Bit if a while ago this one, and there wasn't really may photograph's of our first day out. I joined my old university mountaineering club (for the last time I think) on thier club trip to the lakes. Considering I don't go to the lakes enough then this was a good chance to climb on some lakes mountain rock.
The Saturday was spent climbing on Dow Crag, which for all it's might is actually no bigger than some of the crags in Llanberis Pass. I'm always a little dissapointed because as you walk in the crag rears up infront of you, seeming to go on to the summit, but most of the routes peater out around half way (unless of course you're on A buttress). This time I was climbing with Stu and we concentrated on B Buttress, with an eye to get 3 routes done in the day. Our first was an HVS 5a called Leopards Crawl. It was a nice route, a little run out for HVS considering the groundfall potential on the first pitch, but the climbing soon eased. Stu lead the second pitch, a burly crack line before it broke up to easy ground.
Then we did Tarkus, a bold little E1 5b which went to the same belay as Leopard's and finish up that route. The route itself was reasonable well protected but as soon as I started I knew I'd have to continue. The first few moves seemed irriversable and a little too commiting. Then again I did have a rather large hangover so maybe I was just being a scardy-cat. All in all it was fine with good rock all the way.
Our final route was Murray's Direct (VS 4c) and by now my hangover had kicked in proper. I'd also ran out of food and seeing as I'd forgotten to fill up my water bottle before we left I'd resorted to collecting water from a tiny drip at the base of the crag. Stu lead the first pitch which turned out to be a nasty awkward traverse with little gear. Thankfully it soon eased and he belayed above. It was a good lead from Stu. I took P2 which basically took a pitch of loose flakes that all sounded hollow and I didn't really want to fall on anything... lest it exploded off the face! The climb however was easy and I belayed setting Stu off up the last pitch. This was the difficult slightly overhanging layback corner, with a little polish to boot. Stu had an awesome lead up this, while I belayed trying to to throw up on the party beneath me. I think I gave up drinking ever again after that (lies! all lies!).
Then we went back to the hut as the darkness crept in along the valley and we finished out night by head torch. Not bad for a day with a hangover I thought.
The was a little bit of a C/F. We'd agreed that everyone should stay together, but finding a multipitching/single pitching venue that would suit everyone proved pretty hard, especially with easter holidays in the Lakes. There was literally no-where we could park so instead we settled in Hodge Close quarry as it's got sport climbing, swimming and plenty of stuff to play on. I managed a 45 metre abseil into Parrock Quarry but the other lad's couldn't actually abseil into hodge close and drop into the water like they'd hoped (too short a rope). Instead I set about rigging some of the F5+ and F6a's for people to top-rope on before heading off to attempt a 2 pitch sport route. I don't actually knwo what grade the route get's or what it's name is. It takes a line of 10 bolts up a shallow groove to a double bolt belay then a groove above to belay off some trees. It's a pretty nice line with nice safe spacing between the bolts and a good belay. Sadly there is a little loose rock on it and I managed to pull off a sizeable chunk which I avoided dropping on my belayer! There was a seriously large piece of loose flake that you need to mantle onto as well for the first pitch. Either way it's an awesome route.
And that was pretty much my climbing done so after de-rigging all the top-ropes I bugged out and headed home knowing I was supposed to be meeting Soames for a trip to wales the day after...
Leopard's crawl
Tarkus
Murray's Direct
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