Eats me like grit stone
Grit stone is not my chosen rock, true it does offer loads of friction but the round nature of the rock is difficult to get used to. I’d not done any lead climbing for some time and my climbing partner no climbing for even longer.
Stanage popular seemed a good place to start with a good selection of climbs. I did a good lead of Black Hawk Traverse Left and Hollybush crack without too much difficulty and by that time it was time for a lunch break.
Also by this time we had seen one climber carried down to the car park and airlifted, and another climber fall and carried down by the mountain rescue team.
After the break I lost my head and was not climbing well. I didn’t have a good plan of what climbs I wanted to do and was not getting up anything. Such a good start and it was all going wrong. We called it a day and went back to the camp site. At the camp site the sun was out and the midges weren’t. All good. Things started to cool off and the midges star came out for a bite. I managed to pick up some bites from Friday night and just like mosquito bites these were reacting.
Time to go to the pub. After managing to talk my climbing partner into walking to the pub (only a 20 min walk) we headed down to Hathersage for a pub dinner and some real ales.
Sunday, I was no better. We still didn’t have a plan and my head was still not in it. We called it a day and headed back early. At lease we would beat the rush.
Will be better planned for the next trip.
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Filed under: Climbing Tagged: | black hawk, Climbing, Grit, gritstone, holly bush crack, Hollybush crack, Rock, Rock climbing, Sport, Stanage, Stone
Shame you lost your head but better to be in the right frame of mind than not – though williams’ll be back soon and I’ll make sure we bag a lot more – grit is the rock of kings!
Nice phots – and nice shot of the anchors – I really want to get these nailed next time I go, might even do a day or twos course when back.
Jon did suggest Swanage and there does seem to be some good stuff down there. Added some to my wish list in ukclimbing. But would be happy to do some grit.
In those slings you bought you had a Cordelette, good buy they are over 20 notes new. Clip this in to each anchor pull the middle bit towards you and then tie an overhand knot.
I’d be up for doing a course, let me know, hire a guide and split the cost.
be interesting to see how you get on, will it be trad on limestone? You’ll need those micro nuts no?
Need some more nuts all right. We just had your set for the weekend and on Hollybush crack I used a number 3 rock and further up there was a crack where number 2 was too small and 4 too big. Limestone we will need 2 full sets.