UKC

1st visit to Ley last Friday, 4" snow on ground but very pleasant place to climb! Tried all the wee routes that you first come to, then attempted the rope traverse to the main "Pool" wall.

there appear to be no footholds etc on the rock - it looks like a tyrolean-type traverse. However, despite tensioning the rope a bit, and clipping a krab into my belay loop and the rope, I got about 6-8 feet across the water before getting a wet chalk bag, and had to retreat - my partner is lots heavier than me, and would have been underwater! Didn't want to overtighten the rope (it's old, and wet through, and if it broke, there'd be hypothermia at least!).

We eventually walked round the pond, and made up our own diagonal traverse, topping out at the tree above a 6a to walk home.

Is there something I'm missing? Or is the water level way higher than usual? I'm up for abseiling in next time if need be, now I know I can climb up and out, but 4pm on a cold day wasn't the time to start experimenting!

Advice appreciated!

In reply to BrendanO:


Weird. I often cycle past Ley, but I haven't had a look in there recently (it's not a climbing venue I'm very fond of) . It's often quite soggy underfoot, and the pool in the quarry is blind, so I'm sure it *could* flood, especially with all the snow-melt off the big slope behind it. But normally, once you get away from the little wall (past the route called Bulldog on the corner), you have a 40ft descent before you get to a wee ledge 10 ft above the water where you belay for the sport routes. Is it not like that just now?

In reply to Tim Chappell:

No.

40 foot descent? Certainly not! Probably not 15 foot! Descending section of rope is fine, but horizontal section of rope is about 5 feet above water level.

Sounds like water is erm, higher than normal! Ta Tim.

In reply to BrendanO: The rope is pretty stretchy. I usually just hold onto it for balance and then use the wee ledges to scramble around onto the main belay ledge. It's not hard really.

In reply to colin8ll:

Ta Colin - that's what we expected before we saw it. Honestly, there are NO wee ledges just now!

In reply to BrendanO:
Be brave, it's worth the effort and the routes above the pool wall are far better than the ones at the top of the hill. If the rope's above the water by that much then the traverse will be fine.

In reply to BrendanO:

Sounds like the water level is quite high. The traverse should still be possible though, slightly harder than usual as the big ledges may be under water. Come back in a few months and you'll be amazed how much the water has dropped!

As advised above the pool wall routes are great and worth the adventure over!

In reply to BrendanO:
The water level must definitely be a lot higher than usual. I climbed there a few times and usually I could just hold on to the rope and scramble across the ledges to the main pool wall and still be around half a meter above the water level. I agree, well worth to come back, especially when it's wet somewhere else! Somehow the pool wall stays quite dry.

In reply to BrendanO:

The traverse in and out is a proper rock climb, maybe severe from memory so perhaps you were put off by the difficulty.

I do know of one climber that fell off while trying to climb back out after an exhausting evening session.

In reply to Removed User:

A severe?!!

In reply to Removed UserBrendanO:

The foot holds do disappear under water when the water level is high.

Went back on Friday. Water level still same, though most snow melted.. Traversed in from higher up, on a rope attached to trees, bushes, etc. (I know, I'm a wuss - but it's too cold to fall and immerse). Left rope in place for the afternoon, so we could get back and forth. The routes are great-though HARD for us - and it's lovely in the sun.

Thanks all for advice. Will be back.