Chee dale: The embankment

It didnt take me too long after my first trip to chee dale to return - about 39 hours!  This time we ended up at Max wall for a warm up  - as the most polished route I've ever done and graded at just 6b this felt incredibly hard.  Trying to escape the polish we headed up to the embankment to tackle the very technical routes - although only graded at 7a+ these were really tough.  I dogged up the first route - Bream in black and managed to clean it second attempt.  The next route- The Barracuda bass sound along seemed much harder for the same 7a+ grade and took   3 or 4 attempts to get clean (I guess it did say high in the grade in the guide book...).  These routes are tough to read and to find the holds so it was great practice and I really need to start reading routes better.



The Barracuda bass sound , 7a+ looking friendlier in the photos

The Barracuda bass sound , 7a+, trying to sort those feet out after the relief of clipping the second bolt!

The intensity of the side pulls and crimps was greater than I have ever experienced on rock anywhere and I can see great gains to be made by getting alot more mileage in at this venue.  At Chee dale I have found that getting the first couple of clips is a bit stressful, so I think a clipstick must be on the shopping list and as Steve McClure (who was at the crag) said 'everyclimber needs one' - then I can really start pushing my grade further:)

Cavewoman tying on ready to crush...

Chee dale, the most idylic climbing spot in the UK?

Another break in the Brtisih summer and it was time to explore another area of my new peak limestone book.  I have always wanted to climb at Chee Dale but looking at the grades in previous years I had felt a bit imtimidated by it, with very hard overhanging limestone rumoured to be littered with tough side pulls and small polished crimps.  However if I want to improve my climbing it seems that this is the place to head to, and I wasnt dissapointed.  We headed to Blackwell Halt for a warm up before moving onto Max wall and the embankment.

Paul seconding the arapahoe collection, 6b+ at Blackwell Halt. I had taken a whipper on this after passing the crux and reading the route wrong at the top doh!



Side pulls forcing me into horizontal positions on Max pax em in, 7a



Technical on the footwork

Leading Max pax em in 7a, Max wall

All the routes ranging 6b-7a that we climbed were challenging and technical albeit with some very polished rock and dirty rock in parts.  That said, the limestone was still the best I have climbed in the peak (and the closest to home...) and with the routes currently in condition this is a venue I definatley want to continue to come back to with so many potential projects to focus on.  Areas such as max wall were very unique next to the wye river and make this place such a special setting to climb in.

Picturesque Max wall

Stanage July 2012 (with cavewoman)

Its been a good week capitalising on the break in the wet weather with a third trip out on rock in a week.  Ilona and I headed to the Stanage popular end as I still have a long list of  lines to tick off.  This includes the 'top 50' classic Inverted V, VS 4b.   Other good routes of the day included Heather wall VS 5a and right twin crack VS 4c.

Heather wall VS 5a

Inverted V VS 5b

Ilona seconding Inverted V

Recess wall HVD

Ilona seconding crack and corner S 4b

Having lost my nut key I was amazed we left with all the gear, thanks to Ilona (aka cavewoman!) being a great second - although next time no excuses she will lead some routes!

Masson Lees

I'd heard a rumour that Masson Lees quarry is the best quarry peak sport limestone, which usually takes until May to dry out.  Perhaps it was a bit too optimisitic to expect to find some of the overhanging walls to be dry given the wettest june on record last month.  Unfortunately we were unable to find any of the harder routes (in the 7s) in condition.  I found a couple of routes on the overhaning wall which were great but a little damp, dirty and loose - once conditions improve there are lots of great looking harder lines.

Paul on Pocket rocket, 6c on the overhanging wall

The black wall was had the type of routes I avoid,  holds were not positive and required open handed grips from what i could tell.  But with not alot of choice we did a couple of routes on this wall - and I was pleased with the 6c+ onsite of cattle mutulation expedition.  The red wall and wake up walls (south facing) had some good quality lower grades, but its the routes on the overhanging and black walls I would be interested in tackling next time!

The overhanging wall and black wall in the distance

The trip was well worth a days holiday off work, eleven routes done -and its always nice to go out with a new partner in crime, especially when they are as mad about climbing as me.

Mum comes to Stanage

Finally we have a dry few days forecast and my mum comes along to see what this climbing thing I do is.  That is worth a post in its own right, I have been trying to get her to come and have a go at climbing for years.  We had seen the suns litering the UK map on the forecast but hadn't realised that winds were forecast and so at the top of Stanage there were pretty strong winds so it was impossible to verbally communicate...

High Neb buttress, Stanage

Still, we solidered through it enjoying the grit stone conditions which considering it was July with high temperatures forecast they were pretty perfect!

Very wind swept Mummy B at the top of her first climb since school

Horseshoe Quarry

After the wettest June on record we finally see a day forecast with no rain and head out with the dogs to finally get a full day at a crag with them.

Wheres mum??

Up the left wall

 With the older peak limestone guide I ended up just jumping on anything that looked like fun, nothing too hard though to give Coll a chance to lead and lower off her first ever route!  Briefly flicking through the new guidebook at the Outside Cafe it turned out that Coll had climbed her first 6b+s.

Coll climbing well on a 'new' 6b+ right of the main wall.

After about 7 hours button slumps on the rope and decides shes ready to go home

Team spot

Portland July 2012

I won a guidebook for Portland back in 2007 so it was about time I headed down to Portland.  Whats more, on cliffs there is no livestock and so it is a good place to start training the pups to become crag dogs! We managed to book into a caravan which would accept dogs it was just a shame after 2 hours of climbing the rest of the weekend was a washout!

The first evening we arrived was perfect weather so we wandered to explore the nearest crag to us, the cuttings.

Pepper exploring the cuttings with mum

Sunny Thursday eveing at the cuttings, with Button

The next morning we were on the rock and with the dogs for around 2 hours before the rain started.  The climbing seemed pretty good and I can't wait to get back in drier weather so I can do some more challenging routes instead of getting rained off during warming up!

The spotty crag dogs on guard

Leading a first route at the cuttings

The girls didnt seem too bothered about us climbing, once Pepper had tried to run up the rock and failed, but instead then they both ran up a hill opposite the crag so they could watch with a better view!

Cuddles in between climbs!

So that was it for our climbing this trip but I took the chance to drive around and work out the location of the other crags on the island ready for next time.  We spent the rest of this trip- walking the dogs in the rain and eating before heading home 2 days earlier than planned!  Of course we couldnt leave Porland without the obligatory light house shot.

Smiling even in the rain at Portland Bill