Lake District Climbing Course - Leading Trinity Slabs
Lake District Climbing Course
Last week saw the return of father and daughter climbing team Roddy and Elizabeth.
With Elizabeth now leading on a regular basis, she is very keen to progress and climb longer routes. So we headed to the magical Duddon Valley and Wallowbarrow crag. With a good spread of climbs throughout the grade range and up to around 60 metres in length, this place would very likely hit the mark.
With the prolonged hot spell of weather, many climbing teams are focusing on the high mountain crags, leaving the valley crags mostly empty and this was the case for Wallowbarrow today. In fact, the state of the approach and descent paths suggests climbers haven’t been here for a while.
After a good discussion about the aims of the day, Elizabeth chose her route. Trinity Slabs, which is a 4 pitch ‘Severe’ with spacious belay ledges and plentiful protection throughout. I headed to the top of the crag to fix a rope in place for me to be alongside her whilst leading. Being next to a leader whilst they learn is important as feedback on gear placements and belay selection can be instant. It also means that if any sections of the climb are not as well protected we can provide additional security directly to the leader. This being especially helpful for Roddy (dad) who was faithfully on belay duty.
My brief was to provide input only when really necessary and to allow Elizabeth to make as many choices as possible. This is always tricky to do when in teaching mode as we naturally want to give lots of input. So I held back and we only discussed placements when necessary. At belay stances, again I held back to let Elizabeth keep control and would just chip in with little pointers, tips & tricks etc. Some of the belays were simple and easy to set up, others were very challenging, so very similar to any ‘trad’ route here in the Lake District and all this will stand Elizabeth in good stead for future climbing trips with dad.
After 4 pitches of climbing we reached the top of Wallowbarrow crag and paused a while to savour the pastoral landscape that is the Duddon Valley. Time had moved on and it was well beyond lunchtime, we were all hungry and thirsty, so it was back to base for supplies. We took the opportunity to discuss in detail the route and everything about the ascent. Now we were back as a team of 3 this was a very useful discussion, with good input from all parties.
Climbing this route has been quite an occasion. It has been the first ‘Severe’ multi-pitch climb Elizabeth has led. And she took on the steeper terrain, smaller holds, and tougher moves all in her stride. No dramas, no doubts in her mind, just a steady head and great focus. I think this team have some fantastic climbing adventures ahead of them.
Would you like some help with your climbing? We can offer taster days, progression days, seconding routes, guided days, and learn to lead courses. We know the Lakeland crags very well and have been active climbers for over 20 (30!) years as well as being qualified climbing instructors, so rest assured you’ll be learning from experience. Â
And for somewhere to stay/eat/drink nearby check out The Newfield Inn at Seathwaite
Thanks for reading
Mark
Lake District Climbing Course - checking the way ahead
Lake District Climbing Course - Enjoying the views