A Quick One-Two down Borrowdale way.

 Thursday July 7th

Spent Wednesday pottering about and generally taking it easy after our Blockheads day out on Tuesday.  Early evening the phone pinged and CB made an offer I can't refuse, a quick there-and-back out west to the Bowderstone car park and the immediate crags of;

Wodens Face and Quayfoot Buttress

Four and six years respectively since the last contact with these two venues, so an early start to allow time for the multi-crag itinerary, and also an early finish to give CB time to regroup for his drive up to the Borders early evening.

National Trust Card saved a goodly sum

AT set a fairly high starting bar with a nervy lead on Blue Riband (HS4b - route 3 above)

CB followed with a solid romp up Wodens Face Direct (7) at VS 4c. The bulge is turned on the right with some devious footwork

Good practice for what's coming later......

Wimpy Way (S 4a #5) is always enjoyable and finished of an excellent morning.

A quick bite at the car park and on up to the still shady ramparts of Quayfoot Buttress to execute today's core mission

Mandrake HVS 5a.

AT has heard this route calling for a few years now.  

Time to answer it.

These days described as one pitch.

At 44m with a traverse it's a bit much

Opted for an old style 2 pitch effort.

CB arrives at the belay.  An exposed spot.

AT hanging belay facing in off a six point anchor.......

Pictures of P2 not possible from the belay

Taken from the top-out, the leader of the following team making the traverse to below the crux overlap.

Belayer just visible way below.

Photo-montage of CB near the same point

Source pic © Mark Glaister UKC

The following team dealing with the final crux moves.

AT opts to walk off whilst the following team ab-off down an odd line.

Back in the car park in good time for a swift half and home before 6pm.

What a day.

Cubism

 Tuesday July 5th

Seemed like a good day for another session on grit.  Set out a mission to get all the routes done on Cubic Block - one of the most user friendly sectors at;

Brimham Rocks

Today's 

play

ground

BP gets the mission under way on 

Great Slab (HVD)

AT enjoying ideal climbing conditions

Keeping track of gear used for each route

For file and future reference

Aim is to carry only required gear at any future visit.

And keep us amused.

Heather Wall (S 4a) has 2 cruxes

Getting of the ground and moving up to the second break

After that it's Romp City

The ab-off provided relief from the usual nervy descent down the LH side of the block.

BP at the crux of Cubic Corner

Out of reach move gets protected by a clip into the side rope.

Phew! (Last gear is well below feet)

Square Route is bold but steady.  Good gear arrives eventually

(as shown in pics 2,3,4,5 below)

Pic 1

Maloja belay anchor

Time for a quick walk up to Cannon Rock

BP finishes off a great day with a well protected lead of 

Maloja (VS 4c)

Gearfest for Maloja

In ascending order bottom to top

Cross referenced to spreadsheet....!!

Look North

Tuesday 28th June

A week is a long time in weather.uk.   Last  Tuesday was a bit of a blue sky boiler, add seven days and it's strong southerly winds and a high cloud cover.  So given how dry it's been there has to be the prospect of good conditions at the north facing moors classic venue of;

Raven's Scar

Just as planned all was quiet and still in the lee of the imposing dark facets stretching below the crest of Hasty Bank.  A quick confab and an amenable intro to the day led to tackling two variations on the steep walls and breaks of the Airlift monolith.

AT sets up for the airy finish

Belay all pre-arranged courtesy BP

BP took advantage of the pre-set belay and repeated the route

But starting a bit lower down at the bottom of the right right wall. 

Adds a lot to the intimidation factor.

Tumble Down Crack     (VS 5a) has been on the wish list for a while.

Good gear above but AT couldn't find the right moves to make much progress

Despite a combined effort the wish list is where it stays.

BP nearly got to the half way ledge (top left) but had to back off the precarious exit.

TM on this route

Attempted similar shapes but missed out of some holds higher up on the left.

Back on to the spectacular line of Forest Face (HS 4b)

The best route at the grade in the NYM

AT contemplates the moves up the steep undercut groove of En Passant (S 4b)

Turned into a bit of an arm stretching struggle.

Late lunch (protracted efforts on Tumble Down Crack) then BP took a turn on Waterslide (HS 4b)

In better shape than 4 weeks backl, plenty of chalk, a lot less gunge.

Nonetheless very good value

All today's belays in a superb setting

A bit of fun to finish off

Tumble Down Dick is better than it looks

Still not easy having a good time

Note

Route 3 is a DNF

selected

tracks

off

these

three

greats

Peak Pandemonium

 Tuesday 21st June

Just a month short of three years since and Peak District action, finally returned to the same venue as back in July 2019 before anyone had heard of SARS Covid-2.   Good to be back post-pandemic, all was peace and quiet until a bunch of veterans turned up mob-handed and pandemonium broke out.  After putting up with the continuous blather we thought of upping sticks to a nearby venue but said party moved on to Millstone.  Leaving us and another team back in the shady glades that grace the base of the quarried lines on;

Lawrencefield

Heat was building from the get-go, a steady pace and uncomplicated climbing was the order of the day.

Visitors from far afield (Norway and Gloucestershire) enjoying their Peak District debut.

Thanks for use of the ab chaps!

BP kicked our day off with this line (Snail Crack)

Here's the local gang givin' it welly lad!  It wuh reet gudd.

Soon after they headed away for "propuh clarmin" elsewhere.

Peace be with us

AT opts for a wander up Bole Hill.

An awkward mantel at mid height adds interest.

Meanwhile one of ATs shoes went mysteriously missing.

Found hanging off a Norwegian harness!  EH?

BP deals with awkward crux on Nova (HS 4b)

Thought provoking

AT starts the usual gear fest half way up Gingerbread.

Three wires and two cams take care of most of the rest of the route.

No room for error on the final moves.

Belay is bomb proof

Peak debutants going well on Excalibur VS 4c

Sustained climbing.

More sustained stuff.

Great Harry 0

Visitors 2

Floated up it.  Similar to the rock back home?

BP finishes off the day with a fine effort up the corner  of Limpopo Groove.

Hard moves to finish. 

(photo from April 2017)

Locals

Time to head for our own drinking hole.....