UKC

I've been out on Helvellyn today with Brian Davison. After overnight snowfall to valley level things were in good nick. Both buttresses and gully lines giving good climbing conditions. See a full report and short film clip on our blog. http://www.theepicentre.co.uk/blog

In reply to Steve Ashworth:

Hi Steve. When is the new guide book coming out then?

In reply to Steve Ashworth:

Steve, did you go up V Corner at all. Just wondered what you thought what condition it was in. I went to solo it yesterday but backed of the corner as I felt the lack of ice, snow and decent frozen turf made it feel rather stiff and unsecure for a solo attempt. The corner proper looked completely bare to me.

In reply to Jonathan Yates: I climbed up the slab exit on the right, the icefall isn't there but you could pull up the wall on turf.

In reply to Steve Ashworth:

We did viking buttress. Pretty good conditions for November!

In reply to JR: Do you know what this gets in the new guide? My guide gives it iv,4.

In reply to Steve Ashworth:

Tut tut, no helmet, release the ranting hordes!

In reply to Steve Ashworth:

Another new guide? they seem to be coming thick and fast. Give me a shout if you need help with any of the western stuff.

In reply to 3leggeddog:

Pmsl!

In reply to Steve Ashworth:

I was also up on Red Tarn yesterday, conditions were excellent in most places. Not all turf was frozen solid but its getting there. Patches of ice etc in the gulleys. Probably -5 al day. Lots of snow on the walk in. Red Tarn half frozen over.

The lakes looks alpine, its fantastic! It was -7 through the Peak District on the way home.

In reply to Jonathan Yates:

We went up v grove and then some difficult crack at the right hand side of viking buttress, pretty good nick mostly just some places where the turf had not fully frozen.Very busy..........

In reply to Matt_b:

IV, 4

left hand finish is IV, 5

In reply to Steve Ashworth: Headed up to Red Tarn yesterday Evening about Six, Camped out, the temperate plummeted last night and half the tarn froze over!

It also laid down an inch or Two of snow last night. Turf was a mostly frozen in the gullies and bit of spindrift on gully routes. Once the clag lifted at 9am the sky was clear all day. Busy day up their today!

In reply to Steve Ashworth: Hello Steve. Is it really seven years since Pete and I first met you and Woody in Rjukan 2003? Time flies.

I stayed in Ambleside for a month a year ago last October and watched the store taking shape as I passed every morning on my way to work in the aqueduct at Thirlmere.

Be nice to get up for some winter climbing but when conditions are in it usually means crap conditions for a motorbike and Jim (you met him when we survived your oppo at the NT campsite trying to throw us off, not that we didnt deserve to be) is out in the Himalaya.

Hope all is well.

In reply to Justin Tracey:

Busy day up their today!

But we were the only team on High Crag, and the only other climbers we saw all day were the single team on Dollywaggon North.

In reply to Exile: Perhaps he meant 'walkers'

Striding and Swirrel are 'honey-pots' on a fine day and often resemble an ants run to/from the summit!!!

In reply to Exile: We were the lone team on Dollywaggon North today....Its not the first time I've climbed there and saw very few people (even walkers). Conditions were ok, turf well frozen and a little consolidated snow...however, the crag could do with a good blasting of snow and then a good freez thaw cycle. Excellent sport though

In reply to Jonathan Yates:

My partner and I did V Corner (I must stop calling it V Groove!) today - given that its only my third 'proper' winter route and it looked like more ice had built up since the previous day, but still some of the turf near the top of the groove wasn't completely frozen, but a great route nonetheless
The neve on the last pitch to the plateau was great too

I think I might be sold on the winter climbing lark...

PP.

In reply to Cliff Lowther:

We were the pair who had a look at you from the top of the descent gully at about 3.00pm. What were you on?

We did a new route on the north side of High Crag. The climbing is very similar in style to Dollywaggon North, but the routes much longer, (with the easy ground at the top we climbed 160m.) So if you want something similar to Dollywaggon North but longer its worth a look. (Our route was quite good and the description is now on the Fell & Rock site, but there is plenty of unclimbed ground over there if you just want to go and pick a line.)

In reply to Exile: Hey That sounds grand....Pleased you guys had a grand day out. I think I saw you guys on the route (one in red?) and I did look over that way last year and thought it had potential. The route i was on was Thrash Corner (alternative start)but the corner was very thin (really poor ice smears) so took the variation finish up the easy mixed stuff... only a III but as I said earlier good sport. I did see/hear you guys above the descent...the routes look gnarly from that angle dont they hahahaha ....BTW was it really cold yesterday???? I mean moreso than usual....first time I've had hot aches for years!!!!! Just wondering if anyone else suffered?

In reply to Cliff Lowther:

That was me, probably on the second belay. Thought it was Thrash Corner, but I had trouble trying to work out where the line went last time I climbed there which is why I asked. It was properly cold yesterday.

In reply to JR: alright john, must have walked past you yesterday! probably more than once. Looked ok that VIking Buttress? Probes

In reply to Steve Ashworth:
Brown Cove Crags today (29th), some fresh snow, turf of variable frozenness, a little ice here and there, spindrift swirling around and quite nippy. We climbed Stepped Buttress and managed to find some pokey short pitches of 4 & 5 mixed, nice start to the season.