Roach weekends...

So for the past couple of weeks, due to limitations place on me by the weather, partners and prearranged I've ended up at the Roaches bumbling around this gritstone playground, trying to find some inspiration. The first weekend we suffered some bad weather so the morning was spent dodging the rain under various boulders, climbing so called easy gully in the wet (not as easy as it sounds, especially with a pack on) and trying to find something that resembled dry rock. And we found it...

Raven Rock Gully, Left Hand. 

At the nice grad of VS 4b I wasn't expecting anything too hard, just something thatw as sustained 4b all the way up, and it was. We actually got the recommendation to do the rooute from a party on it at the time who told us it was pretty dry, until the exit and that it was an awesome route. No I don't know if me and Stu had got the bug for a very esoteric and in the finish sense of the word "traditional" route but we went for it anyway. 

Alex or Stu embroiled in the chimney

So you start in Raven Rock Gully, but take the left hand side and head for the larger exit at the top. Easy peasy yeah? well actually no. It was cold and damp but weirdly un-green. I climbed up and up until I found myself on the crux at the top, which was wet to boot. At this point the party who'd just done the route offered the coffee around at the base and we all had a good laugh when I requested a cup, whilst squirming up the crux. The crux as it happened was a cool chimeny after placing a bomber and quite painful handjam and then forcing your way ouf of the top. I know I screamed bloody murder to try and get out, covering myself in mud and destrying the flesh on my hands with grit rash as the guy beneath cheered me on (see traditional). I crawled out of the boulder choke only to be greeted by the guy who'd lead the route before me, standing there offering my a mug of hot coffee. He just said "coffee for the champion?" I couldn't say no.

It seemed that my joking cry for a mug of joe had not gone unheard and he snuck up and waited in the rain for me to finish. I thanked him profusley and brought up Stu (and Alex Maggs who joined us for the adventure). What every happens this was definatly one of my favourite routes to date! I just wish I knew his name.

                                                              

Roll forward to the weekend just gone. I think it's safe to say that the saturday was a wash out, literally. It rained pretty much all day in the peak (although I hear it was quite sunny in Birmingham). Sunday was another matter completely. It was sunny and I mean really nice and sunny. Since Tim had work in the afternoon and therefore needed to hit the road at 1300 I spent the morning bouldering on the lower tier boulders. We nipped up and ticked of Three pocket slab the classic V3. It was nice that I didn't have to spend ages "working the problem". 

Then we headed to The Dignity of Labour (V6). I'd already baulked at the idea of a V6 but Tim reassured me that it was only 6b, which is within thew relm of a workable grade for me. So Tim, Stu and I worked this problem for a while trying out various different idea to make the first long move. There was heel hooks, toe hooks, smears, crossed hands and then Stu cracked it by taking a slightly more logical and easier approach (read as: brute force). We then did all the moved to the last mantle which exited onto a clay cover slab and at that height I didn't want to fall off anyway. Instead we called it quits and decided to go and brush off and finish it another day. 

"what the hell do I do with all this rope!"

I think we had what the spanish would term an early cestia after this and lay encamped on our bouldering pads till Tim had to go. Stu and I headed off to do some real climbing (joke!).  We started with me leading Bengal Buttress (HVS 4c). This although is an absolutley cracking route, is also really run out and falling off it would not be advisable. The meat of the route is a nicde run out from your gear in a diagonal line across the face, blindly finding holds as you go and hoping that you won't fall off. For any 5a leader I think this would be a great route to test thier mettle. From the belay I took a call from Matt Snell who'd biked over to join us for some climbing.

Haven't you forgotten something?

Stu then lead The Pinser (VS 5a). I've done this route before and I know how good it is and seeing as Stu wanted to push his grade he figured that this was a pretty good route to do it on, however he's never lead on double ropes before. I told him it would be pretty easy and I'd shout down all the instructions he needed and he set off. The start of the route is a cool 5a boulder problem and I think is the technical meat of the route. Stu actually did it without the ropes on as I'd advised him that he might want to boulder the start. Instead he just did it anyway and then we threw the ropes up to him. He climbed it really well, placing more than enough gear all the way up and using the double ropes well. Snell seconded him as I was too busy taking photographs.

I then tried Bloodstone (E5 6b) and got stumped by the 6a move to gain the slab. It wasn't that I was afraid or couldn't commit to the move, I just couldn't work out how to do it! I then had to abseil down and strip it out while we moved off for Snell's lead.

Snell about to attempt the overhang

Damascus Crack (HS 4a). This has got to be one of the best routes of it's grade at the Roaches. Snell choose to lead it as he was looking for a nice S or VS to do and it was pretty ungreen. Earlier in the week He'd had a mini-epic getting over the overhang of Crack and Corner but I knew if we goaded and pushed him into the proper finish then he'd get over his fear of all things overhanging. He did fly up the initial crack having no problem. Then his head started to play up and the prospect of the overhanging wall above him. After some encouragement he gradually moved up and up, placing lots of gear till the final big move. This was a big lip to overturn. Then suddenly he went for it and in a true tradtional style it was a hands on feet off thrutchy salmonly move over the lip. Proper gritstone climbing! 

Both me and Stu seconded him as it was to be our last route of the dark, thanks to the falling darkness. I guess I can still find some good sport at the Roaches, even if I am a little sick of going there!