Sid's Birthday weekend

It was a good friends 30th birthday this weekend just gone. Infact thats a lie, it was his birthday a while back but we had a surprise celebration for him this weekend. Thankfully most of the people turned up, we ahd a good weather and I think everyone had a good time. The climbing was in the Peak District and seeing as we were in Macclesfield for his birthday, we end up at Castle Naze on the saturday and made a trip over to Froggatt on the Sunday. 


I should probably start with Friday which was sort of hectically planned on the last minute (even though I'd made a facebook group 3 weeks before). Sadly a few people decided to drop out at the last minute but on the whole I think it was a success as 18 people crammed into Sid's house for a party. In the end I went to bed at 0300 and I was one of the first, hence our late start and castle naze the next day.


Arriving at CN in the early afternoon we stuck a small problem. Toaf had brought jake his girlfriends dog, without telling anyone. Castle Naze has a ban on dogs according to several signs on the gate, and we'd deliberatly left Sids dog at home for the same reason. Well Toaf had to take his dog for a walk somewhere else while we all went climbing. Arriving at the crag we all set about finding a route and a partner. It sort of looked like I wasn't going to climb much so I set about lending my rack out to whoever needed it. As it happened Sid jumped on Pilgrim's Progress (HS 4b) and Tim jumped on The Scoop (HVS 5a). Both guys seemed to have a whale of a time on each route, especially Tim with his broken toe!

(Adam and Scott relaxing in the sun)

As for my climbing that day I seconded Pilgrim's Progress which was pretty cool, I managed to borrow a pad and a spotter (Killian) and did the a Direct start to The Scoop. The route went at 5b/5c depending on which guide book you read. I think it was probably 5b, but the crux was actually rocking over into the scoop, rather than the crimpy wall up to it (which I manged with ease), I soloed the rest of the route. I also did an E1 6a called Orm and Cheep. I had a pad beneath me as the start is a V3 boulder problem. Apparently you are allowed one side runner, but me and Tim couldn't work out how to place it without going off route. Instead we opted otu of the siderunner and had a pad instead (fair trade?). The route then took a pocketed wall above, off a collection of small buy very good gear. I enjoyed it. I also had a like solo up Icebreaker (E2 5b), which I've done before so knew I could do it. I don't think it's 5b. Then I did Syringe Benefit (E1 5c) on the Quarry face, with Stu. I happen to like quarried rock alot, but quarried grit is a little special. It's sharper edged, looser and has a different feel to it that "natural gritstone". Either way the route was pretty good and I managed to get loads of gear in it. 

(Tim Nixon, after comepleting what I think was The Crack)

There was one rescue that day, and that was of Toaf, who soloed the normal start of the Scoop, only to realise it was a long way down to jump and a commiting distance to finish up, without a rope. He got lowered off. All in all it was a good day with everyone getting something done I think. I forgot to mention my first route I did. It was Deep Chinmeny and at only VD it helped me continue with the esoteric and traditional bent I've been on this year. It's a full on thurtchy squirm up a foot wide chimney... I love it!

We all nipped back to Sid's for a bbq (at which I burnt my thumb) and some wii related fun. We actually managed to get up a little earlier on the sunday so we could tidy the house and head out climbing on the east peak. Bring on Froggatt.


I've not been very psyched to go to Froggatt for a long time and true to form I didn't really get much done at all. We had several good leads that day of Sunset Crack (HS 4b), Sunset slab (HVS 4b), Three Pebble Slab (E0 5a) and I manged to try and lead Science Friction (E6 6a) but fluffed it mentally at the top and got a top-rope rescue from Tim. I still completed the route under my own steam and then almost technically fluffed it too. I did managed a repeat of Sundowner (E2 5b)but this time trailing a rope instead of soloing.

(beware! rock monsters)

We all did have a good little play on Tody's Wall, a little hidden bouldering wall that has several bouldering problems on it ranging from 4c to 6a. It's actually a really nice little place and has encouraged me to find more of the bouldering at Froggatt. Then I guess we just all sort of headed home, knackered. 

All in all it was a good weekend. Climbing wise I didn't feel that I'd achieved much at all, infact I did more hungover on the saturday at Caslte Naze than at Froggatt on the sunday. Well bring on the next weekend I guess.


p.s. I forgot the mention that I did the Cave Crawl at Froggatt again. This is a must do route, and probably the best route a Froggatt for the grade.