I love the fact I’m able to get outside for evening sessions on the grit now summer has graced us with its presence. I’ve had a session at the ‘Cliff and one at Caley the last couple of weeks.

I managed to send Crusifix Arete Eliminate at 7a+/b in the wind at the cliff and spent the whole evening falling off Scary Canary 7b+ at Caley the following week.

The Bank Holiday was a little more successful in terms of sends, Stefan and I had a nice morning at Burbage Solo’s lots of easy routes followed by getting shut down on Boyager. I sent Mermaid 7a at Burbage Bridge, followed by a flash of Blocky Rib and Twin Cracks Arete. That evening I met up with Andy and  went to Higgar Tor, where I flashed Sick 6a and sent Piss 7b in a couple of tries. I have Shit 7b+ linked but didn’t have the reserves to muster the final send for the hat-trick.

Maria on Beauty

Bank Holiday Monday I spent at Stanage Far Left with Andy Lee Gary Tim and Maria.  It was HOT, real hot, but even so I managed to Flash Beauty a fine 6c slab, yes you heard right, slab. Followed by Dowagers Hump a 6c mantel, this went second attempt. There was a brief attempt at the Green Room Slap 7a, before we wanted to have a whirl on Lowrider, according to the book and the word of folks that have done it, the best 7c+ on grit. There was just time to sneak in a quick solo of Flesh and Blood E1 5b on route.

We all had a good work of the moves on Lowrider to get a decent sequence. It was just too hot to hold the slopers. We did get some pretty good photo’s on it mind.

Me on Lowrider

Finally, a new send!

It seems like forever since I climbed anything new, I guess that’s what happens when you keep projecting things.

I went out to Burbage North yesterday, most of it is covered in deep snow drifts, people have been busy building snow platforms under high E grade routes to make the landings flat and bouldering them out.

A prime example of this is 3 Blind Mice normally E7 6c is tuned into roughly Font 6c above a couple of pads. Its still bloody high though and a fall from high up would still fuck you up.

Snow at Burbage

After getting moving on Right Fin HVS a few times and a cool little problem just right of it (no idea what it is) Reeve busted out Ai No Corrida E5 6b in fine style-ish. I didn’t even bother putting my shoes on, there was no way I was going up it.

Ai No Corrida.

3 Blind Mice was next, I had a few goes but couldn’t / wouldn’t commit to standing up on the slopey rail. Again, Reeve boshed it out. Legend.

Reeve on 3 Blind Mice

I wanted a go on Velvet Crab 7a+ this lowball suited me better, it took a few goes to figure out the right sequence for me. I think maybe 5 or 6 goes in total, a good job too as its very skin intensive even in the cold. I passed on my hobbit beta to the others and a team send ensued after much skin loss and battling. Probably one of the hardest 7a+’s i’ve done.

Stefan on Velvet Crab

Reeve on Velvet Crab

On the walk out Life In a Radioactive Dustbin V5 was screaming to be sent, and with the sunset providing us with perfect light I flashed it, then Stef and I did laps for various comedy photo opportunities.

Cocking About on Radioactive

Lindy on Life in a Radioactive Dustbin

It felt good to be getting ticks again. Psyche is most definitely back with vengeance.

Hurry On Sundown

Finally, some dry grit!

Apart from a good little afternoon circuit at Caley mid January, I’ve spent the last month pulling on plastic. Its better than not climbing but its not grit is it!

Saturday a few of us went to Baslow in the peak, it was mint conditions, gorgeous blue skies, cold, and most importantly DRY.

The warm-ups are just easy micro routes, we boshed a dozen or so off pretty quickly around the renaissance area. It felt good to be back out on the grit. It wasn’t long before we moved onto the wallnut boulder.

Wall Nut 6c

Bri on Wallnut 6c

First to get despatched was The WallNut 6c a little traverse along the front of the boulder, on the back of the block is Little Richard a 3 move wonder that ticks 7a, hand-eye co-ordination was a little out and took a couple of goes to snatch the first crimp but it was put to bed quickly. Chunky nut 6b was despatched first go.

Lee and I were keen for a whirl on Flatworld 7b+ so headed off bracken bashing to find it. We liked the look of a thin rib/arete called Fat World 6a, excellent barn door fighting, smeartastic with a final pop for the top, but no way was it 6a. Next up was Hurry on Sundown 7a another arete (working weakness here) was done second go I think.. A very photogenic climb with the sun going down behind it.

Just about to Latch the top!

Lindy on FatWorld

Fat World

Lee on Hurry on Sundown

it wasn’t really this wild, but it was a goof shot!

Both Lee and I tried flat world but struggled with the small crimps out right? we could both get there but couldn’t move to the left arete. Eventually skin supply was diminished and we could hold back the grease no longer. It was session over. It was fantastic to be back out on grit, here’s hoping it stays cool and dry for the foreseeable future.

Flat World

Caged Animal

Just back from Bandrith having watched Jennings and Dan crush Heaven in your hands 7c+. It’s moved pretty close to the top of the hobbit hit list.

I had a couple of goes on the starting moves today, I felt good but a little nervous on it having badly sprained my ankle a couple of weeks ago slipping off high on Small is Beautiful at Burbage North. Wanker. But at least with it taped up I can climb again now, I’ve felt like a caged animal the last fortnight!

Psyche is off the scale at the mo, but my decrepid body is letting the side down. The grit felt awesome even in the 300% humidity fog. I need to heal fast and get on it.

Here’s Jennings sending his project!!

Heaven In Your Hands

]]> http://roblonsdaleclimbing.co.uk/2012/11/on-the-hit-list/feed/ 0 http://roblonsdaleclimbing.co.uk/2012/11/halloween-in-font/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=halloween-in-font http://roblonsdaleclimbing.co.uk/2012/11/halloween-in-font/#comments Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:27:50 +0000 Rob Lonsdale http://roblonsdaleclimbing.co.uk/?p=632

Steph Trying Hard

I’ve just returned from a weeks trip to Font, we went over and met up with Gaz and Steph, friends from The Depot, Jennings and a big group staying at The House.  We had some good cold conditions, perfect for sending, not brilliant for camping. But as a manly men (and women), most of us handled the cold…

Camp Fire

My favourite climb of the trip was a send on the first day at Gorge Du Houx - Gargontoit 7a+. A brilliant high overhanging prow with some burly and some quite precarious moves. Initial goes, the crux felt impossible, the “hold” was nothing.

Gargontoit

Impossible to hold until you had the nerve to bring up a high heel and weight it. Convincing myself I can hold onto nothing while I placed the heel took some doing, I took a large dose of MTFU and after testing the mats a couple of times I stuck it.

I also managed to send, Egoiste 7a and Egoiste Assis 7a+ at Apremont. Les Vacances à Bombay 6c (Sandbag!!!) at Petit Bois. L’Angle de la Pierre Ôtée 6b, Surplomb des Frelons 6c, Le Jeu du Toit 7a, and Graviton 7a, (2nd go) at Roche aux Sabots. I was really gutted to drop the flash of Duroxmanie 6c at Cuvier Rampart too. That went down second go. A close second in the best problem of the week.

Beta Gaz

Lee on Hourglass Left.

The only thing to report from yesterday at Plantation is that summer returned for a day and made the grit hot.

I flashed Glass Hour Left at 7a,  Slopey Pokey 5+ (hard core!) repeated a few things and generally got shutdown on The Hippo and Captain Hook.

T – 4 days til font. Psyched!!!

Here’s a few photo’s from the day.

Lee – Glass Hour

Jennings on Glass Hour

Tim lanking hourglass left

Bri trying hard.

Rainbow over Caley

An odd day yesterday, although I didn’t actually send anything new I felt I had a really good session. I opted for a day at Caley with Lee, meeting up with Andy.

The tweaked finger is on the mend so I was only pottering about, having no aspirations. I knew Zoo York was off the menu and it didn’t feel in good enough nick for Secret Seventh.

Once the usual warm up circuit of Fork Lightening Crack, Otley Wall etc were done. Lee wanted the numbers for a go on Crystal Method V8, I sent his last March but it was a bit of a surprise ascent.

I went from really struggling to snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. So after Lee spent a little while working it I pulled on my weapon of choice to see if the previous send was a fluke. I guess not as I did it first go. “Crimping it like a boss.”

Lee on Crystal Method

Short Bloke BETA: My sequence is a little different to the usual beta, instead of going to the higher crimp with the left hand I stay on the lower one and gaston the lower right hold, rock right over the right foot and go again with the right before bringing the left foot upto the starting rail. I think its a touch more powerful but feels better for the shorter chap.

Andy and Lee wanted a go on the highball, well route, Psycho. E5 6b.

After testing the pads once. Andy walked it, it looked like he was off down the shops for some milk he made it look that effortless. I’m not easily impressed but that really did it. Both Lee and I had a go, but lacked the stainless steel bollocks to commit to the high moves.

Andy Checking out the next holds

Psycho on Psycho

Just before we left there was just enough time for me to quickly repeat New Jerusalem 7a to show the ladies some beta. Still one of my favourite problems!

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.

Sophie on Arete-shun

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.

Andy on Magician

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.

Tim on Magicians Nephew

Me Off- His Eminence

Last weekend Lee and I had a quick trip to the county, meeting up with Andy J &  big group of friends. I was shocked he even had any.

We didn’t hold out much hope of getting a lot in due to the deluge of rain experienced last week. Morpeth was on high flood alert and 40 miles of the A1 being closed due to flooding.

Saturday it was a day at Bowden, it was already quite busy when we arrived, the rock was dry and in good nick. First new tick was a flash of The Mantel 7a. Seemed fairly steady to me, but I do like heel hooks and can lock well. Lee and Andy flashed it too. Team Tick!

His Eminence 7a+ was next up, After finding the start tricky, Sophie sorted me out with some good hobbit beta and it was sent next go. Andy and Lee topped it out for E4. Fuck that. I’m a wimp.

Andy – His Eminence

I had a few goes on Captain Haddock, but couldn’t do the move left into the undercut, so while the rest of the group were on that I had a whirl on Poverty. I was well warmed up and feeling strong so shoved my middle finger in the mono and pulled on, I got to the left hand dish but when it came to rocking over to the top jug I felt a familiar pain in my tendon…and dropped off. Only a minor tweak I think, but it did cause me some hassle for the rest of the weekend.

Having taped up, I sent Mantra LH, now upgraded from 7a to 7b due to hold snappage apparently. A cool problem with shit crimps and smeary feet following a rising seam, to a throw to a decent jug at the end.

We had a tickle on Staggered 7b too, a dead cert I thought, as I was so close last visit. It was just in poor condition. I never even got to my previous high point. As the light was fading quick and strength even quicker, a few of the group were working Dog Eat Dog, Lee came up with some excellent beta for Transformer Direct 7a. I promptly stole it and sent it next go.

Busy day at Kyloe In The Woods

Sunday with rain when we left the bunkhouse and more forecast, Kyloe in the woods was the obvious choice. Not the best place to head with a tweaked finger, but Emma sorted me out a sweet tape job which meant I could at least climb a bit. I repeated plenty of climbs but no new ticks. The Elf direct 6a, Not Bad 6a+, Bad Finger 6a (aptly named). Monty Python Direct 6c+. I had a couple of goes on Monty Python’s Flying Circus 7a+ but never managed a link. I took up camera duty and mauled my packup.

Lindy Up High

All in all a fantastic weekend, some new ticks, steak and sausage pie and a dozen new friends. There’s even talk of a return visit this weekend do have a go at a famous highball. I’ll report back if I grow some stainless steel balls and have a go.

Crimp It

I can’t believe how lucky we are having such fantastic climbing conditions just recently. Oh wait….. were not.

But finally there’s been some cool dry weather so Lee and I took advantage and headed out to Brimham for an afternoon in search of some classic gritstone wrestling.. The niche area was rammed full of families giving us strange looks and asking ‘what’s yer mattress for?’ we sent a couple of the niche problems Niche Arete 6b, left flake 6a+ and right flake 6a+ before we’d had enough of the crowds and went in search of more solitude.

The Grouch 7b is something we both tried last winter, but never managed to link after working the beta. My amazing memory meant Lee had to remember the beta. After a couple of tries we were hitting the powerful compression moves Lee could keep a heel toe in to do it static, my tyrannosaurus arms were hindering the process slightly so came up with a dynamic slap and a heel hook to unlock the send process. Lee topped out first, I two goes later. Its a shame the rock quality is so poor on this problem because the moves are excellent. Here’s a short video of Mr Frodo demonstrating his epic footwork.

Following our success, we planned to goto the outlying area of Crimpy Roof and have a spin on crimpy wall 7b+, whilst bushwhacking towards the roof we stumbled across a chap trying Harvey 7b on a nice shady buttress. It seemed like a good place to maul my cheese an cucumber butty (one of my 5 a day obviously) and get some beta to steal a quick send.

Lee pulled on while I was busy with lunch and worked a good sequence, using a poor sandy foothold out right, and crimped his way to success in a couple of goes. After my caramel bar and salt an vinegar squares it was my go.

Try as I might I couldn’t use the poor foothold, so I did what I do best & did the start footless, once on the problem I used my precise and faultless footwork to despatch it. Excellent.

After getting lost in the bracken we eventually found crimpy wall / roof 7b+. The starting moves were great, a laying down start with a couple of powerful moves out to a crimp on the headwall. Which I was no where near. Skin was in short supply so I sacked it off and took up photo duty. Lee invented some good beta and managed to wire the problem in 2 halves but didn’t have the reserves to link it at the end of the day.

Crimpy Roof Start

Lee on Crimpy Roof 7b

We finished our very productive grit session at Drakes of Knaresborough with Fish & Chips!