UKC

Borrowdale is the perfect place to develop your trad climbing skills. It's a valley with a long and storied climbing history where many have honed their practice over the years.

Join the ranks and get some all-important practice in with this list of 10 routes at VS and under to develop your love of trad climbing.

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Great selection of routes!

(Though IMHO think Eve is a bit of a sandbag for a budding VS climber - it was no walk in the park when I did it in November with a couple grades in hand - tho I'll admit the time of year most likely didn't help! I think there's been several serious accidents on it too, just as a little safety thought.) 

I followed my ascent of Eve by doing Adam and North Buttress  so it felt quite easy by contrast. Among my first ever Borrowdale climbs, done circa 1972.

I agree that Pinndale Trouticle is one of the best in the UK at the grade.  The pitch under the overhang and then up the wall is a belter.

Gillercombe Buttress never had that classic appeal for me, though that could be because I did it in rain turning to snow on a miserable November day.  

T.

Repeated Gillercombe Buttress last May Tony, on a beautiful day with not another person in sight. Totally wonderful experience. It is the feeling of being on a remote crag and with enough interest in the climbing to make it really memorable, as was the walk afterwards up to Great Gable and good company to boot.

I agree about Gillercombe Buttress. I first did it in the early 1980's because it was in "Classic Rock" I thought it was a pretty poor route with the odd good pitch.  I decided to repeat it last year - I  was still not impressed! 

IIRC, Eve is technically quite easy but the traverse pitch is very bold, maybe just a microcam for pro? As Elizabeth S notes there have been several serious accidents.

I have a similar memory.

Gillercombe is 50% location, 50% route. 

I would have rated Crystal Slab on Ravens too, they referenced Engineers Slab which I'd argue is at the very top end of VS 4c. Outside Route VD on Dove Nest is often overlooked too. There are a lot of great, queue free routes in Borrowdale even in the lower grades.

Absolutely. 
Eve is a great climb but there’s something about it that regularly kills people and it’s good to warn people about it. 
It was the scene of one of my most traumatic climbing experiences when I tried CPR for  30 minutes on a poor chap that died falling from it. In one of Burketts guides it mentions multiple fatalities so I suspect my experience is not unique. 

People try to run the first and second pitches together. Their belayer is then under an overhang and with trees shading their view. The leader on the slippery slab places poor gear which rips as they start what appears to be a low force fall. The belayer does not realise anything is wrong until the leader emerges at speed through the trees, inverts at the overhang and there are boulders at the bottom. 

When there is something that makes a route deadly we need to pass the information on. Its safer to split the pitches so the belayer sees the slab fall and reels in the rope.

Good luck to all that climb her, I'm shaking typing this remembering that day 20 years ago. 

Shudder to think I have soloed Eve a few times ( and some of the others in the excellent article). It’s a superb VS.  

Thanks for that. It sounds like a nightmare experience. I didn’t know whether to like or dislike,if you know what I mean.

When you solo you know every movement is critical . When you lead a classic VS ,or as it used to be, a classic MVS you normally get the opportunity to make a mistake. 

There's a reasonable amount of semi-convincing gear... But, a black Totem makes it feel very safe. The serious bit is about 3c climbing, too, so shouldn't be a massive issue for a VS leader unless damp.

Edit: however, reading rurp's account is sobering and saddening.

A nice list... Though some are technically Honister/Buttermere area. And, Grey Crags is THE place for low grade routes in Buttermere, with great Diff, VDiff, Severe and VS options.... as well as Pescod's Eagle Front across the way. So, dropping over the pass opens a whole new list of options...

In Borrowdale, I would add:

Donkey's Ears, HS, Shepherd's

The Coffin, VS, Black Crag

Hedera Grooves, VS, Lower Falcon

Aberration, MVS, Quayfoot Buttress

Endurance, VS, Sergeant Crag Slabs (albeit, Langstrath!)

I think Lost Boys (Steel Knotts) or Emma Line (Goats Crag) make for a good early (soft) foray into HVS... Lakeland Cragsman is also soft and well-protected at HVS, though long.

It's above the grade range, but The Mortician with the finger traverse finish is a brilliant and often overlooked HVS in the area, though a little tough for the grade... can't recommend it enough.