Back to hodge

Back to Hodge Close

The

Works

OK, 05:50 picking Dean up ready to go back to Hodge Close to do some re bolting after the recent  attacks(See UKC Forum http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=68023 ) . Bolts removed and anchors cut by a group claiming to be some type of savour to lakeland climbing.

(The People's Climbing Front of the Lake District
Does not approve of encouraging the destruction of traditional rock routes in the Lake District and questions the decision to fund the Works dry-tooling venue.)

 Deans suffering from bad,bad bad, ok enough of that, tooth ace business. were off to to the Works.

First stop breakfast

Man with BIG Tooth ache

This should sort it out

Ropes are up and Deans shot up the lines with the bolts and drill. We've set up a static line with a belay line for lowering back down to clip and bolt off as we go. Not an easy setup as the lip of the cave is way out from the main line which needs re bolting.

The whole operation took from around 09:30 to 16:00 to complete, not easy due to the conditions.

The original quick draws and hangers were taken, but and email received by the BMC stated that they were between the two venues behind a plastic barrel, hidden from view.

Pete found them behind a barrel as stated in the email to the BMC.

Alls good and we are off back to the cars. weve got a 140 mile return trip to Derbyshire. Petes got about 5 miles to Ambleside. Good effort all round, glad to see the routes going back up.

Hodge

The Works

Hodge Close

Coniston

http://betweengritandacoldplace.blogspot.co.uk/

More information on the vandalisium at hodge close dry tooling venue

Hodge close (The Works)

Off to meet up with the guys at the works tomorrow, tuesday to re bolt the Works after the recent attacks on this superb dry tooling venue.

Dry tools

Dry Tooling

@

Hodge Close, Coniston

Vandals,Vandal.

Hodge Close in Coniston was vandalised on Thursday 24th April 2013, bolts cut and abseil loops removed. Is this a vendetta intent to cause  pre-meditated manslaughter.

Someone could have been killed by this persons actions, UKC have covered this via the forums and an extensive article.

So what did we do, climbed of course. No one stops us from climbing, the ropes went down on hodge and we abseiled in. We had a great days climbing, and enjoyed the rain which the good old lakes is famed for. We spent saturday at Rope Race in Marple all day sending routes on the main wall and some interesting boulder routes in the boulder lounge due to the rain in Derbyshire all day.

This set us up for HC, well limbered up.

Bolts cut by the Vandal

Industrial area, Time and a Half M5

Double time M6

Two days

Friday

Two days of adventure starts here

Log in to see what went on

The cracker gun

Vote on me

The Cracken gun carriage

Give me your comments

The craken

Crack Hunting

Cracken Edge

A once climbed venue, high up on the rim looking out over Chinley is the old quarry of Cracken Edge. This was home to many a good crack climb, however over the years it has been neglected. The winter years have ravished the rock with great slabs splitting away, crashing to the ground. All in all a very unstable venue.

The old rigging wheel

The Cloud

Call to arms

Bleeper goes off as I am on Chapelgate track, the Cloud Congleton. Off at a steady jog back to the car. Get the RV off the alerter and away to Congleton. 45 mins later walking up to the trig on the Cloud, gorgeous day, my good friend John Beard is on the path walking his dog, he gives directions to the cass site and off we go. 2 mins later we are at the scene.

Films

Chapel Gate

Edale

If you've been watching the program the village based in Hayfield Derbyshire, then this is the farm featured in the program. The farm is in the valley bottom, known as Tags Naze Farm Barber Booth.

It can be clearly seen from Chaplegate track on the side of Rushop Edge, you can walk past on the footpath. Maybe you might even see Joe.

To much to soon

Rain Dodgers

Egg bacon mushrooms black pudding with sausage and a splash of HVS Vs sauce with a cup of peak sunshine to wash it down.

Full, off we go into the peak with a bit of a late start, 10:30. rocks drying, its all good. Headed out to Millstone edge for the North Bay. Had our eye on Estremo for a while but were beaten back last year with the wet weather every time we headed out to have a go at it.

Estremo is the obvious wide crack left of centre. OK kit on ready to go, first cam placed starting to hand jam up the crack. Head says maybe, hands say connection lost between hands and brain. At this point it is clearly obvious i am not a hand jamming crack climber. Oh well the ground isn't far away, and soon i am on Terra fer ma.

Quick exchange and Deans off up the crack replacing all my gear with better placed and a nice free placement with a strap round two jammed rocks in the crack which i had missed due to hand brain connection issues. Looking strong, up and into the corner with good protection when, BOOM, free space, feet apart with a great landing on the face, quick chuckle and a laugh and hes moving strong over the shelf on the right and into a very tight pill box. A couple of nice placements before exiting out onto the face for a superb layback and onto a top block and out on to the top. That sounds quick and easy you might say, my version.

Starting at the bottom, this time on second as i fluffed the first lead. Jamming up the crack, not bad seems ok. Get near the main move for the right hand slap on the shelf, no brain connection error again, i am off on the face. Oh well, feet in the crack back up, lean out get the slap on the shelf and over up into the pill box. Christ its shrunk or Ive grown, didn't look this tight at the bottom. Deans pulled a blinder here, great gear placement in the roof and on the face. Think i would have possibly pooped at this point, this was an excellent piece of climbing and well protected by dean.

OK deans passing down some good tips on making the next layback up the block above. Of course i listen but do it my own way any way, yep didn't work,shit idea. OK say that again, right into the layback and alls good, strenuous but good. Top of the lay back and slap onto a block on the right, up and out.

Bloody hell that was Bombardier (Full on) Excellent lead.

Down and back to camp Doogle, ie doogle the dogs napping point.

Plexity HVS 5a

Future climb

North Bay

My lead this time, Remembrance Day VS 4c. 

Remembrance Day

Centre of picture

Superb climb with great gear placements, nice climbing. Topped out and deans on his way up. Coffee time at the outside shop as the rains coming in fast.

Gear bagged up and back to the car, just beat the rain.  Another great days climbing in the Peak

Old quarry's old climbs

Trad Shift

weird start, shifting back from winter to trad (Traditional Climbing) just spent the best winter season ever from Norway (Rjukan) to the Lake District to Peak district to Scotland (Ben Nevis) the jewel in the crown. 

Out today on some new routes, deans just climbed a first, ie new route. Yes, there are still routes out there unclimbed and unclaimed. Weve had discussions at great length, ive gone with E1 6a, deans on the fence with E1 5b. I watched, he climbed then i seconded, its a 6a, deffo. The climb is yet to be named.

Arrived at the crag, not climbed here before, secret location. Deans done some great prep work clearing routes unseen for many a day. First route led by dean in fine style, HVS. I seconded, not nice top out, grassy shitty.

Next route deans un climbed un named route, dean led again in fine style on crimpy holds. I seconded and popped on the top move, (crux). Re evaluated and moved out over the top. Dean led well here as i would have gone for a swing if i had led it. Very crimpy moves, i under estimated them and paid for it.

Ok

More to follow so watch this space, new routes and new climbing styles.

Roxcool

An absolute must of a read

Read my good friend, Cliff Lowthers BLOG. This is an absolute must, what a great story and well written.

http://clifflowtherroxcoolblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/orion-direct-400m-v5-ben-nevis.html

Happy reading, please comment as this enables us to know whether we are getting it right.

Cheers ED

MRT

Climb,climb,climb

Reality's knocking on the door, winter climbing is over. Ok, time to look forward. This weekend will be a none climbing venue, off to Edale Mountain Rescue base for a trauma weekend course. Will be blogging on the weekends events. Hopefully will be out this week either bouldering tradin or indoor.

The Raven has landed

Raven Crag Gully

Borrowdale

Lake District

Amazing, the Little car park or field parking as you would say was clear nobody around. This filled us with great expectations, no other teams on the hill. Geared up and away up the combe, heading straight for adventure.

Making our way up the valley you can see Combe Gill at the top banked out with snow.

Raven crag is centre of the picture, the cleft in the rock face.

First pitch, getting the gear ready and we are off, superb climbing all the way. Dean leads the first pitch with me close behind. 

Looking back down from the first belay stance.

Deans just setting up the first belay anchor on pitch one.

Pitons in use today, best piece of kit ever made. Middle left we are using one of the beaks, amazing.

Next lead up to the chock stone then an easy right turn up a section of veer glass and out round the boulder.

Pitch 5, probably the best pitch of the climb. The whole route is an amazing climb, one of the best ive done.

This is well worth doing, it just keeps giving all the way to the top.

Home Time

Roych under snow

Roych Clough

To

Chapel Gate

10:45 and were are off, roych Clough for a bit of navigation training and general walking. A good friend of mine John Beard accompanied me on my journey through some of the most beautiful parts of the Peak District. We started from Rushup Edge and joined the track to South Head, taking a right turn at the old ford heading up into Roych Clough.

A slightly covered gate on the track in, still lots of snow dunes to negotiate. On and upwards into the roych. Some interesting navigation for John as he had not walked this route before. On the way in there were some excellent cornices hanging off the crags at Roych Tor.

We took a slightly different line and headed onto the top of the tor so that we could hand rail the wall for navigation purposes which would take us to a nice sheep fold for a brew stop.

Some interesting features along the way, huge cornices in the fields.

Stratagui

Headed up and out of the Roych, over the track to Brown Knoll and over to the lip of the moor looking out towards Jacobs Ladder. Brew stop at the old sheep fold on Horse hill tor then off on a second nav exercise to the cairn at the top of Colborn moor top from Dalehead Fm

Tired dog after a long walk.

Lakes chill

Lake District

Winter climbing

04:45 start tomorrow, heading of to the lakes to catch some of the last winter climbing. Looks like the weather is warming up, so best make the most of what we have got. Can't wait to get going, really buzzed up about it. Winter climbing is one of the best, never a dull moment. So look in tomorrow night and if not to tired I will BLOG out the days events.

Plans and plans

Change of plan

Ok, life doesn't always run smooth. Ice climbing trip to the Lakes has been put off till Sunday due to my partner Dean Dalton, BLOG (Between Grit and a Cold Place) Twitter (@deand1987) having to work. The BLOG will be updated with Lake District winter conditions and crag info on Sunday night, if not to knnnackerd or Mon morning.

Trip out in the Peak District tomoz, so more interesting adventure to follow tomorrow night. Keep watching as the adventures unfold here at Crevice Wind.

Picture from Thursdays trip to Crowden Clough, this barn and field were used in the new documentary on Hayfield village, called the village which is on, on a sun night at 21:00 hrs

A Hinkes day out

Cold Climbs

Cold climbs book will be out tonight, looking for a classic route for sat. Most likely to be in the Lakes, so keep watching as another adventure unfolds.

https://mobile.twitter.com/alanhinkes

Twitter is a great venue for info, live as it happens. Alan Hinkes has been kind enough to send out some interesting snippets. Hes just finished the day off on Raven Crag gully. He has reported good conditions for an excellent grade at Grade 4.

Keep watching as this page will develop further.

Up the a clough

Crowden Clough

Barber booth 

Edale

Ok, off up to Crowden Clough to check out any remaining ice. Superb walk in at around 09:30, beautiful blue sky's all the way. Paths clear of ice, just bits of vere glass on the occasional rock.

Got to the Clough but not a great deal left, good ice in the picture but peters out further up.