The Peak District It's Not Just About Stanage

During the recent heatwave I spent 5 days in the Peak District for Freddies birthday. As we had so much time we decided to head to Staffordshire to climb at the roaches, this is an amazing temple of gritstone it is one of the greatest places to climb in the UK. But due to the intense heatwave we ended up also exploring some of the shadiest crags in the Peaks. So what is this blog about well its about exploration of already explored territory going into the known unknown. In other words it is pointless just like climbing.

I've visited the roaches a few times before and always been super impressed with the quantity of quality lines. Been a slab lover it has some of the most enticing lines I've seen, which meant I was super psyched, unfortunately the weather was way to hot for friction smearing. So upon arrival I managed to climb Sloth a super intimidating HVS that I had fallen off on a previous trip due to rain soaking the upper jugs. It is the line of the crag and maybe the line on grit, super easy, super scary and super fun. I was ultra stoked to get this as its been on the cards a while. This was one of the only trad routes I managed in the whole 5 days we were away. It was so hot that bouldering in the shade was the only way we could keep from dying of heatstroke, especially with our resident ginger shade was imperative.

Me On Sloth Photo By Freddie

On the Sunday having spent the Saturday trying to follow the shade around the Roaches we head to Chee Dale to fail on slippery limestone. This may sound like a stupid plan but it was shaded and most importantly had a river to run into in a desperate effort to cool down. Walking down the Dale we were all struck with how beautiful and otherworldly it felt. This densely wooded dale with white bastions of limestone felt like a far cry from the desolate moors above Stanage yet it was less than 20 miles away. Wandering through the dale looking at the guidebook we noticed most routes were above our current limit, but this left us inspired and feeling a want to improve just to be able to climb in such a stunning place. We were wondering why Peak Limestone gets a bad reputation I assume its the polish, looseness and lack of classic easy lines. But the ability to climb in such beautiful locations is surely a good enough reason to utilise the limestone we have.

Another way to avoid the heat was to climb at night as it was Freddies birthday on the Sunday him me and Oscar decided to climb Valkyrie a classic VS at the Roaches. They were both stoked, I was knackered internally unwilling but my sense of adventure was to strong to turn it down. We got to the base around 11pm and soloed the easy first pitch. Because it was his birthday Freddie got the lead of the classic second pitch. Freddie having never lead the route before and due to the darkness managed to find a 5c way round a 4c move, claiming it to be harder than the dangler( a classic Joe Brown E2) he found a place to belay and started to get it ready. Unfortunately sitting on a belay ledge only increased my tiredness and due to the nature of the pitch (a traverse above an overhang) it was inadvisable to fall off. So when it came to seconding and feeling like someone had just woken me up, I managed to abandon any technique and just scrap my way through, much to the horror of Oscar who was watching from the belay ledge. The other two only noticed my tiredness when we were walking down and I was mumbling about tories and anarchism. Not taking the hint they decided they felt up for another climb, Central Climb(HS 4c) on Hen Cloud. I elected to lead the first pitch (only 4b but I had backed down soloing it early in the day). It was easy but I felt revived and ready to smash through it, until I'd sat on a belay ledge for another 30 minutes. I did manage to haul myself to the top and it was a great adventure with great friends so it was worth it. Probably.

Suffering but still smiling Photo by Freddie

Another brilliant crag we visited was in the Churnet Valley another shady beautiful valley not far from Alton Towers. It seems to be one of the only Sandstone crags in the Peaks(unless you count grit as a type of sandstone) even though it isn't really sandstone, its more like conglomerate loads of pebals magically held into the rock and loads of holes where pebbles once were. This provides such a great contrast to the slippery limestone and the skin destroying grit all the while in an idyllic Jurassic setting. The climbing is mainly bouldering on big blocks with really great rock and a very sandy base we spent all day there and the approaches are easy and the climbing is super lovely pockets and pebble pulling. The only issue is sometimes you develop option paralysis due to the over abundance of holds. A great crag that was really good for shaded bouldering.

Sloth in Sunset Photo By Me

So what is the point well I think what I'm trying to say is don't get sucked into going to the same crag over and over, even in a concentrated area such of the Peak District as we discovered there is such variety of rock, style and countryside. As we found out there is more to the Peaks than Stanage, so as climbing is inherently an exploratory sport go and explore the explored and go into the known unknown.

Sorry there hasn't been much climbing in this blog but it was like 90 million degrees and we just sat in the shade bouldering in between dying of heatstroke. It was a great weekend though celebrated Freddies birthday in style with Oscar, Cindy, Sophie and Jessie all failing in Chee Dale.

Whats Next?

Its been a great week in the climbing world. Alex Honnold achieved the improbable, Steve Mcclure has completed his voyage of putting up Britains first 9b and I have passed my degree. Whats next?This question will be asked for the next year or until the hype has gone down. I can't speak for Steve or Alex. But for me its two months of sporadic climbing trips(including one to Poland, blog on that after) then one month of crying over shattered bank accounts and shattered dreams. Then I'll look for a way to fund my climbing and guitar playing. But this blog isn't about failed prospects and an uncertain future. Its just a series of anecdotes about a week of climbing. Enjoy

Failing on Remergance again Photo by Sam Stronge

Having finished my degree on the 30th May obviously the day after I went climbing. Another great day trip to Wales with Eric. An alpine start meant we were the first at the base of Tennis Shoe, which according to Oscar is the best route ever. We did the direct version to avoid the polished start. The direct is a 50mt variation at the start it gets HVS 4c but it should just say can you solo 4c. There was not much gear just a jammed nut about halfway up. It was easy climbing and the lack of faff regarding placing gear meant I could just run up it saving precious time. Eric linked the next two pitches one was great slabby crack climbing the other was gently angled walk. I got the final grit-esq pitch 15mts of lovely climbing in a great position. Good route not the best a bit disjointed in places. But good.

We then headed over to Javelin Buttress for a tasty E1 called Javelin Blade. A bit pessimistic because it looked wet I was surprised that the E1 was dry, but the VS escape route was soaking which adds some nice commitment. It was a pretty steady E1, a bit bold especially seen as I almost missed a crucial nut placement only placing it after reversing the start of the crux move and actually missing the last few piece's and had a tasty 10mt runout to the top. There is only 1 hard move and some really cool positions it was my first mountain E1 which is cool. It makes a great continuation to Tennis Shoe Direct as you get an easy warm up then the full frontal excitement of the E1.

Then we had the enjoyable/sketchy scramble down, grabbing the bags Eric was excited for a disgusting HS chimney called Monolith Crack. Been a relatively flat human I'm always down for a dirty chimney. The first two pitches were awkward but uneventful its all about the mad last pitch which is 10mt high chimney. But it was Erics lead so I got watch him spend 20 minutes trying to post himself into this chimney. Finally relinquishing he let me have a go and I just managed to squeeze in. Which was unfortunate as this meant I had to do the rest of the pitch. I am not the most proficient chimney climber and this was really wet and polished. Its the first time my tactic for route reading has been to stare directly into the darkness, in hope my eyes adjust to the dark and I can see some holds. After 40 minutes of up and down I managed to fall through the top hole. It was such a fun route. If you are flat and have a 30 inch waist its a great route, if you're any bigger let me know if you plan on doing it and I'll come and watch. Finishing the day in the slate mines for some sporty dessert. I got home at 1am and passed out.

Orpheus Wall HVS 5c Photo By Lydia Brannen

The next 4 days were spent in the Peak District. The first day was epic I got there later than planned mainly due to having been physically destroyed in the chimney. Upon arrival Freddie was stoked for the dangler a desperate looking E2. He crushed it. Then it was my turn I wanted to do Flying Buttress Direct an amazing HVS roof. Being a relatively weak person roof routes and pumpy lines have never been my speciality, but this was amazing its basically a jug ladder but through a roof. Bomber gear then some fun monkey through the roof. Definitely one of the more epic HVS's I've done. After this success I decided to continue the theme of facing my weakness and went for a route I failed to second 18 months ago, another roof style route called The Link it gets a low E1. Having no expectations was a great plan as I was pulling across the roof on these massive flakes my foot slipped and I cut loose. Although it looks epic its not the greatest or most helpful technique, thinking I was definitely coming off I almost resided to this fate, but from nowhere I discovered I still had quite a reserve of strength left and hauled my way through the roof. It was a great feeling to come that close to failing but persevere and discover I'm stronger than I thought. It was a great experience and I can imagine it'd be a good first E1 as the fallout zone is safe and its pretty juggy.

For the cherry on top of a cake of a day(editors note: that is a crap metaphor) we went over to the unconquerable's for some pure pump action. I was so psyched for the Right Unconquerable its such a pure line a massive flake that rises for 20mts providing a brutiful(a combination of beautiful and brutal. editors note that is a crap word) and historically significant HVS. I was quite intimidated and I slipped off the very polished starting crack, taking a bit more care I arrived at the base of the flake placing some gear and psyching myself up I set off on the adventure. I got absolutely rinsed, the hand holds are massive and there is all of the gear. But there are not feet and I got so pumped(not helped by trying to place a nut in a perfect cam slot at the top) it was a fight to the death and I just about made it and rolled over the top forearms screaming. It was so good. I'm starting to enjoy pumpy routes. The next day was some damp bouldering(Oscar managaged an 8a with combined tactics) and cafe indulging. Then Saturday was sunny so we went to Birchen edge for some pleasant and easy trad, upon arrival I noticed it was the perfect height for soloing. I lead 2 HVS's both pretty good but one move wonders the highlight was soloing 20 random routes from diff to vs it was a great day. Sunday was damp but we went to Bamford and I managed to solo Gunpowder Crack a pleasant jammng flake guarded by a disgusting 5b start and I lead a pumpy HVS called High Neb Buttress where I almost got attacked by pigeons. It was a great few days with great friends and we did some mega routes.

Embracing the dirtbag life Photo by Me

So whats next?

I'm going climbing.