Rob Lonsdale Climbing

Last weeks excellent conditions up in the county, inspired us to take another trip this weekend. There has been talk of trying the highball classic The Magician E7 or 8a, if you pad it out and grow some massive cahunas!

After the 40 minute try 1hour 15 walk in to Ravensheugh, we arrived to find unsurprisingly, we had the place to ourselves. We all warmed up on some small routes, with a pad underneath were safe enough to boulder. Flicking though the guide one immediately jumped off the page and made me giggle like a school boy. Arete-shun. 6a.

There were half a dozen other’s sent but the coolest one was Big Daddy 6c, pulling on a thin flake and then dyno to an edge.. Took a few goes to latch the top. Andy went to clean the Magician while the rest of us padded out The Duerga 7a+ or E5 in old money. Amazing balancy moves up an Arete and Wall to an exciting finish. I hit the top first go but couldn’t hold it. After watching Tim also fall from the top, I pulled on the solutions, pressed record on the camera and….. well see for yourself.

We stacked up for a go on the main event. Andy had the beta, having been on it before. I could tell you the sequence but that would spoil your fun. I really enjoyed the starting moves, powerful and crimpy, followed by balancy and precise. None of us managed the full link, Tim & Andy were closest.

Sunday we walked across a bog to Queens Crag (after asking the farmer for permission of course) somes lines were a little damp but most of the crag lines were dry, we warmed up on the Magicians Nephew 6b+ pretty much everyone else managed to send it but me. Not the best start to the day.

I decided to do a few more warmups on the wall boulder, short arete, the fluting and stewpot before having lunch. While Andy was asleep on his mat I spotted a cool roof / prow in the guide called World Line 7b. I got moving on Prow One 5+ before setting to work on World Line.

It didnt take Lee and I long to get established on it, within a few goes we’d both sent it. Heel hooks, and crimps.. it was never really in doubt. Last tick was Two Tickets To The Show 7a. Powerful start slapping to little crimpy edges before manteling out. A great finish to the day.

 

Tags: bouldering, Highball, Northumberland