The Rock Climbing Thread

Enjoy!  Hopefully the weather holds out.  2 day migraine wiped out my climbing plans this week…..I ‘might’ climb tonight indoors.  Got a 70th birthday party tomorrow for my Dad to prep for though.

Some of the pics on here are a nudge to get out of a bouldering rut. I get out a couple of times a week indoors or outdoors (if it ever stops raining). But rarely tie on and then mostly on easier sport.

Climbing used to be my main hobby before kids, packed in for maybe 15 years and back at it as a regular now. 60 this year and fitness quite a bit harder to gain than in 20s and 30s! Managed to get back to pretty much my former bouldering highpoint… 7A used to be pretty good and now feels like entry level for wallbred youngsters! And heelhooks had barely been invented. Second vote for Onyx – great old school wall for people that want to get better for outdoors (not much jumpy/skippy stuff) and Grey Power on Facebook.

@blisterman1962 I have seen school and outdoor ed groups there before. Not sure what is there though and they are very short. Subliminal is the usual lower grade trad crag there but it’s ab in. Or Hedbury for some low grade sport? Not great though but like Battleship Back Cliff at Portland they are rare easy angled routes.

You have the pool at Dancing Ledge too if that sways it. Ideal if it’s a scorcher.

@blisterman1962  winspit quarry has some easier stuff.

Ha, reckon I did controlled burning on lundy at the same time as @Spin. I remember thinking that the guide book writer must have pretty bloody fat hands! As a result the last 1/3 of the route was a bit run out as I didn’t have any cams that big…..

Just back from a week in Langdale, pretty much a washout, but managed to get around most of the chapel stile boulder circuit between showers and got my 6yo daughter up some rather damp scrambles and she did her first proper climb in a sit harness at stickle barn crag.

My climbing claim to fame is having been used as a crash mat by Jerry Moffat on 3 separate occasions (Stanage, Kyloe in and Ailfroide) in the same year. Colossal bell end though.

Climbed at Wharncliffe for the first time the other night, quite strange being there without my bike! Felt quite different in style to other gritstone crags

Earnsheugh today and Pass of Ballater yesterday.

Spin, as you are more up to date than me, how are you or your climbing partner getting on with the BD Vision helmet in the pics? Thinking about getting a Vision MIPS but no handy climbing shops near me so will be an internet purchase. Have had 2 petzl meteors before but it looks like the world has moved on now. The meteors were ok and one did save my head in an impact so I am convinced of the benefits of lightweight helmets, but they always felt a little perched on top.

Thanks.

It’s my partner with The BD helmet so I don’t really know. Haven’t heard him complaining though.

No complaints is good!

Also, Spin is making a good case for the dry side of Scotland there. Looks good!

@Yak @NeilNevill – Thanks.

Went to Onyx wall at Blackburn again and took my son in law who hasn’t really done much climbing. He loved it and was a natural so I got some vicarious pleasure from his enthusiasm. The visit also reminded me of the limitations of my rapidly degenerating aged body. I’m pretty broken and sore today.

Hopefully the weather will improve seen and we can have a play outdoors soon. Nothing to the level of some folk on here but maybe Cadshaw Rocks.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/cadshaw_rocks-1106/

Anyone else heading out this weekend? Probably going on Sunday, maybe Creag Dubh or Dirc Mhor.

Travelling and probably busy this weekend so been climbing as much as poss this week. Afterwork bouldering a wonderful thing.

I have a BD Vision.  Upgrade from a Petzl Elios I think.  It’s a big improvement , but I think that’s down to shape so I think it’s impossible to say it’s better or worse than say a Meteor without trying them on

Those magnetic Petzl helmet straps feel like a work of genius in the shop but on the hill in winter they feel like they were purposely designed to thwart you.

Got 2 days free so hoping to climb both days in the peak, but Dave isn’t as far through the kidsgrowingupandleavinghome phase as me so can’t go.

If anyone fancies a day revisiting the Stanage classics then shout.

Heading up to the Yorkshire Dales (near Bainbridge) next month. Are there any good beginner – intermediate bouldering spots people would recommend?

We’ll be a mix of V2-V6 indoor boulderers but no experience on gritstone so the more lower grades the better.

Dirc Mhor?

Brave man, its windy and freezing even on a roasting hot day!

Brave man, its windy and freezing even on a roasting hot day!

Yeah, we got blasted out of it a few years back!

Yorkshire Dales (near Bainbridge) next month. Are there any good beginner – intermediate bouldering spots people would recommend?

There will be some esoterica closer to hand but I’d head straight to slipstones and sypeland

https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/destinations/slipstones-1519

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/modules/rad/view.aspx?id=496

There will be some esoterica closer to hand but I’d head straight to slipstones and sypeland

I’ve loved my visits to Sypeland but wouldn’t recommend it for beginners, a lot of it is pretty high and scrittly.

Definitely recommend Slipstones though. Just leave your ego behind, particularly if it’s warm!

@Kamakazie Bit of a mission getting there but I really enjoyed my day at Water Crag. Also check out the other stuff on Unknown Stones.

Water Crag

loved my visits to Sypeland but wouldn’t recommend it for beginners

to be honest it’s years since I’ve bouldered there (been past a few times on nidderdale mtb loops) and last time there were massive snow drifts which took away a bit of jeopardy. There is easy stuff there, in a be prepared to fight traditional grit hvs kind of way. So yeah, might be a bit of an awakening for the wall bred amongst us…   :-)

Brimham is always my recommendation for bouldering.  The carpark boulders are superb.

Brimham is always my recommendation for bouldering.  The carpark boulders are superb

I had a magic day in October soloing around at Brimham. It was a crisp, blue sky day with virtually no one around. Among other things I soloed Birch Tree Wall which had been on my ticklist for 30+ years. Not all lifetime ticks are big numbers!

Brimham wouldn’t be my first choice for a solo fest, lots of slightly precarious stuff. But then BTW probably no safer on the lead.

I think Slipstones, mentioned above, was a memorable day. The office in York was flooded so I got my only paid day off at that job and we went climbing in the sun. Was dead chuffed to do 36 routes in a day.  Oh the naivety of youth.

Brown Beck, near Slipstones is also worth a visit.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/healaugh_crag_willas-1091/

Bit of a walk-in (or a cycle up) up from the road in Swaledale, and not one for a windy or chilly day.

But it has the kind of grade spread you’d be after, and is a fantastic location.

I always found Brimham an intimidating place to solo easy grades. Something to do with the quite sandy nature of the gritstone which made me not trust my feet on it.

Nice spot Healaugh, been a few times. I remember a big slabby boulder in front of the crag that was particularly good.

Thanks john – Slipstones was one of those I’d found but online information for a lot of Bouldering is a bit poor.

Is it the sort of place we could turn up and eye up routes or do I need to get one of the guides?

Edit: Thanks for the others as well – I’ll take a look.

@kamakazie The 27 Crags App is worth a look.  It’s a bit hit and miss and some popular crags are behind paywall but Slipstones is on there with quite a lot of topos.

I would always look to UKC for access issues and any other sensitivities. Eg There is a restricted access note on Slipstones

Is it the sort of place we could turn up and eye up routes or do I need to get one of the guides

Have you got the Rockfax app? There’s a bit of the Slipstones bouldering on that. But yes, you could probably just tool up and work stuff out. The right end is best for bouldering. There are parking issues but the BMC signs explain what to do.

Ramshaw for me yesterday, couldn’t commit to the thing I wanted to try so made do with some scrappy crumbs from the bouldering table. Nice day after the relentless showers. Quick trip to Wolf Edge to finish something I ran out of skin on last time I was there. There was a stressed looking lamb nearby so parked it and moved away. Couple of nice repeats. Tired after a long day, in a way that younger me wouldn’t have been!

Decent day at Gruinard yesterday. This was the highlight: https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/lochan_dubh_crag-18095/the_silk_road-66515#overview

Ramshaw for me yesterday

I never got on with that place

ran out of skin

Due to the above. See also that awful leaning block at Higgar Tor.

A couple of shots of Crag Loch Grooves, Glen Nevis yesterday. Stupidly awkward climbing. We did it to access Slatehead Slab which felt far easier despite supposedly being 2 grades harder! Ain’t climbing great. :)

Two cracking days yesterday and today. Soloing about in the sun at Reiff yesterday with the odd nap on the mat then trad at Shiegra today.

Needs must…

Needs must indeed. My nearest wall is 35mins away, nearest crag is 2hrs.  And for that reason we are going to build a garden woody. Well a summer build project for my son really. Going to be a based on a moonboard but thinking I can make it variable angle, 25 and 40 degrees. Probably mostly used at 40 I think. All timber from the local timber yard/ builders merchant and then the 2016 moonboard holds set I think. No lights.