Froggatt Edge, Wonderful Froggatt Edge!

So Nathan and I headed out to Froggatt Edge in the Peak. Our club weekend meet at Pembroke had been cancelled due to the weather ,but with good weather forecast for the Friday, it would be remiss of us not to jump on something!

The weather did not disappoint and neither did the climbing. This was a fantastic day!

In the car on the way over, we were discussing boldness and the importance of the head being in the right place. I KNOW I'm not a bold climber, yet! But it surprised me a little to hear Nathan say he didn't feel like a bold climber either as I'd always thought the opposite in fairness. So we were a little unsure how the day would pan out, we both wanted to push ourselves but let's see where the head is at.

So in the spirit of this pushing ourselves, I jumped straight into a HS 4b, Sunset Crack. Quite a big lead for me, especially as a 'warm up' and this early in the season too. It was excellent! I loved every minute, a great route with a tricky crux at the sharp end although well protected. A nice intro to Froggatt for Nathan aswell, the key to Froggatt being friction trusting, body positioning and footwork. Any weaknesses in technique will be found out quickly and as a side note, later in the day, we saw a chap, 'cheesegrate' his way down a slab a few times due purely and simply to poor technique. His body way to close to the rock for a slab, heels too high so the friction not being allowed to work its magic. A bit of coaching from below and we got him up it! If ever there was an example of an indoor climber not knowing what the hell to do on rock, this was it...folks, climbing on rock is completely different from climbing on those brightly coloured concrete holds at the wall so get yourselves on an indoors to outdoors transition course, you'll enjoy the experience far more and unlike this chap, you'll get to keep the skin on your shins!

Next up was Nathans lead and I think buoyed by my jumping straight in at the deep end, he chose Sunset Slab HVS 4b........yes you heard me right, HVS 4b! Technically no harder than the route I'd lead but, as the grade suggests, a lot bolder! Amble up the lower slab, place last piece of gear at half height and then contemplate the moves onto the unprotected (and desperate to reverse!) upper slab. this was a really good lead by Nathan. I seconded and found the moves really really nice, balancey and with not much for hands, it's all about the feet and friction. I was able to just enjoy the route and the moves being safe but this would be an entirely different proposition on lead so hats off to Nathan!

Sunset Slab, Sunset Crack takes the crack and groove to the right

My turn again and continuing the spirit of pushing ourselves, I chose Allens Slab S 4a. Supposedly 'easier' than my last lead but the guidebook description 'bolder than you might be expecting', was the thing that attracted me, time to get right out of my comfort zone!

The route starts up an easy crack to around half height, all nice and easy and safe. A flake crack veers off to the right and balancy moves up this gain the high horizontal break which traverses right to finish up the final headwall. I fixed my last piece of gear in the safety of the first crack and stepped out onto the flake moving nicely and smoothly up to the break. I was now a good 15ft from my last gear and there was no prospect of any for at least another 10ft or so! Last Summer, I'd have panicked here, no doubt about it. I didn't panic at all though. I spotted a placement lower down on the flake which I'd missed on the way up. I down climbed a couple of moves, placed the gear and moved on, no dramas! The rest was just really nice, another piece in the break and then up the final headwall to the top out. S 4a but I was elated! This was a necky lead for me and I managed to do it with no fuss at all, I was very happy!

Allens Slab....the team to the right are on a VS that I'll be jumping on next visit!

This was now becoming a bit of a competition, the pair of us pushing the other onto bigger and better stuff and Nathan chose the crème de la crème of slab routes as his next lead, the wonderful 3 Pebble Slab HVS 5a. This routes reputation precedes it like maybe no other and its grade has long been a contentious issue.....is it E1 or HVS?! Chatting with climbers who have done the route and you'll get one of 2 reactions, " fantastic route, loved it" or more commonly, " never again!"

Nice moves up the lower slab lead to a slight bulge and a nice pocket for gear......the last piece of gear you'll get by the way! Now the fun starts! This route is not for those who have never climbed grit slabs before, the techniques needed for this climb can never be learned at an indoor wall. Slopey crimps for hands and just pure friction for feet. A high rockover to the right leaves you perched below the final gearless slab. 10-15ft of pure adrenalin fuelled fun complete the route. Nathan stood on the last good foothold for a while contemplating the final moves and composing himself. I saw from below that he'd found what seemed the best 'smear' for his left foot " That's the one, do it, go for it now" I shouted up in encouragement.......and he did, that was all it took! He was up and quite obviously and quite rightly too, very very pleased with himself. A wonderful lead it really was. I seconded and enjoyed of every second of that wonderful climb! If anyone ever asks you what climbing on grit is like, point them in the direction of 3PS!

the wonderful 3PS!

Last route of the day and a warm down route (having had an intensive coaching session the night before, I was by now feeling pretty ruined it has to be said). We decided on Heather Wall HVD 3c and another 3 star classic! A lovely route and just the relaxing climbing we needed for a warm down.

So what had been a day hastily thrown together from the wreckage of a cancelled club meet turned out to be one of the best days climbing I've had, ever. Normally when climbing, I've found it quite rare that all members of the party are feeling, well, up to it so to have a day where both of us were at the top of our game was just fantastic!

The Roaches

So much history, both from a general climbing standpoint and also for me personally. The Roaches was where I did my first ever climb ( I say 'did', I was 11 and failed miserably and had to be lowered off!). It was also where I did my first lead climb, at 13. It's been some years since I've been back to the place, probably mid 80's I'd say was the last time I was there!

It was an amazing day weather wise again, the sun just starting to break through the early morning cloud when we arrived. Nathan and I had a kind of plan of action and headed straight up to the upper tier.....me having to nearly drag Nathan away from Valkyrie, one for another time maybe! But, if any part of the crag was to get the sun it would be the upper tier. It was the right choice!



Glorious sunshine on the upper tier

We started on Maudes Garden, 3 *'s HVD 3c, my lead. After the steady introduction back onto rock last weekend at Almscliffe, I was keen to get stuck in and see where my head was at and at 14m, this would be a good test for me.

The first section, a slab, is the technical crux and the gear isn't all that great but taking my time, concentrating on the moves, I made it up to the crack and some good gear. Up this and onto the huge ledge where traditionally the belay is set up when doing the route in 2 pitches. I decided to do it all in one though. After faffing around with a thread I made my way up through the gully, it was time to step out into space and onto the arête above the overhang. This was the test for me. It was really nice. Stepping round the corner felt exposed but it felt good too and I was soon topping out. Nathan soon followed and it was onto the next route.



Nathan and Lester scoping the area

We'd picked a kind of tick wish list but unfortunately by now, and with the sun in full bloom, the crag was becoming busy and lots of routes had teams on them. So we came up with a plan B. Damascus Crack at HS is only a 1* route but I don't think it tells the whole story! I could tell Nathan wasn't all that keen at first glance.....until I pointed to the alternative VS finish up a steep bulge system and over a final overhang, and he was now a lot more enthusiastic!

The first section is a thin finger crack in  the slab giving varied climbing using the crack and various small holds on the face either side. This then leads up to a large grassy ledge at 3/4 height. The original route heads off right from here to the summit and is, as the 1* suggests, a bit of an anti climax. However, we headed left, into a v groove, over a bulge the left out onto the face and over the final overhang. It's 2 *s at least for me. Thin fingery crack/slab climbing followed by steep jamming and pulling over bulges, with an exposed and airy (albeit well protected) finish, what's not to like! Nathan lead it comfortably and seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself. I followed and really enjoyed this route, the final top out being interesting! Not one for a gripped climber this, a steady head, good foot positioning and the holds appear and it's not as taxing as it first appears!



quick bite to eat.....and eyeing up 'The Sloth'

A quick bite of lunch and then onto the next. Again routes were taken by other teams. Nathan was eyeing up Technical Slab and so we moved over to The Sloth area and I chose Right Route at VD. At first glance, it looks a bit of slime fest this route but actually it's nothing of the sort, it doesn't get 3*'s for nothing! The route follows the LH side of the giant flake which bounds the RH of Sloth buttress. But although it uses the flake as a kind of handrail, you keep left, on the wall face itself until a final traverse right under the huge roof and onto a large sloping ledge. The 2nd pitch then traverses back out above the o/h and a finish up a short crack. The climbing up to the ledge was really nice, not the best gear til about mid height but all the holds are there and I was soon setting up belay on the ledge. Again Nathan followed and soon joined me on there. We opted out of the last pitch feeling it was too much of a faff sorting the belay out and pulling through 2 60m ropes for what was essentially 15feet of climbing! I'd wanted to do the route in one really but rope drag would've been a problem on the upper pitch that way. So we scrambled the final section above us and made our way down.

Last up and Nathans lead was technical slab HS 4a. Yet another classic and 3*'s. the first section of the route, the slab from which its name comes, is the crux. Sparse gear calling for careful thought and placement is required. Nathan made light work of it and was soon up to the traverse of Pedestal Route from where the difficulties lesson somewhat. Above the o/h he chose the alternative finish and a short traverse out onto the right wall and up in exposed finish to the top out. I followed and was soon at the point where in the guide book the dreaded 'harder for the short' move was! One move but really thought provoking and on lead I'd imagine quite scary! Crimps for the hands and just glorious grit friction for the feet allows a step up to good holds and relief! I opted out of the alternative finish and came straight up the normal finish. I'm not sure why really? I was tired at this point I think and just didn't fancy it but that's not to say I didn't really enjoy the route because I did. The meat of the route, the slab, is fantastic and a good intro to this kind of climbing for any aspiring grit devotee!

We called it a day then, the sun was dropping fast and it was becoming a bit chilly. I think we had a wonderful day1 It's not often you get to tick 3 3* routes in one sitting! From a personal view, I was pleased with my climbing. On lead I was steady, taking my time and there is no doubt the 'brain training' is working. I noticed for the first time, on both Maudes Garden and Right Route, that when the scared voices start, my brain is now automatically taking control and telling them to be quiet. Composing myself, sorting my position out, breathing, are now all happening automatically to a certain degree and that is really satisfying. This was a big day for me.



end of the day view

Almscliffe

First trip outside onto rock since October.......has to be Almscliffe then!

Almscliffe. The very mention of the name in trad climbing circles produces one of 2 reactions......either their eyes light up and a broad smile appears across their faces, or, their eyes glaze over, maybe a tear appears, as they remember the one and only time they went to Almscliffe and had sworn never to return! the latter is by far the most common reaction!

It has a bit of a reputation does Almscliffe you see. Back in the day, it was not uncommon to see competent peak VS leaders retreating bloodied and mauled from an Almscliffe V Diff! Nowadays, the guide book Gods have tamed the beast to a great extent, with all routes now pretty much graded correctly. But that doesn't mean the place should be taken lightly. It's walls are steep, it's slabs are few and blank, it's cracks will swallow you and your gear as soon as look at you. It is gritstone of the finest quality though and wonderful stuff!

Having had my first coaching session on the Thursday before this trip, I was keen to transfer my new found skills onto rock.

Nathan and myself travelled over together and met up with 2 other members of the Lancashire Climbing and Caving Club (yes a Lancashire cross border raiding party......I even had on my 'Lancashire Rock Revival' t shirt!) Tony and Sarah who very kindly organised the meet. It was my first proper meet with the club and it was good to meet other members and even better that everyone I met were lovely folk!

We'd brought both trad gear and a bouldering mat Nathan and myself, not really knowing what to expect either weather wise or in terms of how we were climbing and what we fancied doing. In the end it was a sort of hybrid day, some trad some bouldering.

We started by warming up on a boulder. Just getting used to the feel of rock again after so long indoors on concrete, savouring the gritstone friction that no concrete hold will ever be able to reproduce! It was just great it really was, being back on rock and with my new found skills too. It was all feeling so natural, the movement and precision, the balance, I felt like I could actual climb.

We decided to have a bash on the main crag and Nathan took first lead up 'Fluted Columns' HVD on Low Man. A nice route, with decent protection and a typical grit top out on rounded holds. Nathan was soon up with no problems and I followed in similar style.

My turn to lead and I chose another HVD along the wall to the right, 'Stew Pot'. The route takes a direct line up a wall passing a hole to a break. A tricky move on rounded holds leads to a ledge from where a short crack finishes the route off. I really enjoyed leading it and it felt well within my comfort zone which for my first lead after 6 months, I was really quite pleased about. Nathan flew up after me and we descended to our kit and a brew to decide our next plan.

In the end it was quite an easy decision. The crag was now busy, very busy, with teams on pretty much all the popular routes. So we decided to put away the ropes and get the mat out once again and try to find a quiet spot away from the masses.

We found a little slab with 4 or 5 different problems up it and bounded by a side wall with another decent looking problem with a crappy landing. I've no idea of the grades but none felt particularly difficulty, an arête on the slab being the most tricky. We had fun flashing them all though!

We had another peek at the main crag to see if we could seek out a final route of the day but it was still covered in climbers and after pottering around a while longer, we decided to call it a day and head for home.

We'd only done 2 routes and yet I had a fantastic time. The weather was perfect, t shirts in March. I was climbing well, nothing at all hard, but it all felt good. The company was excellent, I'm looking forward to more meets with LCCC. Another excellent day in th'ills!

Taking the Coaching Plunge!

I booked some coaching lessons for rock climbing. I'd reached a plateau that I couldn't seem to improve from and decided that it was maybe something I wasn't seeing. I knew I was strong ish but what I didn't know, really, was just how good or bad my technique was. So it was time to be honest.

I'd seen an advert from Rockover Climbing Wall, Ladies Night with coaching from Suzan Dudink. For obvious reasons I didn't pay too much attention but then shortly after, a new advert appeared offering the coaching to anyone, male or female and for a fantastic price! The coaching would be 4 sessions of 1.5 hours per session and in groups of a maximum of 8. I booked on the Tuesday and 2 days later I was at the wall and ready for my first session.

On arrival I was told that I was the only one to have booked on the course, so tonight would be a one to one session! Fantastic was my first reaction of course, one to one coaching with one of the best climbing coaches around, what's not to love?! Then it dawned on me that I would be the only one climbing.....for one and a half hours......solid, no coffee breaks, no standing around looking cool......just me, climbing.......gulp!

I was introduced to Suzan and right away I was on the traverse wall doing my stuff. Not very good stuff as it happens! "ok now do it again but this time no stepping through" came the shout from Suzan. So I did. then she started coaching......."try not to hop when swapping feet, try rolling one foot over slightly and placing the other next to it", " make sure you position your body over the foothold properly before reaching for the handhold", "hips into the wall", "climb with your whole body not just your arms".

And so it went. It was onto the wall proper next and into the problems. Every move I made I had to think about my body position first. If I moved my arms too soon I was told to come back down and do it again. Work out the problem, climb it til I climbed it properly then move on to the next. As I said earlier, the session lasted 1.5 hours......it felt like 5mins, the time just flew!

It was I believe, the most productive 1.5 hours climbing I will ever have. I won't go into the mechanics of the training here, I'm not qualified and anyway, I think this is something you should discover for yourselves to be fair. But I will say it has been kind of a eureka moment for me. At the end of the session I was shattered! Out of breath, sweating and my core ached. My arms on the other hand felt absolutely fine, like they hadn't done a thing in fact. And that was the eureka moment because they hadn't done anything, not really, my feet and body had done the work!

just to prove I was trying really really hard!