I'm not sure how we decided on Staden Quarry in the end. It just so happened that Prescott mentioned it and we'd just driven past the turning. A quick U-turn and we were back on track. As access is apparently a bit of an issue at Staden we parked out of the way. I messed up on the walk in taking us under one fence meaning we had to back under it again to get on the right path, oops. But what a place! A little quarry tucked away with some great looking faces to climb on. We'd headed straight over to "Bicycle Repair Man" without realising it. Prescott had been going on about this route as it was on his to do list and we just so happened to have set up beneath it.
It seemed like the obvious route to do as our first of the day. E1 5b on slightly polished Limestone was going to be hard but I reckoned it could do it. This turned out to almost be not the case! I was done over twice by the polish (although I blame wearing my new rock boots). All the way up the gear great although I found it helped to have some micro cams with me (sizes metolius 0 & 00). The middle second turned out to be supertechnical climbing with lots on short moves on small edges an pockets. I was annoyed I fell off, but was happy with the route. Its such a good climb at the end of the day.Next on the cards was Laura's lead. Both her and Prescott wanted to do "Bimbo the Exploding Lorry's Drivers Glutch Eliminate" (HS 4b). Laura got the drop on him and set off up the crack. She climbed it really well, not running it out and placing all her gear excellently. I was worried we were about to have a magic moment about half height but she pulled it together and made it up. I seconded this and was surprised by how hard I found it. I guess my head is different from leading to seconding. All in all not bad for her first HS.
Prescott by this time had been playing around on "Hammer into Anvil" graded E3 6a in our rockfax guidebook. After some initial scepticism about the route I bouldered the start and looked for the protection. There was an awesome size 5 wire. This meant that you were protected while you placed a nest of RPs and micro nuts which I did carefully trying to get maximum contact with each placement. I then reached up and skyhooked a bad edge to better protect the crux. I was very worried about a ground fall if I messed up and we agreed the skyhook was fair play seeing as it was in such a bad placement. In the end it didn't matter because I knocked it off.So I went for it (after an initial slip and regaining my position). Cranking up on a small polished crimp to reach up for a bad sloping handhold. Here I tried to place my feet on something that would hold and I found two tiny edges but this gave enough to get my hand on the other bad slopey handhold. I could see the massive crimp that would gave me enough to pull up on but my feet popped off at this point. Laura was filming the whole thing and everyone's had a right laugh at me floundering on the crux realising I couldn't down climb. Somehow I got purchase enough with my feet to push up and get the hold, and the rest was plain sailing.
Spurred on (or over-confident) we took a look at "telescopic reach" another E3 6a. I tried the start and placed a high side runner before looking for more protection. As it happened I totally buggered up and ended up unable to down-climb so just carried on up what was "Swan Song" (E1 5b) instead. This turned out to be a gem of a route again with a really technical crux involving a 2 fingered pocket/side pull. This was a great climb however the gear was not to be desired. The crux was protected by a host of small wires, not all of which were great. I planned not to fall off and manged it. For a route I had not really considered doing I'm glad I ended up on it as I would have missed out otherwise.
With 4 routes under my belt now I took a look at Joint Effort (HVS 5b) another one of the crag classics. Prescott had also mentioned doing this route on the way in as well, but he wasn't up for leading anything. I like HVS 5b as a grade. I usually means loads of gear and a short crux. As it happened the crux was low down on well polished limestone, but with good wires to protect you. It involved the same technical small moves climbing as the others. The upper section can't have been more than 4c and took gear so readily I had to stop myself placing everything on my rack! Laura came up this first with a bit of difficulty on the crux. By the time she was up I was freezing so Chris sent up a jacket for be before he came up. He had a bit of trouble on the crux as well and it really annoyed him which was a shame. He said he was done for the day, but seeing at there was light left Me and Laura fitted in 1 more climb, this was Suscipiat (VS 4c) to finish the day on.
Suscipiat was a great route, similar to Joint Effort with a low crux only it wasn't protected by as good gear. I had no problems on it apart from going a little off route. It turned out to be a really engaging route and again I had to stop myself placing my whole rack. Laura seconded it and enjoyed it loads too and we walked off in the fading evening sun. The end of a good day on quarried peak limestone.We met up with Dan in the evening and went for some food. Needless to say he looked a little worse for wear still being horrendously hungover. He agreed to go climbing at the Roaches on Sunday and we planned a bunch of routes to do. Namely he wanted to get on the Sloth. I also managed to bite a fork (over-enthusiastically eating a piece of fish) which has left me with a very sensitive front tooth.
Me and Laura arrived slightly later than everyone else to the Roaches. The weather was a bit atmospheric as it was still early and the upper tier was wreathed in cloud. We'd arrived late enough to find Dan below the crux on the Sloth. In the end I think he made a good decision not to lead it. I could see the water dripping down on him and it would have made it one hell of a difficult struggle. He can always go back. As he was finishing pedestal route, I went to do Eugene's Axe (E2 5c). The start was probably the hardest part with the arete not going so well. I think I went off route, but it was because I placed a cam at the tip of my reach and end up over camming it and needed to remove it. By the time I was on the crux Dan had arrived and took over belaying. I nipped up a few times and then down climbed (annoying slipping off once as I was down climb). Eventually spurred on by a small crowd I actually committed to the move. It instantly eased up and I made it to the top with no problems. This is definitely one to keep going back to do.
From here I figured it was Dan's lead and we headed towards Commander Energy (E2 5c) another route that Dan had wanted to do. Worcester Uni mountaineering club were camped out down the bottom, top roping a load of routes but we carried on anyway. Dan climbed it well, nipping up the crux after a bit of up and down climbing before he committed himself. Thankfully there is loads of gear after it so he placed a nest and heel/toe hooked his way onto the shelf/ledge/lip. The final section is a rounded arete you have to layback up, its always described as a boulder problem in the sky. Dan sent this with ease and brought me up. He offered to let me lead it, but I declined wanting to second him up instead.I narrowly escaped from chalkstorm as well. I'd half jokingly mentioned to Dan that I'd lead it, but thankfully there was someone already gearing up for it at the bottom. Instead we headed off for Elegy (E2 5c). As it happened there was someone on it, and on Smear Test meaning so we'd need another objective. As it turned out the Swan (E3 5c) was free and I jumped on it. Its got a difficult (well very difficult) traverse with almost no gear. There is high gear to start with, but then there is none on the traverse. This can be solved by having 2 belayers; one on the gear and one far right to check your swing if you fall off. So Andy and Dan agreed to belay me. Going up the the traverse and placing the high gear was ok. Moving out across the traverse is where I hit on some problems. I think I got my feet wrong to say the least as I found myself clinging to pebbles and then... I was off. This happened 4 times in all before I accepted defeat and admitted it was beyond me. I guess sometimes you have to push yourself to failing, I mean how awesome would it have been it I had managed it?
Pretty much everyone had to go by this time, save for Me, Andy and Laura. I should have mentioned that Andy was feeling ill and had resigned himself to belaying all day so I jumped on Elegy as it was finally free. The start of Elegy is taken by the Buldger (VS 4c) one of the greatest struggles I've ever had getting up a climb. This time I managed it with relative ease (and an vicious arm-bar). From here with some high (ish) gear you move out across the slab taking a rising break before a committing finish. The move onto the slab is awkward and scary but it was awesome when I manged to do it. From here you move out on smears till you can get some good gear in. By now my one rope was dragging somewhat awful, almost to the point that I was considering ditching it. Thankfully my fear of taking a big whipper on a single half rope stopped me (I'm sure it would have been alright, just would have had to replace the rope). The final piece of gear sounded awfully hollow when I placed it, but I somehow knew I wouldn't be needing it and sent off up the slab. I'd have given the slab hard 5a/5b and it gets slightly harder before the finish. I was pretty nervous being honest as I was in my new shoes and they still had loads of edging rather than a nice soft supple sole for smearing. In the end I just committed myself and made the moves.What an end to a good weekends climbing really. Elegy was the route I was thinking about all Friday and I could just imagine that final slab. Was a real treat to finally get on it, especially after falling off The Swan and knocking my confidence. I'm absolutely knackered from this weekend though and could really do with a weekend off at some point... like that's ever going to happen!
I'll update this with some videos if I can ever convert the files!
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