Gritstone & Claret

Hitting Stanage, Peak District a few weekends ago, I got home psyched for a return trip. The weather forecasts got the weather completely wrong the week before last, so we didn't venture back up. But when I saw last Sunday was looking nice, I was determined to make a run up north to jump back on the gritstone. 

My wife Natalie and I got up early and hit the road, straight up the M1 to Stanage and straight back to the plantation boulder area. This was Natalie's first boulder session outdoors and she was really up for it. 

I warmed up on a few easy problems and then had my sights set on ticking 2 problems I did not get to tick last visit; 'AB Top' a V4 (6b) and 'Business Launch' (same grade). I played around and was struggling, the problem was my fingers, which hadn't fully recovered from my last visit and I was shredding through the skin very quickly, especially at the top outs.

My Fingers

I moved on and started ticking other problems and the fingers just continued to get worse.  I tried tape, but this just kept rolling off and was ineffective, so I continued to climb bare.

I took a moment off and Natalie had a play with a problem, she pieced the puzzle together managing to climb her first boulder; a little celebration at the top pulling the lightning bolt. Awesome effort and her first problem ticked, 'Black Wall' V0.

Following a rest, I wanted to get on 'Green Traverse' V6. I managed to piece the first half together and I think this will go next visit with a bit more persistence. I got back on 'Deliverance' V8, but with no joy and tried 'The Thin Slab' V5, but again, the fingers were not helping me.

I decided to head back to 'AB Top' and 'Business Launch', managing to tick them both, with encouragement from Natalie.

I wanted to try 'Bull Flake', a V5, but after a few attempts it was time to retire with my fingers, now bleeding and extremely sore.

A good day, ticking many V1s, 2s, 3s and 4s and again psyched for a return trip next weekend.

I'm really proud of Natalie, ticking her first problem, which I'm sure is the first of many to come and looking forward to spending many days together on the crag.

Me on Pebble Flakes 

Natalie pulling the 'Lightning Bolt' after ticking her first problem

Natalie climbing 'Black Wall'

Nearing the top out...

Setting feet and moving well.

Bouldering in the Peak District - Stanage Plantation

With a great weather report forecasted, we decided to head to the Peak District for some bouldering at Stanage Plantation.

During the long drive up the M1, with the sun blazing, we talked climbing and how psyched we were to be climbing in the sun for the first time this year. But we arrived at Stanage, greeted by grey skies and bitter gale force winds. The forecast could not of been more wrong.

Not to be beaten we headed straight to the crag and started to warm up. The boulder mats were being lifted and blown away by the huge gusts of wind, it was going to be an interesting day climbing, as we needed people to act as pegs to keep the mats down. 

Keeping warm was also a challenge and keeping the the hands protected from the wind was essential. The only bonus to the epic weather was with the chill created great friction on the grit -  a silver lining!

After a good warm up we tried some tougher problems and then headed to an ideal project for the morning, a classic line called 'The Green Traverse', a V6 grade. A tough traverse made tougher with it being directly in the firing line of the wind. But after a few attempts, we decided to head to a more sheltered face and find another challenge, one were we could concentrate on the climbing rather than the weather.

I managed to flash a V3, V4 and a V5 and worked the first section of deliverance V8. I just need to get my feet into a position to have a big pop to the top. It will go, but question is when? Practice, perseverance and patience.

It was a great day out in the Peaks and looking forward to returning once the fingers have recovered. A tick fest of lower grade problems on the cards and I have my eye on some V5 & V6 projects. 

Big thanks to Robin, Rowland, Sam, James and everyone else that we climbed with, a good day and psyched for more.

Sam crushing!

Sam planting the heel on "Green Traverse" V6

Rowland on "Slot sit down" V4

James eyeing up a dyno

Me ready to dyno to the lip

Me on "Business Launch" V4

Sam on "Deliverance" V8

Just to cool for school.

Robin Letting the wolfs out!!!

Robing on "Deliverence"

Me on "Deliverence", what a setting!

Sam traversing "Not to be taken away" V4

Epic setting

Me Flashing "Jerrys Finnish" V5

Close up 

Having a crack supporting Climbers Against Cancer