Hi.
On Saturday I attended a BMC Ready to Rock course with Adventure Expertise. I had an amazing time and learnt a lot. The crag we went to was Stanage North - The High Neb area. We did some toproping after learning how to build and assess natural rock anchors and learning how to use a guide book. After toproping we were taught all about trad gear and placing trad gear and even got to do our own placements then remove it with a nut key if the placement was done too enthusiastically - I was good at placing gear.
I knew a lot of stuff already and the instructor was impressed with my knowledge.
Sav
Sounds like you had a great weekend
F*ck yes Sav. Mega psyched that you finally get to get your hands on those crags you've been dreaming about for so long!
Must have been a big moment for you stepping off that train?
Good lad.
Thanks....
I did the journey to Sheffield before and from Sheffield to Hathersage also....
It was a big moment getting my hands on the grit and placing gear!
Sav
Savage!
These look familiar!
Active protection.
https://www.outside.co.uk/climbing-gear/climbing-protection/cams-friends/dm...
Passive protection
https://www.outside.co.uk/climbing-gear/climbing-protection/nuts-hexes/dmm-...
Great news Sav... are you sponsored by Outside now?
That's an idea I could be sponsored to drink pints of coffee and eat chip butties.
No, I'm not unfortunately....
I wish!
I did have lovely lunch there though....
Homemade chicken, leak and mushroom pie with all the timings.
Sav
I am hooked on Hathersage. I love g g e cuteness and compactness of the place....
Defo coming back for more grit action.
Love the cuteness and compactness of the place.
Let us know when...more of your fan club can turn up and meet you.
Awesome news, now start the addictive habit of logging your climbs!
There will be a trip report soon.
Cool as beanz!
Super cool as baenz! G-R-I-T!
How do I write a trip report?
You could write it in your blog and post the link here. Or, if you would like it to be published as an article on UKC, you could mail Natalie Berry through her profile (click on "email user") and ask about the possibility.
You're welcome!
I would absolutely love to read 'Mountain Spirit's Peak Adventures'. It's been a long time coming!!!
Plenty to come and a day at Malham Cove with a coach.
> and a day at Malham Cove with a coach.
Nice one!
Trad or sport?
> Plenty to come and a day at Malham Cove with a coach.
you mean there's a sequel already?
It's Summer and Mountain Spirit has finally been out climbing. With a bit of luck the sequels will be coming thick and fast.
It's good to see a positive thread for once.
Sport
Mid May
> Sport
The grades are pretty stiff at Malham. There is very little below 7a and what there is probably harder than the given grade.
The are a few easier trad climbs up on the wings, which might be worth considering as a back-up.
> Plenty to come and a day at Malham Cove with a coach.
Where you gonna park it?
;0)
Good idea.
He has got me doing Feet on Campus Boarding.
100 reps and 10 sets. I've beaten that 100 reps 15 sets.
Booked for the 17th with Coaches Climbing.
I think I am sponsored by Outside now...
I'll phone them tomorrow and ask them.
I have spoken to the people at Outside and head office will get back to me with more questions.
Sav
Two pieces of news:
1. Outside are not looking to sponsor anyone at present but when they do they'll have me in mind.
2. I might be heading to The Peak to meet some friends for climbing next week.
Sav
Where and when?
He wants to do something at Curbar and I want to practice placing gear at ground level. Hopefully to leave on Thursday and climb on Friday.
Sav
Best of luck. On Sav vs Curbar ... ground level placements might be sensible for now but keep learning and stay keen. I d love to see you lead The Peapod one day... it would be the perfect response to all the flack you got here over recent years
Thanks...
I have Peapod and Sorrells Sorrow in mind for seconding as part of a CAC chellenge.
Yes, cos an HVS 5b is great when you first start.
I'll give the Bradford Potholing Club a ring for you. See if the winch they use for Gaping Gill is free that weekend...
However, to show I do gave a soft side, there's a hundred quid to CAC when you post a video of you completing either of them. Two hundred for the pair.
I'd leave them a bit until you know your skill set is OK for them. Charity is no excuse for encouraging bad form on 3 star classics. I'd put it in the same category as the sad reality oo the 3 Peaks challenge... raising money doesn't excuse environmental damaging practice.
Im not sure if it is going ahead....
I wish - there is more chance of a Brexit by Halloween than me getting up that.
Hey Sav, give me a shout when you're here. I'm getting you up the Peapod, and CAC are gonna get £100 of Oceanrowers money.
I'm also doing Snowdon with Deacon but not sure whether to do a Hills Skills course beforehand.
I didn't say I was going to do them that day.
I'll be delighted to pay out.
Will do mate.
Ocean challenged to me climb Right Wall (E5 6a) at Dinas Cromlech
If I did he would pay for my CWI
Yep. You've got no chance mate. But you've got a chance of getting The Peapod
Not really interested in the Cromlech at the mo anyway but grit defo.
Back and leg work according to UKC and Rock Fax. The Peapod (HVS 5b)
Is it done facing left or right?
Get it right, Sav. I didn't challenge you to climb Right Wall. That thought would not have crossed my mind and would have been foolish and irresponsible.
You insisted that you were going to climb it. I said that if you did etc., etc..
I must have got it wrong then....
I do remember a discussion on here about tactics for it - Hang dogging, toproping it then leading it.
It can be climbed facing either way with fairly similar difficulty. The pod bit is severe at the most. The crux is exiting the pod, for which you need to be proficient in jamming and making the best use of your feet on the closing pod and sensible enough not to block the jams with cams. Strong climbers can avoid the jams and struggle and swear it not HVS; some of those can have an interesting time on the sloping ledge, up and right, whilst those jamming might wonder what the fuss is all about once out of the pod.
A maxim that will hold well in your climbing is to try to never dog (in the clueless flailing technical sense). You will develop skills by focussing on good technique and build 'engrams' (movement memory) that will really help future progress. Flailing about will act like graffiti on carefully crafted engrams. If you can only flail try something easier in the same style.
Hi.
Thanks for this. What kind of crack is the exiting crack?
Are you talking about cams as in active protection for example DMM Dragon Cams?...
If so I'm seconding the route so I won't need to worry about placing cams in the wrong place.
What is the approach to Curbar Eliminates area like?
Sav
Its a hand crack.
As for the approach you might need porters and several days supply of cake....
.....if thats typical for you for about a 5 minute walk
Albino Arete, D, is a nice friendly climb in the arera that few people do and is good to experience the local rock.
Lovely walk-in and great start to arete climbing.
I love the ideas of Albino Arete.
Albino Arete is the baby brother of:....
Sav
There may be one or two intermediate aretes worth climbing.
I agree...
I think there are...
The above could be preparation for The Peapod.
I think Albino Arête (D) is a solo and I can't find it in Eastern Grit or Rockfax.
It's not in the Rockfax, not sure if its in the BMC guide either - I did it last week, it's more a highball than a route, but its no pushover. I thought the Diff grade is more to do with being low than being technically easy. I don't know what grade it should be really, V0- or something maybe, but Diff felt wrong.
It's in the logbooks here; Curbar, Toy area:
Doesn't sound like a well-protected lead to me.
Its in the BMC guide. I should have been clear I was suggesting he second or TR it, not lead it.
Yep it's on here ur doesn't give any symbols on what kind of climbing is involved.....
There are some easy problems on the crag abmnd then there is this lol.... Sean's Arête (f7B)
Sav
I have found it on here.
Either way is good for me....
Even TR it then put some matts below it to do it as boulder problem.
8m is not a boulder problem for most lower grade climbers.
> Yep it's on here ur doesn't give any symbols on what kind of climbing is involved.....
> There are some easy problems on the crag abmnd then there is this lol.... Sean's Arête (f7B)
> Sav
Sav
if you manage to send Sean’s Arête, maybe you can give me the beta, because I keep falling off it. Actually, I could do with a hand on Westside Story too...
I discovered the problem by accident when I was looking for aretes to climb in Curbar.
> Are you joking? ....
> Seen a YouTube vid of it.
> S
Yes, I put a smiley face in the post....
Yeah, it's not in Eastern Grit at all, and it's tucked away as a text mention in the BMC guide. I remember thinking it was worth a star and being surprised it didn't get more love in the guidebooks!
It's a miniature adventure, with a lot going on for the grade, and I think a good suggestion from Offwidth as something you could try top-roping or seconding.
If it's dry, Calver Chimney (D) also turns out to be lovely; nothing harder than it should be but you have to think, interesting and 3-D and funky.
I'm developing more and more appreciation for quality Diffs and VDiffs; some of them are delightful and shouldn't be overlooked by anyone, no matter what grade you climb.
I saw that.
Looks fun.
It will be raining in Hathersage on Friday but I don't know the weather for Calver where Curbar is.
Showers on and off from lunch... it dries fast and won't get too wet anyhow in a predicted easterly. If it's bad have a go at some of the BMC Troglodytes tour at Stanage or Burbage. There are quite a few cave and chimney routes that stay pretty dry even in worse than such predicted conditions
Peapod looks technical in the pod - a very interesting climb.
How far is Curbar from Hathersage?
It can be done in several days ambling walk with porters....
... or a couple of hours stiff walk, or about 7 miles to the parking by car
Your best bet is one of the regular buses to Calver; 20-30 min of pleasant scenic walking should then see you under the Eliminates wall on Curbar.
Thanks. I like the buses in the East Midlands - the single decker come with free WiFi.
> I don't drive.
Me neither. But very probably whoever you're climbing with will, so you can get a lift with them!
If not, you can both go on the bus to Calver then walk from there.
I've asked a friend who'll be climbing with if he can pick me up from Outside or my accommodation....
I do love the buses though.
Can the approach be done in normal shoes as I have forgotten my walking boots?
Yes.
I'm at Hathersage if anyone wants to meet up.
Post up where you go. If I finish my marking early I might see if I can find you mid afternoon.
One of the people I was going with said the weather is no good for grit tomorrow so he will probably head to Raven Tor.
Not sure if Deacon is up for Peapod tomorrow.
I could head to a wall in the morning then you could meet me mid afternooon.
Email me through here and I'll contact you and talk.
.... and indeed you did. So much for your reputation of being crag shy.... a lunchtime training session in The Depot, then a walk at Curbar and then with Buxtoncoffeelover you and I seemed to be the only people out on the crags. Great to meet you and hope you enjoyed yourself.
It was good to meet you today Savvas, & help you get out on the grit. It was lovely that the sun came out, & I'm glad you had a great day. Come back again. Nik
It was great to meet you to Nik.
I will do defo.
Thanks for a great afternoon.
Did you get to do any climbing, Savvas? How was it?
Hi Will.
Yes I did a groove route and some problems here. It was awesome. I love grit...
Surprisingly OK conditions at Burbage after a deluge... I guess cooled rock after the rain. No-one else about at all. We were playing around from about 4 until 7.
Sav is a genuine lovely guy... enthusiastically pumped up on who's who in climbing.
Sav, so glad you had a good time! And thanks to Offwidth and Nik for having given you what must have been a memorable day. I'd have loved to have been able to be there myself; maybe sometime in the future, I'll be back in the Peak for a couple of weeks in the Autumn. All the best!
Good work, the three of you. Sounds like a nice session.
Sounds like you got lucky with the weather! I left work around 1530 having texted a mate to go climbing, but then in rained hard all the drive home and looking up the hill towards Curbar/Baslow and that area it looked really dark! Glad to hear just over the hill you guys missed the rain.
It was so much fun.
We got hit alright... quite soaked walking at Curbar but thought we might (hence the walk) as we knew it was coming from the rainfall radar and the views of sheet rain to the west were amazing. We also knew from the radar there was a big dry gap afterwards so we just sat the worst out in Calver cafe. Grit dries fast in May and friction improves from evaporation cooling.
This is genuinely the very best of UKC.
Thanks so much
We walked above Deacon's challenge. The Peapod (HVS 5b) and saw the huge prow of Dunne's
> .... and indeed you did. So much for your reputation of being crag shy....
He's real? ...someone owes me a pint! Well done Offwidth!
I may head back next week
where to this time? Can the grit handle three Mountain Spirits in a row?
Hopefully Peapod with Deacon or one of the gentlemen I was with last week.
I know Jim Pope is eager to climb with me.
I think the grit can.
Sav
Just to be clear I won't be taking you on the Peapod unless you can cope with a few VS jamming cracks. You are some way off that standard at present. One of the reasons I led that awkward lower grade crack for you was to show the gulf in ability for climbers only used to indoor problems.
Any advice on getting to that standard will be very helpful.
Thanks for a wonderful day, I hope we can meet up again soon.
Sounds like you've found some great mentors Sav. Offwidth is hugely knowledgeable so you're in good hands. Trust in his judgement and be reasonable with your expectations of yourself - most important, remember it's good to find something hard, but it's also great to find something easy! Time on steady routes will build your confidence and give you a good basis of experience for when things get trickier.
Learn jamming! Personally I'd recommend jamming gloves if you've not already got them. Eg http://www.ocun.com/en/products/accessories/crack-gloves.html but don't buy on line - you need to try them on to get the right size.
Funny thing. I learnt to crack climb/jam with the Wideboyz masterclass twice but never put in into action much.
I think I have found some mentors.
Ian Dunn and Jim Pope are my mentors for sport and Offwidth and Deacon for trad.
One word....
SHARK!!!!
Sav
> Funny thing. I learnt to crack climb/jam with the Wideboyz masterclass twice but never put in into action much.
Well, that's the thing. Going to a class will give you the basic theory and a little bit of practice, but it takes a lot more practice (which in this case you can only really get outdoors, as there are very few walls that have cracks) to get any good at it.
This is true of a lot of things, not just jamming!
So I wouldn't say you "learnt to crack climb/jam" from a couple of classes, because that makes it sound as if you think you've learned everything about jamming and don't have any more learning to do.
I've been on the masterclass too (it's great), and I'm definitely still learning new things about how to jam years later ...
Now you're getting outside more, you can start trying out the things you learned in the masterclass and getting a grip on how they work in practice. Getting in lots and lots of mileage is essential to master techniques like jamming.
Those one to ten scorecards take up way too much room in my rucksack
They go all the way up to 11
The instructor on The Ready to Rock course says 10 gives to many options so he justs rates them out of four.
Can mantelling be trained and perfected i doors as many walls nowadays have to pout boulders?
A good start would be to strengthen up your arms with pushups and dips.
I do chataranga dandasana (slow push up) as part of a yoga sequence.
https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/four-limbed-staff-pose
Thanks for the tip.
If you've got access to a wall with topout boulders, you can definitely work on practicing your mantelling indoors.
d_b's right about push-ups and dips being useful for building strength, and chaturanga dandasana's going to be brilliant for it.
But outdoors is always going to be somewhat different. Outdoor topouts are often slopey and rounded in a way I've never seen simulated indoors, and you may also have lots of subtle little footholds (much smaller than indoor footholds) that you can use to work your feet higher.
So there are going to be some things you can only learn through getting in lots and lots of mileage outdoors. You can practice some things indoors and it'll be useful, but you can't "perfect" your outdoor technique indoors!
I agree....
I kniw about subtle little foot holds as I did some outdoor bouldering with topping out at Burbage North and the route toproped was I exited by a topping out.
I use the work top in the kitchen for working on getting a foot high and next to my flat hands. You can also hold the position and pull the high foot or knee gently in with a hand to stretch the required muscles, but warm up first and don't force it!
Exactly, so you'll have some idea of how different topping out can be outdoors!
It's definitely a good thing to work on. Lots of indoor boulderers never have to think about topouts at all until they go outdoors for the first time, and then it can be a nasty shock to find that it's not all over when you've got your hands on the top of the problem -- in fact, the real difficulty might begin there!
Also, try not to climb onto blocks or pinnacles until you've worked out the best way down.
Oops!
Ah yes, one of the first rules of outdoor bouldering on one's own, which I have learned the hard way ... numerous times, let's say.
Only a few walls In London have topout problems.....
Most of the walls are climb down in a safe and controlled way.
Sav
You can sometimes find high window sills on the outside of older stone clad buildings (churches for instance, but better not on Sunday mornings or during weddings or funerals )
What else can be practiced indoors?
At present I am writing a trip report blog post for the BMC Ready to Rock course and I am wondering to put in it....
Any suggestions will be taken into consideration.
Sav
> Also, try not to climb onto blocks or pinnacles until you've worked out the best way down. > Oops!
I got stranded on top of Froggatt Pinnacle after soloing up and couldn't get down (lucky it wasn't the Old Man of Hoy). A friend had to chuck a rope up to me after many jokes/ warnings/ threats
Easiest way is to reverse part way down the VS 5a arete route (route one?) and then jump onto the flat rock below the VS 5b route on the short side.
I think you reverse the mantleshelf, not as bad as it sounds, and easier to understand if you've just climbed up that way. Long time since I've been up there and done that so memory of the details is a bit sparse.
Cook's leap. I'm sure it used to be "okay" many years ago when there was some kind of soil over there, but in modern times I wonder if it's been done without injury.
If anyone is interested I have done a blog post about My BMC Ready to Rock Course. It is done with informative videos as I could not put photos from DropBox on the computer.
Bye
S