Lucky number seven...

Final weekend in the Peak with Dan. Five routes, Five different crags and a nice time of 24 hours to do it all in. This was an epic day 24 hours and I know I for one has come away from it bruised, aching and battered. We may as well start at the beginning...

Best cure for a hangover? well its a massive overhang of course...

So I found myself standing beneath Dan's first tick, Flying Buttress Direct (E1 5b apparently) at Stanage. I'd had already fallen ass over tit on the walk in as I was very hungover, so I was snuggled into my new belay jacket ready for some hardcore belaying. Seriously? massive overhang? First route of the day? What was Dan thinking?. It had to be the first route as the weather had made the decision for us. It was wet over the west peak so we decided to work backwards.

Dan geared up and set off. I was glad it wasn't my lead, I mean I was very hungover. He nipped up the starting slab complaining at how polished it was, popped in some gear then moved under the roof. He added another piece for a little pop out to the lip. Casually he heel hooks the same lip, placed a good cam and then started the next series of moves.

After starting so coolly, I thought He was just going to gun it. The next move however required a horrible lock off (for us mortals). What didn't help was we both just heel hooked the wrong ledge. So he went up for it and... crawled into a break. This isn't a dumb as it sounds as I also did exactly he same thing. I think its just an avoidance reaction to the hard move. Eventually he pumps out and comes off. We pull the ropes through and try again.

Same again, great start, pops for the ledge, heel hook and a toe jam this time and goes for it. I mean he almost got it, must have missed by an inch! He's pumped so he comes down, but the damn toe jam/heel hook has got him pinned! After what I thought was going to be a serious moment, he managed to free his foot and I lowered him off. He can't really move his ankle. I think its not broken, but something looks damaged so I offer to take him to A&E. We get his shoe off and I'm worried. What If his ankle is shot, I mean getting back to the car will be hard enough but what about Kiwi Country. Instead he's stubborn and offers me the lead, which I take...

...So polished slab, clip the gear, pop for the ledge, heel hook, crawl into the break, crawl out of the break, try for the hold (locked off on my left arm) miss, pump out and come down (this involved falling when I realised I couldn't reverse the "pop" out to the lip. Annoyingly I'm so close, but I'm pumped out as well. My arms are massive. Doesn't matter, I shake out, pull the ropes through and get back on. This time I plan on no faffing, I'll just go straight for it. I get the heel hook in, and try and miss.

You can't make it, your not good enough.

I try again and get purchase on something, its a tiny lip, but its enough.

Your going to pump out and come off.

No I'm not, not today. I pull up and get my feet on and find a rest. I start shaking out, mindful that my last piece of gear is quite far away. Its easy climbing now, but my arms are dead. I'm having trouble unclipping the 'biner with my cams on. Trying to put them in is a nightmare. My arms are burning and screaming as I try and squeeze the triggers, I'm so afraid I'm off.

I don't fall off, and I get the cams in. To final section is easy, all on the feet, thank god. So thats it, I top out and think what a hard climb.

It wasn't that bad really was it?

Dan seconds me. His ankle is giving him serious pain as he tops out, but it doesn't seem to matter. We've got a challenge today. We head down to the car and mount up.

Three pebble slab and a Harlequin...

So the next stop is Froggatt, and we're straight in. We know where we heading for, Chequers Buttress (HVS 5b). Next climb on Dan's list. Andy wants to get on Three Pebble Slab (E0 5a) as well, but we head straight to chequers area, which I remember is annoyingly far. Froggatt always seems like such a short walk in my memory. Must be all those trees. We round the corner to Chequers and of course, there someone on the route. No worries, its straight to Three Pebble Slab (TPS) for Andy's big tick of the day.

There was no-one on TPS when we got there so Andy could get right on it. We discussed gear as I flaKed out the ropes and we got kitted up. By this point Laura's hangover had got the better of her and she was snuggled down sleeping on a rock (well she tried to).

After an initial awkward polished start, which required some cleaning as some tit had coated it in chalk. Obviously the individual before us though covering every hold in chalk,including the foot holds. would help! All chalk does is keep your hands dry! (rant over). So he was on, and then I thought he was off. He mantled up onto the first little break and got some gear in. Nice and protected now up into the system of pockets and heading for the next cam (a nice little TCU if I remember correctly). In that went. Andy was still looking a shaky on his feet. If I'm honest I was a little worried, but Dan (who was talking pictures at this point had confidence in him). We yelled encouragement as He stuck his foot on the rock-overy moved. It was tense just belaying him, but he made it with style.

If you've not done TPS before there's a sting in the tail of a smear finish, which after the crux seems unbelievably hard. That is until you trust your first foot and you can move up easy. It took a bit of time for Andy to trust his feet on the grit, but he did it. That was a big tick for the guy, you could tell by the ear to ear smile.

Now to Chequers Buttress. The party already there offers to let us jump ahead so we climbed as quick as we could. It was Dan's lead and what a lead. He looks really confident as he moved out on the stretchy reach across the wall to the arete. On second I realised how much of a committing move this was, and was glad of the top-rope above me. Just after this he let out a yelp of glee. There's a jug, a massive jug, right where you want it. He sank another nut right before the finish and topped out well. I wish I had not climbed Chequer's so quickly. I really missed out on a good route but just going as fast as I could. Least it means I can go back and do it. So where next? Curbar...?

Braiiiins and a longer walk in...

The Brain (VS 4c) was a late addition to Dan's Peak tick list. He dropped it in on the drive up in the morning, with the assumption that Curbar just carries on from Froggat. Well it doesn't. The climbing isn't till quite far away (another +30 minutes walk). We didn't actually have any idea where the climb was as well. We went with the tried and tested method of "stumble around alot and ask loads of people" method, which paid off when we'd eventually found some people.

By the time we where at the base of the route we'd lost Andy and Laura in the undergrowth. Regardless we geared up and Dan lead off. The first part is a slab, then groove and you step out onto the arete. As routes go its a pretty weird one. Dan quickly discovered the non-confidence giving flakes across the unprotectable slab as I tried my hand as some high altitude spotting. Dan's a good climber and it was not more than 4a/4b so he nipped across well, sticking some gear being a massive loose block before the groove. Into the groove he climbed and then straight out. Dan quickly figured he'd come out of the groove way too early and reversed this move and tried again further up. Nailing it this time he powered up to finish. I seconded this route, and yeah it was worth the walk. The final arete consisted of some cool mono-pocket-to-a-tufa-like-rib-thing, great finish. Now for the long walk back to the car and our final climb on Saturday... Ilam rock.

A bloody pinnacle...

Easter Island, at E1 5b would be our hardest climb of the day. Dan asked me if I wanted to lead it and I'd accepted. Being honest I wanted to get leading on something and Ilam rock did seem like a cool think to climb. On the walk in I felt a usual feeling of dread. Easter Island was hard and I really didn't want to fall off. I resigned myself to the fact that if I wasn't 100% that I could do it then I wasn't going to attempt it. I'd just back off, it wasn't worth risking it.

It was overhanging! What the hell? Me and Dan had both just assumed that it would be a slab, or at least just steep, not overhanging though. I'm pretty sure I was still residually pumped from Flying Buttress Direct. We checked the route topo and it goes up the slabbier section on the eastern edge, however near the top it steps back out over the edge and onto the overhanging face. I didn't feel good about this at all. Strangely enough I didn't back down. I wanted too, but Dan had a list to tick off and I really wanted him to get all his climbs done. He jokingly told me to just aid it, which would have been an easier proposistion. We geared up and I headed off.

So the start wasn't that hard, but it was well polished. I could find quite a few good holds and good gear placements until I got the the first hard section. I nested some gear here and set of up it with the intention of climbing a little higher, placing another piece, down-climbing and resting then setting off up again. This plan failed when I realised I could not only not down climbing, but also had to hang on long enough to place some gear. I headed for the good ledge praying to the god of friction that the polish wouldn't do me over.

Friction god smiled kindly to me and allowed my feet to stay on thier measily holds. I took this well deserved ledge to put in some protection, namely my number seven nut. I should probably explain about the number seven nut. Its quite simple as me, Dan and Toaf all agree that it is our favourite nut, it never leaves the rack. I found mine on Idwal, Dan found his in the Moelwyns, and I brought Toaf his as a christmas present as he claimed that I'd borrowed and lost his. They are lucky as well. I also placed 2 bomber cams and set off trying to find a way up the next section.

This was the point where the climb was either slabby but harder and runout or easier with protection but overhanging. I knew my arms would allow me to hold on while i got some in, but was afraid of running it out. I tried many time going up each one, failing to commit each time. Eventually I messed up. I just barn-doored off the route (for any non-climbers [parents] basically I missed a hold and swung outwards). That was it, I had enough time to yell "I'm off, take!" to Dan. I also was air born long enough for me to feel me rip out my 2 "bomber" cams. 12ft lower I swore. I'm quite ashamed I swore actually, and I quickly checked around to see if anyone had heard so I could apologise. It was a big fall though. I went back up and checked my gear, lucky number seven. I placed another nut and rescued my number 7 and stripped out my route as I lowered off. I didn't want to leave my lucky nut behind.

Well I'd pushed it? I'd done exactly what I said I wouldn't, but then Dan really wanted to get these climbs done. We sat around discussing what went wrong and whether it would be a good idea to try again. The gear had held, but I still offered Dan the lead. "You want it?" "no mate I think it's beyond me". I was worried with this response as this was on the list and I didn't want to go back without it.

You know that gear held so you can fall on it again, right?

I really didn't want to start thinking about it like that but in the end I figured what the hell, one more try isn't going to hurt. I went back up. I backed it up the nut and built a nest and head off up the slabby (less protectable side). I managed to sneak in my Peenut and reached a massive thread. I had to hug the thing to hold onto it. Now all I had was the final groove, which was very so slightly overhanging. As I moved into it I was very mindful that my last piece of gear was a thread quit far away. Thankfully an in situ nut made for a quick clip and I could get in a piece a little higher. I felt like I was too pumped to continue, but realised I couldn't hang around. I laybacked the groove until I could pull out of it with my arms screaming. I couldn't fall off. I placed the worst nut ever but it gave me some confidence and I made my final moves to the top.

The top, thank god. A little grassy jumble of blocks, that didn't all seem safe. It was also the sharpest limestone I've ever seen or sat on even. I had to belay while being stabbed in the ass. I made myself safe and yelled to Dan. For once I also took of my helmet but stuff on my belay jacket. I'd lugged it up behind me so I was damned if I wasn't going to wear it. I figured as far as my helmet went, I was ontop of the pinnical so the only thing to hit me was bird crap. I still stuffed it back on before Dan arrived.

It was getting quite dark, so I yelled to Dan to grab my headtorch. He was already on the way to get them as it happened. He climbed it well I can assume. He didn't fall off, but I couldn't see him as I couldn't lean over. One amusing moment was him yelling for me to hold him as he got a nut out, I quickly remmeber that it must be the in situ one I'd clipped after the thread and yelled for him not to bother. He'd given it a good whack anyway.

"your a legend mate" is all he said when he sat on the top.

We arranged our abseil off and I tested it all backed up, one of the perks of being the fat guy. Still doesn't take away from the horrible "being the first one the test the rope" feeling. I touched the floor and then Dan followed me down. It was not pitch black and I start to pull down the ropes. They wouldn't budge. I tried flicking them, waggling them, pulling, jerking and then full body weight pulling. They really wouldn't budge.

"I'll do it" was all I said to Dan when we both realised someone would have to go back up.

So I found myself dangling off to loops of 5mm cord, praying they wouldn't slip and hopeing the top would come a littl bit sooner. I was mindfull of the prusic loop I'd left being and kept bouncing on as I inched my way up. I was so tired. I prayed the ropes would be easy to fix. Thankfully they were with just the knot wedged behind a protrustion. I sorted this out and abseiled down for my final time. The rope were still sodding hard to pull through and required both me and Dan to do it. All in all time would have been saved if we'd have thought through our abseil a little more.

We headed to the pub for a cold and well earned pint, and met Andy running down the path to come a rescue us. We had been gone for 3 hours with no phone call. It was back to stoke for a decent nights sleep and an early start for Sunday was sloth day...

"It's easy if you use your loaf..."

The much quoted Whillian's phrase from the first ascent. Dan has been craving this route for a few weeks. In his own words "I can't have lived in Stoke, so close to the Roaches for 4 years and not done the Sloth". I did it a couple of months ago and I think Dan has been trying to fit it in for a few weeks. Last time it was dripping with water, but this time would be his last chance. I told him I'd abseil down and towel it dry if I had to, and I honestly would. It was do or die time, go big or go home (go just go to New Zealand)

The wind was up but the air was dry dispite the annoying few spots of rain. We racked up and donned many jackets while Dan sorted himself out. It actaully looked dry, I mean the wind was keeping the rock pretty dry and it had not really rained the night before. Either way Dan was leading this today so off he went. He took the 5a start just to make things more interesting but carried on up strongly. Having got his sling over the block there was almost no hesitation and he launched out under the roof. Getting closer to the edge he sunk the hand jam and took his time placing a cam and clipping in. Then we relative ease he seemed to pull himself over the roof, get the good hand holds and get his feet up. Then it was an armbar in the final crack and it was all over. He was up. He'd done it.

Both me and Andy seconded him up it and I have to say I think Andy loved it. He sounded so unsure of himself at one point but we encrouaged and goaded him up it.

So 1030, roughly about the time we got out the car to walk into flying buttress 24hours ago. 5/6 routes, 5 seperate crags and an awesome 24 hours spent with Dan and Andy climbing. Not bad for Dan's last week end in the peak!