Whitestone Cliff!

Went to whitestone cliff with Jake Hampshire. Probably one of the most impressive crags on the moors, the highest at around 30 metres and the loosest! (bar pickering woods) We started off leading gauche which is a good route.

Then, I led night watch which is one of the best routes ive done, definately one of the best chimney/cracks in the country.

Bomber Cam

Then Jake lead 'Frigg' which is also a good route. All in all a pretty good day, climbing on classic cheese on the best crag in the country :)

Oak crag, Mountain rescue and castleton rig quarry

Two days later, I went for an early seshion at ravenswick, jake puting up two problems. The, later that day, I ended up going back to oak crag, this time with matt. We soloed one or two routes including captain birdseye, the fantastic slab. Then, after various happenings, we had to call the mountain rescue and the R.A.F. sea king, thankfully it was a false alarm.

So after that, we went over to castleton rig, soloed a few things and managed to solo the face at english 6a which felt hard in wet conditions!

Attempting the face earlier this year.

Oak crag - a day soloing

Recently ive been quite psyced for soloing so oak crag was on the cards with joe paxton. After running down from blakey with my stuff, dropping it off at the crag and then running into farndale to meet joe, we spent the day soloing many of the routes at the crag, including captain birdseye, one of the best slabs on the moors.

In the end i was quite happy with my tally of routes having soloed quite a few hvs's some vs's and various others.

I also found a short steep pinnacle, now known as 'the old sheep butress', (due to the dead sheep found in a cave behind the pinnacle) found right of blakey butress, and put up a few routes on the front face, all around vs.

Quite psyced to get on the e2 there though!

Lakes Trip - Borrowdale - shepherds crag - Quayfoot Butress and Wodens face

After an offer of a lift to the lakes and back from Jakes dad, we arrived in borrowdale for our first time climbing in the lakes. First day we headed to shepherds crag to try some of the well known lines. We began climbing at around 9 am, first route, the uber classic, little chamonix which was probably the longest route either of us had done. The climbing is good and quite exposed in places, thankfully we started early and were the first ones on the route.

Jake leading pitch two.

Jake seconding the last pitch.

We also climbed several superb routes on brown slabs, one inparticular of which i though was better than 'little chamonix'. 'Brown slabs arete' climbs in the best position of the butress, with the least polished rock, the best climbing and the best position. Its certainly best climbed in one full pitch of around 40 odd metres.

Jake leading brown slabs arete.

At the top of brown slabs

Top of brown slabs

I then lead brown slabs face with a dirct finish, good but not as good as the arete.

jake seconding the direct finish.

We also decided, despite its ease, that we may aswell climb jackdoor ridge which we did and soloed the majority. still a good route but quite escapable.

After this i decided it was probably time to get on something harder so i tried an E1 to the left and failed rather misserably.

So then i went on to try 'Why not' which is the most appauling route i have ever tried and should never ever be climbed by anyone ever in the universe ever again.

Then jake had ago at 'Derision groove' but then got scared and so down climbed half the route.

Then I had a go and after much troubles in the hot weather with sweaty hands and the odd hold and loose spike breaking off, i dispatched the route!

Then, to finish off we climbed brown slabs (after evil top ropers had finished) which made a good end to our 12 hour epic of a climbing day!

Then we returned to the campsite for noodles.

DAY 2

We awoke to another sunny day despite the forcast and after looking at ther large crag above the campsite and desiding it was well scary, we walked to quayfoot butress and did a really good but easy multipitch, about 60 metres in length. When we decended we thought we had been climbing on the crag with only one other party but we arrived at the bottom to find multipull groups climbing with ropes crossing and a general mix of climbing hazardary.

So off we went to wodens face which was abit of a poor crag but finised off the trip quite well with some nice slab climbing.

Then, as jake seconded the final climb, he dropped the camera out of its case, we lost the battery and madaged to take an abstract photo.

Danby Headpointing

On sunday I headed over to 'the other side' to meet 'hang-over' and 'polish?' to see what the beans was a Danby Crag. Franco had been telling me about his new aretes he had found at the crag and reckoned i'd have a chance on some of them?! First, Dave got on his wall project, 'The Polish Diplomat' (H4/5)E5 6a/b.

Then I attempted to second it......

And failed.

Then, I had a go at 'Jungle drum', (H4)E5 6a/b which I found easier.

Franco on the hard rockover.

Hopefully I'll be able to lead it next time after I linked it second go on shunt, which feels really good considering I didnt think i would be climbing anywhere near this grade for a while get, even headpoint.

Franco went to shunt one of his arete projects and i lead valiant, the classic 'VS 4c' more like a mild HVS 5a.

Then, to finish off the day, we had a go at top-roping the uterly deperate 'blunt arete' project which features easier laybacking into a 6a/b move and finally into a 7a?+ dyno for the finishing edge...... No wonder we couldnt do it!

Good day, Danby is where the British trad scene is at right now though!

Peak Scar Epics

On thursday and friday, I went to Peak scar with Jake Hampshire to get in some more practice with longer routes ready for the lakes. I started up Jordu.

After a few more leads we decided to head out on the 10 pitch girdle traverse.... 'Muligan Mania'

Jake looking happy on the traverse.....

Overall, we were on the wall for a few hours befor we finished up 'Jam with Sam' when it started to pour down.

After this, we were joined my Matt Capsey who lead birdland direct. Then I lead solitude placeing 4 bits of gear in 25 metres, plus a comedy hex in a tree route......

We bivid at the top of the crag and the next day, woke up to good weather and bacon.

Jake lead solitude, placeing a similar amount of gear, and then I started up 'wings' but ended up forging my own way up, creating a new variation first pitch. I belayed on the block under 'BBC' which has to the best belay on the crag with views to bilsdale. Jake lead the second pitch but 'forgot' the intended line stepped leaft at the top, avoiding a large ovehang, which Jake attemted to climb. The first time, he fell off, but after a bit of encouragement, he succeeded, making our new route variation - 'Freebird' VS 4c *** which takes in some of the best positions on the crag and you have to cut loose right at the top, with 90 feet of thin air below your feet.

Overall it was a pretty good trip, with some great climbing and a new route done.

clemmits failure, camp hill success

Last saturady, I was kindly offered a lift by two of the hull crew, James Oakes and Billy Lawrence. The plan was clemmitts crag. When we arrived, we started on the nice slabs, after that we went up to fryup wall but the recent rain had taken its toll and seepage was appearing. Then we went to the traverse on the ground force block which was also damp. After that we went down to 'sam's slab' where much banter was exchanged about me looking fat in the picture of me on my route.

After this, we went over to camp hill, i did my usuall easy solos and then soloed tempest again, a really good route and a sand bag at VS 5a. Also, i managed to onsight the direct start of cling wrap up to the flake which goes at 6a which i was pretty pleased about. Then we went below the crag to try a dyno and i tried another problem which i promtley fell off on, scraping much of the skin from my shin onto a rock below......

Overall it was a good day featuring much injury.