Tag: Peak District

My Climbing 2019 in Pictures

My Climbing 2019 in Pictures

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Walking up Grindsbrook Clough to get onto a windy Kinder Scout.
Thomason Foss near Beck Hole, North Yorkshire.
Climbing the problem Tweedle Dum (VB 4a) at Stanage Far Right.
With the weather completely changed, I went back to Stanage Far Right. Here I’m climbing Steps (VB 4a).
Trying to climb Gribble Nipple (V1 5b) at Stanage Far Right.
Climbing Fishy (V0 4c) in the Little Quarry at Curbar Edge.
Climbing the fun Pooh Bear (V0 4c) at Froggart Edge.
The gritstone top of one of the two summits of Crook Hill in the Peak District, with the other summit in the distance.
Climbing an unnamed problem on Boulder 9 at Boulder Valley, below the Old Man of Coniston.
Climbing an unnamed problem on the Jacko Boulder at Settle Earth Boulders, in Longsleddale.
Climbing the problem The Black Cross (3) on the Jacko Boulder, at Settle Earth Boulders.
Climbing an unnamed boulder problem on the Bottom Block at the Langdale Boulders.
Lud’s Church. It was used as a secret place of worship by the Lollards in the early 15th Century. The Lollards were followers of John Wycliffe, an early church reformer.
Me climbing Easy Groove (VB) inside The Cellar area of The Roaches.
Trying again (and failing again) to climb the problem Right Whale (V0 4c) on The Whale boulder at Burbage South Valley.
A fantastic view of Stanage Edge from near Green’s House, north of Hathersage.
Trying Again and a Little Bit of History

Trying Again and a Little Bit of History

the Severe climber

A little over a year ago I returned to climbing outside after surgery on my knee.  It felt absolutely great to be climbing again, but I knew I still had a way to get my strength and technique back to what they were.  I did a lot better that weekend than I thought I might, but I did feel disappointed to not get up some problems.  So last weekend I returned to Burbage to try those problems again.

The Burbage Valley, with Carl Wark and Higgar Tor in the distance. The Kidney boulder is in the middle distance.
Climbing on the That Little Piglet boulder at Burbage South Valley.
Trying again (and failing again) to climb the problem Right Whale (V0 4c) on The Whale boulder at Burbage South Valley.
Climbing the very fun traversing problem Walking the Dog, on The Dog boulder at Burbage South Valley.
Climbing Kidney Wall (V0+ 5a) on The Kidney boulder at Burbage South Valley.

I’d particularly wanted to climb the problems on the That Little Piglet boulder.  I’m usually good at climbing slabs, but I’d been baffled by how to get up two low grade, slab problems on this boulder the last time I was there. Read more →

Roaches – along and high

Roaches – along and high

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Sometimes rain on a climbing trip can be good thing.  A couple of weeks ago, rain forced me to give up on climbing at The Roaches and instead go for a walk in the surrounding countryside.  It turned out to be a great walk, going to places I had never been and seeing some fantastic sights.  I hiked over Hen Cloud, past The Roaches, through the chasm of Lud’s Church, along the pretty River Dane, under The Hanging Stone, and back along the whole length of the Roaches ridge.  The best bit was the amazing, clear views from The Roaches once the rain and cloud had cleared.

Hen Cloud just visible through the cloud and light rain.
The Roaches enveloped in cloud.
The Upper Tier at the Roaches – pretty, but not good for climbing on that day.
Lud’s Church. It was used as a secret place of worship by the Lollards in the early 15th Century. The Lollards were followers of John Wycliffe, an early church reformer.
Lud’s Church. It was used as a secret place of worship by the Lollards in the early 15th Century. The Lollards were followers of John Wycliffe, an early church reformer.
We walked along the River Dane from Gradbach to Danebridge.
The Hanging Stone, which sits at one end of the Roaches ridge, near Danebridge. It has two plaques on it – one in memory of the local squire’s dog (buried under the stone) and the other in memory of Lt Col Courtney Brocklehurst, whose family used to own the Roaches estate.
Looking back the way we had come, with the Hanging Stone just visible in the distance.
Tittesworth Reservoir seen from the top of the Roaches.
The Roaches and Hen Cloud.

The next day was bright and clear, and so I got my chance to go climbing.  I went bouldering for the first time at The Attic and The Cellar. Read more →

Falling off a lot

Falling off a lot

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Climbing the fun Pooh Bear (V0 4c) at Froggart Edge.

The other weekend I fell off more than usual.  I’ll have a go at harder problems every time I go bouldering as a way of trying to improve my climbing.  About a third of the time I complete the problem, another third of the time I fall off every time, and the remaining third I’m just baffled about how to actually do the climb.  However, this time, I fell just off again and again. Read more →

A Lovely Hill

A Lovely Hill

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The other weekend I got reminded that a great walk doesn’t have to be up the highest peak, or to a famous summit that everyone wants to tick off their list.  I had a brilliant time walking up a hill that’s just lovely for being in a great location, a bit different, and with an interesting character.

One of the summits of Crook Hill.
The gritstone top of one of the two summits of Crook Hill, with the other summit in the distance.

Crook Hill is in the High Peak area of the Peak District. It sits at the bottom of the two arms of the Y-shaped Ladybower Reservoir, where the Woodlands Valley splits off from the Derwent Valley.  It’s a commanding location that makes it easy to imagine that Crook Hill was the once the site of a hill fort (although I’m not aware that it ever was).  Read more →

Between the Rain

Between the Rain

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I climbed around the rain this weekend.  Rain often either forces me to not go climbing at all, or forces me to finish climbing before I’m ready.  This weekend looked like it was going to go that way again when it started raining after I had only done two problems at Stanage Far Right.  It was particularly annoying as rain (and snow) had stopped me climbing in North Yorkshire a couple of months ago, and for some time I’d been wanting to go back to Stanage Far Right to see if I could finish the green circuit.

Climbing Snout Groove (VB 4a) at Stanage Far Right. This was my first climb of the day, and I got rained off after completing my second.
With the weather completely changed, I went back to Stanage Far Right. Here I’m climbing Steps (VB 4a).
Climbing the fun Front Flake (V0+ 5a) at Stanage Far Right.
Pert Bloke (V0+ 5a) is a really interesting, fun problem (I didn’t even mind the sit start).
Me climbing the problem Gripple One at Stanage Far Right.

The far right hand end of Stanage is a brilliant place for easier bouldering.  The problems are varied, interesting and (usually) above good landings.  The views are brilliant.  It’s also only a ten minute walk from the car parking (which is a definite plus when there’s a chance you might get rained off). Read more →

Windy Kinder

Windy Kinder

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Windy, wet and grey – last weekend had a lot in common with other weekends I’ve spent in the Peak District at this time of year.  It was still fun though, particularly as I set out to go to bits of the Peak District I’d not been to before.  This meant heading around the edge of the moors to the East of Kinder Scout on Saturday.

My route up Grindsbrook Clough.
Walking up Grindsbrook Clough to get onto a windy Kinder Scout.
Looking down Grindsbrook Clough.
One of the many fords I crossed when walking around the edge of Kinder.
Looking across to Grindsbrook Clough from the edge of the moor.
Look towards Jaggers Clough, with Ladybower Reservoir just visible in the distance, from Crookstone Out Moor. I didn’t get much further than this before I got the full force of the wind and decided to turn around.

By Sunday the wind had become so strong that walking around the tops looked impractical (and certainly like a lot of hard work).   Read more →

My Climbing 2018 in Pictures

My Climbing 2018 in Pictures

the Severe climber

With a knee injury (and resultant surgery) I didn’t get out as much as I would have liked in 2018.  But I still had some great days climbing and walking.  These photos give a sense of days.

Abandoned Grit
A view of the Derwent Valley from Derwent Edge.
The trig point on Back Tor with Derwent Edge in the distance.
Ladybower Reservoir.
Trying unsuccessfully to do a dyno on the problem Steep Side (V0+ 5a) on the Lone Boulder at Stanage Plantation.
Me trying to climb Centre Whale (V1 5b) on The Whale boulder at Burbage South Valley, and not getting much higher than I am in this picture.
Climbing Peasy Flake (VB) on The Useful Boulder at Burbage South Valley.
My first outdoor climb in a year – Bore-hole Wall (V0 4b) at Curbar Field.
Snow covering the path up Waun Fach.
Aber Falls in North Wales.
A rainbow above Nant y Geaullt, near Capel Curig.
Low Autumn Sun

Low Autumn Sun

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A view of the Derwent Valley from Derwent Edge.

Sometimes the day works out better than you expect.  The forecast last weekend was for low clouds and showers.  That’s certainly how the day started out, but by the time I’d walked up to the edges and tors above the Derwent Valley a low autumn sun had broken through to create one of the best days I’ve had in the Peak District.  Read more →

Working on my Weaknesses

Working on my Weaknesses

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Rock climbers are advised to work on their weaknesses in order to get better.  The trouble is, since my injury, I’ve had quite a few weaknesses.

Me climbing the problem Wall End Slab Direct Start (V0 4c) at Stanage Plantation.

A piece of advice that I’ve read in lots of different places is that you should work at getting better at the things you are weak at if you want to become a better rock climber. The thinking behind this is that people tend to avoid the things they’re not very good at.  A lack of practice means that you don’t get better at the thing they’re shunning and so continue to avoid it.  In rock climbing, you could be avoiding something because you find it’s too physically hard and/or you cannot master the technique.  For the first few years after I started climbing my particular weakness was smearing.  It felt insecure, unnatural and unsafe.  So, I tried to climb routes using as little smearing as possible. This was a bit of a challenge as I was doing a lot of gritstone climbing at the time.  However, somewhere along the way I did enough smearing to get the hang of it.  It went from being unnerving, to being another useful way of getting up a climb, to being fun.  I now really enjoy smearing up a featureless gritstone slab. Read more →

I’m Finally Back

I’m Finally Back

the Severe climber

It’s been a year since I climbed on real rock and six months since the accident.  After lots of physio exercises, surgery and weekly sessions at climbing walls to remind my body how to climb, last weekend I finally got back to climbing outside.  It brought a smile to my face and reminded me of why I love to climb.

My first outdoor climb in a year – Bore-hole Wall (V0 4b) at Curbar Field.

The accident was stupid. One of those seemingly minor things that have surprisingly big consequences. Read more →

My Climbing 2017 in Pictures

My Climbing 2017 in Pictures

the Severe climber
Me climbing Bones (V0 4c) at the Cioch Top Boulders at Curbar Edge.
Snow falling on the tops above the Vale of Edale in the Peak District.
Climbing problem number 12 on the yellow circuit at Canche aux Merciers.
Me trying to do the crimping and smearing start of problem 7 on the orange circuit at Roche aux Sabots. This photo was taken by my 3 year old son.
Climbing Eeny (VB 4a) at Stanage Far Right.
Me climbing at the Stronghold Climbing Centre.
Me trying to climb Easy Groove (V0 4c) on The Grooves boulder at the Roaches. Seconds after this photo was taken my left foot slipped and I flew off the rock.
Climbing Joe’s Portholes (V0+ 5a) on Joe’s Boulder at the Roaches.
Me climbing Clammy Wall (V0 4c) on the Clammy Hands boulder at Newstones.
Me climbing an unnamed 4C problem on the Wavelength Boulder in Llanberis Pass, while Katrina spots me.
The Llanberis Pass, with the Wavelength, Pieshop and Utopia bouldering areas on the mountain side.
Me climbing Tiny Slab Left (V1 5b) on The Tiny Slab at Burbage North.
An icy Corn Du in the Brecon Beacons.
Me on the summit of an icy Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons.
Sgwd yr Eira (a beautiful waterfall that you can walk behind).
Why is the best weather the weekend before?

Why is the best weather the weekend before?

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Why does the best weather always seem to happen the weekend before I go on a climbing trip?  Sunshine, clear skies and low winds bless the destinations of my long-planned climbing trips on the weekends before I try to go climbing.  The weather forecasters often refer to “unseasonably good weather” when talking about those weekends, before going on to say “but the weather will change mid-week.”  This means that by the time I try to go climbing the weather is rainy, unsettled, changeable or in some other way not really ideal for rock climbing.  That preceding weekend feels like a teaser of what might have been.  It makes not being able to climb because it’s raining that little bit more annoying.

Me climbing Route 3 (VB 4a) on The Chant section of Burbage North.

This is what happened last weekend.  A weekend of good weather in the Peak District was followed by an intermittently rainy weekend.  After a couple of abortive attempts, Read more →

A Little Bit Green Around the Edges

A Little Bit Green Around the Edges

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Climbing in the Peak District at this time of year usually means three things for me. Hoping that it won’t be raining so that I can actually climb. Trying to avoid climbing on rock covered in damp, green lichen that it’s easy for my hand or foot to slip off.   Plus, climbing at a level that I can manage and enjoy when I either have a cold or am recovering from one.

Climbing One Inch Arete (VB 4a) in the Little Quarry at Curbar Edge.

The rain that had poured down on the Peak District last Friday disappeared by Saturday to leave clear skies and brilliant sunshine.   It was great weather for bouldering and I was really pleased that I could try out bouldering at Curbar Edge for the first time. Read more →