Land Of the Free Calls Again

Im back of to the US on Wednesday, very excite!! First stop LA then off up to the Valley for some big wall suffering.
Tangerine Trip looks let to be first on the list a nice 16 pitch route on the right side of El cap. Then Mescolito if all goes to plan.

Weather as been below average in the lakes for the last 2 months so not a lot has been happening.

Ive also had a couple of injuries as well which hasn't helped matters. First was my finger...not sure what was wrong but that landed me a 10 day lay off. Then i got jumped by 3 Chav's which resulted in a bust shoulder and another 10 day lay off.
Last week tho i managed to take advantage of a 3 or 4 day minimal rain spell, and get up to Reecastle and do Breach of the Peace E7 6b (F7b+) i had flashed this on toprope a month or so ago. However with the bad weather and injuries it was left unfinished until now.

Its a quality little route on the far right of Reecastle, well protected and reasonably hard, altho Rob found a better hold than we originally used thus making it more like F7a+/7b probably.
Either way it was good to get it done just before i depart for the states.

Karma Kings

Raven Walthwaite isn't just a choss pile after all. Shit pictures to follow.
Quality little route even if it was covered in an inch of dirt. E7 6c??? ummm not sure, pritty much a solo but not that hard, saying that i did beat it into submission my toproping it first. Would be ok to flash or onsite if it was clean even better if it had chalk on it.....would also be scary...Sky hook at about 6 feet if your generous is the best piece of gear on the route
Had a git feel to it nice change of pace compared to the usual Lake's Trad.

Foster you would like this i recon. In a session no probs.
Not been much trad action of late apart from a jolly up at Bowfell on the weekend with Mike and Rob.
The route

Below: Rob chilling out at the top

Jolly nice day at Reecastle

Well its been amazing here in the Lakes of late, and the rest of the UK for that matter.

So after 4 days at work struggling to stave off suicide me and Mr Rob Lay decided a trip to reecastle was in order.
I put a line down Torture Board which i have tried a few times before once about 2 months ago but the top was soaking wet. Today was bone dry.
Managed to do it first go on top rope......dammm it we all know what that means.

So after Rob crushed finger flake finish, i figured out what the gear was on the bottom section, (small purple offset super light and #2 RP) and prepared to lead it.
Altho conditions really where not very good for pull on small holds i was really psyched for it.

Placing the gear is really strenuous so i climbed down after stuffing in the RP. (hold rope, pull down....bounce up and down....RP holds....jobs a gooden)
Then all that was left to do was blast it to the top clipping the peg on the way past, which is pritty hard as well.
Its a great route more like a long boulder problem and pritty damm hard. possible harder than Dawes?? but perhaps not as bold.

Sorry no Photos as it was only me and Rob there.

The whole of Reecastle is chalked at the moment and bit cooler in the morning and after noon due to its shade, super crag.

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.

Grit Flick - Team Ambleside

Went to the Peak.....top roped End of the Affair (E8 6c).....was scared.... sun came out....great excuse not lead it......."ummmm its too sweaty up hear i tell George F" What a line tho!


Whatched Will take a whipper of some E4 round the corner, VERY EXCITE!!!!

We then hit up the Bath (matlock bath. i can say that cos i have been there) for some chips and a cheaky pint. yum yum

Then chauffeur Mr Rob Lay drove us up to Burbage South car park...which we found after driving past the bloody thing about 5 times.

Rob and Will slept in the car, i was truffed outside to enjoy a night on the Mondo, only to wake up at 2am to find my sleeping bad covered in a massive frost and then for it to slowly melt as the morning arrived...didn't really help the mould situation that my sleeping bag is already trying to cope with.
After a peanut butter sandwhich, and some shit coffee we headed up to the crag. To warm up i decided to do the knock (E4/5) which perhaps was a little keen as my hands became freezing straight away and apparently i missed a good hold at the the top. Anyway good route, slightly shocked to hear George F fell off at the top ..........must have hurt a bit...the mans a nutter.

After that Mr Lay was keen for a bit of Life Assurance action so i sent him on a beta recon mission and armed with that flashed it, Rob quickly followed.

last route of the day was Nosveratu E6 6b which came highly recomended by Foster, and rightly so. Amazing route one of the best route i have done in the peak (thats not saying much tho cos only done about 10) after jumping off the bottom a few times trying to work out the moves i did it to the top, pritty cool dyno at the top as well.

Good trip. here are few pics.

Luck.........a lack of

Ever had bad luck? is there such a thing? THERE Fing IS!

Right now im shit out of a thing called 'good luck'......however i feel a change comin along.......

"Keep the faith" thats what i said to a man as he held his dying friend....that didnt get him so far. so fuck the faith.

Crime pays......in years in prison, Maybe not then Eoin.

oh wait here it comes the luck...the luck train has entered the staion.

Bishop

Been Bouldering in Bishop now on and off for a month, absolutly loving it. With Dave George and Ben at the moment.
Done some wicked problems such as Checkerboard V8, High Plains drifter V7, Green Wall Center V6.
Happies and the Sads have hosted us a few times as well, MollyV5, Strengh in Numbers V5, Rio's Crack V6 stand out at the Sads, Action Figure V6 and Rave V7 still have some of our skin on them at the happies.

Perhaps the best problem here tho has to be Seven Spanish Angles V6, a true gem or a line.

It Snowed about an inch or two one night and atho we couldnt feel our feet the rock was sticky as.

Action Figure V6*** Happies

Ben on the Clapper V6*** at the Happies

Rio's Crack V6*** Sad Boulders

5.9 Arete on Grandma

Get Carter V7** Get Carter Boulder (should be *** really cool)

High Plains Drifter V7*** Buttermilks (ultra classic)

Bowlingpin V4*** Buttermilks

Rob on Green Wall Center V6*** Buttermilks

Rob on Fly Boy Arete V5**

Heavenly Path V1*** Happy Boulders