Miners and waterfalls

The day started as usual with a build up to the weekend deciding what was going to happen. Dean was off to Manchester so it was down to me to come up with a plan. Doogle was in on the plan as I didn't reckon I would get away with leaving him as he was camped out on the rucksack by the door.

06:30 I pick john up and we are off, 1hr 20 mins and we are at Penrith. Off at the jct and into the garage for a wake up coffee. Back on the road, target Newlands valley.

Last Saturday I got a superb view of Dale head clocked in full winter snow from swinside, so I reckoned this was the hit.

Parked,boots on,dog on lead. We are off up the track, heading for heaven. Things arnt looking good for the tools and crampons strapped to the back of the rucksack. I had the idea of doing a few winter skills with john in the snow, bollards,axe anchors ect. Snow was looking thin when we arrived so not much hope but we still took the kit just in case the summit had more to tell. Starting to get a bit hungry now after pushing hard up scope end, time to test the Battle Oates bar. Been looking forward to testing this new energy bar on the hill with full kit on.

Top of May crags

At the top of May crags in the bothy.

Broke out the food and drink, here was test time. Out comes the Battle Bar, on test. So will this bar do the job,will it fill the gap. 

Out she comes, I decided to break it up into chunks and eat it as I went along in stages. This was a great idea as it lasted longer and without doubt kept hunger at bay. We reached the top of Dale Head and consumed another chunk washed down with mint tea.

Summit of Dale Head, little patches of snow. So another bit of Battle Bar. Got about half left now and I am definitely not hungry, it certainly gives you energy and prevents that craving to eat huge amounts of food. This is a good thing as your blood supply is not being diverted to your stomach to break all that food down.

John on the summit of Dale Head

Me and Doogle chillin with a cup of peppermint tea, and a chunk of battle Oates.

Dale head tarn.

So down at the tarn, we take the track down to the old mines passing below Miners Crag. The crag looks superb, we are going to come back next weekend with the climbing gear.

The waterfall below miners crag

Arriving back at the car, 13kilometers later Doogle is poopped. 

The verdict on the Battle bar is yes it works and works well. I will be putting some more back into my mountain rescue kit. Out on the fell at night or day you wouldn't be worrying about an energy source, I reckon a couple of bars would see you through the day or a long night without any issues. So big thumbs up for Battle Oates.

http://www.iconnutrition.co.uk/Blog/Battle-Oats-Protein-and-Vitamin-Flapjack-NEW-PRODUCT-COMING-SOON

Last min add on, two days later after the walk I am sitting here thinking I didn't feel any effects from the walk as in tiered legs muscles ect. The battle Oates recovery system works, wow.

Heavy boxes to heavy streets

Got up, down stairs coffee toast grab the dog and off. Planned to go to Wales climbing today but after seeing the forecast decided wales was in no condition for rock routes, hope i was right. Lakes second choice, however snow line was down to 300 meters at 20:00 hrs last night and the climb dean and myself were wanting to climb was at around 500, Raven crag in Borrowdale.

So dropped the dog at my mums with plans to pick dean up and head out to Awesome walls in Sheffield. Heavy box waiting for dean when I got there, not sure what's in it but brought it anyway.

Arrive at deans, heavy box is ripped apart and out comes Battle Oates.

http://www.iconnutrition.co.uk/

This is a new product on the market, 100% natural high protein flapjacks with no trans fats. Oh and there oven baked as well.

Ok, so it's off to Awsome Walls in Sheffield with our/deans package of 100% goodness.

Here the heavy streets bit. 

From this.

To this

Quick warm up in the boulder room and it's off for a drink and a little chillin time before we do some routes. 

Sat having a coffee dean presents me with a Battle Bar, dark choc chip. 

Sat chewing away dean is firing the questions, so what do you think, you like them, what does it taste like. Long long long pause, yeh I say. Good actually, very solid not like the general bar you get which just sort of disappears pretty quick still leaving you hungry. Got to the bottom of the wrapper, must admit its a fair bit to get down in such a compact bar. Think I would have been better breaking it up into four sections and eating, then doing, then eating. Anyway will soon find the best way to consume it as time goes on.

Didn't think much more about it after that, why would I. Hit some good routes ranging from 6a up to 6c. 6c being the limit for me, didn't get to the top. Best route of the day was a 6b on holds and features, absolutely amazing route, just loved it.

Not to easy to see, but it's the route below the white hold/feature in the middle of the picture, green route. Best route in the place I thought, super moves which made you concentrate on everyone till you topped out.

So still moving round the centre we hit some more routes with big runs, all had to be done on a min rope length of 50m some on 60 due to the height. All the routes we ran were lead routes which increased the interest. 

Next route on the big wall, I took the right side of the hanging wall. Starts at the base of the red dart,pink route at 6a. Got to the first overhang section were the red dart tip meets the black and got pumped out. Pumppy route, better off doing this route after you've warmed up and not at the end of the day, great anyway, one to come back for.

Moved down to the other end of the wall and ran some more routes on slightly overhanging walls, all good pumppy routes due to the height, double the height we are normally used to For a climbing wall.

One of the feature walls, great piece of kit. However we didn't get to climb on this as we concentrated elsewhere.

Dean pushing out a couple of final routes on the auto belayer, just making sure he was super pumped before we went.

I settled for changing my shoes and watching.

SO the big question, did the bar work. The answer, in a round about way. 

I never felt hungry during the session

I never felt like I needed to eat

I never seemed to get as tired as I normally do when we do a big session. And we did stay for 4 hrs plus.

I seemed to have plenty of energy, inc burst of energy when I needed it.

Conclusion, they do the job and do it well. I have been given a second bar by Dean to try, so I will be putting this in my Mountain Rescue Kit, and on the next shout I will see how it performs. Going from the Nags head at Edale to Kinder summit should put it through its paces. Get ready for the next report on the BATTLE BAR.

Anyway besides all that we had an Awsome day.

Millstone, on a wet day.

Headed off out to Millstone, north bay. Weather sunny with a bit of a chill in the air. Arrived around 11 o'clock, headed up to the North bay to attack Remembrance Day 22m VS 4c 1* . Super route which gives all the way, climbed this route last year(2013). Brought john back to concentrate on tech grades, and not cloud him with adjective grades. Looking to find at what grade (tech) he is comfortable on. Seems that 4c was at the top end of comfort, so looking to drop a couple of grades down to 4a and see how he goes. We are just grading him on second at the moment to find his comfort zone then will move that into the adjective and tech to give a comfortable lead grade for him to work on.

Remembrance Day VS 4c right of picture.

The route sits at the middle right of the picture.

I started the route, got around 15ft up really feeling the chill on the hands. The day was certainly cold, you could see the weather closing in. Most likely going to get just the one climb in before the rain.

Tried to force a Roxcool pose out of john when he was on the last little pitch before the top.

Exiting up the chimney at the top.

Belay pose, once sat down out of the wind it was really pleasant and quite warm with sun on your face, hence the cheesy smile.

Back on terra firma, john paying Doogle with bacon butty bits for guarding the kit whilst we were up on the crag.

Camp Millstone.

Next session, moving on round the corner.

Set off round to Great slab and the Embankment to look at some double pitch routes. The Scoop at Diff was going to be our choice of route but Mother Nature had different ideas, down came the rain in torrants, so off to the Outside shop for coffee. Unfortunately so did everyone else, cafe was chocker block. So we headed off up to Colemans Deli, superb coffee and a scotch egg.

New plan afoot, we headed off to Burbage South full of vigour. Vigour was soon defeated by Mother Nature.

Rain rain rain, light misty rain. Everywhere was drenched in mins.

So, we decided to use the time and put it to good use. We wandered around looking at different types of routes which had the tech grade 4c attached to them. This gave john a wider view of the grade on different types of route. Lots to think about, so it's off home for coffee and sleep, or sleep for Doogle as he's shattered.

Kinder nights with BMRT

Call goes out at 21:00, prepare for search on kinder. Gonna be a long one I thinks to me self. Arrive at RV, dispatched to search the Pennines way to upper booth the across to chapel gate track and back, 5 hrs, 98ft to 1551ft

Wick snack at Dale head Farm below chapel gate then off up the BIG hill.

One of the guys snacking in the barn, welcome rest I tell you. Full day at work then out on the hill in windy cold conditions. Got back home at 02:00.

Good to have a rescue service which responds this way, you never know.

Mill Wheel Wall Will Fall

Hope the above is true as I sit here the day before having tea at work thinking about the task ahead. Can't wait to get out to Burbage South tomorrow with Dean, got the text, wat u on tomoz, nothin planned. Sweet, ow do u fancy mill wheel wall, eye, went the reply.

06:45, bleep bleep goes the alarm. Looking misty and wet out through the bedroom window. Up and down to put coffee on, dean arrives and we have breakfast. We're heading off down the road to Burbage South Quarry.

Back at Millwheel Wall for the second time this week, target Millwheel Wall E1 5b.

Tools for the job.

Deans having a quick look at Zeus E2 5b, wish list target.

Dean makes a start on MWW E1 5b

Great to get started early as the weather soon came in, rain wind you name it. We took the decision to top rope as when we arrived it was damp and very un tactile. So a top rope was in order, nothing lost as it was a great climb and felt really tenuous even on TR. As soon as it drys out we will be back to lead it. Dean took first shot at it without any trouble. I soon got on and finished on top well pleased, just need to lead it now.

Couple of good things came out of the day, we also checked out what gear we would need, see pic below, not a lot.

Never be put off by the weather, this was a 3 star morning out, wouldn't have missed it.

Ydniw or what

Title says it all, windy. Everything was being blown backwards,upwards,sidewards.

Eggs bacon, fill up with fuel at Bamford then off to Burbage South. Car park yields a space, were in. Off up the track towards the quarry and it's ruddy cold. Would be easy to turn back and go to the Outside shop for coffee. 

South Quarry, Burbage South

(4) Fox House Flake VS 4b 2*

South Quarry Burbage, end wall.

The Fox House Flake is a route Dean has been after for a while. Last year we arrived to find a mini amazon flowing down it. Never got back to it due to other adventures being undertaken.

We racked up and took our rock shoes out of our Coates were they had been warming. Shoes on and Deans off up the crack in good style. Out of the crack and into the layback then out on top, and SAFE comes the shout. My turn, up the crack and into the layback position. Great climb, meet Dean on top and we rap up the rope and walk off chatting about the next route.

Next leads mine, a route we eyed up back in the summer of 2013, Dunkleys Eliminate VS 4c 2*.

Wow what a superb route, I started the run from the starting point of Millwheel Wall, then trended left onto DE. Once on the ledge the route ran straight up, well actually it didn't. Reading the route well from the ground can make all the difference. Anyway, placed my second piece of kit, bomber cam then made my move, or not. Didn't feel good, so back climbed about 4 ft to better holds re looked at the route. Yep, obvious trend left onto the very exposed arête then move up on bomber holds. No more gear needed after this, the last 10ft is just top out moves, no point in hanging around getting pumped trying to put a fiddley wire in.

The arête feels really exposed when you trend left onto it, the boulders below can be rather intimidating 

Cups of peppermint tea all round and it's off to check out another climb (No Zag E15b) top roped this route as we were pretty cold by now and the old hands were a bit grip less. However Dean nailed the route without much problem, I need to work on my hand jammin on crack routes. Bonus, was a super little nut which had been left in situ. Now it's in situ in our gear store, cheers climber person.

 

Typical grit way to the top, Deans off up to pop the top rope in.

No Zag

In situ nut, not for long.

Happy boulderers in front on there way home.

All in all a great days climbing in the Peak District.