We're going to Wales

Travelling up to the Lakes on Sunday morning tucking into a mega bacon,egg,haggiss,black pudding wrap and boom the phone goes.

Ay up boys, comes that north east twang. Cliffs face appears on the iPhone screen. Cliff Lowther of Roxcool http://www.roxcool.co.uk/

is about to be stung with a bit of Derbyshire humour. So, story starts during the week Cliff is invited to join us on a Lakes winter climbing trip. The meeting point is Seathwaite, what ever happens we will meet at Great End below central gully. 

So fun time.

Ay up Cliff, Ay up bud. Where are you, we're off to Wales, what. 

Long silence, Wales, yeh.

Iam about 30mins from Penrith, only joking.

See you in Keswick. Fun over, we meet in Keswick sort out what gear we are taking and split it between us.

Heading out from Seathwaite we start to gain height up into Grains Gill.

Pushing out from the farmstead into open fell, cliffs sporting his new Osprey ruck sack. For more detail contact osprey via the web site.

http://www.ospreyeurope.com/gb_en/

The pace is quick and strong, we're heading for one particular climb Dean and I have yet to climb. 

South East Gully is the target, Cliff has climbed this route before so it will be interesting to see if the route is leaner than previous years. The route is graded as (Lakes lll) 

Selfie time.

South East Gully is the route left of the main cleft in the crag called Central Gully, for obvious reasons. We stowed our gear and headed into South East Gully, we all soloed the first couple of sections as this was easy ground to cover and didn't warrant roping up.

The first section was my lead, super pitch with lots of mixed ground. Bulldogs,tomahawks,warthogs were in great demand on this route. Lakes winter climbing absorbs such items in great abundance, these pieces of kit are an absolute must in and lakes climber Arsenal.

Looking up the first section, easy ground, no major difficulties here.

Dean having a bit of banter with Cliff.

Looking back towards Sprinkling tarn.

I am belaying Cliff and Dean up in tandem. Easy pitch, nice even ground.

Deans moves off into the crux section of the route. This section is about fifteen feet of vertical shandeliered ice with a fairy rough broken back drop. The idea is slowly slowly softly softly, as the ice is pretty brittle in this section of the route.

Next up is me, iam on second and cliff is third. Deans up at the belay way out of site around 50metres away.

A short video of the crux section and me being fleeced out of two beers.

http://youtu.be/FJTRBkMv9GE

Time for a selfie.

Not far to the top know.

Cliff belays us out onto the summit were, yes another selfie is performed.

Then an axe selfie.

Topping out we headed back down to were we had stashed the gear, quick drink and something to eat and its onto the next route. Central gully left branch was our target, fantastic route with a super little ice pitch in the middle. We soloed the route for about two pitches, I lead the ice pitch and brought the guys up then Dean lead out to the top into fantastic Alps style panorama. 

We finished the day with a nice pint in the river side bar.

http://scafell.co.uk/

What a fantastic day, two routes completed both with there own individual styles.

A great day out with

http://www.peakathleteclimbing.co.uk/

http://www.roxcool.co.uk/

Its started again

Dry tool 

TIME

So, it was off to THE WORKS in Coniston for a pre look at what our skills have become or not after a full summer of trad climbing.

All in all not to bad, started off on Left Wicket, several laps till we burnt out. The weather was horendous never stopped raining.

Raven crag, Borrowdale

Well finally we are heading up to do a long awaited ascent of Corvus.This route is a 5 pitch climb at a pleasant 147 meters, 147 meters which gives and gives. There is not one pitch on this route I wouldn't wish to re climb, the route is an absolute joy. My favourite pitch was the last, what ashame it ran out so quick. I tried to slow down to take more in and hang around a bit as it was such a super climb.

Looking down from the last pitch.

So from the beginning

Rain stopped play, we arrived at the base of Combe Ghyll at around 08:00. Breakfast in the van with a mug of milky coffee

Breakfast went down a treat, bacon eggs and black pudding. It's a pity the weather hadn't tasted so good. The rain was heavy and low, low down the valley. Everywhere was saturated, even the rain was wet.

Looking out of the window believing it will lift, praying to the God of rock. Ok so no ones listening, at 11:00 after siting in the van chatting for 3 hrs we decided it's a no go. So off to Reescastle at Watendlath to check out some routes for future trips.

Arriving at Reescastle it to had been afflicted with the same wet stuff falling from the sky. We walked halfway up but retreated due to wet feet in the deluged grass.

Back at the van the weather had an up turn, sunshine was breaking through the clouds. So it's back up to Combe Ghyll, and on arrival alls looking good. So kit packed we are off up the Combe for a brisk half hour walk in.

 Arriving at the crag it's very wet, wet on wet. The low lying rock is running in water, the first pitch is a small water fall in the right hand corner, quick moves here I think.

Topo of corvus, Corvus is route 9.

First pitch complete, belay ledge is a wash in water.

Pitch two is deans lead, up onto a block then a nice ledge to a tricky little chimney move. Super pitch with a great bit of exposure.

Dean nearing the chimney, little tricky with the rucksack on. 

 I meet dean on the stance and we swap over and I am away up pitch three. Out to the right and up a super rib which leads to pitch four, the traverse pitch.

Dean arriving at the long grassy section below the stance, ran this out as there's not much to clip into.

Next pitch is the traverse, super section but don't be fooled. This section is the most talked about but sadley short lived. Dean makes easy moves across on good holds with one piece of kit about midway. 

Across the traverse and right onto the belay stance, quite a short pitch overall.

Last pitch of the day, pitch five.

Great little section with easy moves up onto the top, protection is right in front of you. This was a most enjoyable pitch, to short lived.

Dean arriving at the stance.

Looking out down Combe Ghyll towards Derwentwater and beyond.

Extreme walling, a most precarious piece of wall, two hundred foot drop below. Not sure I'll pick that route, never know might just meet a piece of wall on the way up.

So, picys over its back to the van for venison burgers and heaps of coffee. 

The moral of the story is, it's always worth waiting.

Gimmer me some more

Gimmer crag

Langdale, Lake District.

What a fantastic day, well two days actually. Headed into Langdale sat morning with a 05:30 start. Arrived at the base of Gimmer at 10:30.

Setting up just below Ash Tree Slabs.

Dean half way up Ash tree Slab, we ran this out in one run.

Next route Slab and Bracket, just got to the top of Slab.

Deans just moved up and over (Bracket) hard move for the tall.

Sat on pitch two waiting for the slowest pair of climbers in the world. They've decided to split the pitches yet further again, ie 26m pitch into 12 and 14 meters. This made things slow and complicated.

Third pitch, great little traverse.

Dean on his way round the nose.

Time to abseil off, mega 100m abb.

Time for tea. Wild camping spot after a great days climbing.

Chillin, organising tomorrow's routes.