Finally...... My First Trad Climb.

This Tuesday I met up with Adam, we were planning to get the train from Appleby down to the Dales the next day and do some sport climbs. But as Adam was staying at my house the night before to get a good start in morning. I was keen, while adam was here, to head up one of the routes at Jackdaw Scar, and do my first ever lead of a trad route. In traditional climbing the climber has to jam bits of gear into cracks in the rock to attach the rope to as he/she goes up the rock face. This requires above anything a sound mind. It isn't like sport climbing where bolts have already been drilled firmly into the rock ready to clip straight into. When you're climbing a trad route you as the climber have to look out for yourself constantly. A badly placed bit of gear could rip straight out of the rock in the event of a fall, potentially leaving you to fall to your death. 

A photo taking from google images a hex placed in a crack

I chose a fantastic looking route called 'Kirsten Wall'. It is graded as a 'Hard Severe' this is arguably quite a hard grade to lead my first ever trad climb on, I had top roped it once in the past placing gear as I went up, but I remember having to hang on the rope at points whilst I fiddled around getting gear in the rock. However since then I had practiced my gear placement quite a bit and I was now putting it to the test. But this time if I got tired I wouldn't be able to hang on the rope as it wouldn't be attached at the top. I would have to down climb and rest on a bit of gear that might not even hold.
For some reason though I didn't think about this outcome to much. I knew if it came down to it I could get out that kind of situation, but for now needed to stay positive.  

          I started up it relatively easily. I was feeling very ready. I had been waiting for this moment for quite a while and it was finally happening. After placing a nut, I climbed up the first section onto the sandstone ledge. Above me stood 12 metres of Limestone. It had numerous cracks in it. I still wasn't sure whether I would get up it. I remembered the mess I made of it on a top rope only a month or two ago. I soon blocked the thought out, if I wanted to get up it I needed to be as calm as possible. I knew that I could climb the route. I just needed to make quick, reliable gear placements and most importantly stay cool and keep a clear mind. I jammed a hex in the crack, I was confident in the placement and I knew that if I did fall on to the sandstone ledge at least I wouldn't topple further of that and fall a further 4 metres onto the hard nettle filled ground below me.
          It wasn't long before I had placed another two bits of gear and was already getting a decent way up the route. I was finding plenty of resting spots. I was certainly nervous, but at the same time very calm. I was soon half way up. I was in a good position and soon the excitement of completing my first trad climb was beginning to kick in, this reduced the nerves even more. I felt a strong connection with the rock all of a sudden. I had never felt this before. This is something that certainly indoor climbing and even sports climbing has never given me. I thought of all the trad climbers I had read about. Chris Bonington, Don Whillans, Dave Mcleod and so on. I though of a time when all the gear, clipped on my harness ready to use, simply didn't exist. When chock stones would carefully be jammed into rocks, and of the climbers who would steel 'genuine' nuts from train tracks to use as gear at the crag. I suddenly felt part of not only a tradition but a culture. I continued on. I was approaching the last few moves. I placed a hex in the rock, it seemed a descent placement, not great but the best I could, I climbed on and got to another good resting place, I was trying to slot a nut in a horizontal crack, but I couldn't quite see it. It wouldn't go in and my left arm that had been holding on to the hold above me was beginning to fill with lactic acid. I still didn't panic. I simply just switched hands, shook my arm a bit and when I had gained back some strength in it, I continued to try and get the nut in. Suddenly it just went straight in. I gave it a good tug to see if it would stay, and it did. I only had one more move to the top. I just went for it. On top of the crag was a big tree with a huge root growing directly above the route. My hand touched it. I had done it!
Adam walked up round the back of the crag and gave me the belay device. I attached the sling to the tree at the top and abseiled down the route taking the gear out the rock on my way down. The abseil in itself was thoroughly enjoyable. I had just done my first ever trad climb. Not a complex route, but an important one for me. One I will always remember. 

I have recently done a whole load of other things that I haven't had time to write about............

• Ran a kendal 10k race a few weeks back
• Couple of runs up Murton Pike
• Run up Langdale Pikes at Langdale charity Folk Festival
• Saw a Chris Bonington Lecture at Keswick Mountain Festival
• Joined Howgill Harriers running club
• Practiced placing gear around Jackdaw Scar
• Numerous time spent on boats in rivers and lake in the hot weather
• Sport Climb in the Dales with Adam the following day

Thanks for reading,

Ethan