Rosedale Ramblings

Last saturday I biked up to Rosedale by my self. Recently its been a bit of a dissapointment as theres been barely anyone to climb with due to their revision for exams. The other reason includes certain climbing friends becoming rather obsesive about cricket.......

So I went to a 'small' venue that me and Lee Robinson discovered and which I have been developing. Infact, it turns out to be 'not so small' and actually has quite a large range of highball and low ball bouldering. Lee and James Rennardson had already added a few more problems after our first folly which were all good quality. There problems include, 'The slot' 'The iron prow' and a few more on the 'great slab' and 'the slot block' After repeating some of their problems, I added a lip traverse into hard mantle, sevral no hands problems, more problems on the slot block and opened up a new slab.

Note: there are also some very hard, short problems, one of which is a massive 40 degree over hanging dyno, high 7's into low 8's??

Ravenswick - the wet weather gym!

After about 1 month or more of perfect weather, the rain has come so recently I've been getting across to ravenswick for some training seshions which it must me said is distinctly better than going paying £5 for indoor climbing and it gets your climbing better much much faster.

After ticking franco's problem, 'the condor' my first font 7a Ive been keen to add a few more problems to the curcuit. One of which was 'continuity error' which goes at around SSfont 6b. It envolves strenous dinamic moves to a dyno/lunge/rockover at the top on what are probably the best holds on the wall. There is also a harder project that will prbably be around font 6c+, could be harder, could be easier.

I've also been doing a bit of soloing. I went for a seshion with Joe Paxton and Rory Stead and we soloed various routes between moderate and VS 5a. The one I enjoyed most was probaly the one of least quality but I have to say it was definately comicle. The route was, 'The gutter' which involves bridgeing and jamming up a conner crack. Then you exit via the exit 'chimney' which consists of conglomerate 'soil' infused with the odd boulder or rouble. The chimney has to be thruched and as i exited, I was covered top to toe in mud, but it was fun! Its also pretty certain to say I caused a minnie landslide and as we returned a week later there was a pile of 'rouble' on the floor below. The other memorable experience was attempting to solo 'Franco's wall' E2. There was no one else there and it had been raining most of the morning. I started off up fairly well untill just above the middle section. I sort of lunged for a jug which subsequently fell off, pulling several other rocks down with it. So I landed with a little thud and then a showering of mud and rocks. Taught me not to soloing stuff in the rain at ravenswick!

One other impressive solo to note is the large arete on the left of the alcove which was soloed by Jake Hampshire by ascending the right hand wall first. It was pretty bold and quite impressive as we turned around and found Jake teetering up the final slab not having realised he'd left the ground!

Clemmit's, Camp hill and Stormy hall

Last week-end was the betaguides moors meet. On saturday I headed up to clemmits and met Lee, Mark and Aiden along with some of their friends and were later met by Steve Ramsden and James Oakes.We uncovered yet more boulders producing more good problems. The next day me and Jake headed up with going to camp hill in mind to try my groove. We were given a lift by James and his friend so we decided to head down to clemmits first to check out the action. I tried my project, the sit start to 'A seal of aproval' but its still desperate. Probably above 7b+, a grade I have not nearly reached yet!

After the that we trudged back up the hill and met Luke Hunt and his friends who apear to have been a right moors shredding session!

Then we carried on to camp hill where Jake made the second ascent of 'On edge' Font 6a+ ** which he was pretty pleased with. Then we headed up to the main crag where Jake onsighted tempest, given VS 5a but most certainly HVS as there is no real gear. Then I also lead after. There is also 'Ace of winds' which is a must to go back for.

However, what i'd really gone for was my groove. First, Jake made the second ascent of 'Avoiding the truth' HS 4c * which i made the first ascent of last week. Then I got back on  the groove attemting it ground up, but it is truly desperate (especially in the direct heat) to get inot the groove - seems to need a weird sequence. So we sacked that one off yet again for another day. Then I had a go at the big roof on top rope which feels suprisingly do-able although I didn't link the moves.

After that we 'power trudged' to stormy hall. It's a place i'd only ever paid a 30 second visit to in the rain and I only got to see the body torque block which looked pretty good! When we arrived we found some pretty cool highballs/solo's on quarried sandstone with some boulders below. There was also a big juggy over hanging burtess which I dispatched. I reckon about font 5+ if you escape right once holding the top. And maybe 6a+ direct. Then we did some short solo's on the high butresses to the leaft of body torque above a bloody steep landing! Then we went down to the lower boulders where there are some alright roofs into slabs and lip traverses.

To be fair its the shortest walk in ever but theres a lot of littler about and a mogority of the climbs are fairly medeocre in my opinion. But its still worth a visit in passing. Maybe i'll go back some time and see if i'm wrong and maybe the litter problem is just recently and just dissaprear soon!

Appologies for slagging off stormy hall a bit but i didnt have the best of visits.

And been as i feel a bit guilty now, here's a picture from Steve Ramsden pf him on his superb 'Body Torgue' font 7b+

Anyway, its still clear that there's stacks leaft on the moors to be climbed. Psyched!