Polished Limestone!

Well I guess it started the morning I wrote my blog on Tree-mud-rock. Definatly a very delayed morning, but we got out climbing in the end. We crammed 5 people into my car and headed off to Symonds Yat for a bit of limestone related fun. A few of our party had never climbed on Limestone before (in fact Laura had never climbed on anything other than grit, poor girl). Seeing as we where all pretty lethargic I took everyone to the pinnical and we abseiled in in an attempt tp wake people up. This Iis when I also found out was the first time laura had abseiled as well.

Eventually all reached the base of the crag and tramped through the undergrowth and found the hole in the wall area. Laura wanted to get on her first severe so Toaf belayed her up Golden Fleece. Me, Tim and Ceara took Transformer a HS 4b next to it. Symonds Yat does suffer from quite bit of polish (for those who havn't been there) but the crag is in such a great place, sat in the middle of a forest with great amenities near by (you can top out and go from a brew before your next climb). It is a great place to climb. Laura really enjoyed Golden Fleece and was chuffed with her first severe.

On the walk back, me and Toaf studied a blank looking section of wall for good routes. In the end we both liked this overhanging groove line, but didn't know what it was. After a quick check in the guide book, it was established to be The Ankh going at E1 5b. Regardless of being hungover and tired, we decided to head up it anyway, (also having no shame in just backing off). The start went alright with a cam in the overhanging groove. After a quick scoot back to the floor and a test of this I went back up and launched over it into the groove. Whilst in this realised how steep the route actually was so got quite a bit of protection in.

I nipped up the groove and then put a couple of pieces in before the traverse. Its only about a 12ft traverse and for god only knows reason I thought it would be easy. After my first attempted to cross it (and my swift retreat) I spent a good while erm-ing and ah-ing about whether to continue or not. All this time my arms where getting pumped out. I added another couple of pieces of gear making a veritable nest and then set out again aiming for the exit groove. The traverse proved very hard and I was soon pumped but I struggled into the groove hoping (well praying actually) for some decent holds.

There wasn't any. Well not any for super pumped arms anyway, and with no choice I carried on up. I was also still running it out from my nest of gear (eek!). After what seemed like forever I managed to get my hand on a jug and start resting my arms one at a time. The Jug also proved to be a thread as well so I started to try and get sling though it. While I wrestled a thin sling through a ting hold for the thread, with one arm getting pumped I let out a power squeek. Its like a power scream, but it only happenings when I'm crapping myself and things are about to go horribly wrong.

I pulled the thread through and clipped it. Phew. I allowed myself to look down and the horrible distance from my gear. I topped out on the easier ground and brought up Toaf after Ceara had given it a go. We both agreed it was an awesome route (one of the few routes I've done with Toaf this year) and was very stiff. Its a great climb all in all.

I checked on the UKC.com. Its actually graded E2 5c and not E1 5b. I think I need a more up to date guide book.

By the time me and Toaf had walked down, we found Ceara and Tim eyeing up a corner/groove line. They had not checked the guide book and seemed to plan on a pure onsite thinking it looked quite easy. This line was in fact the Russian (HVS 4c, in our old guidebook). I rememeber when I first lead it. I rememeber the stress and pain from some of the jams and thinking I was going to fall off. Easy is not this climb, but they tried none the less (I did warn them). Ceara gave it a good bash, backing off just below the crux. Tim next jumped on the rope and retreated back down off the crux as he was getting high above a crap piece of gear. Not wanting to clear it by abseil, Toaf then jumped on and cruised up it (bearing in mind, he just semi-cruised E2 5c on second) leaving me and Laura to second it.

After checking on UKC again, the Russian is now graded HVS 5a.

By this point we where all knackered from the night before and it was getting late, so we headed back to the car after some bouldering in the cave. Once we got back to stoke, this was the start of many days out climbing (mainly on grit)