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Canyoning - Church Beck

26/6/2022

Having fun on the waterslide :-)

It's been another busy week here in the Lake District, with many holiday makers enjoying the mountains and lakes. Today we took to the crystal clear waters of Church Beck with the McInnes family from Scotland. Seems they've brought some Scottish weather along too, not that it made a difference to the crazy amounts of fun we all had in Church Beck. Sliding down waterfalls, jumping into deep pools, scrambling and boulder hopping, oh and some swimming too. All wrapped up in our toasty warm 5mm wetsuits from Lomo it was smiles all round.
Tomorrow is back in the water, Stickle Ghyll though and with some heavy rain today it should be pretty perfect for an adventurous scramble :-)

How many walkers pass this beautiful location on their way to Old Man of Coniston or Wetherlam and hear the rushing water but can't see this beautiful place. It's a shame to miss out, so if you're one of those walkers and want to get in on the action, give us a call and let's make it happen.

Gorge scrambling and canyoning are super fun activities and we know all the best places for it here in the Lake District and have been running sessions for around 15 years.

Keen to know more, call or e-mail us

Thanks for reading

Mark

Ready to jump

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Dow Crag, Coniston

20/6/2022

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#guided-rock-climbing-dow-crag-lake-district

On the final groove pitch of Arete, Chimney and Crack

I'd been hankering after a day on Pillar or Scafell, but Kate wasn't feeling quite so keen for a massive day out. So we settled for Dow crag. This is a magnificent place to climb and offers a huge variety of styles and grades, from the old school traditional thrutches through to modern test-pieces. Today I had a minor link-up in mind and we started with a route neither of us had climbed before.

Giants Corner - 30m - Severe 3c:
Don't know how or why I've overlooked this route for so long, but today we put things right and climbed it. Only a single pitch on such a big cliff could easily feel a bit of a waste, but don't be put off by the shortness of this climb, it makes up for this with some tremendous positions that are so unlikely to be found on a Severe.
Starting towards the left end of Lower B Buttress and just to the right of the descent gully a wall leads steeply up to the corner to the start of a slab. The slab is very easy but pleasant and leads up to a huge roof which does feel a little intimidating. Once under the roof the jugs start flying at you so grab away. Follow these leftwards in ever wonderful positions before a final pull reaches easy ground. A poor belay can be found here, but far better to continue up the slab above for about 8m to reach an excellent belay ledge with good anchors.
The descent gully is easily reached from here and it's only 5 mins back to base.

After this we climbed the full length of A Buttress via the 3 star Arete, Chimney and Crack. This requires a variety of climbing techniques as there are such a range of features en-route. It feels like a tour of the buttress, weaving and wandering to generally take a line of least resistance up this rather steep and imposing piece of rock. In order to fully savour the mountain day, we split the climb into around 6 pitches and finished with scrambling to top out on the summit plateau and glorious views into the Duddon valley and over to the Scafell range.

As we had carried our bags up the route we could now enjoy an easy walk along the ridge-line to reach the Walna Scar track and onwards back to Coniston.

A top day out in the sunshine.

If you're planning a visit to the Lake District and interested to try out some rock climbing or other outdoor activities, please do get in touch and we'll do our very best to help make your stay even more fantastic.

Thanks for reading.

Mark

Topo for Giants Corner - this is a really nice route on great rock

#arete-chimney-and-crack-dow-crag-lake-district-climbing

The traverse pitch

View from the top of the route and looking towards the walkers on our descent route to Walna Scar

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Rock climbing with kids, Eskdale, Lake District

4/6/2022

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#rock-climbing-for-families-lake-district

Diamond crag topo

Diamond Crag

Introduction:
Eskdale can seem quite an isolated place, being over in the Western part of the Lake District. It is not a quick trip from the honeypot areas of Ambleside/Windermere/Keswick. But if staying in the west, this little crag is well worth seeking out, and it is especially suitable for youngsters or for anyone wishing to try climbing for the first time but feels a little nervous.
At only about 10m high and with an amenable angle, there are some very pleasant, easy grade climbs on superb rock. A short approach walk and sheltered, sunny aspect all add to the attraction.
Being a small crag it only takes a few climbers to make it feel busy. So be prepared to switch to an alternative venue at the last minute.

When to go:
A sheltered crag at less than 100m above sea level and with a sunny aspect. All this adds up to this being a year round venue. Although it goes without saying, warm summer days are best.

How to get there:
A small amount of roadside parking is available opposite the King George IV Inn, Eskdale Green. The pub is well worth a visit for post climb refreshments and has an outside seating area.
From the parking, follow the road towards the centre of Eskdale Green, after emerging from a wooded area and shortly before the railway, there is a wide track on the right. Take this and immediately before reaching a house turn left onto a smaller footpath leading through a gate and onto the open fellside. Continue uphill for a couple of minutes and the crag will appear on the left.

The climbing:
The rock here is Granite, so friction is magnificent. Protection for lead climbers is sparse, but for anyone wanting to set up a top/bottom rope, there are 4 x staple bolts at the top of the crag. The routes mentioned here are strong lines and offer really enjoyable climbing with positive holds always available, but venture away from the cracks if looking for technical slabs.
The crag is about 10m high.

Routes to try (described left to right):

Route 1 – Start toward the left side of the crag and weave up flakes and cracks, looking for the line of least resistance. Moderate

Route 2 – Start about 1m further right and directly below a triangular niche at about 6m. Tackle the wall directly to reach the niche and continue to the top. Diff

Route 3 – A couple of metres further right is a vertical crack. Climb this to its end then follow a series of ledges to the top. Severe

Route 4 – Starting slightly right of the previous route, follow ledges trending rightwards to reach the prominent niche below a small roof. Tackle this via the right wall before moving back left to finish. V’Diff

Descent:
Walking descents on either side of the crag.

Introductory climbing sessions:
We offer many adventurous activities here in the Lake District and Rock Climbing is one of those activities. Over the last 15 years we have taken many visiting families on climbing adventures to venues all across the Lake District. If you are planning a visit to the area and would like to try some fun and adventurous activities, please do get in touch.

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Canyoning - Church Beck

Dow Crag, Coniston

Rock climbing with kids, Eskdale, Lake District

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