How do you fancy a multiple pitch in the lakes, yeh sounds great, what do you fancy, how about Corvus. So Corvus it is, a multi pitch climb. Diff 3 star, one of the best in the lakes.
Corvus, unknown climber.
So back to the beginning. We decide that due to the weather being warm for this time of year a rock route will go down just nice. Corvus is an all round route, winter summer, wet dry. So target set we hit the road Friday after work(14:00 hrs). Camping kit in the car ready for a quick hit on the route at first light. Plan is to walk up Combe Ghyll and pitch up below Corvus to beat the morning crowds and avoid been cheated out of our route.
Mean while at home getting my gear together dean calls with the suggestion of taking a winter rack and appropriate kit for a possible route, if available. At this point I am thinking the plans changing and Corvus is what I really wanted to bag. However, being able to adapt to current conditions and change tactics at the drop of a hat is an absolute must in British climbing. So all in all an ace idea by dean which brings un believable returns, read on.
Heading up the motorway expectations are high, weathers good and the suns out. Tommorrow is set to be an amazing day. We arrive in the lakes around 17:00 hrs and drive through Windermere enjoying the amazing scenary. The hills are bare of any snow, that's until we arrive in Grassmere.
Not by coach thank god, by the good old car. Heading up the hill the white stuff starts to appear. We swing in to Swirl spot car park just below Helvellyn. Two guys are walking over the road with ice axes and crampons. Dean jumps out of the car and a chat ensues about conditions on the hill. This all turns out to be fruitful,the guys tell us of steep banks of snow which are stable and the possibility of further consolidated snow higher up. They had been practicing ice axe arrests and general snow activities. The deal is done, winter climbings on and Corvus is most definitely off.
Now to get the tent pitched, off down to castlerigg campsite over looking Derwentwater. Minds going over and over thinking, winter climbing, camping, winter climbing, cold tent, climbing. Bollocks to that, campsites closed anyway when we get there. Plan B, quick call to Thorneyhow http://www.thorneyhow.co.uk/blog/index.php?tag=bunk-house and two warm bunks are assured, £50 including full English breakfast and a place to make a flask for the morning, no brainer.
And they serve beer.
Kit stowed at the bunk house ready for the morning and it's off to Grassmere for tea. We head to the Lounge Bar, two pints followed by two home made burger and chips, super.
Dark and clear crisp skies on the way to the pub, excellent.
Teas done so it's another pint and a final check on our intended target. I fancied Rape and Pillage V 2*
Unknown climber.
Consulting the guide and best attack point.
Plan of attack is to head up to the top of Helvellyn and bounce down swirral edge, then contour round to the appropriate height just below the climb.
Looking back towards Thirlmere and Keswick beyond.
Roxcool pose, not so pose.
Dean heading on into the mist towards Swirrals Edge
A steep accent in compact snow
.
Arriving at the summit around 10:30
we can't see a damn thing, pretty much a white out. We head to the entrance to Swirral edge, massive cornice to the right and a Fairly steep drop onto swirrals. Cup of mint tea and a bit of too ing and throwing back and to. We decide it's not looking good, so we head round to the trig to see if we can see back towards the face so that we can get a good view of the current conditions. We arrive at the trig in a white out, no sign of the mist lifting. The cornice at this point looks massive, everything is saying its a no go. It's having the ability to be able to make the desicion to change plan when your heart is saying climb, but your head is seeing the obvious danger staring right at you.
Cornice at the top of Brown cove. The cornices at red tarn were bigger and starting to fracture.
Plan C, head back towards Brown Cove and contour round under the crag to Two Grooves. (http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=60910)
Plan set we are heading back down, really cold now. Mine and deans hands are feeling the drop in temp, must have been about -8 on top with a wind chill to boot.
We arrive at the stance under Two Grooves, the weather is calm and sunny. It's climb on, really scythed now.
It's time to climb, kits out and cramps on. Getting the tools out I place my hand into the grip on my axes, oh bollocks, I've left them set on small for drytooling and I've no Allen key on me,School boy error. Dean grabs his axe and SHIT I've done the same. Oh well, it will be rite. I take the first pitch, ice is none existent and the snow is soft and un consolidated. I make my way up to a good position 15 foot up and place some kit. Moving on and a cam goes in, alls looking good. Cracks are choked up with snow but not very icy, turf at this point isn't taking an axe. To far up the route to make a return so it's on and up torques and tiny dinks to make the moves on with a couple of good sinkers along the way. Foot holds are pretty sparse, certainly a (6) in the tech grade. Topping out on the first pitch into a fairly large snow field at about 20 deg angle. Belay set up and deans soon at the stance. Dean moves over to a better position for the second pitch as I had moved over to far to the left after seeing a nice big boulder as a belay anchor.
New pants, bright green. Crampon point straight in at the Knee.
Bollocks, that hurt. Blood drawn, oh well glad they only cost me £23, mega deal as I nearly bought a pair of Norundas in Norway for £400.
Back to the climb, getting near the top and it's all going well,superb climb with fun all the way, and found an in situ nut. Stood at the top ready to make the awkward move out to the right using torques on the slab to exit. Torques in place and a big pull to get stood up on the slab then a gentle move up and over the top to the belay stance. On the last move up the torque slab I found a nice little piton. Dean informed me he had put it there last year, wasn't coming out thou, it was well in. Oh well it's there for generations ahead of us, bit of history with its own story to it. Well what an amazing trip, totally different to our original plans. So lesson to learn, be prepared to change and you will experience some of the best times of your life. Great thanks to dean my partner in crime for a superb trip.
Read deans account from 2013 of the same route, but a different day in many ways.
At the end of every trip there's a pile to sort out
No comments:
Post a Comment