Thoughts on 2011 and ideas for 2012

A busy Christmas holiday, the winter trip and plenty of school work has meant that I've not had chance to write about 2011 or what I want to do in 2012. I began leading in January last year, having previously soloed, and top roped about a bit. When I began lead climbing I felt like I'd become a proper climber. Despite the fact I'd already soloed routes, this whole new seriousness made me feel like I'd reached a new level. I began well, being able to climb the odd very short VS, but on attempting moors HVS', they never did go well. Occasionally a ridiculous idea would pass through my mind that I would be able to climb e3 if I went to almscliff... But essentially, I always thought that moors HVS would defeat me, and this was my aim for the next year. Sooner than I thought we were in the peak district, climbing VS solidly with the odd HVS. I began to boulder quite alot with Lee, but it was only the more highball, almost soloing problems that really interested me. Soon enough, me and Jake we bumbling up the easy routes at shepherds crag, and the next thing we knew, we were climbing on the sea cliffs in jersey, and I felt confident at HVS and managed to climb my first E2! With E1 being a rare grade in the moors, I seem to have rarely climbed at the grade regularly until just recently.

With Franco and Dave back in the moors for the summer, I quickly improved, and with the inspiration (an over used word in my opinion) from their hard ascents at Danby Crag, I was able to climb Warrior E2 at high crag. By this time I was beginning to feel even 'quite experienced' and we would often get comments at crags outside the moors about our age. One thing that's for sure is that climbing walls and some climbing media is ruining climbing. Climbing walls can make you strong (though not like ravenswick can) and teach you moves, but it cant help you read the rock. If you only climb indoors and can climb f7a you wont do warrior.

During the summer, the moors youth team was also formed, consisting of Myself, Jake, Rory, Matthew and Jack. I can't wait for the next few years, I hope great things are to come!

Not much of significance happened during the autumn, but I was able to reflect in the years superb exploits and the great memories I had.

Recently, I feel like I've again stepped up another level. I feel like I'm climbing better a bit more regularly, perhaps because I've now got a moped so can get out whenever I like.

This next year I want to do even more climbing! We're heading to the peak district in a few weeks, but more importantly, I cant wait for this next year in the moors! That I hope shall be promising too. I want to go to Skye, the lakes and north wales, and maybe plan some mad trip abroad by myself...

The Cairngorms - my first winter trip!

This has to have been one of the best, if not the best climbing trip I've been on so far! We set off on Friday night to bivi in the cairngorms ski car park.

The first morning we awoke to quite appalling weather, with winds of 50mph and gusts of 70mph.

It was 5 in the morning, and me and Matt were sat in the car, having had enough of the wind! I'd already tried sleeping in the open glenmore lodge van parked next to us. The, as the winds whistled its tune louder, the doors swung open. In popped the glum looking face of John. "Shit" he said. "good sleep" said Matt. "My fucking therma rest blew away". Matt and John then quickly strode off into the dark, whilst I spent 15 minutes laughing hysterically to myself.

Anyway, after some deliberation, we decided to go for a slightly revised version of our original plan, due to avalanche risk being considerable. We walked up towards the corries, other groups also on their way, battling their way through the weather.

With visibility low, after a while we had to get the map out. John had spent his previous day at work carefully printing and laminating maps of the cairngorms. "Shall I hold your glove?" I asked. "So it doesn't blow away" chuckling to my self. He passed me his glove. He pulled out the map. "SHIT" he shouted. The map blew away down the hill back toward the Aveimore. Off he ran, but he never caught it up!

Eventually we reached the fiacaill ridge, grade two, my first winter route! We soloed the first section, and then simulclimbed the second in two pitches, the second pitch of which I led.

Getting to the top was a superb feeling. My first winter route! Yes! It wasn't over yet though. On the top, visibility was terrible! Anyway, after some impressive navigation from the rest of the team (whilst I stood there and grinned about the fun I was having) we found the way down, back to the car park, and the Italian for food, blacks for a new pair of socks and coop for a daily telegraph to dry my boots out.

John. - Hard man.

The next day we awoke to much better conditions. We walked up to Corie an t'sneachda and split into to teams, Me with Matt and John with Craig. Me and Matt set off up Aladdin's mirror to try the direct. Stupidly, we had decided to leave the ice screws in the car! so we opted for the usual route and then into central gully thought in lean conditions in was grade two.

The second to last pitch was superb!

We descended down the goat track, and then climbed a variation first pitch to red gully which was grade three ice steps. We made it to the top in good time, with a lesson in winter belays and made the decent of the goat track.

I had read how to do self arrest in a book, and it always looked like a fun thing to do. Anyway, when we were going down the goat track, i stupidly decided to shut my eye because of the snow. My sights not brilliant, and in one eye its terrible. I tuck a step, and then, down I went! Whizzing along, I remember what to do. Amazingly, I managed to stop myself after about 30 metres, still holding onto my cadbury's dairy milk.

It was a thrilling end to a brilliant trip. A trip which will remain in my memory for a long long time.

I didn't even get beaten up!

Oak crag, Camp hill, Moor's best routes

Over the Christmas holidays I ventured to two of my favourite crags on the moors with Joe. We went to oak crag first, and after a slip, I managed Digimon, E1 a route Ive wanted to do since i took a ground fall on it, on my first day 'properly' climbing. (I didn't understand what e1 meant). Joe soloed a couple of Hvs' in good style and went on to try and lead Captain Birdseye, a terribly protected and superb crack and slab. He managed the crux, and after a bit off persuading, carried on above small rp's. nearing the top, he made a delicate rock over, but unfortunately his foot slipped. Down he flew towards the ever approaching ledge. I jumped back and caught him just in time, his last rp holding, just!

Joe doing a back flip.

A few days later we visited camp hill. I managed to solo cling wrap direct, E1. I thought I'd completed the clingwrap saga, but not until I'd soloed the best route on the buttress, latching that top hold on solo puts you in a whole new situation!

Recently I've talked to a few people about what they think the best routes in the moors are. Routes on the moors are totally different to routes anywhere else. The sand stone rock provided an array of bizarre moves, but also the atmosphere and bleakness in the valleys and on the ridges is unlike any found anywhere else.

So here are my top ten routes i've done on the moors:

10. If you're not flying, you're not trying.
9. Ace of winds
8. Ornithology
7. Valiant
6. Hari Kiri
5. Captain Birdseye - Perfect slabs are rare on the moors, but this is awesome!
4. Cling wrap direct - Moves which will only amaze, maybe not the best, but my favourite route in the moors.
3. Warrior - A truly amazing and inspiring feature, unlike anything Ive see before, one of the best E2's in the moors
2. The sphinx nose traverse - mint!
1. The nightwatch - amazing, and the best VS in the north!

So there you are! I'd like toy here your comments...

Pickering Woods and Peak Scar

Back in November, me Jake and Tom continued our exploits in Pickering woods. Despite the crags only being between 8 and 20 metres high, there's a significant feeling of adventure, mostly due to the horrifically loose rock (video to come). There are still many more lines left on the creeping buttress, but one stands out from the rest. The large roof was our target for this day. Jake first attempted to free the roof, but the roof proved difficult and he eventually secumed to aid.

A Strenuous Roof   VS 4b A1 We will no doubt come back and free the magnificent roof.

I noticed recently that various cretins on ukc complained at the fact that in our aid climbing video i was apparently belaying too far back, most definitely the most dangerous part of the ascent ahaha. and also unavoidable, do to the steep bank below the route and the fact that when rocks fall down, they hit you on the head. Anyway, during Jake's ascent we photographed my new belaying style.

The typical Pickering woods climbing lout.

I also went to peak scar recently, one of my favourite moors crags, with Rory and Matthew. We climbed a few routes which was cool including a superb ascent of ornithology.

Then we tried to climb the full traverse again as a three, which proved eventful, climbing pitches and realising we'd actually soloed them. Then we simulclimbed a few pitches, though we didn't really know what we were doing... We ended up abseiling off, then the rope got stuck, tried prusicking, failed, so soloed back up and freed them again. All in all, a good day.

Last weekend I met Matthew Ferrier at camp hill crag. Basically, this is just about my favourite crag on the moors! And although it lacks in size, the quality is amazing. If you're visiting the moors, and you want a bit of esoterica with some of the best climbing in the country, go to camp hill.

I still had a bit of unfinished business to do. I still hadn't done cling direct, or the direct start, nor had I done Ace of winds or anything on the pick pocket buttress.

We did Cling wrap direct and the direct start, which was really good to finally complete the 'cling wrap trilagy'.
Matthew soloed a few of the easier routes and then we climbing 'ace of winds'. This is the other route I'd really wanted to do for a long time.



Camp Hill seems to just be one of those crags which isn't particularly extensive (although there are several other brilliant smaller buttresses) but every line is classic. After this Dave Warburton rather unexpectedly turned up. He showed us a few of Mike Adams' new boulder problems, and then we went and had a go on the pick pocket buttress. Pick pocket, the central life still confuses me as to how on earth to climb it!

So all in all, a superb day at my favourite crag in the moors :)

Wainstones avec Jake and Matthew

We headed up for the steens yet again. Jake had his eyes set on leading concave wall, so after some puntering about he lead it in fine style. As he started, his dad turned up who immediately told him to
"Put some gear in son!"
"But there isn't any yet dad"
"Well sort it out!"
"But there isn't any till that break!"
"Oh, well don't fall off, hardest ascent those Ronny's have ever seen you know!"
Any way, once his dad's unhelpful wittering he got to the top.

I on the other hand didn't have such a productive day, I tried west sphinx direct, but ended up down climbing from the move into the break. I didn't really do much else, but the Matthew Ferrier turned up so we did a bit of bouldering on the slab. We had a pretty good time and did all of the problems on the slab, the hardest of which, the 6a, Jake managed before me so I was a bit pissed off, but never mind. All in all, all I managed was a solo ascent of central route but not to worry.

If you're not flying, you're not trying HVS 5b A2 video...