UKC

The Lakes crags are as dry as I have ever known them. A good chance to get on those routes you've wanted to do for ages but never got the conditions. Here are a few that spring to mind.

Eagle Front (VS 4c) the great Buttermere classic VS. A most engrossing and very sustained route. Just look at the logbook entries - does any route get a greater proportion who feel the need to comment? In this heat start walking up at 6am!

Resurrection Route (VS 4b) another Buttermere classic VS but much less well known than Eagle Front. One measly star but most UKC climbers who've done it know better.

Hiatus (VS 4b) one of my Neglected Gems, this route is a major drainage line. It can be done in average conditions as the wet bits are easy, protected and short lived, but in the current conditions most of the grumblers would be silent.

Nameless (HS 4b) a really nice easier route at Wallabarrow whose first pitch is normally really horrible and dangerous because of a lack of gear. Should be in good nick at present.

These are just 4 routes which come readily to mind. Any more suggestions?

I'll be making a first visit to  Gable Crag. Considering boat how crag too.

With a bit of luck will get The Nazgul (E3 5c) done, that crack has been pretty foul when much of the crag is dry. 

Definitely a summer to make the most of! 

Fastburn and slowburn at flat crags are a must when dry. 

Nazgul, Saxon and Ichabod on Scafell. 

Have you got a chance to come up and get some of these kind of routes done? I'm off next weekend and there's plenty of folk around to climb with, should be good!

I'll probably give Hiatus a look over the weekend, heading up to the Robertson Lamb Hut tomorrow night with enough trifle and pecan pie to feed around 30 people!

Unfortunately I can't think of any wet horror shows over that way at present.

Sounds good (the food, that is). 

One of the great things about Hiatus is that you'll probably have it to yourself while there'll be a crowd waiting their turn to start The Crack or crammed together on its first belay.

BTW, there's an article (wot I wrote) on here about the neglected classics on Gimmer.

It's in The Peak but :Great Crack (HVS 5a)

That's the boy - I bet it's still wet

In terms of scrotty esoterica, I fancy an hour or so at Bell Hagg. I know it has a reputation for being rubbish, but I'm strangely fascinated. Anyone been recently? Seems like north facing and sheltered could be a good call at the moment in this heat.

The Adversary - Zawn Duel

”There’s never a right time to climb The Adversary and now’s as good a wrong time as any...”

Sergeant Crag Gully. I really enjoyed it. Climbing from top to bottom and the way that Langstrath was framed by the sides of the gully was rather picturesque. Also gets you onto a less visited top.

I'd been thinking about that one, though never done it.

Roger

Get the walking boots out and head for

Walker's Gully (VS ***) on Pillar.

Grendel (VS) Beowolf (VS) and Hrothgar (HVS) and all **/*** on Scrubby Crag.(Deepdale).

For the really esoteric try The Amphitheatre  (HVS **) on Hutaple Crag (Deepdale).

At E1/2 Mayday  Direct & Gold Rush on The East Butress. Probably other slow drying routes up there, Overhanging Wall?

Thorgrim. Full-on evening sunshine this time of year. Straight up the lake onto the crag.

Central Chimney Eagle Crag Buttermere would be a good arid choice.

Dalehead Pillar.

DC

Would there be routes on Dow that may have dried in this weather. Hopkinsons crack?

Good call. It's also in the shade as I recall.

Nice ideas Trevor. The only problem is getting there with a gear-filled sac.

I walked up there 3 weeks ago. It might have been dry but was so vegetated and rubbish I came straight back down again. The 3 stars must have been hiding somewhere

Well we enjoyed it. Different folks different stokes. But did you actually do the route?

I was up at  Shining Clough on Tue eve, have also visited  Kinder Northern Edges - not a soul to be seen at either, other than the odd fell runner. Some of these north facing Peak Moorland crags may not have ever been in better condition. Climbed Legacy (HVS 5a) and Pisa Super Direct (HVS 5a), both over 20m long and surely two of the best climbs at that grade in the Peak.

Sadly not - it looked too horrible when we got to the foot of the gulley. Hey ho, my loss. 

But I did climb on the Kinder Downfall area in early May and went through the waterfall (trickle) in scorching weather for a cool off so im not too put off by manky routes 

Heron Crag, Eskdale

The VS corner and the E1 crack on the right hand side 

Not sure if the birds where there this year

Great idea Tom! I'll lead pitch 2.

Also, anyone who hasn't done The Dungeon at Botallack Head Zawn should hang their head in shame, then set out at once to rectify the omission.

I reckonDwm (E3 6a) would be dry ATM. I did it in the dry in a similar heat wave (95?) only 2nd on the 6a pitch though (which was still nails!)

Scafell Crag, Pillar and Gable Crag spring to mind, but the lower section of Pavey is often wet and is currently pretty dry - I'm given to understand that Crescent Slabs is normally sopping, but it's currently dry as a Pavey sheep bone.

I imagine your routes on Kettle Crag would be good for the shade!

I can attest that walking up the fells with gear and water in this heat is very draining... and even two litres of water dissipate pretty quickly! Factor 50 and a couple of friends to carry the ropes is the way to go!

Revelation (VS 4c) might be dry in its upper reaches which judging by my experience and log comments is not a common occurrence. 

Great Bores of Today (7a)

Did Dwm (E3 6a) a couple of days ago and it's completely dry. Still found the crux nails though: we both fell off. Chalk marks a good way below the roof indicated a previous team must have suffered a similar fate! Actually, the only moisture we encountered the whole day was on the walk in: we went round the shore of Llyn Cwellyn and had to ford a couple of inlets. Top class route, whether you tick it free at E3 or aided at HVS. And you actually get a fair bit of shade once you're past the first pitch.

Delighted to see Eagle Front (VS 4c), Grendel (VS 4b) and Hopkinson's Crack (HS 4b) getting a mention, all terrific routes and the first two are definitely worth saving for dry conditions.

T.

Roraima in Great Moor Zawn hasn't been repeated as far as I know. First done in 1976 so now might be as good a time as any . . . (see Adversary)

Darkness in Gordale might be worth a look - I did it in a drought 20+ years ago and thought it was excellent. The black spot in the guide must have been for 'normal' conditions.

Chris

Superb suggestion, was quite dry last summer when we did Into the Light.

Hopefully get down early next week for that one

Only in the morning - gets the summer sun till it sets behind Bow Fell.

Funny that mate, I had exactly the same thought!  

Did Armageddon on the East with Keith Phiz a couple of weeks ago, the first pitch, common with Moonday was damp, but the rest of the route was dry.  Only recommended for those who have done all the routes on Scafell - but it's a rare tick!  It was as dusty as a baker's apron.

If that's dry, everything should be dry ( but not necessarily clean!).

Cheers

Al

We once slept out in the Combe, did Eagle Front first thing and were starting Carnival by 9.00 a.m.

Very tired by tea time, though my mate more so than me since my snoring had allegedly been amplified by the acoustics of the place to the extent that he hadn't slept a wink. He said.

It is - probably the best state 've seen it in - still a bit damp and mossy at the start. The first flake has a long crack in it and is very loose. There's a lot o chalk on Dharma.

Wow. Some of the best pitches anywhere. If you like intricate face climbing with a side order of crackage at e3, then this crag is a must. It's in perfect nick just now. 

Pretty much everything in N Wales is bone dry. Woubits (E2 5b) on  Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (Cloggy) was in as good condition as it's ever going to get yesterday. Also, it'd be great time to get on November (E3 5c) and other routes that require you to climb the drainpipe crack - it might actually be dry!

I'll bet Black Cleft wasn't dry!

Neckband, crowded this afternoon

Yes you can Rog! Did Walker's a year or so ago - Pillar's a doddle with a bike. Most esoteric. Set off on it as a warm up. Took all day!

Scrubby now - different proposition. No matter where you go from it's a l-o-n-g way. Hiked up there the other year for Hrothgar, having done Beowulf and Grendel in the seventies, and still didn't get it done (Grendel repeated) but I'm not going back again.

Armageddon - it's generally a waterfall. Or Moonday (adjacent).

Salmon Leap.

Set off on it as a warm up. Took all day!

There's something very familiar about that.

Went to Pillar at the weekend, Megatron, Electron and Thanatos all dry where from the quantity of lichen we saw they aren't normally! 

The Purge on Tap y Gigfran

It was a bit of a hideous bramble thrash to get there by traversing from the right and the approach up to the bottom of the route was a bit exciting. The route is really good though. We thought E3. Pegs on pitch one crumbled on clipping. It's dry as a bone but quite a lot of dry lichen some of the moves out of the niche on P1 quite exciting. Much cleaner now. P2 wasn't too dirty. We descended from underneath the left hand crag and it was much more pleasant...probably ok and much more pleasant to approach this way.

3 of us went and climbed on Kinder Great Buttress on Sunday. The routes were dry but very dirty and there was lots of lose rock , Jon had brought a brush along to clean as we went up and there was a fair amount of gardening required to kind the holds. All good fun though!

Kinder Downfall

but... does the tick really count....

or, do you forget about pulling on pegs....

your conscience will know.

Three teams on Goat Borrowdale today, dry and clean enough

Done both in the last 12 months and you’re correct, they’ve both knocked the socks off any other Peak HVS I’ve done.. the remoteness just adding to the quality. Just waiting on a partner to head up and do Twisted Smile with!

Edit: East Rib also superb!

Neckband Crag today was absolutely perfect. Great routes in perfect nick. Gillette Direct (E2 5c) is worth all the hype, it's incredibly good climbing, great positions, perfect rock, bomber gear the whole way and with a bit of a sting in the tail. Razor Crack (E1 5b) a real belter too. High quality single pitch trad climbing in a spectacular setting in the shade. What more could you want?

Cracking thread! What about Great End crag?

Ah! There has been various chat about GEC, but doubtful any actual action. I want to have a look at bringing Banzai back to life, just need to find the right partners and time (tricky as there's so much nice climbing I want to do). Are you up for getting your hands dirty/scratched up to f*ck by brambles etc? I'm up for the mission...

I feel bad now, I’d be up there in a flash with a yard brush and secateurs if I didn’t live In Gloucestershire.

Poor excuse.

Not in the Lakes, but Waterslide (HS 4b) is probably as dry as it's ever going to be! Don't let the appearance put you off, it's a cracking route (though probably VS 4b/c).

Bravo, chaps!

If I could sort out the logistics, this is the route I'd be heading for right now:-

Gee Gee Rider (E3 5c)

Neil