A Tip of the Hat

I really don't feel like blogging at the moment, too much wasted time? while I should be getting on with the guide, Oh well it's a good way to keep a diary of when you did stuff so f**k it.

Planned a two day trip working out venues I have have yet to sort out, this ended up in disaster as a monster front of snow clouds were blowing in from the north east, destination the North Yorkshire  Moors. Bugger! So decided to go for it, even though everywhere west was in clear skies.

Spent friday at the wall at Middlesbrough (http://www.rockantics.co.uk/) running around like a kid in a sweet shop, this is how a new wall makes me feel, new problems, lets have it..., still aching now

Taken to sleeping in the car, the flex seats and a big pad make for a good nights sleep, woke up the next day to a blanket of snow, which also made it difficult to cook sausages outside the car door with massive snow flakes falling down.

Ended up getting some good shots and spied some lines to go back for, one involving a £10 bet that it won't get done by me, watch this space.......

This weekends snowy divide with a view of the monument to Captain James Cook. A legendary explorer, navigator, cartographer. A hero of mine and an inspirational historical Moors resident.

Time to make sense of it all

So after over a five year love affair with the Moors, its time to knuckle down and make sense of it all. 

The bones of the guide are their, the journey in how to present it has changed.

 Mike working a sublime line, falling upwards at it's best

 A cheeky little block with a good sit start prow diversion on the way in, thin holds on good feet.

The 'Ship Stone' at Kay Nest, the block holds one of the best 5-6's workouts in the moors, bold and technical, in a stunning valley, it definitely has the X factor.

Who What Why When Where

Who: Who would want to climb this?

What: The hell am I doing here climbing this?

Why: Did I travel 3 hours to climb this?

When: Did this get climbed? without pads?!

Where: Shall we explore next?

Perfect pink Leicestershire granite 

James working a project

Steve firing up for the slopers

A problem unintentionally trained for, thanks to Steve McClure, setting a similar problem on the local wall, Cheers Steve.

What's in the Carrier Bag

A couple of years ago Steve Ramsden and I walked for 11 hours to look at the blocks strewn across the edges of Urra Moor - a vast amount of blocks and crags meandering into the distance.  This trip left me feeling uncertain wether I would publicise what I had seen in a guide; but I knew the solace of the ridge would draw me back, not caring how remote, clean or spread out the climbing was.

The latest visits have been very worthwhile, due to the fact that James, Steve and Mike have a similar attitude towards climbing. The 'make the most of what's there approach' It's a bit like Ready Steady Cook. The TV show were chefs are given a carrier bag full of mystery ingredients and they have to make the best dish out of what they have got.

The end result was a tasty mixed menu of problems.

Best not park here

James sticking the sloper

Incredible slopers - Mike on a new problem - Point of Inertia

At last I win a pint off Mike - No Flash

Dave on a fine little Tranmire crag problem

James bags his project

He's a Legend

A big 40 for Jame's this weekend! It was a good excuse to get away and have a big social.
We all decided to have a blast on the sunny Scuggy blocks and crag.
We were joined by the local Legend and grade Connoisseur Steven Phelps, showing us the way on most of the classics.

Mike Kenyon On Stewer.

He's a Legend.

Mike Adams on Grandmaster Flash.

We Close our Eyes, the central line on the west wall at the lesser trodden White Stone blocks at Scugdale.

James burning off the birthday cake calories at White Stone.

The Inbetweeners

Scratched an itch the weekend passed, firstly two quality blocks in-between Duck boulders and Oak Crag. that have been on my mind for a long while. This ended up with the usual 'I'll smash them lines in, they look easy, which ended up quite a long session, working it out and pulling harder than expected, love it when this happens.
The next day was spent on more new ground, with the some 'downs and ups' not 'ups and downs' finishing on a couple of big blocks previously missed?!

Franco on a project

A rare view of the Wainstones

Value for money leaning block

Thin highball slab climbing on boulders

Computer Says No

 Just a quickie, more development going on with help from the Moors massive, this time on the second longest  ridge of blocks on the moors, thankfully it's not as tricky as Ingleby, Having only put up a couple of problems before It was good to make a start on this part of the moor, with some surprises as always, how do we miss so much?
Also managed the hardest sit start I've ever done. Under a bivi cave, a full on hard pull, you hold the holds prepare to pull, body says go, nothing happpens, pull harder, It hurts, nothing happens, you need to re-boot with more RAM, then some how it comes together.

 

This is what it's all about, still a project after two sessions.

19 problems 5 projects, Never mind the crag! It's a good job I understand these scribbles.