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Sunny rock climbing days - Lake District

29/9/2018

Enjoying a warm autumn day at Wallowbarrow crag

This last couple of days we've been out climbing with friends. Since the sun decided to make a return and the rock is all lovely and dry, we thought, why not? One of the advantages of living in the Lake District is the ability to get out into the mountains and onto the crags pretty much anytime. Our season is nearing its end, with a busy winter in Costa Blanca starting in a little over 2 weeks from now, I was super keen to get a few more Lakeland climbs in before heading South.

So yesterday Sam joined me for a day at Wallowbarrow crag in the Duddon valley. I think this is my favourite valley crag. Not only is the rock of excellent quality and all the routes a delight to climb. The approach walk is pleasant and short, the valley is almost always quiet, and the view from the top of the crag is breathtaking.
During the afternoon we climbed 'Digitation' VS; 'Thomas' Severe; and 'Bryanston' MVS. All fabulous routes that I have climbed many times before and hope to climb many more times over the coming years.

Today I was joined by Lucy and we cruised up Troutdale Pinnacle in the Borrowdale valley. This 6 pitch classic route is so much fun and varied all the way. We saw a couple of guys on 'Mortician' but the rest of the crag was empty, yes even on a warm and sunny Saturday! I've lost count of how many times I've climbed this one, but it's lots and always as much fun as the first time.

For both days we chose afternoons to get out and this gave us the most sunshine on the rock and the best light conditions each day. Late starts are sometimes the best. So whilst evening climbing isn't a good option at this time of year, late afternoon is well worth considering.

Some may wonder why we repeat routes again and again, doesn't it get boring? No it doesn't, ever, it can actually become even more enjoyable. A mix of climbing new routes and repeating others has always felt good and a healthy mix. Repeating climbs allows us to become even more familiar with the moves, this enables us to help our clients more, should they be finding any of the moves challenging.

There's a settled forecast for the Lake District for the coming week, so what are you waiting for, pack a bag and head to the hills :-)

Thanks for reading

Mark

Racking up at a midway belay ledge - Wallowbarrow Crag

The classic 'Troutdale Pinnacle' at Black Crag, Borrowdale

Rock climbing takes us to some amazing places. This is the view from the top of Black Crag in Borrowdale

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Langdale walking extravaganza

26/9/2018

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Summit of Harrison Stickle

Our previous walking trip with Nigel had been hampered by poor weather, well that's North Wales for you! So a new schedule was put together, this time in the Lake District and its finest of valleys, Langdale.

As Nigel was booked in at The New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, we made a plan to walk from the door each day, and we succeeded.

Monday gave us glorious sunshine for much of the day. We took in all of the Langdale Pikes and included an ascent of Jacks Rake, so plenty of fun scrambling squeezed in to the day. We fly around this circuit in under 5 hours too, phew!

Tuesday brought more challenging weather, a good wake up for us. Very strong and bitterly cold winds saw us don hat & gloves early on. We had Bowfell in our sights and choose to go up The Band then on to the Climbers Traverse as far as The Great Spout. After a rest here it was onwards and upwards via the majestic Great Slab. After being sheltered from the wind below The Great Slab it was something of a blow (so to speak) being up on the summit of Bowfell and back in the full force of that North-Westerly!! A few other hardy walkers were out enjoying the day too.
We dropped down to Three Tarns then took a small path into Oxendale - a valley I'd never visited before - so we could visit Whorneyside Force and Crinkle Gill. This proved very worthwhile as the valley and Gills are all stunningly beautiful.

For our final day of walking this week the weather gods had turned against us somewhat. So we decided to turn this to our advantage and stay in the valleys to visit some amazing waterfalls. Again walking from The New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel we followed good tracks to Little Langdale and Cathedral Quarry, having an explore here before continuing to Colwith Force and Skelwith Force, both in full flow and most impressive. Our return route being via Elterwater and Chapel Stile then along the bottom of Langdale valley. Looking ahead to Stickle Ghyll in spate was very impressive. The power of nature is so great.

Tired legs and refreshed minds all round. Thanks Nigel.

Mark

Getting ready for Jacks Rake - a classic Lakeland scramble

Looking to The Great Slab and on to Langdale Pikes from the summit of Bowfell

Cathedral Quarry main chamber

Colwith Force in full flow

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Back out on the Langdale crags

18/9/2018

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Afternoon sun lighting Langdale

A last minute booking today saw us out enjoying afternoon sun whilst climbing at Scout crags in Langdale. After lots, and we do mean lots, of rain, the Ghylls were all in spate, we even had to boulder-hop over White Ghyll which is very unusual. This all added a nice sense of drama to the day. Strong winds were shifting the clouds over the valley and giving some stunning light conditions the whole time, such a privilege to be out on such a day.

To the climbing. Justin & Lisa enjoyed around 7 climbs this afternoon, some being repeats in order to spend time on developing technique. The crag was completely dry thanks to the strong winds. We rounded up with a bouldering session which saw to it that all muscles were completely spent. An easy meander back through the fields in the late afternoon sunshine brought the day to an end, lovely.

Thanks Justin & Lisa.

Mark

Enjoying dry rock and sun at Scout crags

Bouldering in the sunshine - Langdale style :-)

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Guided walking in the Lake District

11/9/2018

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A sunlit valley as we ascend Skiddaw

It was 6 years ago when Suzy first joined us for a guided walk here in the Lake District. This weekend she was back, with her friend Lisa, and some big mountains were on the cards.
On Saturday morning we set off for Helvellyn. Having discussed the various route options, it was clear that Striding Edge would be part of our day. With a breezy and wet day forecast this could be quite an exciting place, so we kept options open until Red Tarn, where there was no wind and only a little light rain. Lisa wasn't overly keen for Striding Edge but wanted to give it a go, so off we went, in search of scrambling adventure. Both Suzy and Lisa soon got into a rhythm along the edge, we were overtaking most others, storming along as we were. It was on the summit of Helvellyn the wind showed itself, maybe 35mph and pretty wet by now. A quick photo stop on the summit and we blasted down Swirral Edge and back out of the wind, during the descent both Red Tarn and Striding Edge came into full view. I think Lisa was pretty chuffed at what she had just done :-)

Gentle walking back towards Glenridding finished the day off nicely. Back to Holbeck Ghyll Hotel for hot chocolate and a spa.

Sunday brought along slightly breezier conditions and on the breeze came some precipitation. As this was due to be least around the North Lakes, we opted for Skiddaw. The path is mostly easy on Skiddaw, although at times fairly steep. Our fun came from around Little Man upwards, where the wind was trying vey hard to make us fly!! At the South Summit 4 guys appeared out of the mist, all clinging to each other for stability. This confirmed to me we would turn back at this point. We had reached a summit, and at 925m almost the very top of Skiddaw. But there was no sense in risking the additional buffeting the summit plateau would give, there was too much chance of one of us being blown over.

A rapid retreat to get back behind the shelter of Little Man and we were able to walk normally again. Shortly after, the clouds parted and views into Borrowdale opened up, simply magical. Being out in the mountains during such weather is absolutely brilliant, if somewhat tiring.
The local rotary club were hosting an event near the base of Skiddaw. Even a mobile cafe, so we enjoyed hot chocolate and cake before heading for home.

Thanks to Suzy & Lisa

Mark

Derwentwater and the Borrowdale valley from our route up Skiddaw

An atmospheric day - Red Tarn

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Gorge Scrambling - Stickle Ghyll

2/9/2018

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Taking a shower Stickle Ghyll style

This summer has most definitely been the time for Gorge Scrambling, with so much amazing weather around. Even now that the weather has become more 'normal' this is still a brilliant activity that's loads of fun.

This morning we were in Stickle Ghyll with a couple from Snowdonia, showing them the delights of Langdale and in particular Stickle Ghyll. Climbing waterfalls, jumping into plunge pools, trust falls and jumps, all mixed in with plenty of chat about the Lakes and North Wales.
We've been in the gorges loads recently but not had time to write any blogs until now. September quietens down for us, a little, so likely there'll be more updates throughout the month.
Since upgrading our camera i've been hesitant to take it into the gorges, but have started doing so in the hope of capturing better images for our customers and for us. These are a couple of the shots that came out today.

Thanks to Megan & Derfel - a pleasure to meet you both :-)

Mark

One of the plunge pools of Stickle Ghyll

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Rock climbing course - Borrowdale

2/9/2018

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Rachel leading at Wodens Face, Borrowdale

This weekend Rachel was back with us for more climbing. The progress i've seen since first meeting Rachel has been huge. From a novice indoor climber to now leading 'trad' routes, placing good protection and setting up and equalising belays at the top of crags. We're so lucky to be a part of these journeys.

Rock climbing is such a diverse activity that attracts folk from all walks of life. It is also a great leveller, a 'get away from it all' sort of activity, and something that many find very relaxing (although this often comes after the climb)! Some will only ever climb indoors (which we think is a shame), some will top rope, others will second routes without ever leading. All these are fine and much enjoyment can be taken from all these aspects.
For the absolute and undiluted experience of climbing, leading a trad route is the way to go. There is a real sense of adventure, an increased level of risk which must be properly managed, and a massive sense of achievement (along with relief) upon reaching the top!

On Saturday Rachel's aim was to lead a trad route and feel more comfortable whilst doing so. So after a few warm ups on top rope and discussion about gear placements, she set off up a Vdiff/Severe at Wodens Face, Borrowdale. Placing loads of gear, taking plenty of time over it, resting whenever possible, a safe and controlled ascent was made, a belay built at the top and a big tick. Leading a trad route isn't something to be taken lightly, and we had discussed this at length prior to the ascent. As mentioned above, it's also not for everyone, and climbing can be enjoyed without making that step. For Rachel leading is, I think, an integral part of rock climbing and that's great. What's great for us is to be a part of the journey.

Rachel was joined by her friend Anna, who is new to climbing. Anna wanted to try an Abseil so we fitted that into the morning, then set up some top rope routes for Anna to enjoy. After the leading by Rachel we finished the day with an ascent of Jackdaw Ridge on Shepherds crag. Oh and the obligatory stop for refreshments at Lodore Farm Cafe.

Big thanks to Rachel and Anna

Mark

Placing trad gear at Wodens Face

Anna getting into the groove at Wodens Face

Anna enjoying her first ever abseil

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Pillar High Man - The Nuttalls

2/9/2018

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Taking a break and absorbing the view of Pillar from Robinson Cairn

A few days ago we received a last minute enquiry for a guided ascent of Pillar High Man. Thankfully we had availability for one of the requested dates and the weather was looking great.

I met with Paul and James at Wasdale Head on Friday morning after a very pleasant drive over the passes from Ambleside. We took some time to go over the day ahead and pack the relevant kit for all, then we were off. Pillar here we come.

Paul had started the 'Nuttalls' around 30 years ago (or thereabouts) and is now nearing completion. Pillar High Man not only stands proud of the main Pillar summit, it also stands as a significant challenge for any 'Nuttall' walker. For this is far more than a walk, although there's plenty of walking involved.

From Looking Stead, we joined the 'High Level Traverse' - this exposed path requires complete concentration, but is overall straightforward. Soon we are standing by Robinsons Cairn and are fully exposed to the drama of Pillar High Man, such a magnificent place that it is. I have stood here many times now, but still it feels a very special place. We took a while to absorb our surroundings and consider the onward journey towards and up the massive bulk of rock that lay ahead.

Once at Pisgah, we took another short break and geared up ready for the climb. Firstly this involves descending a steep gully to the base of the route proper.

Slab and Notch - We climbed this 'Moderate' rock climb in 4 roped pitches, enjoying our time on each belay ledge and of course the climbing of each pitch, all being on warmish dry rock. Moves up to the 'Notch' provide the technical crux and this was soon cruised by all and we enjoyed the loft perch of the belay ledge immediately above. A couple more easier pitches and we reach the summit. Many Kodak moments follow and we take time to enjoy this very special place. For Paul it's taken many years to get this 'ticked' and is clearly and rightly a big day for both guys.

I beaver away setting up the abseil / lower and am reminded this will be Paul's first ever abseil!!! Well you've picked quite a place for it! There may have been the occasional expletive around this point, but both handled the descent very well indeed.
From Jordan Gap we finished the technical part of the day with a grade 3 scramble to the summit of Pisgah before descending back to our bags and some much needed lunch.
Naturally we ticked off the main Pillar summit before setting back to Wasdale Head as the sun started its descent and the mountains cast their shadow over Mosedale.

An amazing day in stunning conditions. Thanks so much to Paul and James for sharing this experience with us.

Mark

Below is an account of the day from Paul, who suggested it be included here as a gentle contrast. Thanks Paul:
By way of background I am working towards completing the Nuttalls (English and Welsh hills over 2,000 feet and with at least a 50 foot drop in all directions). Pillar Rock is the only one that can’t be simply walked up. As I’m in my early 60’s I reckoned I'd better try PR sooner rather than later.
My son and I met Mark at Wasdale Head as agreed, added harnesses and helmets to our rucksacks and set off. After about an hour and a three quarters we branched right off the main route up Pillar on to the High Level Route to Robinsons Cairn. Mark advised us to be careful as there were some loose and/or tricky sections. He kept an eye on us at a few points. Pillar Rock came into view and dominated the landscape. We carried on to near the start of the climb and Mark helped us kit up and checked that we’d got the important bits right. He then explained how bits of the equipment worked and our (limited!) responsibilities in collecting it as the climb progressed. The Slab and Notch route is clearly explained on Mark’s website and at SummitPost.
We set off. Both my son and I are climbing novices. Mark was absolutely OK with that and was careful to point out useful holds, dodgy rock etc. as we progressed. The climbing was not particularly demanding physically (there was one short vertical section) but quite exposed – i.e. a large drop if you weren’t roped and fell off! Three or four pitches and we were at the top – the hardest Nuttall bagged and a great sense of achievement. The adventure didn’t end there, however, as we had to abseil 40 feet or so into Jordan Gap. I had never abseiled before and this was more unsettling than the climb. By this time we trusted Mark to get things right – just as well as the alternatives weren’t pleasant! The abseil actually turned out to be a good experience. A short scramble up and down Pisgah and we were back at our rucksacks and bagged the climbing gear.
We then took the steep path up to Pillar summit. The views back down this path over Pillar Rock and Ennerdale were phenomenal. It was not so much looking across or along a valley as looking down and having Ennerdale laid out as a map seemingly beneath your feet. Admittedly we’d had wall-to-wall sunshine and no wind, but having been over all the major Lakeland peaks I’d say this was now my best view and pushed Dale Head back into second place. I asked Mark why he came over to Pillar when his base was in Ambleside and he said it was a special place for him and he tried to get over a few times each year. I have to agree. Just doing the High Level Route, skipping Pillar Rock and ascending to Pillar would be a very memorable day out.
The hike back to Wasdale was routine. Thank you Mark for a truly memorable day.

Approaching the Notch on 'Slab and Notch'

Looking back to Pillar Rock - Yes we did indeed just climb that!

Shadows advancing as we descend to Wasdale

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Sunny rock climbing days - Lake District

Langdale walking extravaganza

Back out on the Langdale crags

Guided walking in the Lake District

Gorge Scrambling - Stickle Ghyll

Rock climbing course - Borrowdale

Pillar High Man - The Nuttalls

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