UKC

So, if it ever stops raining up here, how long do i need to wait before Almscliff will be climbable ??

In reply to SCT:

usually pretty quick drying as its quite exposed
if it stops raining in the next couple of hours or so i'd expect it may be dry tomorrow

I was hoping to get out tonight!

In reply to SCT: After heavy rain some areas are climbable in 40 mins, give or take

That's more like it, just need it to stop raining then...

In reply to SCT:

If it's windy, about 20 minutes (for the windy bits at any rate...)

Dont forget, that the ground will still be grim.

In reply to SCT:

Still raining three miles away ATM. Cloud down to crag level I think from looking up the road. Wall or pub for you.

In reply to stuartf:

Yeees, but then theres the problem of staying on the rock when its like that :oS

From the looks of it outside Id say its the wall as well...

In reply to Anni:
Ah - then you just climb the chimneys! I had an excellent windy day at Almscliff when I did South Chimney, Three Chockstone chimney (twice), Tight Chimney (twice) and West Chimney (twice). As well as being almost blown off the top of Fluted Columns and Low Man Easy Way....

In reply to sutty:

STILL raining.

In reply to stuartf:

Ewww, the chimneys are grotty...why on earth would you want to repeat?!?

Learned my lesson there after soloing on low man. Had to wait at the top on one of the breaks, pressed hard onto the rock, between gusts so I didnt get blown off!

And yes, still grim in Leeds

In reply to Anni:

West Chimney and Three Chockstone Chimeny both have inside and outside routes, so I had to try both. The inside route on 3 Chockstone was particularly satisfying, as you end up about 5m back from the edge of the cliff And I did Tight Chimney twice because the group I was with decided to do a mass ascent once I'd already done it, and I wanted to try it further out, since it's tighter there!

In reply to stuartf:

Strange, strange boy

My current aim for Almscliffe is an HVS done by a mate of mine, entitled...

"Rocktalk ruined my PhD"

Very apt!

In reply to Anni:

I'm not that strange really. Anyone that knows me will tell you that. Honest


Nice name! My aim is South Chimney Layback Crack, 'cos I completely failed to get off the ground when I tried it! Maybe I'll try your mate's HVS if I ever get good enough to climb it

In reply to stuartf:

Thats the problem, need to get good first!

My nemesis there is Birds nest crack. Seconded it clean first time and loved it. Tried leading it and ended up backing off after my arm kept sliding out of one of the jams. The last time I tried it on second it was dripping and hated it

Will go back and kick its arse sometime this year hopefully!

South chimney layback? Is that the severe with a layback start? If so theres a little trick you can be shown...

It's certainly graded severe, although I was trying to jam the start. Perhaps that's where I was going wrong...

In reply to SCT:
We`re talking minutes here!

In reply to stuartf:
Can be laybacked, done it, but easier to jam, much easier in-fact. Unless you can`t jam very well, in which case you`ll have to layback, but thats pretty strenuous and unlikely to be done by someone who couldn`t jam it in the first place.
Conclusion : Don`t know 8-)

In reply to Salamanda:

I usually can jam (at least to Peak Severe standard ) - done things like 20ft at Burbage North and Avril at Stanage without too much trouble. Was just the undercut start on SCL had me stumped - will need to try again sometime, possibly on a day that's not quite so cold so I can feel what I'm doing. But then maybe it's better not to be able to feel your hands for jamming...

In reply to stuartf:

Its defiantely a layback, just have to get it right is all...

In reply to Anni:

Its definatley jamming, just have to get it right is all...

Equally redundant statements. 8-)

In reply to Salamanda:

I'll just need to go back sometime and try it both ways to see which one works for me

In reply to Salamanda:
But then most jamming cracks can be laybacked if you're so minded