Lakes Meet 25-27 Nov 2011

Hello again :)
This meet started a bit late due to an issue involving a lack of driver. By the time the minibus had arrived at my house it was around 7.15, so not that late in all honesty. The journey was rather uneventful barring a stop to pick up Mr Bullock :), Holmes Chapel was interesting given the time; we arrived at the coop with only 4 minutes left until it closed. After we parked in the car park and walked to the hut we discovered that it was in fact rather small. Cosy could be the right word, with the communal area in the same room as the beds. A bit of drinking/socialising followed before sleep.

The forecast for the Saturday was not good; light-heavy rain 10mph wind gusting 40mph. Even still, we went out with the intention of climbing/having a mountain day. Cons and our lovely driver Simon decided the weather looked too bad and went to the Ambleside climbing wall. They took part in a crimping boulder competition and last time I checked they had unfortunately not heard anything. Meanwhile everyone else was walking to pavey ark up a giant hill. I was rather optimistic and took both my rack and double ropes in case I got some climbing done. This turned out to be not the case and a bad idea. The long climb up the path was hard work and I am grateful for Sergeant, frosty and brad for taking the ropes off me halfway up. When we got to the tarn beneath the mountain the conditions were not suitable for even the scramble we had planned. We ended up ascending via a 'path' up the side. The sheltered gully thing we were going up by was a nice change, but the top of the mountain was horrendous. The winds were very strong and, with the rain it was just plain nasty. A trek across the top led us to a descent route which we followed being battered by driving rain and very gusty wind all the way down to the pub. Props to Nick for being very helpful to me, Lidiya, Jim and anyone else he may have helped. The anchor point you provided definitely helped keep things moving in very windy points despite the high possibility of being blown off our feet. After the pub was an hour or so in Ambleside, which for me was mostly spent trying to find Bullock so I could get my wallet but that is passed and I have forgiven him. The evening was spent eating and drinking. Many games were played and later on it was less drinking and more mind games such as 1 up 1 down.

Sunday dawned new and brighter. Rain and wind however were jealous so came back. Given the forecast it had been decided that we were going to see what it was like in Hodge close quarry as there was an area there relatively undercover. When we arrived it was seeping and wet, but the routes we were trying could have been a lot worse in all honesty. We ended up with only 3 routes for everyone. Thought to be E2, HVS and VS they were E1 5c, F6a and F5+. I didn't try the F5+ but I’m assuming it was as scary as the others, so to the people who led, well done, and to the people who didn't, nice work on climbing them anyway and leading does happen, slate just might not be the best place to do it. On to the day itself. Bullock led the HVS F6a while Brad led the F5+. The routes were used as top ropes for most of the day, apart from when Jim led the F5+ and brad and myself, did the HVS to finish the day off and remove the karabiners left at the top. While all this was occurring frosty and Sergeant attempted the E1. Neither of them managed to do the moves and both lowered to the ground. Still not sure how, and I swear frosty had something to do with it, but shortly after sergeant was lowered down I was harnessed up and tying into the sharp end. The plan was to see what its like, after all E2 is harder than my best top rope. Some interesting moves later and I was halfway through the crux sequence feeling relatively strong. A few power screams and sketchy high feet moves later I was established on the slab with just a runout to the top. Waiting for the space at the top to clear I had a calm down session for a minute or two, then worked my way up to the top of my first clean Extreme lead. Still thinking it was E2 I didn't quite get a buzz until I was on the ground, but it was a pretty hefty buzz when I got it :D. Feeling really good that I had managed to do a route frosty and sergeant couldn't do despite being taller than me I hopped around for a bit. Many many people top roped the route and rightly so, it was fun :) Bullock led it after a top rope attempt and the ex members petered off throughout the day. Eventually we were all in the minibus on the way home. Not sure if there s much else left to say so umm see you next time :)

Roaches Meet 11-13 Nov 2011

Hello agains :) After a slightly late departure we arrived at the lay-by probably around 9ish. Heavy ish rain and a big walk up the hill were not the nicest of things to do :P. As it was Amelia’s birthday and the crag was next door we started the drinking games. Ring of fire with a pan was played followed by a ring of kings. The final dare ended up incomplete but with me also having to do a route the next day in just boxers and shoes. Lally drank a lot and was slumped on the floor for most of the night, hehehe.

When the day dawned an hour earlier for me and Dave Laithwaite it was misty and horrible. He offered me an option; sleep or get up, based on the weather I chose an extra hours sleep. When everyone was up we split to groups and left the hut. On advice of Wicks we went to the upper tier as it would dry faster. We all started on routes around the great slab. I rocked onto Black and Tans. Top-outs were sketchy and wet. The top was rather windy and cold too. After bringing up my seconds (Helen and Nathan), on not the best belay I have ever done, we went to the base of the sloth. Bullock was thinking of trying it but couldn't make his mind up. As I started up Technical slab, he was starting up the sloth/pedestal route. By the time I was pulling the massively run-out crux he was at the pedestal, debating. I continued up the route and heard nothing more, until Helen was up and I heard bullock yelling at me that he did it. Props to him for powering through it. After Nathan came up and I manned up a bit, I persuaded Blairs to belay me up the sloth. A bad runout up the slab took me to the pedestal. The awkward climb above it was harder than I expected, until I did it and found 2 holds. Just my luck :P, placing the sling was fine apart from my bad karabiner placement which caused it to drop to the ground when the sling was in my mouth. I apologise to the person it hit. Weighing down the sling with most of my rack I downclimbed to the pedestal to psych myself up. When that eventually happened I launched up the flake system strongly. I got good heel hooks first try and was feeling solid. I got the jam in the crack however and just wasn't confident. I placed the bomber hex and downclimbed awkwardly to the pedestal. Resting for what was probably too little a time, I tried to psych myself up again. When it happened I launched up again confidently, however the heel hooks weren't as good and at the lip I cut loose accidentally. Trying a different technique for the jam I was even less solid, got freaked and attempted to downclimb. Panicking however, I lost my holds, and took my first trad fall, on a downclimb of all things. I ended up getting lowered down and abseiled off the top to get the gear back. The hex was reachable but jammed into place, twas a bomber hex :). The sling however was much harder to get. 5 minutes after I got to the height of the sling I worked out a method using the abseil rope. Shortly afterwards Blairs and I were heading down to the lower tier to meet up with anyone else. The dare I had was to be completed too. The original agreement was to climb a mid difficulty route with just boxers and shoes, I was going to do the sloth like this but changed my mind. In hindsight that was a good idea. The replacement dare I did was 2 easy solos in just boxers. It was rather chilly up top in the wind, but somehow I managed to stay relatively warm until I could put clothes on again. The night was a relatively standard meet night; drinking until the early hours of the morning. The last king was mine, and hence an attempt to hide Amy’s hat the next day.

The next day really did dawn 1 hour early at around 8ish. The weather was again very misty and horrible. Laithwaite decided to go for a walk, while I decided to give bouldering a go. Everything was wet but I managed to send a few problems before heading back to the hut to help tidy up before the day. The plan was to have prospective leaders taught by brad in the morning about gear placements and setting up and to get them leading on a top rope in the afternoon. The weather didn’t really improve until midday. Myself, Amy and Howett went bouldering before sending Amy up a HVD. Despite a bit of a panic attack she soldiered up it :).After a pretty long lunch break people started to lead more. Brad and Matt started up Valkyrie, Laithwaite up Sifta’s Quid and Ammo up the HVD that Amy led. Cons, Davey and Nathan all did top rope leads next to chalkstorm. As it was beginning to get dark and Ammo finished her lead, I tried to start Valkyrie. Given that Brad was just starting the second pitch, I attempted to rock up onto Via Dolorosa. A message from Amy later I was attempting a severe that still seems hard in my mind. After some sketchy moves I decided to try it later. I’m glad I did, as just as the ropes were packed into the bag brad requested a top rope. Ledge fever had hit bad, so I went up to the slippy top of Valkyrie. Half an hour was spent with Howett trying to find a good belay set-up. When we actually got a ‘good’ belay set up we started to lower a rope to brad and matt. Eventually they were both on the ground and we were leaving the top. A final clean up before the journey back and before long we were home :).

N.B. This was also the first meet that lidiya was not able to come on. We missed her :( RIP the missing no meet streak