Peak Meet 22nd-24th Jan 2016

The first meet of the year crept up on us quickly, exam period had barely ended when we found ourselves once again cruising along at 62 mph exactly (thanks limited bus) up the M1, peak district bound. The weather promised some climbing, but mostly we were just psyched to get out again!

Saturday brought dry weather and we enjoyed the briefness of the journey to the crag and the pleasant walk-in that Froggatt affords. Things were looking good; despite damp patches, a fair few climbs were in, so Charlie and I set about teaching Will and Chris how to place trad gear in the selection of cracks in the Pinnacle area whilst waiting for the rest of the group to arrive.

It was upon their arrival that things started to go slightly less well. 'Incident Bail-Bag' involved Remy realising the bail-bag had never made it out of the mini-bus and having to run back for it. Then Toby, innocently asking after his climbing partner Ali’s whereabouts, raised some interesting questions… ‘He was in the bus with you guys?’ “Yeah I saw him’ ‘No he was definitely in the car with you!” Umm, right… we may or may not have an issue here…

Ali very definitely was nowhere to be seen and furthermore, no-one could quite agree on where he should have been or even where he had been seen last. Callum paled visibly and dashed off after Remy without another word, Adam following with the van keys.

After a while, a hot sweaty Remy returned but there was still no sign of Ali. Regular updates informed us, instead, of where he wasn’t. At the car park, on the road back to the hut, outside the hut, inside the hut, outside the hut somewhere else….on the road back again? No he was still not answering his phone! ‘Umm at what stage in developments do we have to call 999 and report a missing person..?’

It was at this point, when we were beginning to realise that we’d soon have to admit we were sort of reaching the end of our ideas, that Ali suddenly appeared again. Just like that, there he was wandering along the base of the crag towards me and Will as we were racking up… What? Where? It all made so little sense!

As it transpired, Ali being the last to get on the bus, had been seen walking towards it about to get on and Callum, assuming he had then got on told Adam to get going. Ali watching the departing bus had thought we were up to our old tricks and would wait at the gate, only to watch in rising alarm as the bus disappeared up the hill.... and did not return. The explanation for this has something to do with the fact that Ali having previously been in the car for the journey up, which explains things up to a point since Marie for example didn't think he was supposed to be on the bus. But only up to a point...otherwise I guess it WAS the left side of the bus that Callum had assumed Ali had got on…

While all this was going on however, the rest of us got stuck into some climbing, Will had a first go at trad lead belaying, when I climbed Diamond Crack. Chris did the same with Charlie on Terrace Crack HS 4b. Both routes were very enjoyable. The same however, could not be said of Sunset Crack HS 4b, which according to Chris was ‘totally full of slugs!’

There were quire a few notable first leads this trip too!  

Toby delighted to be placing his new cams for the first time dispatched the classic HVD Heather Wall with ease despite it’s less than desirable conditions. He then guided Tom in his first trad lead, Silver Traverse, Diff, where Tom combined his first lead with a first fall. Good work!
This fall was onto one of Toby’s cams, which delighted Toby even more that his new purchases were being so fully utilized on their first outing.

Marie also taught Kyle the skills necessary for a first trad lead, a Diff which went very successfully. Marie’s day however, revolved around 'Hex Epics'. After an abseil rescue of one hex, Kyle’s top-set-up hex appeared to be welded to the rock and it’s reluctance to part company with said rock was only broken by the forceful efforts of Paddy, a nutkey, another hex and some considerable time.

I decided it was time for Will to give leading a go too, so got him on Heather Wall HVD which after the initial dampness, he completed with no difficulties at all, with pretty exemplary bomber gear to boot! After this performance of ease, I figured he had better get something harder! Sickle Buttress, S 4a would do the job. It certainly did. Will got to test his gear placements first-hand with two falls, one fairly significant. In ground-up-ing the route clean after the second fall he also got a chance to be indoctrinated into our weird British trad ethics early on!!

We also met Joel, up for the day with some uni friends. Here he is crushing some dank crack climb:

Hey Joel! You can pretend you're still in the ULMC now ;)  #goals

In other news, Paddy, sometimes known as ‘Paddy the Punter,’ now (for our sins) counted as a leader and was let loose with Sophie. He doesn’t actually always punt really you should know, a fact that he demonstrated by making short work of Sunset Crack HS 4b with Sophie seconding. This was followed by Soft Option, Diff. It’s ‘soft option’-ness proved a blessing however when all his gear fell out in cascades behind him. OK maybe let’s reserve judgement on his punt-status a while yet…!

When Callum returned from his 'Ali Epic,' he reclaimed Sophie from Paddy and led Diamond Crack before belaying her on a lead on the three-star Diff Slab Recess, where he impressed upon her the need for 3 bits of protection for the crux. She climbed it very well though, overcoming the technical difficulties as well as the mental challenge of being on the other end of the rope with her typical equanimity.

Remy, meanwhile wasn’t climbing anything too gross for a change. Maybe something to do with climbing with Natalie? He did make sure Natalie didn’t have too much of a boring day however, when she took a fairly large pendulum swing on Heather Wall. Please come back Natalie, you can even climb with someone else if you like!

Chilling under Chequers Buttress

Towards the end of the day, Ali suffered the ignominy of being lowered a top-rope on Allens Slab, but in quickly bailing to Diff direct finish to Allens Slab he ensured that this 'detour' could could be quite easily ignored and the whole thing passed off as an entirely intentional ascent of the high quality Diff!

On the bouldering front, Jim and Jack had fun in Tody’s Playground area before Jim sent Ape Drape, 6c+ and then they both had a wonderful fridge-hugging experience on The Ultimate Gritstone Experience over at Curbar. Charlie and I meanwhile played with the go-pro and ticked some easy classics at the slab area of Froggat including the f5 start to Downhill Racer, Jo’s Slab and Joe’s Slab Arete.

Peak Meet from Charlie Low on Vimeo.

I also climbed the classic Chequers Buttress in the afternoon. What a great route, the upper arête is brilliant and totally heroic!

Will seconding Chequers Buttress with no difficulties.

Saturday night was entertaining, with drinking games and horse-racing, where Chris got well and truly fucked over by ‘ride the bus.’ We also had a hilarious game of spoof where Callum and Chris experienced severe emotional trauma before Callum’s blind idiocy dictated that he must be the one to get naked and run up and down the fire-escape! Anything to show off those abs…

On Sunday we were sadly let down by the weather, it had stopped raining, but the rock just never dried out…all day!

Notable moments of the day included, ‘Incident Bail-Bag 2.0’ where the poor bail-bag was once again abandoned in the bus, and ‘Remy’s Wet Diff Ascent.’ Tom, who seconded this then promptly bailed to the café, which perhaps says something about experience!

ULMC mincing hard at High Neb.

After much unproductive mincing was coducted by all, Charlie, Jack, Marie, Tom and Adam decided that the warmth of Outside café was a beckoning call not to be ignored and turned back. The rest of us, still optimistically in search of dry rock walked along to Plantation with boulder pads.
No dry rock. Just frustrated boulderers hopefully dabbing at the rock with tea towels. 'It's got to be alright in an hour or so!' They’d not reached the acceptance stage yet. We had, so headed back to Hathersage, walking cross-country, to join the others.

A wander along Stanage North area.

It was a fun weekend despite the Sunday let-down in terms of weather, and our wander from Stanage North, via Plantation to Hathersage had been enjoyable. Mostly it was just great to get out again and do some trad. I’m really pleased to see so many new members getting into trad leading, we had first leads this meet and consolidation leads and it’s starting to feel like there are plenty of people who are really psyched to keep it up!

Until Snowdonia in two weeks time, as always, stay psyched!

Thanks to Toby and to Charlie for the photos :)

If you haven’t already, you should check out Charlie's photography facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/charlielowphotography/?fref=ts

P.S. I'm just going to leave these two quality photos here, and no, Jim and I weren't even meant to be in the first photo despite the highly seductive face I'm pulling... ! - Check the skyline for the main attraction here.