Betaguides Database will be live soon!

At long last the site will be functioning and be able to hold Topos from anywhere or anyone. Some topos will be available for a small fee, some will be free, any topo downloaded 10% of the proceeds will be donated to mountain rescue, some will have 100% donated.

So if you have any topos you would like to donate, contact me: lee@betaguides.com

Bridestones Revisited

The High Bridestones

A sunny day at last! with snow on its way tomorrow, a quick trip to the North York Moors, to the soft sandy Bridestones, probably the closest rock to home!

The quality of the rock can be dubious but there are a lot of quality lines, with a circuit of over a hundred problems from Font 3 to Font 6c and some nice eliminates on the high Bridestone buttresses, definatley a great family venue, hours of fun for the kids.

A good four hours, two chicken burgers, tikka kebab and ribs (Morrisons in Malton mmmm) we had ran out of steam, it was also getting dark!

Best of the day: 
1: The Smaller overhang on the Second pinnacle both sides and direct Font 6a

Rob cranking the direct line

2: The Amazing Pepper Pot is a must, Master, Mr and Mrs Pepper Pot, all around Font 6b but not quite sure were to follow the original lines set by Griff Griffith 1995 (don't tip it over!)

The Pepper Pot

3: Big Dogs Cock on the Isolated Pinnacle, a highball  Font 5+

Rob pulling on Big Dogs Cock

4: A nice little problem on the 2nd High Buttress, using a mono and an undercut sandy sloper, heading direct to the sapling, SS Font 6c

A Western Sun Trap

A Clear Sky over the Burbage Valley

Finally a break in the weather! it was a choice between the North Yorkshire Moors or the Peak.

The Peak won, so straight to Burbage West, a fine sun trap in the low temperatures, and very social relaxed start to the year.

Tom eating up 'Breakfast' Font 7a**

with Oaksi spotting, blinded by 

Toms technique or maybe the sun?

Some Good test pieces were taken on the day, and attempts were made at some of the "so from there you have to latch that!"(SpartacusFont 7c**) with good range of other problems to keep everyone amused.

 

Working 'Famous Grouse' font 7c*

Proving Girls have better technique, 'Lucy' 

showing the boys the way on 'The Nose' Font 7a*

As the shadows and the cold fell on the west, we headed over to Burbage North for a dabble on the classics, some starts had been under massive snow drifts that had been dug out by keen activists, thanks.

The sun faded on the valley, painting the rock an amazing red and gold, reminding me of Torridon and Applecross trips to come.......... 

'Remergence Start' Font 6b

9 out of 10 climbers make the same mistakes

Literary Motivation

Today is officially the most depressing day of the year! (according to the statisticians) so if you are still bearing a spare tyre, sat on your arse at home watching celebrity big brother, blaming the bad weather for not getting out, look no further than 9 out of 10 climbers make the same mistakes, by Dave MacLeod for inspiration and motivation for the year ahead.

This 176 page book is the first to present the science of improving, helping climbers break the cycle of failure and guide you on the road to success........

Read a Review  By John Watson

Buy it Here

Bouldering on Volcanos

Referring to the Greek island of Santorini, were one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history occurred some 3,600 years ago at the height of the Minoan civilization. The eruption left a large caldera surrounded by volcanic ash deposits hundreds of feet deep and may have led indirectly to the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, 68 miles to the south, through the creation of a gigantic tsunami. Another popular theory holds that the eruption is the source of the legend of Atlantis.

Santorini today, the main Island is 12 miles long and
 the small Island in the middle is only 200 years old!

Twisted formations of highly compressed lava, spewed out

when the small island (Nea Kameni) was underwater

Hard almost glass like, chunks of aggressive

 looking volcanic rock  

A dense mass in the background

Our balcony, top center, 1000ft above sea level, stunning!

Back to Chatsworth

Two dry days thats all? thick mud, green slime, a bad time to go off piste?, but what the hell! after a night of excess and dancing till two in the morning with the wife, a trip out to Chatsworth with post finger operation Rob, seemed like the perfect cure for a hangover? a trip out after the wet weather....

That Pocket is Mine

Straight to Outside for breakfast, then over to the green lichen covered rock of Chatsworth Crag!!!

This is the home to some most impressive classic routes in the Peak, unfortunatly they don't see enough traffic, even though the is crag easily accessible and is set in an impressive panorama of the peak.

The bouldering is very worthy of a summers night, or a dry cold winter, good hard problems, some quite scary, others very morpho, a good double hand full of problems, entertaining and worth while, Desperot Ben Moons addition looked like it was getting some attention, dispite the crag being green and a bit brittle in places...

Check the greasy holds first

Dangerously Flying Downhill

Good and Hard from Sitting

Finishing Topos and Big Projects

The Tank Boulder

A gap in the weather this weekend, means a trip to Burbage boulders is on the cards, mainly to finish a topo, then maybe try a couple of projects!

The boulders in the valley offer varied climbing on a good scale of grades, the landings are good, plus now its colder, the harder problems will feel just that bit easier!

Topo Sample

A full topo will be available early next year from the betaguides site, with many more topos and circuits to be added once the site is running.

Another big project has begun this week, a DVD journal for 2010, plotting the development of climbing and bouldering in the North Yorkshire Moors, following the progress of a new generation of activists, pushing there limits on all the Moors has to offer.

Anyone who wants to get involved contact me at lee@betaguides.com