Category: White Ghyll - Mountain Journeys - Guided Walks

Mountain activities in the Lake District - A Medley

9/7/2019

#climbing-skills-course-lake-district

Rock scrambling workshop at the weekend

Since returning from our little break in Snowdonia, it's been really busy here in the Lakes and we've been out daily on a variety of activities and adventures.
A last minute call from some friends Dave & Sam saw me switching the work schedule around a little to fit in a Rock Scrambling Workshop for them. We did this mostly on Tarn crag in the Langdale valley. Looking at a variety of core rope skills and focusing on efficient movement and rope management whilst mountaineering in the UK mountains.

Straight after our scrambling workshop I was away out climbing at White Ghyll crag, also in Langdale. Sam joined me for this and we climbed a route called 'The Gordian Knot' a 3 star VS with some wonderful climbing on it. Evening is the best time to be at White Ghyll as it benefits from evening sunshine, perfect.

Sunday was a mix rock scrambling and canyoning, all based around the Coniston area. And back into Langdale on Monday and more wet activity with a fantastic session in Stickle Ghyll with brothers Isaac and Luke. The afternoon was somewhat more leisurely with a walk around Loughrigg with Mina.

Lots more happening this week, plenty of walks too

Thanks all

Mark

#guided-rock-climbing-lake-district

Enjoying some after work cragging with Sam

#gorge-scrambling-lake-district

Stickle Ghyll, Langdale

#guided-walks-near-ambleside

Looking over Loughrigg Tarn to the Langdale Pikes

Evening cragging: Do Not Direct - White Ghyll

28/7/2018

#leadclimbingcourselakedistrict

The upper pitch - photo credit: Kelly Evans

After a hot day of walking on the Lakeland Fells the approach slog to White Ghyll was always going to feel, well, a bit of a slog!
But worth it and doesn't feel like a slog at all once at this magnificent crag.

White Ghyll always stirs emotions for me, i've had plenty of exciting times there and am sure there's more in store. The huge band of overhangs add to the foreboding atmosphere and general sense of adventure, and adventure is usually in store.

It was mid-evening as we walked up to the crag, so we weren't exactly flush with time, but okay to bag a route. There had been a mention of 'Do Not Direct' - at E1 this was going to feel tough in the intense summer heat (yes it's been roasting here), I could have been swayed towards easier offerings very easily. But Kelly was keen for the full experience this route promised.

Well, did it deliver?

Yes, but not quite how we had expected. I think it's fair to say that makes this outing a true adventure, given the uncertain outcome.
Kelly was keen to lead pitch 1, the crux! Ace, i'll have an easy ride then, thanks. A big chunk of the first pitch was very straightforward, probably about 'Severe' until the spike. Here things changed, the angle steepened, and the climbing became extremely good and much harder. A good and swift lead, well executed throughout.

Pitch 2 was mine, this was due to be a bit easier, so happy days. Well not quite!
Poor gear and a very steep groove had me pausing rather a lot, rather too much actually. After arranging a good piece of protection it was time to go for the traverse. This looked great for hands and appalling for feet, it was. Some poor protection added for piece of mind before more very steep moves and plenty of positive encouragement from below, led to the easier ground. I was tired, pumped, and mentally drained by this point. A slip from the end of the traverse would have been a tad troublesome, hence the mentally drained bit :-) Kelly cruised the pitch and soon we were abseiling back down the crag and all in time for a getaway before darkness arrived.

A really good route that i'd definitely climb again. this is what summer evenings are for right, getting out on the higher crags and pushing our limits.

Mark

#tradclimbingcourselakedistrict

Kelly cruising the upper pitch

Fine climbing in Borrowdale and Langdale - Lake District

1/5/2017

White Ghyll crag, rock climbing in Langdale, Lake District

Steep moves on pitch 2 of Slip Knot

We've managed to spend quite a lot of time rock climbing over the last week or so. It's certainly been a lot of fun, and along with that has been a significant element of CPD, so time well spent.

An afternoon at Shepherds crag in Borrowdale started things off. A number of 'self-rescue' skills were practiced whilst climbing 3 multi-pitch routes, including the classic 'Little Chamonix'.
Skills practiced included:
Assisted hoist;
Unassisted hoist;
Counter-balance abseil;
Ascending a rope.

And today was more crag action, this time at White Ghyll crag in Langdale. Each time I visit White Ghyll I remember the first visit, that awe-inspiring feeling and foreboding atmosphere the rock seems to exude. Such a magnificent place.
Lots more CPD during the approach walk, with much discussion around the theme of rescue techniques and client care. Then on to the climbing, we did Slip Knot & White Ghyll Wall. Both 3 star routes and deservedly so. The only other team on the crag today were enjoying the expedition of a 'Girdle traverse'!

Thanks to Anna & Nick.

Mark

Classic rock routes, Lake District

Final pitch of Little Chamonix, Shepherds crag

Rock climbing at Shepherds crag, Borrowdale, Lake District

Skiddaw rising beyond Derwent Water

Rock climbing holiday, Lake District

6/5/2016

Guided-rock-climbing-Lake-District

With a few free days and a friend from Bristol visiting, we had to take the opportunity for some 'hot rock' sunshine climbing here in the Lake District.
Whilst Kim is a highly accomplished climber, having climbed all over the world, the Lakes is still new for her. When the sun shines it's hard to imagine a better place anywhere in the world than the magnificent Lake District.

We started easy at the classic roadside venue of Raven crag in Langdale. This is just a few minutes walk from The Old Dungeon Ghyll and offers many fine multi-pitch climbs on excellent volcanic rock. We climbed Original Route. Due to a late afternoon start we decided to leave it at that today.

On Wednesday, day 2, we tried out Snail Shell Crag in the North Lakes. This can be found on the Eastern slopes of Carrock fell and the rock is a little different from most Lakeland venues, it's a Gabbro intrusion. This means it's super rough and friction is quite unbelievable, stick to it like glue! We managed 9 routes here, which is all the routes that were clean.

Day 3 brought more multi-pitch adventures. Firstly at the small and convenient Raven crag, Walthwaite where we climbed the classic 'Route 2'. A brilliant Hard Severe that is sustained throughout its length. We then moved up the valley to the more atmospheric venue of White Ghyll for some 'white fright' action!
Starting with the 3 star 'Slip Knot' and finishing with 'Inferno' this was a very productive mission. And by leaving our visit until the afternoon we benefitted from maximum sunshine on the rock, and on us!

To round off Kim's stay here in the Lakes, I saved the best until last. Gimmer crag, perched high above the Langdale valley commanding spectacular views and quite Alpinesque in its situation, is without any doubt the finest of Langdale crags, if not all of England & Wales.
The walk up to it is only an hour and pretty easy going, with an ever changing and beautiful view to distract from the uphill motion!
We began with the classic rock route of 'Ash tree slabs' but tried a variant of it, the 'super direct' which is significantly more difficult. It was a pleasant alternative start, but no better than the original.
After lunch we went on to climb 'Asterisk' which had been on my 'to-do' list for ages, so was very nice to get this one done. What was it like? Absolutely brilliant, like most routes on Gimmer then, because they're mostly brilliant, apart from 'F route' that is, that one is 'Fantastic'!

With a long drive south ahead, Kim was keen to leave quite early, so we called it a day after those routes and enjoyed a pleasant amble back to the New Dungeon Ghyll.

A fantastic few days on the Lakeland crags. If you're planning a trip, or would like to be shown some of the finest crags the Lakes has to offer, get in touch anytime. Whether you're new to climbing or been climbing years, we can put together a trip that's right for you.

Mark

Lead-climbing-course-Lake-District

Rock-climbing-Lake-district

Langdale

More White Ghyll excitement

5/7/2015

Rock-climbing-White-Ghyll

After a very long day out in the mountains yesterday, we were both feeling pretty tired this morning. However, the sun was shining and there was a promise of dry rock, so we decided to snatch a quick climb in at White Ghyll, Langdale.

The route - 'Gordian Not' had been on my mind for a few weeks now and it was really nice to get onto it. The moves are quite thought provoking as soon as you set off and a good range of climbing styles are offered. The second pitch in particular provided much entertainment, with very steep moves through the roofs, thankfully good protection soon followed as did the big hand-holds.

It's not often that me & Kate manage to climb together these days, so this was a real treat.

Rain started to fall as we walked down from the crag, good timing.

Mark

Photos:
Above: showing climbers on Gordian Not, with the leader tackling the steep section on pitch 2. The climber visible above is on the traverse pitch of Haste Not.
Below: Kate coming up pitch 2

Guided-rock-climbing-Lake-District

Borrowdale & Langdale rock climbing medley

30/6/2015

Slip Not, White Ghyll

Sunday was due to be a Corvus day in Borrowdale. This 3 star classic route is amazing fun, but when there's waterfalls coming off the top of the crag fun may be the wrong description!
So instead I met Helen at the Keswick climbing wall and we ran through some sport climbing specific techniques whilst waiting for the rain to blow away.

Sure enough the skies cleared and we set off to Borrowdale, with the final choice of crag being Glaciated Slab. A sunny venue offering superb slab climbs on immaculate rock and in a beautiful setting. We climbed 5 routes here, with Helen leading the last climb of the day.
We also had a short recap on abseiling whilst at the crag.
Even though it was around 6pm when we left, it really didn't seem it, with the sun still out and warm air all around, the day had turned out pretty amazing.

Monday evening I met up with fellow instructor Joe and we climbed at White Ghyll in Langdale. My plan was for a route called Gordian Not, but with rain starting to spit we thought better of it and went for the shorter Slip Not (VS) route instead.
Joe cruised the first pitch to make a belay under the big roof. I then proceeded to make a proper meal of the 2nd pitch! Having previously found it easy!! Thankfully the rain did hold off so dry rock was enjoyed throughout.

The view from White Ghyll is quite incredible, and especially so during early evening, good timing.

So all in all a brilliant couple of days, thanks Helen and Joe.

Mark

Glaciated slab, Borrowdale

Multi-pitch rock climbing and a day of roped scrambling - fun times

17/6/2015

Rock-scrambling-Lake-District

On Sunday I had the pleasure of a morning with Andzelika & Eugene from Ulverston. We've now climbed together a few times, but so far this has always been in the Langdale valley. Eager to show off more fine climbing venues in the Lakes and somewhere a little closer to Ulverston, I chose Wallowbarrow crag in the Duddon valley.

A multi-pitch route of 'vdiff' standard was chosen, 4 pitches in length and providing excellent and varied climbing the whole way. Trinity Slabs was to be their second multi-pitch route to date (the first being Middlefell Buttress in Langdale) and I think the exposure and moves were thoroughly enjoyed. It's always a fine achievement to arrive at the top of a long climb, and today was no exception.
As well as enjoying the climb, we took the time to practice belaying, look at various anchor set-ups, and chat about other safety considerations. Climbing in 'series' allows for a more relaxing time, less rope management problems, and more time for teaching skills to each climber.
All in all, a grand morning, and it stayed dry!

Rock-climbing-guide-Lake-District

Monday was spent working on CPD, and specifically Rock Scrambling skills and techniques when moving as a team of 3.
So along with Kristina (who was looking for a good mountain day out), and Si (who wanted to recce the routes we were about to do), I headed out into Langdale and Middlefell Buttress followed by Crescent Climb on Pavey Ark.

My motivation being the ability to try out new techniques and further consolidate existing skills and have direct feedback on a continual basis.
Middlefell went very well and we made a rapid ascent, even the final steep wall proving quick an easy, clearly we were all moving well today.
So far we had looked at distance between the two seconds, length of an isolation loop for the person in the middle of the rope, stance management, belay methods, and various ways of attaching scramblers to the anchor system, phew!

Once clear of the top of the crag we un-roped and moved quickly to Pavey Ark, where the next chapter of scrambling would begin. There were already climbers on a neighbouring route (Crescent Slabs) ,but this was unlikely to effect us. After a brief rest we roped up again and I set off up this 'Moderate' climb / scramble. The aim initially was to find a belay within about 25m of the start. Thankfully this was duly found, an excellent spike, although slightly shallow, the rock was totally sound and a downward force would keep a sling firmly in place. A very good start to the route.

Belaying with an Italian Hitch, it's easy to quickly tie off when the first scrambler arrives, thus leaving both hands free to manage the rope for the second climber. Sometimes I was able to use a counter-balance to secure Si & Kristina, other times clove hitches were more appropriate, and the immediate feedback from both was invaluable.

We hit a minor traffic jam on the traverse pitch (the other climbers we'd seen earlier had arrived on the traverse at the same time as we did), so a little patience was called for, as well as some good humoured banter.
The final pitch of this route is very straightforward, if exposed, scrambling up grassy slopes to reach Jacks Rake. From here we un-roped and made our way down the Rake and into the valley.
A very good day out, thanks both. Feedback was 'Nice and slick' - splendid.

Multi-pitch-rock-climbing-Langdale

And yesterday was back onto rock climbing once more. This time White Ghyll.
Jane being a very experienced climber, we were alternate leading the pitches of Slab Routes 1 & 2. These give some very interesting climbing on excellent rock. Protection is adequate but never overly generous, this helps keep the mind well focused on the task.
Climbing in this way is very efficient, so we soon had the first route ticked and were back at the crag base in time for an early lunch.
Then it was onto the second route. Although described as a 3 pitch route, there are definitely 4 if using a single rope as we were. The climbing wanders around quite a lot in the early pitches, but this brings with it some amazing positions. The upper sections are quite straight and it's more a case of head towards the sky style climbing, picking what looks best along the way.
We briefly touched on some skills along the way, but mostly today was about time on rock, enjoying brilliant Lakeland rock. White Ghyll delivers.

Thanks to Jane, Kristina, Si, Andzelika, and Eugeniusz

Multi-pitch rock climbing, White Ghyll, Langdale

10/6/2015

Lake District rock climbing

White ghyll, Langdale

Today was time for some personal rock climbing, and one of the routes I had in mind was very personal for me.

We were in the Langdale valley at White Ghyll crag. Whilst being not too far from the road, the approach is quite fierce, and I suppose that's in-keeping with the climbing on this crag, fierce!

We started with 'White Ghyll Wall' a 3 pitch VS route offering top quality climbing and amazing positions. The second photo shows Sam leading the 2nd pitch of this.

Having felt very comfortable on this first route, we decided to do a bit more, and 'Haste Not' was the route of choice.
This route has much significance for me. Some years ago now I was climbing this with a good friend, the 2nd pitch, the traverse, got the better of me and I had a bit of a 'wobble'!
At the time, we decided to retreat via abseil and leave it for another time.

So today was time to sort out this unfinished business with 'Haste Not'. Sam led the 1st pitch in fine style, cruising through the steep terrain, making it look effortless. I too felt very comfortable on this 1st pitch and was ready to face my demons on the traverse pitch. Bring it on!
Stepping tentatively beneath the monstrous overhangs the memories for past failure came flooding back, I worked hard to eliminate these negative thoughts from my head and focused 100% on the task in hand, to get though this traverse, reach the belay, and breath!

The difficult moves didn't relent and placing gear proved awkward whilst hanging on on such steep terrain. Arms were beginning to feel strained, I knew a fall was a very really possibility and was ready for it. Thankfully, whilst the climbing remained difficult all the way, the good gear placements also kept coming thick and fast, settling the mind and enabling me to focus completely. Soon I was on a big ledge with the belay close by, phew it's over. What a pitch, the terrain is unlikely on a VS graded rock climb, and the climbing is unlikely on a VS too, this felt more like HVS at least.
Soon it was Sam's turn. Unable to see him from the belay i've no idea how he climbed it, but suspect he cruised it effortlessly as he so often does. He then led us up the final pitch to the top of the crag.

A cracking day, so glad to have this route in the bag.

Cheers Sam