Dawes Ride a Shovel Head

A few days ago i managed to climb Dawes, ever since coming to the Lakes its been somthing i have always wanted to do. Every year for the past 2 or 3 i would look up at the main wall on Raven Crag wondering if this year i would be strong enough. Ever since climbing Trilogy the classic E5 to the left it has been a bit of a distant goal.

After a cheaky session of getting spanked (not litteraly) in Thrang Quarry me and Rob ragged it to Aside then back to Raven and quickly put an ab line down it, which turned out to be a major mission in itself.....just looking at it from the line got me excited the holds altho small looked positive, the pegs at the top look good the middle ones a little suspect. We left in the dark, a little rain still falling with high hopes of returning in the next day or two.

the next day we went back and got a top rope on it after working the out the moves i was able so do it clean on the first propper top rope go. Oh damm it no excusess now!

Two days later we where back with Mike and after one more go on top rope i lead it. The first few meters are on the pluto travers then you rock onto the headwall and pull on the first small holds. A few meters of easy climbing 5b maybe past a good peg lead to a good jug and a spike. A sling on the spike with a sneaky brass offset to hold it down and small cam provide some good portection for the next moves.

A few moves lead to a shocking peg that would shurrly rip, after you clip this you make some of the harder moves of the route, then clip two more goodish pegs from a small right hand. Two or three more moves bring you to below the roof, a good jug and two good pegs await you there. A final big pull (thats quite blind and scarry due to the fact that a fall there altho safe would mean climbing the whole route again) lands you at the top of the overhangs and more loveley jugs.

Great route really enjoyed it. Gear seemed to be ok, the middle 3 pegs where a bit suspect deff the bottom one was bad and i recon deffinatly would rip if you fell on it, which would be a bit exciting. Climbing was quite steady once you knew what you where doing. Would be wild to onsite it.