From Bowderstone to April...

F*ck me, I've not been on here for ages.

Since getting back from the lakes, i have been to: Froggatt with Ellie Boylan; went bouldering at Stanage Plantation with Jonny Davis; went exploring new problems on Cown Edge Rocks with Adam Bridges and had an evening at Hobson Moor Quarry with the Wednesday gang (DanDan, Hugh, Gareth, Lindsey and occasionally Dave, Ben and Caroline aswell).

Firstly, my trip to Froggatt with Ellie. It started at Chinley train station (as most of my trips do) at 9:12AM this time, for the train to Hathersage, where I met Ellie Boylan for the first time on the train. I had arranged to meet her through www.red-tips.com, we decided she would get on at Hathersage, and find me on the train, where we would both depard at the next stop, Bamford. That all worked a treat, so up the hill we went, with rucksacks on our backs, through the trees, and finally over the road to the crag. We started off with me leading 'Trapeze' (VDiff), and whilst sat on top, belaying Ellie up, i decided that i we would do no more leading as it was just too cold and windy up the top. So i dropped a top rope down 'Long John's Slab' which goes at E3 5c, i, much to my surprise, flashed that, after hearing a shout from the next route: "is the your blood on this wire?" this knocked my confidence a little as it was a route that needed to be soloed as there was no gear. Next we walked down to the infamous 'Three Pebble Slab' (HVS/E0/E1 depending on who you listen to)which Ellie had her eye on, so up the toprope went, and just as we were de-rigging that, i nice guy, called Mark decided he would lead it, so i fiddled with the set up slightly, and got on abseil, with camera in hand. Here's the result. Later, we sat at the bottom of the crag, eating lunch, as you do, when a woman, who would have fitted in the film 'The Omen' perfectly stood maybe 1/2 a mile away,at the top of Curbar Edge, waved, so we waved back to her, totally un aware who she was. anyway, 10 mins later, Ellie says, "SHIT, there's that woman we waved to...", oh, how we tried so hard not to laugh...! After lunch we toproped another route called 'Slab Recess Direct' (HS 4c). Finally Ellie decided it was time for her first ever trad lead, which went swimmingly. Video here. The route was, 'Nursery Slab' (Mod). By this time we were getting cold, so we trooped back of down the hill, and got to the train station 30 mins before the train arrived...ahh, well, it was a good day.

Two weekends later (22nd March) i decided i wanted to go and boulder at Stanage Plantation, so of i went, all on my ownsome, from Hathersage train station nice and early as usual. I got my shoes on, did a few problems, looked up, to see Jonny Davis, one of James Oswald's friends thst works at Awesome Walls Climbing Centre, i had talked to him a few times, so we agree at do a bit of bouldering together, one of the more notable problems i sent was Delivarete sit start (V4), a classic arete to the right of the even more classic dyno problem, Deliverance (V8/9). And that was the end of that day.

So then, i finish school at 2:25PM on Fridays, so said to Adam Bridges, a friend from school who climbs a little bit, "D'ya wanna go check out this new bouldering crag i found?", of couse he did. so 2:25 came round, we speed walk to my house, dive inside, get changed, grab the bouldering mat, and dissapear up the 35mins aproach from my house. when we arrive, it bloody windy, so climb whilst wearing gore-tex's we did, working along the edge made about 25 first ascents of problems for VB-V4.

Finally, we managed to get to Hobson Moor Quarry on a Wednesday, with Dan, Gareth and Hugh. I repeated stuff i had done before, and onsighted 'Gideonite' a HVS 5a coner crack.

Bowderstone

I have been in the lakes over the half termasnd managed to get about a single hour of climbing at the bowderstone, I did a font 6B+ and a 6C+, which both felt really easy compared to climbs of the same grade on grit. I really like rhyolite as a climbing medium and hope to do alot more climbing on it.

I also walked up Scafell Pike (977m), which is england's highest mountain and saw Birkett's E9 test pieces. I also walked up Skiddaw (931m).

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

I have still not been able to get out much, although i did have a 'unusual' day 2 weeks ago.

I was intending to meet the usual suspects at Stanage Plantation as they were getting a lift. I get on the train, all OK, The guy that normally take my money got into an arguement with some gypsy about how much ti costed to get from god knows where to chesterfield. so that kept im ocupied whilst i walked off the train at hathersage. Another guy with a mat got off at the same time, we got talking an it turned out that he was going to plantation too. so i walked up with him. Oh and by the way the snow was at least 6 inches deep.

About 1 hour later i was at the plantation, after many phone calls with brandon which resulted in him telling me that he was going to the works because he reckoned it would be wet, from the melting snow. He was right and i left almost straight after i arrived.

Oh and on top of that i had to be back in Glossop by 6:30pm for my dad's birthday meal.

Indoors

I have not been climbing outside since I lasted blogged, although i have been climbing inside a fair few times doing general training. Hope to get outside again soon.

More cold weather on the grit.

On Saturday me day gave me a lift up to Stanage Plantation. Again Liam and Brandon were late this time because the trains were not running to Hathersage. So 40 mins late we were at the Plantation. It was cold again but i wasn't really climbing anyway because i had a new video camera, Which we are intending to make a climbing DVD. I also have a moon fingerboard mounted above my hall doorway.

Burbage Christmas Party.

We organised a Christmas bouldering party in the Burbage Valley, intending to start at Burbage north then on to South. We were then going to Carl Walk and Higgar Tor. And finishing at Burbage West and Burbage Bridge. Unfortunatly this didnt go to plan as we only ever went to North and West. The weather was freezing with a really cold wind. I deemed it too cold so resorted to getting my rope access gear out and hung on an abseil rope to take pictures. There is a link to the photos in my previous blog.

Woodie!!!

My woodie is now finished and there is problems from V0 to V6 although harder eliminates are possible. photos of my wall and my other climbing pics here:http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/author.html?id=71838