Staff @ Play Blog Category

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Cream

After the workshop, as we where at the crag and it was dry and we still had some daylight  it seamed a shame not to go climbing again.

Steve Long, one of the lads on the course Liam, and I headed off after the debriefs and climbed Cream – E4 5b, 5c, 6a

Liam lead the first pitch, I lead the second (E3 5c) one of the best E3′s I have had the pleasure to climb, and Steve lead the last crux pitch. A good effort to the lad as it was still a little damp from the early morning rain!

White Ghyll Abseil point

Kat and I headed op to White Ghyll and Kat lead Slip Knot VS 4a, 4b before getting rained off, well it had to happen at some point this summer!

There are many abseil points across the Lakes and they vary from good to just really unsightly.

Below is an example of the accumulation of new tat to back up old suspect tat and the old being left behind with a variety of either old rusting crabs maillions or chain left in place.

I will be replacing Ab Stations with new tat, taking away the old and leaving behind large stainless rings.

It is still the judgement of the climber to ensure the reliability of the anchor point and to ensure the tat is still in good condition before committing their life to it.

This is what one of the lower off’s at White Ghyll looks like now…

Gable Crag

Today Martin Ibbotson from High Times Mountaineering and I headed up to Gable for a crack at some harder routes…

A good early start meant that we where the first on the crag but not for long, the last count got up to 23 climbers!! just when we where saying how none of the routes looked like they had been climbed for a while and how no one climbs on high mountain crags anymore. All the routes on Gable  have been climbed recently now!!  Every climb on the Engineers Slab got climbed apart from Sarcophagus.

We did…

The Angle of Mercy E1 5a, 5b

The Tomb E2/3 4c, 5c, 5a

Snicker Snack E3 5c

Engineers Slab Vs 4c, 4c

[wpvideo iepsodvd]

The Wobbly Rock – Dow Crag

Now the last time I was climbing on Dow, Helen and I where chatting with a fella who was noting how quiet the crag was and that this was due to a certain rock he had wedged on the footpath along the tarn.

Anyone who has climbed on Dow Crag in the past will remember the irritating echo of the clatter of a wobbly rock which got stood on every time a walker passed along side the tarn, sometimes walkers would notice the echo and even surf it for a while oblivious to the effect on a lead climber pulling through the crux of a route.

Well today Graham and I where walking up Coniston Old Man passed Goats Water with a Year 4 School Group from Manchester and found said rock…

After removing its wedge and surfing it for while the reprobate in us wanted to leave it in its natural state.

If you find the rock, please leave it chocked!!!

Hodge Close Quarry

After work we headed over to Hodge to take out the Bolt that had been placed in Ten Years After. The route is a classic traditional climb that is one of the “classic slate scare fests” a bolt was placed next to the old peg.

The Cumbria Bolt Fund which I chair works towards seeing replaced bolts cumbria’s bolted climbs, no illegitimate bolts will stay in any trad route under my watch.

On abseil we saw that someone had beaten us to roving it – thanks.

So we did Sky, E2 5c and Ten Years After E4 5c then had a BBQ on the side of Windermere.

Thirlmere Boulders

After a great week with Ambleside and Lindale Primary Schools the Real Adventure staff and I headed over to the Atlantis Boulders on the side of Thirlmere for a spot of relaxing before heading back to the stores to sort the weeks Kit.

The boulders are nearly all out of the water now with only one problem that is a shallow water solo!

Pavey Ark

Alex, Claudia, Helen, Graham and I headed up to Pavey for a day on the crag.

I did The Bracken Clock E2 5c and Capella E1 5b, 5b with Claudia and Alex whilst the other two did a VS then followed us up Capella.

Alex who runs High Line Vision took a selection of shot of the day, ill post them when they come through.

Caving staff training

Day 2 of staff induction and training was a day underground. This was to be Graham and Kat’s first trip so we made sure it was a good one…

Lancaster Hole to Wretched Rabbit : Via… Waterfall Passage, Main Stream Passage, Oxbow Corner, Minarets, Cornes Cavern, Snail Cavern, Monster Cavern, Stop Pot, Holbeck Junction and up Spiral Stairs.

Thanks to Simon (aka Chef de Speleology) for his humour and cave skills.

Staff Training

Kat, Graham and I headed up to Gimmer Crag for a little multi pitch staff training and induction.

We Climbed…

Kipling Groove – HVS 4c, 5a

Whit’s End Direct – E1 5b

Springbank – E2 5c

Gimmer String – E1 4c, 4c, 5b

The Crack – VS 4c, 4c, 4c

Then back to the Old Dungeon Ghyll for a pint.

An Evening on Castle Rock

After work I took Graham to Castle Rock, we climbed…

North Crag Eliminate – E1 5a, 5a, 5b

Gazebo – HVS 5a

Overhanging Bastion – VS 4a, 4b, 5a

Green Eggs and Ham – E1 5c

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