Monday 14 May 2007

The 'E point' League

Hey everyone,

Introducing a new feature to improve your blog reading experience - If you would like to enter the 2007 E point league drop me a comment with a name you would like to be known by and the number of E points you've gained since January 1st 2007.

E1 = 1 point
E2 = 2 points
E3 = 3 points
E4 = 4 points

...get the idea?

Onsights, solos, ground ups, headpoints all get awarded the same points for a particular route. Top ropes, Pre-placed gear and repeats of routes you've done already are not in!

'It's like 8a.nu for Trad'

Hard Grit

Ay up, everyone!

Well, exam revision is in full swing, but with an offer of a lift from Climber Dude, Paul, down to the Peak District, I (somehow) managed to talk myself into putting down the notes and pack the harness for a weekend of Grit stone fun with Danny.

Dumby Dan (to give him his new nickname), often talked passionately about the climbing in the Peak, telling stories of how he was reduced to Server climbs when he first tussled with its delights, how he was benighted on a roof with the rope stuck in a crack... With this is mind I was maybe slightly puzzled - he seemed to love it.

I'd climbed on Grit once before when I was about 12 or 13, returning from a B.R.Y.C.S. final in Sheffield with Mr Mackenzie and the Scotland North team. Just topping roping easier climbing and I barely remember it - not the Hard Grit experience I was looking for from this trip.

We arrived at North Lees campsite in the dark and the pouring rain. In our haste to put the tent up and with the lack of being able to see, we pitched it on the only piece of ground with molehills. ("Mike, this is really uncomfortable" - "Danny, stop making a mountain out of a molehill").

After a brilliant nights sleep, and a delicious breakfast we trekked up to Stanage. Heading past the swarms of Bumblys at the popular end, I was drawn to the awesome looking roof of Flying Buttress. This brought back another grit horror story for Danny, involving super pump and a promise he made to himself never to go up there again... Undeterred I went for it and managed to top it by not too heavily contemplating the 'Pendulum of Pain' fall if I came off going over the lip.
Danny then attempted the groove on the right but I can't remember what its called. He couldn't make it over the steep rock (a recurring theme) which meant another E point of me - woo!

After this I climbed a lovely E2 with a hard boulder V3 problem start, probably my favourite grit route so far, and I've done 8 routes so we're talking creme de la creme.
By recommendation, I then climbed Wuthering, an E2 providing interesting climbing with yet another 'Pendulum of Pain' if you were to fall popping across on the the slab from the chimney. I was pretty close to the fall, but somehow managed to hold an ominous feeling barn door. As I topped out on the slab, the rain came on (another recurring theme). After a while of hiding, I figured I'd be easier for me to ab to get the gear than for Danny to climb the slab, come water slide. This made for an interesting time trying to get a nut out from the deep chimney... Guess you have to know the route to see what I'm on about, but it felt quite scary.

I had a go at onsighting the E5 between the two famous Unconquerable routes. It seemed like it might go - well protected though a biggish fall, one British 6b stopper move and hopefully easier ground to the top. I warmed up by doing a wee hand traverse ("How did you sleep last night, Seb?" - "Haha, pretty bad, I never sleep well before a dodgy ascent!"). As it happened, I fell below the stopper move but maybe if I had a bit more luck on my side it might've gone... Certainly felt quite close, perhaps E5 on my first day on grit is too much to ask!

After another shower we walked to Crescent Arete, E1/V2, which we both sent after a few attempts were backed off. We then took a look a the striking Archangel, an E3 which gave me the heebee-geebees just looking at it. The rain come on again and we enjoyed a good soaking as we made our way back to the drying room (or the 'not wet room') at the campsite. Back in the tent, despite being rained on for most of the day, I thoroughly agree with Danny - Grit stone is amazing!

The following day was not so good however. I climbed Right Unconquerable to 'warm up' where I got extremely pumped and did not enjoy the top out one bit. Danny the tried an E2 where the only gear was a number 2 nut behind a flake which got wider and wider as you tried to set the nut untill it fell out the bottom. With a really bad landing, we both agreed to move on.

I tried an E3 pebble pulling slab. This didn't work out so well as I tried jumping for the out-of-reach break. My paaps has told me to leave the scary bits out of the blog, so all I'll say is the result of the leap made the return car journey particularly uncomfortable.
Danny lead August Arete at HVS as the rain came on. We hid in a cave for a while before deciding there was no point as the rain wasn't stopping. Yet again, we got soaked as we walked back to the tent.

We made our way to Harrosage where Climber Dude, Paul, picked us up and we were soon heading up north back to Glasgow. I revised some cosmology in the car (to keep my dad happy) and I better get back to the books just now, though I could struggle as my room is now more the outside of a trying tent than a study - not the best learning environment! :(

Cheerio Team,
Mike