A Yorkshire Weekend

Gods County

Keith, James and I headed down to Yorkshire this weekend for a bit of Grit action, and to my mums delight stayed at our house. Yes mum I know I look thin but I do eat loads! As the local, despite my terrible directions I was appointed the guide for the weekend. On Saturday morning it was therefore decided that we should head to Caley crag, picking up my good old friend Toby along the way. However as we drove past roadside crag it looked damp so a quick decision to abort to Almscliff was made, which proved to be the right decision, despite the kid coming off his road bike at 40mph on the hill down! (He was alright as pretty much was his bike as we stopped to protect him with the car and get him back up).

The idea of the trip being a bouldering trip quickly fell through as we also brought the racks and were super keen for the trad. Toby and I climbed together on the upper man on routes I've never done despite it being a local crag, leaving James and Keith on the lower man. Dave, Eve and Cien rocked up but were happy bouldering all day.

It was good to be back on the grit, with Toby putting in a stirling effort on Demon Wall (HVS 5a) showing determination after being spat off the top move - as did I! I don't know how I got up the last move, though I do quite fancy going back and leading it one day. I then grunted my way up Traditional Climb (VS 4c) getting pumped due to its awkward nature. An amazing route though. We then stopped for a bit of lunch time bouldering, only to see Keith and James on Square Chimney doing interesting stuff:

Square Chimney getting Keith tied up

Toby looking stretched on the slab

I then lead Pothole Direct with its difficult start. Toby lead a really nice but green and smelly 3 star chimney. We did a few more then ended up bouldering until dusk before the 3 of us and Dave and Eve came back to mine for the mother of all feasts. Stuffed!

After the Sunday morning fry-up we headed to Brimham Rocks which for me was a pretty pottering about day trying lots of boulder problems, but not getting much and taking photos on other peoples cameras. Nothing special to report except Keith's cracking lead on an awkward VS on cracked wall and Keith's lead of Lancet Crack. I can still confirm even on second it's as difficult as the time I lead it a few years back, as is the decent! I don't have a clue how I got up it when I lead it, especially given my poor rack at the time!


Again its another weekend where everyone had a good trip. It was nice to catch up with old friends, climb new stuff, see the parents and get fed to a point where moving is a struggle! Thanks go to the parents for putting up with us all for the weekend!

Keith on Trackside Boulders, Brimham

Eve on a Brimham Jamming Crack

Ticklist was pretty much:

Lancet Crack	VS 5a **	2nd O/S	Keith Lauder	Y	21/Oct/12	Brimham Rocks
B15, P5	V0 4c	Sent		-	21/Oct/12	Brimham Rocks
B15, P6	V0 5a *	Sent		-	21/Oct/12	Brimham Rocks
Flying Arete Slab	V0 5a	Sent O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Flying Arete Slab Eliminate	V2 5c *	Sent O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Pigott's Stride	VS 4c **	2nd O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Matterhorn Arete, P7.	V0 5a *	Sent O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Whisky Crack	HS 4b	Lead O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
The Zig Zag	HS 4c	2nd O/S	Keith Lauder	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Demon Wall SW Face - Problem 1	V1 5b	Sent O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Demon Wall SW Face - Problem 2	V0 5c *	Sent O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Demon Wall SW Face - Problem 4	V0 4c	Sent O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Jam Pot	V2 6a **	Sent x	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Pothole Direct	VS 5b *	Lead O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
The Traditional Climb	VS 4c **	Lead O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Demon Wall	HVS 5a ***	2nd dog	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff
Long Chimney	HVD ***	2nd O/S	Toby Knights	-	20/Oct/12	Almscliff

Mike's Climbing Stag

Mike's getting married next week, therefore we decided to go on a stag to that notorious venue... Belford (Northumberland)! I caught the train to Perth on Friday and met the Dundee guys, and we set off for 3 days bouldering. First on the list was Bowden Doors, but on our first climb (warm up traverse - 6a) a very heavy localised shower rolled in for ten minutes and drenched us and the rock, with no place to hide. We therefore set off across the moor on the 20min walk to back Bowden. Thankfully everything here was dry. Having not climbed for a while, my lack of fitness showed. Nevertheless I managed to get a few 6a's and 6b's with Keith. Mike went off to crack on some 7's. A cracking day was had by all 8 of us, and after celebratory fish and chips we headed to the interesting campsite.

What makes this interesting is that the campsite in Belford pretty much doubles up as an aivery. Birds everywhere! though sadly not of the female variety. Everywhere you went there was always a swan, dove, pigeon, random bird there, with more exotic birds hidden in cages in the hedgerow. Pretty strange!

Saturday lead to a trip to Shaftoe, dubbed the UK's answer to Font in the guidebook. I can't say it was as good but nevertheless is not far off with some cracking problems. Dave, Simmie and Chris put in a sterling performance on a very highball 7a (especially Simmie given he almost slipped on some moss!) Keith, Jonny and I stuck to the more amenable grades, though I did get a 6c roof and a few others around that grade. Can't remember what the other guys got, though again we all left happy and exhausted. We then 'lived  it large' in the Black Swan... 2 pints and to the tents!

Keith on something at Shaftoe

Something else at Shaftoe.
My phone can do effects!

Sunday we headed up to Kyole in the Woods and pottered about on some hard stuff. I almost got hitchhikers 7a sit completed though fell from the top and couldn't get it again. Some other time though it would go! As the crag got super busy we shifted down the road to Kyole which was deserted right across the crag. This was my first visit to the crag and I was thoroughly impressed. Shed loads of amenable trad to go at! I'll definitely be back with the rack!


Cracking alternative stag do, and I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say good luck Mike!