing going for all those wires and bongs cluttering AT's harness.  

But good friends come in handy, and the added gear adds weight to the training element.

Remus is always worth roamin' up

Towards 5pm conditions now near perfect for a few of the regular routes at the right hand end.

Rude not to.

Time to repair to the Black Horse for a sunny libation in the outside garden

Marvellous