It was the best of days. Early 1996, just getting into climbing, learning to become competent, in a beautiful location with a partner who is no longer here, leaving only fond memories and those growing more vague with time. A crag where a school friend would piss in someones boots at a later date, with me getting the blame and a place where I'd visit to pay homage on the biggest day of climbing I'd ever have.

Towards the end of the Borrowdale valley an offshoot valley veers off to the left, forking into two, the left hand becoming Greenup Ghyll, and the right hand becoming the long, Langstrath.

Halfway along this valley is a lovely swimming 'hole', called Black Moss Pot, and about twenty minutes walk up the slope above this lies Sergeant Crag Slabs.

It gives quite a few great routes on possibly the best rock in the Lakes, full of friction, well solid, forty metres long with some good protection on most climbs. Dad had found it in the early to mid 90s whilst working on the opposite side of the valley. He worked building footpaths for the National Trust and - combined with his love of being in the hills - he knew the fells well, giving slideshows in the Moot Hall in Keswick three nights a week about the Lakeland hills. He'd often come home after grim weather and stand in front of the fire saying:

'I've had a hard day on the hill, get an office job James'.

Me and Dad had biked down the valley and stashed them over a wall at the base of Langstrath. Dad had never had a license and didn't have good sight in one eye. He said he'd lost it in a brawl in Carlisle when he was younger. After getting thrown out of a building, he went to get back in and people bashed against the door, trapping his head before someone came and glassed him in the face. God knows if that's exactly what happened. He had endless stories.

Dad had talked incessantly from when we'd left the house in Keswick until we made a base beneath the crag. We stood beneath a long crack, it looked to be one of the main weaknesses on the rock face and a great line.

I remember feeling excited and nervous. It was going to be my first HVS. I'd watched the film this climb was named after and loved it, with Pete Whillance and Dave Armstrong doing Incantations (E6 6b) in swami belt harnesses, and Pete Livesey doing Footless Crow (E6 6c) whilst taking the piss out of his second, Chris Bonnington.

The climb was put up by Dad and his friend Joe Bosher, who had very kindly given me his old set of RPs as my first set, which would later be exceptionally well used on some Lakes esoterica.

I had some resoled Boreal Aces that Dad had bought off Colin Downer, six quickdraws, and a few wires and slings.

'Make sure to space the protection, as it's a long pitch', Dad said.

I remember being glad it was just us at the crag. I was a shy sixteen year old at the time, and Dad's booming voice used to embarrass me a bit, unknowing at the time I'd later acquire the same crag bellow, handy for guiding.

Dad was sixty years old at the time. He'd done Troutdale Pinnacle, a lovely six pitch HS on Black Crag in Borrowdale over a thousand times (we scattered his ashes in the small valley above here) and he loved sitting at Shepherds Café chatting. He knew Martin Weir who owned the farm well, and he'd give dad free brews.

I'd done my first lead only a month or two before and Jesus it had gone badly, laughably so. A VS called Brown Slabs Corner. Dad had tried to dissuade me from attempting it, but dim-witted ambition found me on the sharp end, not really knowing what I was doing, and disco legging above a piece of pro that fell out.

I realised things felt different on the lead than when the rope was above you. I fell off it, cats clawing down the slab, feet catching on ledges before rattling back upwards in a comically sketchy manner, with Dad rightfully pissed off with the grim belay.

For Lakeland Cragsman (HVS 5a) I was keen not to repeat this. I cleaned my shoes and spectacles before setting off, feeling considerably more at ease than on the first lead effort, with the gear I placed giving confidence even to my novice eyes. Concentrating on moving well, staying relaxed, and running it out between the good protection, I made steady progress up the crack with dad yelling encouragement

On a rest ledge high up I looked across to the other side of the valley, to a flat, heavily bouldered area halfway up the hillside where lay Woof Hole. It had taken me and dad a while to find it. You pulled a lever and what looked like a piece of drystone wall moved inwards giving access to a wooden dwelling built into the boulders. It even had a fireplace, a great effort by whoever built it. Near this, the blank looking crags of Cam Crag and Black Wall would have to wait, I couldn't imagine climbing on those at the time.    

Coming back to the present location I carried on past the final hurdles of the climb and felt elation, as high as any I'd felt before or after, irrelevant of place or grade. Dad seconded up and gave me a pat on the back, he seemed as chuffed as me.

'Well done James'.

This was shortly before the years of hard physical graft caught up with him, and we were able to enjoy great climbs together for a while. Dad had put up hundreds of climbs, but this is one of the best. The Niche (E2 5c) on Lower Falcon crag is another cracker, trickier but with a lovely VS last pitch on stellar rock with views across Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite, as good as you'll find anywhere.

We walked down to the base, Dad still talking, telling his stories. He led us up another before we went down and biked to Shepherds Café for tea, cake, and crack before heading home.

I took it all for granted, but looking back it was such an awesome time.

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Lake District Climbs

Lake District Climbs provides comprehensive coverage of the very best traditional climbing in the mountains and valleys of English Lake District. The range and variety of climbing available is outstanding, from low-level single-pitch outcrop cragging to long multi-pitch mountain routes. There is something here for climbers of all abilities from experts to those just starting out. More info

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