UKC

As someone who has climbed indoors for a number of years and has even ice climbed IV in the alps. I am going to the lakes (under guidance) for the first time for fours days of climbing (mainly borrowdale)

I can climb upto around 6a (French), but it wouldn't be pleasant to watch.

What are the classic/ ambitious routes i should be looking to get under my belt.

After alpine ice, exposure doesn't bother me too much and i really am looking to be ambitious

Anyone's help wouldbe greatly appreciated

In reply to mourndekai:

What do you mean by 'under guidance'?

jk

In reply to mourndekai: As i haven't been outside before i need to learn how to place gear and i have no idea how indoor grade climbing translates to outdoors.

So i have hired a guide for 4 days to show me, I would like to know what climb i should be looking at though.

It's probably an expensive way to learn

In reply to mourndekai:

Really really ambitious? Bleed in Hell.
Really ambitious? Praying Mantis.
Ambitious? Ardus.
Feasible? Gillercombe Buttress or Troutdale Pinnacle or Little Chamonix.
Probable/Sensible? Brown Slabs Blah or Corvus.

In reply to I Falafelot:

Im seriously going to have a look at these.

It is amazing what you achieve when you push yourself, or in my case get angry at not being as good as you want.

I take it you recommend staying at the borrowdale crags rather than venturing off to some more remote ones?

In reply to mourndekai:

I wouldn't worry: your guide should have a good idea of suitable and interesting routes to take you up. He/she may choose to avoid the most popular routes so you don't have to queue. Make sure you discuss with the guide what you hope to get out of the 4 days: if that includes being guided up some classic routes, then say so, but leave it to the guide to choose the routes.


Yes, but you should learn a lot in 4 days!

In reply to mourndekai:

I'd put Bleed in Hell out your head for a few years at least - otherwise you'll be one frustrated chappy.

Seriously though, I'd have to say Mark has just hit the nail on the head. Let your guide dictate - there are more important things than pushing yourself. Learning to make belays and placing gear and all the rest is essential if you really want to push yourself, so I'd use the guide for learning how to be safe and worry about pushing your grade later when you aren't paying for the privelage of flailing about on a route (it's frustrating enough as it is!).

Borrowdale is ideal - none of the crags are really that remote (30mins walk in is a lot for this particular valley).

In reply to I Falafelot:

What about Hells Wall up in Borrowdale! Entirely feasible for a plastic puller.

In reply to Mike Hartley:

There's that one (can't remember the name) on some blank wall on Gillercombe Buttress that Dave Birkett couldn't repeat the moves of during filming for Set In Stone.

That'd be a goer for a wall rat, wouldn't even have to worry about gear placements too much either because there probably aren't that many.

In reply to Mike Hartley: Caution, E8 6c.

In reply to I Falafelot:

None of the popular crags are that remote......

In reply to Carolyn:

Erm, no. None of the crags are really that remote. Fact.

In reply to mourndekai:

I did speak to the guide yesterday and he is giving me some latitude in the routes that i want to look at. That's why i'd like to know what routes are the ones that people like to have undertaken to feel established on rock.

I do take on board that hanging on gear trying to do something which is not feasible for my experience is really stupid, not to mention a waste of money.

I have spent the last few weeks 'chain-climbing' at about 5c french to improve stamina, so i'm hoping to get quite a few routes under my belt in 4 days (weather pemitting and it has been awful recently)

In reply to mourndekai:

Then I would say up to 'Ambitious' off the list I gave you is a sensible aim. Ardus would be a class route to round off your few days with too.

In reply to I Falafelot:

That's the badger! Should be a walk in the park for an experienced indoor mountaineer. You only have to follow the red route up it.

In reply to mourndekai: A couple of suggestions for if you then want a mountain day 1)Go over to Buttermere and climb on Grey Crag. Ok it's an hour and a half's walk in, but there are good routes there up to E1 and the surroundings are fantastic. Standout routes that I've done have been Suaviter and Oxford and Cambridge Direct, both Severe.

2)The Napes (Great Gable) are accessible from Borrowdale - similar length walk in. Best route there is probably Tophet Wall (HS). While this isn't particularly ambitious in terms of technical difficulty it is a hell of an impressive route and would give your route-finding and protection skills a work out.

In reply to mourndekai: I welcome all your suggestions. Just over a week to go.

I'm up bank holiday week so it's good to have as many suggestions as possible as i don't know how crowded it'll be. Especially as I will be outside on rock for the first time.

I'll also post here what i get up to in the end

In reply to I Falafelot:


You can get to Lining Crag in 30 min? Superman!!

In reply to mourndekai:

Don't welcome mine! Hell's Wall is so far above your ability, on the off chance you did get high enough to do yourself a cropper, you'd probably die. But I'd be impressed if you even got 2 feet off the ground.

In reply to Carolyn:


Surely this all comes down to what each consider 'remote'? 30min walk-in is still just about roadside.

jk

In reply to mourndekai:

Take your lead on routes from your guide. They'll know the area and be able to judge your progress.

Unless there's a route that really inspires you I'd stick to vague requests like 'I'd like to get up on a high crag for the view' or 'I'd prefer a short walk in today'. Let them do the job you're paying for.

Also be totally honest with your guide about how you found the routes, intimidating, too easy, too hard, confusing, dull, great etc etc... you'll get a better tailored experience.

Unless you get totally overawed by the whole climbing on rock thing I'd have thought you'll manage some Hard Severes after a few days practice/instruction. Don't be dissapointed if you don't get there this week but don't be surprised either if you're pointed at something a bit trickier, the rate people progress varies dramatically.

jk

jk

In reply to Carolyn:

Engage brain!

I didn't say you could walk to all of them within 30mins - I just said that's considered a long walk in down Borrowdale. Of course there are a couple of exceptions where it'll take slightly longer.

What I did say is that none of them are remote.

Anyway, we digress...

In reply to I Falafelot:

Well, we could probably argue there's very little truely remote in the whole Lakes. Esk Buttress & Pillar Rock, maybe?

In reply to jkarran:

I reckon that's right on the money. And I agree with having HS-ish as a good aim which is why I thought Ardus would be a quality route to round it off with - contrasting styles on each pitch and the 3rd pitch is superb.

Whatever, I'm sure your guide will make sure you have a varied and rewarding weekend - it's what you pay them for!

In reply to Carolyn:

Maybe, but I didn't wan't an argument. I just wanted to answer this question...

"I take it you recommend staying at the borrowdale crags rather than venturing off to some more remote ones?"

I said Borrowdale is ideal because none of the crags are remote. Maybe I should have been clearer and stated that there are many good quality roadside crags but also several big mountain crags with a fantastic atmosphere:walk-in ratio.

In reply to mourndekai:

Good stuff - look forward to hearing how you get on.

Have a good weekend.

In reply to mourndekai:

We have now finished our 4 guided days, which is some feet considering the weather, but we have been able to fit in

Little Chamonix
Troutdale Pinnacle
Corvus
Brown Slabs
Brown Slabs Direct
Brown Slabs Arete
Ardus.

We out in little variations to the Brown Slabs cllimbs as the guide thought there were more interesting finishes for us.

We seconded all routes apart from the Brown Slabs routes where me and my friend did alternate leads.

I have to say its a hell of a lot harder than i thought it would be and more time consuming too, but we enjoyed outselves and i didn't fall of once, YAY!!!