UKC

What do you reckon, what are the odds for each day and where are the best bets? Forecast looks rough and I don't want to blow petrol money for no good chance but really really really want to climb.

In reply to puppythedog:

You might be lucky on Sunday. Forecasts in the Peak should be taken with a pinch of salt anyway, we might wake up on Saturday to blazing sunshine.

In reply to puppythedog:

how long of a drive you got?

In reply to Jayboy:

Colchester to Peak, I reckon £70 in fuel isn at a very rough guess.

In reply to MischaHY:

I hope so, I really want to go. It's too bloody flat this side of the country.

In reply to puppythedog:

I left the south to live up north (by English standards anyway) for just that reason. Life is way better here (IMO of course) for a number of reasons, the landscape and recreational opportunities being major factors.

In reply to BnB:

I agree, where it nor for family commitments I would not be living here

In reply to puppythedog:

Where's the best place in the peak to aim for for tomorrow do you all think?
The forecast I like says some rain (3mm ish) tomorrow morning and cloudy tomorrow afternoon.
Where would you go hoping to climb?

In reply to puppythedog:

It`ll be damp and cold and horrible, save your money.

In reply to GLUF:

Sunday looks good so heading up. You don't think anywhere will be doable tomorrow?

In reply to puppythedog:

LOL, I live an hour away, I`ll look out of my window and decide at 7am Sunday, I always think people like yourself who live in the Flatlands are far more committed than me.

In reply to puppythedog:

We went to Birchen last Saturday and, despite a good forecast, found it raining when we arrived. We did a few easy routes after it stopped raining and then went to the wall, even though it was drying by the pm (we'd had enough of the cold/damp conditions by then). So you might be ok if it dries quickly (for which you want a generally exposed crag) but it is likely to be a bit miserable. Personally, if you do want to go to the bother, I'd suggest waiting until it is starting to dry before going to the crag rather than hang around getting cold and wet.

This is the second time it's happened to me out of two visits to the Peak (ie. decent forecasts gone wrong) so I'm not feeling particularly positive about your chances this weekend.

In reply to puppythedog:

Nothing will be doable tomorrow. Lots will be damp on sunday, if it doesn't rain and make it wet. I'd probably head to somewhere exposed and quick drying - Stanage. I expect the kind of horrible cold, damp day where everything feels impossible.

In reply to puppythedog:

I've had few days out since new year on a few different crags and while i have had some good days climbing, the grit has been getting slowly more and more damp and lichenous. I've only climbed on days with no rain and decent sunshine. I'd sack off tomorrow but if you must climb sunday I'd say froggatt is a good bet.

In reply to puppythedog:

Forget Saturday. Long way to come for a 50/50 Sunday.

In reply to BnB:

"Life is way better here (IMO of course) for a number of reasons, the landscape and recreational opportunities being major factors."

True, but there's no Essex girls up here

In reply to tri-nitro-toulumne:

And that's a bad thing?

In reply to puppythedog:

Head South. Swanage is looking good for Sunday

In reply to BnB:

Well... to be fair, if you pop down West Street in Sheffield on a Saturday night you'll see something very close to Essex Girls. I guess you could call them Wessex Girls.

In reply to puppythedog:

Come on man! Thats not the Climbers club Spirit. Spare socks over your shoes you can Climb anything. The wet is just character Building ;-D

In reply to puppythedog:

You could try this place tomorrow:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=149
Some of it is sometimes dry when other places aren't, for obvious reasons. I wouldn't recommend it if you're going on your own though.

Maybe have a daft day attempting internal routes tomorrow like Cave Crawl at Froggatt, or the Troglodyte's Tour...

Weather looks good on Sunday.

In reply to Choss:


Right on! (Err... do people say that any more - if they ever did?)


[To the OP] Get up on Kinder. Definitely 'the crag du jour', as we say in Barnoldswick. I'm behind you, (err... quite some way behind you).

Mick

In reply to puppythedog:

I don't want to "dampen" your spirits but everywhere is pretty damp and the ground is sodden. I was out at Edale yesterday and it's all pretty wet.
With Saturdays forecast and already wet rock/ground I wouldn't drive up. If you're prepared to drive around a bit you might find the odd thing dry.

Sunday looking better but still tough one to call.

I'll probably drive out on Sunday and have a look but wouldn't be surprised if we ended up indoors.

J

In reply to puppythedog:


£50

In reply to puppythedog:

Three quarters of New Mills Torrs was dry today,after 4 days extensive rain.4 hvs's were dry and several e1's and e2's.Mather Crack is a classic and stays dry in the worst of weather.Usually the worst on Mather is the top 2 feet get wet,but that bit is only vs.

Honcho and Bionics were dry,as was the full crag traverse.

Mitch

In reply to paul mitchell:

C'mon Mitch... would you travel all the way from Colchester for New Mills Torrs? I can barely drag my sorry arse down from Disley!

In reply to puppythedog:

The Burbage valley was bloody beautiful when the sun came out this afternoon. I mean, not everything was dry, but it was worth being there for the clear air and winter sunshine.

In reply to The Pylon King:

Nopem £70 but thanks for your input.

In reply to puppythedog:

To all the thread, We went, we looked about and on Sunday afternoon we climbed a bit. Some sightseeing of the famous problems and routes whist it was wet and then a little bouldering at Froggat before lunch on Sunday and an afternoon at Stanage. Met some nice bouldering dudes towards sunset and a drive back.
Was it worth it? Yes, would I do it again? depends if I could save it for a weekend or two with a better forecast.
You pays your money and takes your chances.

In reply to puppythedog:

Wouldnt the Leicestershire crags be closer for you, and the outlier of finedon slabs?

In reply to Choss:

No idea, the weather was due to be rubish everywhere. I was newly able to access a hut in the Peak and had heard about Stanage drying very quickly and it's a reasonably (if expensive) easy journey so that decided it. Plus I was also happy to wander around orienting myself and 'sightseeing' things like London Wall, Master's Edge, The Unconquerables (one of which conquered me) Strapadictomy and stuff.

In reply to paul mitchell:

The top bit of Mather Crack might be VS in isolation but approaching the end of one of the biggest E1 pump fests in the peak you wouldn't want to find wet holds. You're speaking as a sandbagger breezing these grades and familiar with the route... naughty Mitch.

I agree New Mils Torrs can be a great winter venue and in the end if its the only place dry in the Peak (which it has been at times) it's then the best lead venue in the peak.

In reply to puppythedog:

You have my sympathy, but although it wasn't perfect at least you got some climbing done and had a good look around.
If I had a pound for everytime I'd had a day like that (I used to live in Sutton) I reckon I'd have £67
400 mile round trips and ending up at the works does get tedious.

There are always other options if you're super keen and prepared to do some esoteric limestone bouldering or some wet weather easy stuff. Wether it's worth driving from Essex or not is up to you, but Jon Stewart'll be along soon to say they're not even worth the bother from Sheffield

Ukbouldering also has a particularly active conditions report thread which is always worth following.

In reply to puppythedog:

I had a great weekend, i scoped out how to use the huts, I had some nice walks and sightseeing and my shin looks like I cheesegraterd it from a boulder problem. ACE.