Tuesday, the weather was crap so me and Daf had a walk around Burbage North and Froggatt in search of dry rock, and to have a better look at some routes at Froggatt as i've never been there!! There is so much to do there and can't wait for a proper trip. Unfortunately we couldn't find much dry so we bailed to the ever-dry Stoney Middleton (again, new for me) which has been the home of hard eliminate bouldering since the 70s! Meaning it's rediculously polished - an advantage today as it meant i could try hard and keep what little skin i had left on my tips! We started by making up some of our own problems for a warm up and then looked at the guide for some of the classic eliminates. We did the Easy Dynos (ungraded in guide, about Font5+) and Lucian's Undercut Font7a, and flashed the unnamed Font 6c+ variation on it. Then I did another variation Zippy's Sidepull Font7b+ (A NEW PERSONAL BEST!! :D) which only took about 20 minutes! I really like this place! By now it was getting dark, so we got the headtorch out and continued playing :) Daf did The Double Double Font6c, a classic double dyno problem.
Wednesday, someone fixed the weather! :) We headed to Curbar where we warmed up on a few easy problems on the trackside boulder, then i managed Trackside Font7a, the classic of the boulder involving slapping up an arete and rocking onto a high heel in the bottom of a crack 2nd go! :) Daf had to try it the tall person method which looked harder and not as nice a sequence.
Then we moved over to Gorilla Warfare Font7a, another great problem, which only took about 3 tries :) There is a variation on the finish of Gorilla Warfare, Early Doors Font7a+. As it's a sort of traverse, I could try the different finish moves in isolation and did them 1st go, but even after about 4 tries i failed to link it from the start - just missing the top crimp by a few centimetres each time! Then I did the striking highball arete unnamed Font6b onsight.
Then we went to do some routes on the main edge, i was really wanting revenge on the classic L'Horla E1 5b which when i tried it ages ago spat me off due to frozen hands (1st trad fall??). This time it was much more fun! Then we both onsight soloed Pretty Face E1 5b, and Daf lead Grey Face VS 5a. Then i tried to onsight solo Plaything which had the crux at the top and gave me a very scary couple of minutes as I couldn't continue up or down! In the end i managed to escape into the wide chimney on the other side of the arete... SHIT!! I decided to boost my confidence again by soloing the much easier (and much better) Bel Ami VS 4b, which gives nice laybacking up to a midheight stance and an exposed climb up the tower, to give a proper summit top out. Half way up the layback (a little green) both my feet slid down unexpectedly, almost spitting me off. Another scare! On a 4b?! I think thats enough for today... I belayed Daf up the (apparently) superb Peapod HVS 5b but it was almost dark and i still didn't feel up to climbing, so he abbed back down to stip the gear.
Wont be soloing again for a while i think! Will stick to bouldering and sport climbing, with some safe trad.
My fingers are very pink!! I've got two rest days to look forward to :) No excuses for doing no revision, i was only supposed to have 1 week off!
Matt
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Monday, 15 December 2008
Cratcliffe / Robin Hood Stride
Went to Robin Hood Stride on Sunday, conditions were pretty poor, but probably the best in the Peaks!!
Did most the routes on the boulder by itself at the back, including both sides of a classic chipped arete (Font5, 6b) and the tenuous slab next to it Font7a. Then went to Cratcliffe to play about on the slabs with no hands! A good laugh!
Monday i went back to the Stride to try I Can't Remember the name!! E5 6b on a top rope, did all the moves but the last, but it was in rubbish condition and there was better stuff to try. So went over to the 7a slab i did yesterday as Ben wanted to try that. Much better condition!! I did that again and the nice arete. Then we went over to Razor Roof Font6c (+ I think!). Brilliant little problem on sharp crimps with a dyno for the top. Ben got it static! Good effort! Then i tried the Font7a+ link up into it, which i should have got - i fell off the last (easier) moves :( next time, its worth going back to!)
We then headed over to T-Crack Font7b which i got a lot a lot further on than i have previously. Might have that one this winter...
Matt
Did most the routes on the boulder by itself at the back, including both sides of a classic chipped arete (Font5, 6b) and the tenuous slab next to it Font7a. Then went to Cratcliffe to play about on the slabs with no hands! A good laugh!
Monday i went back to the Stride to try I Can't Remember the name!! E5 6b on a top rope, did all the moves but the last, but it was in rubbish condition and there was better stuff to try. So went over to the 7a slab i did yesterday as Ben wanted to try that. Much better condition!! I did that again and the nice arete. Then we went over to Razor Roof Font6c (+ I think!). Brilliant little problem on sharp crimps with a dyno for the top. Ben got it static! Good effort! Then i tried the Font7a+ link up into it, which i should have got - i fell off the last (easier) moves :( next time, its worth going back to!)
We then headed over to T-Crack Font7b which i got a lot a lot further on than i have previously. Might have that one this winter...
Matt
Friday, 12 December 2008
Projects!
On tuesday, i headed up to Shining Cliff again and threw a rope down Gecko Blaster E7 6c. The route follows a right to left traverse before going over a small overlap (crux) then a balancy but not too difficult wall above. There is a boulder problem direct start Moo Cow Font7a+, but the start and route have not yet been linked.
I've almost done all the moves on the route. I have a sequence for the crux, but hurt my ankle just after i worked it out, so had to call it a day. I had a good look at gear - it's SHITE!! The only pro is a small cam in the (brittle) overlap, but i can only get half the cam in... :(
Wednesday (rest day), I went to Black Rocks to check out the gear on Fun Traverse E4/5 6b. It's fairly well protected :) but with an exciting swing - helmet! Cleaned it up a bit, although it wasn't in bad condition. Hope to lead it on sunday!
Thursday, i visited Shining Cliff again. There was a line which had looked interesting for a while, Brian E2 5b, so decided to try and solo it. The first part is straightforward, then there is a long reach for the top with feet on smears! Bugger... Downclimbed halfway and ticked the best smears i could see. Try again. Committing! And it looks a lot higher from up here than it did from the floor!! Downclimbed once more. "If that was well protected you'd piss it!! Get a grip!". One more go... Fingertips curl over the top - it's a jug!! :) Quick mantle and its over, with a stressed dog to greet me! Onsight solo :) Warm up?! Looking at this route later on the internet, description: "For the tall only!" Haha, i should do more research...
Then went to try Moo Cow. Hard!! After about 30 mins work i managed to get off the ground... After an hour i could get off the ground and go for the next hold, but couldn't hold it... Might not try the link up after all... Certainly going to try and get Gecko Blaster, at least on a top rope.
Today, rest day - my tips need some recovery time!!
Matt
I've almost done all the moves on the route. I have a sequence for the crux, but hurt my ankle just after i worked it out, so had to call it a day. I had a good look at gear - it's SHITE!! The only pro is a small cam in the (brittle) overlap, but i can only get half the cam in... :(
Wednesday (rest day), I went to Black Rocks to check out the gear on Fun Traverse E4/5 6b. It's fairly well protected :) but with an exciting swing - helmet! Cleaned it up a bit, although it wasn't in bad condition. Hope to lead it on sunday!
Thursday, i visited Shining Cliff again. There was a line which had looked interesting for a while, Brian E2 5b, so decided to try and solo it. The first part is straightforward, then there is a long reach for the top with feet on smears! Bugger... Downclimbed halfway and ticked the best smears i could see. Try again. Committing! And it looks a lot higher from up here than it did from the floor!! Downclimbed once more. "If that was well protected you'd piss it!! Get a grip!". One more go... Fingertips curl over the top - it's a jug!! :) Quick mantle and its over, with a stressed dog to greet me! Onsight solo :) Warm up?! Looking at this route later on the internet, description: "For the tall only!" Haha, i should do more research...
Then went to try Moo Cow. Hard!! After about 30 mins work i managed to get off the ground... After an hour i could get off the ground and go for the next hold, but couldn't hold it... Might not try the link up after all... Certainly going to try and get Gecko Blaster, at least on a top rope.
Today, rest day - my tips need some recovery time!!
Matt
Monday, 8 December 2008
Black Rocks
Got an early cold and soggy start to today at Black Rocks, where the hell did this cloud come from?!!
Threw a top rope on Fun Traverse E4 6b. I have tried this ages ago but hadn't even done all the moves, today i got it 1st go! Despite being unable to feel my fingers, which is good as it means in good conditions the lead should go really smoothly :) Can't wait to lead this one - it too has a hands off rest, but on a more impressive scale! It's fairly safe, but with big swing potential! Called fun for a reason ;)
After top roping Fun Traverse the only other dry route we fancied was Gaia E8 6c a famous amazing bold groove. We decided that feeling in our fingers would be more important for that one ;) so headed to The Face, the climbing wall in Wirksworth - which turned out to be a good idea since we were able to feast on chips :) and it started raining soon after...
Better weather forecast tomorrow :)
Matt
Threw a top rope on Fun Traverse E4 6b. I have tried this ages ago but hadn't even done all the moves, today i got it 1st go! Despite being unable to feel my fingers, which is good as it means in good conditions the lead should go really smoothly :) Can't wait to lead this one - it too has a hands off rest, but on a more impressive scale! It's fairly safe, but with big swing potential! Called fun for a reason ;)
After top roping Fun Traverse the only other dry route we fancied was Gaia E8 6c a famous amazing bold groove. We decided that feeling in our fingers would be more important for that one ;) so headed to The Face, the climbing wall in Wirksworth - which turned out to be a good idea since we were able to feast on chips :) and it started raining soon after...
Better weather forecast tomorrow :)
Matt
Sunday, 7 December 2008
1st day of the holiday - a good one!
The start of a 4 week attack on the peak grit started today - im home! ;)
Me and Sam went to Shining Cliff, my most local crag, which still has a major project! The aim of the trip was headpointing - which i've wanted to do properly for a while, as my trad onsight grade is higher than my headpoint grade!
My target was the ultra-bold stunning arete of Lazy Day E5 5c.
Me and Sam went to Shining Cliff, my most local crag, which still has a major project! The aim of the trip was headpointing - which i've wanted to do properly for a while, as my trad onsight grade is higher than my headpoint grade!
My target was the ultra-bold stunning arete of Lazy Day E5 5c.
I had toproped this before as a warm up for my attempt on the project, and had onsighted it then - so hopes were already high :) Today i threw a rope down it and, again cruised to the top. Gear-wise though, things are not so simple! The route is about 20m high and the first reasonable gear comes at about 17m... and the 5c climbing starts about 3m up and ends at the top! I found a sandy little pocket at about 12m which i managed to fiddle a small microwire in - i doubt it would have held a fall though :s At the good(ish) gear i found a sneaky hands off rest! Which certified the 3 stars it gets! The last few metres go through a small roof and crack, adding some variation to the route :D
Superb route and the best start to the holiday i could have asked for!
And congrats to Sam, who got his 1st E1, a lovely route up a groove with spaced small wire protection, the bonus of course being that the 1st ascentionist is a friend!
Matt
Monday, 1 December 2008
Weekend bouldering on the grit!
Went home for a weekend bouldering on the grit with Dafydd, got home friday afternoon and was planning on a headtorch session at Cratcliffe... Was really looking forward to it as i want to do the classic campus problem Jerry's Traverse Font7b, and a Font7a+ link up next to Razor Roof. I had been feeling a bit ill all day and had to concede that it wasn't a good idea to go out... Gutted! I went to bed to try and recover for tomorrow... (Difficult considering this was the weekend the boiler finally died - not heating or hot water! )
Failed. Still bloody ill! I decided to go out climbing anyway, I didn't want to bore Daff (or me!) by sitting around indoors all weekend... We went to meet Tim at the Roaches and decided that the spring boulders looked good (this turned out to be a bad idea as we took the dog and it was muddy!). The Roaches must have been one of the best crags to be at in the peaks on saturday! there was an inversion in the valley, which we were not far above and the conditions were perfect for some friction climbing. I had my eye on C3PO Font7a, a balancy and technical pebble pulling slab, supposedly one of the best slabs in the peaks. Took a while! This was the only route I did saturday! Found it very hard for the grade, looking on UKClimbing afterwards it gets V7 (=Font7a+) and gets a English tech grade of 6c, which i think is my first on rock :) time well spent. Got some cool photos of Daff and the sunset too. Home for curry :)
Sunday - feeling a bit better! So got a reasonably early start up to Stanage. With a stop in Outside of course! Bought some Moon Cypher trousers (£50!!! "it's an xmas present to myself" :)). First route of the day was Rotor Font6c onsight :) Then moved over to Spur Slab area, retroflashed the reasonably nice Spur Traverse Font6c+, and did Right Spur Font6c 2nd go :) Went to show Daff Satin Font7a - which is easily the most brilliant slab route i've ever done, he got some cool photos but didn't have a lot of skin left at this point :( I had one go on Pressure Drop Font7c which is a similar problem just left of Satin. It looks brilliant and I would love to spend more time on it this winter! Home for roast dinner! :)
Brilliant weekend :)
Matt
Failed. Still bloody ill! I decided to go out climbing anyway, I didn't want to bore Daff (or me!) by sitting around indoors all weekend... We went to meet Tim at the Roaches and decided that the spring boulders looked good (this turned out to be a bad idea as we took the dog and it was muddy!). The Roaches must have been one of the best crags to be at in the peaks on saturday! there was an inversion in the valley, which we were not far above and the conditions were perfect for some friction climbing. I had my eye on C3PO Font7a, a balancy and technical pebble pulling slab, supposedly one of the best slabs in the peaks. Took a while! This was the only route I did saturday! Found it very hard for the grade, looking on UKClimbing afterwards it gets V7 (=Font7a+) and gets a English tech grade of 6c, which i think is my first on rock :) time well spent. Got some cool photos of Daff and the sunset too. Home for curry :)
Sunday - feeling a bit better! So got a reasonably early start up to Stanage. With a stop in Outside of course! Bought some Moon Cypher trousers (£50!!! "it's an xmas present to myself" :)). First route of the day was Rotor Font6c onsight :) Then moved over to Spur Slab area, retroflashed the reasonably nice Spur Traverse Font6c+, and did Right Spur Font6c 2nd go :) Went to show Daff Satin Font7a - which is easily the most brilliant slab route i've ever done, he got some cool photos but didn't have a lot of skin left at this point :( I had one go on Pressure Drop Font7c which is a similar problem just left of Satin. It looks brilliant and I would love to spend more time on it this winter! Home for roast dinner! :)
Brilliant weekend :)
Matt
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