UKC

I'm off to sample some Lakes slate for the first time tomorrow.
Does anyone have any route reccomendations, we'll probably go to Cathedral (unless you change my mind) and do Darklands and Basilica.

Up for trad to E4 and bolted to 7a+

Is china crisis any good?

In reply to Dan Arkle:

Get to Hodge as well. Just round the corner.

In reply to Dan Arkle:

Agree...Get on Malice in wonderland , its superb

In reply to Dan Arkle:
A good 7a+ at Hodge Close..
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=152686

In reply to Dan Arkle:

Get on Ten Years After - one of the best slab/wall climbs going. Sky is an emasculated route these days. Wicked Willie and Limited Edition are both worth doing if you feel like stepping things up - Limited Edition is more a sporting sport route than trad.

In reply to Bob:

Ten years After has had major rockfall and is now more like E56b. Makes Wicked Willie harder too.

Sky might be emasculated, but is a great clip up at 6b+.

Limited Edition should definitely be on there along with Through the Looking Glass.

Curtain Call is a really good 7a+ if you don't mind a couple of chipped holds

In reply to Jonathan Lagoe - UKC:

A pity about TYA, presumably it was the first section common with Wings?

Sky: did it before and after - after was instantly forgettable but hey-ho it's bolted so it's better.

Does TLG get E2 or E3 these days?

Curtain Call is steady but for the last couple of moves involving the chip(ettes), I think I did the second or third ascent.

In reply to Dan Arkle:

Thanks for that, just had a thought - will there be any seepage problems?

In reply to Bob:

Yes It's the whole big flake you had a runner on apparently -so the left wall of Wings. Not seen it myself , since I emigrated. WW was one of my favorite routes.

TLG still gets E2 I think but it's a hard one.

The OP probably won't notice the chips after the Basilica scultured jugs..

In reply to Dan Arkle:

There alway seems to be seepage at the top of the first section of Basilica even in droughts. Rest should be fine. Hodge dries super quick and is a better bet if it's rained recently.

In reply to Dan Arkle:

Have a good day - some of the best routes in the Lakes in there - would opt for Hodge first.

Limited Edition is a fantastic **** clean thin pitch - belay on top looking out to the Langdale Pikes.

Malice in Wonderland is also one of the best arête climbs around and thin.

Ten Years After is/was one of the best wall climbs around but the entry to the wall has changed as described and is very serious.

Cathedral is not so open but Darklands is improbable but quite reasonable and spectacular - all the slanting grooves on the left are good, hard and bold.

Give some feedback as its good to know how the quarries are fairing / changing !

In reply to andy gittins:

Right then, thanks for all the good advice. We went to Hodge as recommended and did Sky first, awesome. We then stuck a TR on The Main Event, which was good fun, and not a particularly justifyable lead IMHO.

Ten Years After was next, although we got confused by the rockfall and did a bolted left-hand start at about F6c.

We had a TR play on Beef Jerky, and I must have pulled about ten holds off - one to avoid!

Then tried Malice in Wonderland, and spent 30 mins trying to find a way to commit to the crux that didn't involve trusting a terrifying smear. In the end I backed off -its certainly not the E3 that the lakes select guide suggested, I'd have said E5 6a as the move is hard, its difficult to climb it in a secure way, and its a long way above the gear.

Then just a play on Curtain Call to finish, this one is brilliant, defo 3 star despite the chips.

In reply to Dan Arkle:

Good intro. to Hodge then - well done !

In reply to Dan Arkle:

Malice in wonderland... yup its hard for the grade , and i remember thinking a fall from the upper arete would be serious.
Thought at the time..it was at least E4 5c/6a..... quality route though...
Never climbed lakes slate E5 so cant compare?
Hodge really has some great lines , one of the first places i would head if
i was back in the lakes...

In reply to Dan Arkle:
Malice did feel a bit bold for a supposed E3 (as it is old guides). Something about a 5c crux a few metres above the smallest ballnut and several metres above the good tree runner with a likely 15m+ fall on rope stretch. It took me over an hour to commit to that crux, although that was partly due to the guide mistakenly implying that the bit above that section would be even bolder (which it's not, the RPs there are so good it's almost like sport climbing). E4 5c would seem sensible.

Pity that the start of TYA has changed so much. Another wonderful route.