Old tricks un new tricks

Quick BLOG, tired,tierd ,tierd. Long day, long drive up to Saxon land.

Not many pictures on this BLOG as no WIFI connection to the IPad is absent,so just a few boring words. Had a great session at Sunderland wall last night with Roxcool, course organisers. 

Cliff in demo mode, http://www.roxcool.co.uk/

Lots of new info being thrashed around. Great set of guys on the course all with loads of interesting ideas and experiences. So keep reading and logging on to see how it all unfolds. Off to Scugdale today for some more rock antics, 

got the Battle Oates to keep me going throughout the day, so let's see if they fill that hunger gap. http://www.battleoats.com/

Loaded ready to go, 07:00

Catch you later with lots of more super pics of the days course.

Passports & Climbing walls

So gears packed and course details in the pocket, were nearly off. Just got two shifts to go then it's of to Saxon country. 

Billingham, somewhere up north ta right abit. For those that were not aware, Billingham was founded around circa 650 by the Saxons, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billingham a people known as Billas people. So here enduth the lesson, however my course instructor and owner of http://www.roxcool.co.uk/ looks a bit Billas lookin to me.

Cliff Lowther of 

http://www.roxcool.co.uk/ For an adventure of a life time, so I am going to get a bit for myself. Bags packed, however, due to it been up north ta right a bit I've packed me passport, never know.

First meeting place is Sunderland wall, http://www.sunderlandwall.co.uk/ never been so it should be a nice change. Then it's a full weekend of instruction, so keep looking in to see what actually happens.

Busy weekend for the team

http://www.buxtonmountainrescue.org.uk/call_outs/lamaload-nr-macclesfield-cheshire#more-9903

Help support the team with just giving.

http://www.buxtonmountainrescue.org.uk/support_us/donate

Three men in a motor

 Heading off to Froggatt to get some sunshine on Sunset Slab.

The team stomping up the track from just below the pub. Combined age of around 134 years, oh my god were lucky to be even walking let alone climbing. No wonder deans hangin back.

Right boys this is the plan, hang on a min let me get a can out ( personnel joke)

First route in, is the old favourite Sunset Slab HVS 4b. Super route and a great lead by Dean, not that he hasn't done this many times before. 

Dean on the first main ledge before the layback and the tenuous top out. Great route just got to layback on the crux and get your feet in the right position, he says. Must admit I forgot this one, had to re adjust, alls good.

So john it's all yours mate.

Right, yes, ok then. Tell ya wat.

Ok,go on then, what.

So while we're waiting for WHAT to arrive I decide Sunset Cracks gonna av it. And avit she did.

Take that you slabby thing. Right your up john, first route since last sat. Nerves are tense, go on my son you can do it. See BLOG (No Title) if you don't get the pun, just leave it there.

Dean decides he gonna lead Sundowner E2 5a, super route with a fluttery heart at the side of it in the Roxfax book, well earned.

Dean cruises this route with ease, iam looking at the jump from the belay spot to the ground to take out the slack, IF he slipped. Maybe he didn't see the rucksacks piled up on the rocks below me, not for you boy ow, for me. The belay stance on this route is about 10ft off the ground so in the event of a fall the belayer has to jump off, dad's eh, do anything for there sons, even jump off ledges.

Gear remover.

Well bugger me, metaphorically speaking of course. Step up to the plate, BIG John B. Stand out of the way boyz this routes mine. Big john decides he gonna give Sundowner the once over, yep it on. Johns away up the route in good style. No issues here, nice foot work and a little bit of GURRING by all accounts as Dean will tell. 

This routes graded as E2 5a on lead, however hats off to John for a very clean second, proud mate.

BIG PAUSE

No we ain't goin home, let's head off to Downhill Racer Area. Deans got a glint in his eye and the grits itchin him on this route. I mess about on Trapeze Direct at a nice healthy grade of HS 4c while Dean paces the ground wearing a groove in the floor looking up at Long John Slab E3 5c. Guaranteed not to knock ya shins on the way down on this one, smooth, smoother than smoothy things. So, me un John stop playing around on Trapeze, however must say its a great route with a super crux. Real sand bagger I must admit for the un wary.

You ain't gonna sand bag beardy thou, he's well on its case. Beardy the CRUX muncher.

http://youtu.be/EVNjio8gn3E

Right, now to some serious climbing. Deans up for getting the moves linked on this one then it should just be a case of pads un style. 

This is no mean feet, it's absolutely Ffffffffkkkkkkkin nails. Comes in at 5c, don't knock it it a bloody hard 5c, try before you buy job, or comment.

No probs, job done. Dry day, bit of wind and it'll go. Ps here's my shitty attempt.

Yep, that's it. Bloody hard. Just carnt understand why the old legs don't understand what the brain is telling them. Lift, place move, ok what's the problem with lift, or even place. Think Yoga may help.

Right, the Moon it is. No not that Moon, the moon which sells bitter un stuff.

Three pints of your best landlord, haw haw haw.

http://www.themooninnstoneymiddleton.co.uk/

For information. NO cans of MTFKUP were harmed whilst climbing these routes.

Pre climb BLOG

Look in later tonight for the latest BLOG. Off climbing into the Dark Peak, weather looks superb with wall to wall sun. So should be a good BLOG on its way.

Norwegian style breaky before we go, looks good eh Cliff. http://www.roxcool.co.uk/

Blue sky's, whoop whoop.

Time to train

This time next week I should be back from a super two day course (SPA) with my good friend Cliff Lowther of Roxcool http://www.roxcool.co.uk/ cliff being the course provider, see link for further details.

I will be starting my training, at the bottom. I've decided after what seems a life time of climbing to actually get some qualifications. So should be interesting, looking forward to being tested and to learn new techniques. Your never to old to learn, or listen. 

So keep looking in as there should be some excellent shots of rock and rock and a bit more rock, and maybe a bit of rock with me on it.

Keep watching.

No title

I've struggled with this one all the way down the M6 and here sat at home in the super Peak District. I have decided to just leave it out as nothing seems relevant. Any one who knows me may have a clue, and no I didn't fall off a climb. So I decided to sod the title and just go straight in. The Start, what else but breakfast. All good days out start on a full stomach, and yes Steve it is another monster breakfast, and no I ain't heavier than you, yet.

Keswick car park, pretty empty, oh yes it is about stupid 9 o'clock. Luv early starts.

So finish breaky and it's off to the Trafford centre AKA Shepards Crag Borrowdale. Ever since I was a child I've looked up at this crag and wondered what it would be like, 40 odd years later I found out. However to be fare I've put this crag off time and time again, done the old, oh have we passed it trick, never mind well do it again. Yep, I am anti social, so what's wrong with that Mr Froid or what ever ya name is, and spelllllt.

Just in case. 

However Mr mannering it wasn't to bad, and a pleasant surprise. We headed off down to the bottom end, brown crag. Fairly low key as far as people are concerned, so we headed on up Brown crack, groove or something. This climb was a diff, well trod and the first climb since last sat at hey roughly the same time. What's he on about, few little pointers here and there. Ok, dean is off, he's really conscious that I am letting line out at a really reduced rate. Give me some bloody slack I can feel coming down every fibre in the cord of the rope. Bloody NO my mind is saying. Dean lays an absolute text book set of ropes out, perfectly set with excellent quick draws keeping the line running smooth up the crag.

I love the extender on the yellow line, oohburr straight.

Right, some serious climbing ish. Little Chamonix, seen it, read it, joked about it, seen Cliff Lowther naked on it, http://www.roxcool.co.uk/ you name it. So it's time to man up and do it, get me a can, personnel joke.

Hear you are dad, the route guide. You know, that bit of info that helps you get up the route, yeh wat evvvvver.

My lead, any how got to shake off the demonds. Not easy, four pitch route which means I will get the last pitch, cool, looks ace. 

Are you wearing the jacket of doom and gloom, oh shit, yeh.

Sorry for the shitty puns, only a few people will know WTF I am talking about, but hey let's just leave it there. If you really wanna know, email me.

Back to climbing, the first pitch wasn't easy I must admit. I felt tense and sweaty, however I new dean was at the other end of the rope, nuth said.

First pitch, ffffffffkkkkkkking ace. Got to the tree belay, team already at this pitch so bit of a wait. Me yankin the rope three times for dean to start climbing after about 20 min wait. Oh fuck never said I was safe, bet dean won't mention it. Wrong, what happened to safe he said. Didn't think we discussed the old three tug method. SOSS I said, took so long for the next team to move on I missed that bit out. I  had been safe for ages, ha ha.

I am sat below on equally as big urr tree. Super belay spot, well chillin. However the ants look rather not chillin and rather pissed. Best move on.

Deans on the money, ready for the off. Soon as Mr hear is out of site I'll move, ok sounds good. The guide book says four pitches but reckon we can push it through to two pitches. Deans up and out onto the rock, takes it straight through to the top without any issues. Must admit, pitch three is comfy so reckon the way we did it suited better. Would have taken ages as a four pitch, no need just dragging it out.

Dean stepping out onto the shoulder, yep pretty expossssssssed.

 

Pretty exposed, but cool.

Dean very relaxed, and well earned, bloody good lead.

Never stop taking pictures, they are our time travel back to life as it happens.

TIME FOR TEA MRS MIGGINS

Oh yeh, met loads of people today. Paddy cave of mountain circles,  http://www.mountaincircles.com/

Adrian Walker of Buxton mountain rescue http://www.buxtonmountainrescue.org.uk/

and a crazy dog on the crag.

Food, feed me. Off to Keswick for a pie, a pie made of haggis. Then off to Magnolias http://www.magnoliacafebar.com/   for a pint.

       

                                       

Keswick is ace, our second home. Oh yeh, we are from Keswick I forgot, that's why it's our second home dooooh.

Dedicated to Nathan.

The brushings ups

So your sick of hearing about ruddy bars and biscuits and how good that tastes and why buy this one and not that one. Well ever thought there was a reason behind it all, well there is. It's called research, usually at someone else's expense.

So what am I on about, simple don't take dried out super healthy everything in um bars. Cos I did just to prove a point. So ran out of Battle Oates bars, grabbed a couple of the above. Put them in the rucksack and headed off to my playground, kinder plateau. And Grindsbrook knoll, and Crowden brook, well all of it actually. Had a super walk from Tipps car park at Barber Booth round the edge path from Crowden brook round and down to meet the Pennines way.

Quiet little farm at Barber Booth just above Tipps car park.

Heading out up Crowden Brook

Starting to get a bit peckish, could see Doogle had the same idea, so it time to consume one of the healthy bars.

Looks ok, ish. Bit loose thou. May be putting it in the rucksack lid with the radio wasn't a good idea. Took the top bit out and the rest was just-----

Where's the milk and a bowl, Doogle says, me,me,me I'll have it. And so he did, what a waste of time that was.

Gone.

Must admit, I've never had the Battle bars do this as they are moist due to the rape seed oils in them. The whole ingredients stays together and don't fall apart. This is massively important, if I had been out on a long call out I could have been in trouble with the healthy option. 

http://www.battleoats.com/

The other big no no for the healthy option is they are so dry, you nearly choke on the bits. So take plenty of water.

Onwards and upwards.

The Pig stone on the southern edge of Kinder.

Kissing seals.

Home time, let's go Doogle.