For a good few months I have been wanting to get down to Stanage Edge but for one reason or another I haven't managed to get down there.
But on the first of November, Evan and myself met at Tebay Services and headed down into the Peak District. The weather was supposed to be awful towards the west, but in the east side of the Pennines the theory was it was dramatically different.
The journey down there was a long dull motorway experience mostly, but filled with excitement. We seemed to speak none stop for most of it. Travelling past Salford I looked down at it with content. Somewhere in all the hustle and bustle of that city was the hospital I was born in, the house I lived in until I was six, the house my mum and all her brothers grew up in, the same house I would visit as a young child regularly to spend time with my Grandma. Looking at it I had such a strong feeling of joy. I have so many beautiful memories of that place, yet I've spent such a short portion of my life there. I've always remembered being aware of my surroundings at a young age, I even remember sitting in the canteen at my school with the amazement that out of all the potential souls in the world mine was chosen and put into a living human body. Now it seems a bit strange looking back at it that a five year old was busy thinking about stuff like that rather than kicking a ball around with his mates, but honestly I did and for that I am glad. As because I was so inquisitive at a young age, rather than now seeing Salford as a blur, I feel it as an emotion. I now can still picture how every room looked in my house and I remember my Grandma as a person I love and respect, rather than just a faint memory. At that time in my life I felt only excitement for what lay around the corner, instead of fear. And right now looking over Salford I felt that very same feeling again for the first time in over 10 years. Because down there many years ago I often wondered what would become of my life, and now looking over Salford I could answer those questions with pride. I was now at the start of a long and adventurous lifestyle that all those years ago I would have hoped for. For the first time I felt I could proudly go up to that kid and make him smile even more for what he had to look forward to and the best thing was, I was now in that same position he was those many years ago but this time actually having a good idea of what lay ahead with just as much excitement, and the harder times that lay ahead of him were now behind me.
It wasn't long before we were in Glossop and I was beginning to see signs that we were in the Peak District. But the forecast was wrong. The sky was cloudy and the ground was wet. There was only 20 miles left. What difference could that make? A lot! We were still on the West side of the Pennines. We climbed steeply on to Snake Pass where the Peaks emerged in front of us. The Sun was out, the leaves glowed a dark orange and the water sparkled. For some reason I was never expecting the Peak District to be anything like as beautiful as this. At this point I would have had a hard time trying to convince a Lancastrian what the Lakes had to offer that here didn't. Within 30 minutes we were in the small town of Hathersage, rearing to go. We drove across to Stanage edge just to see it before we climbed on it the next day. At first we saw another crag, thinking that was the mighty stanage edge. Our faces lit up as we gazed over there in awe. "There it is then, it's beautiful". The car ventured over the brow of the hill and another crag was revealed a mile long, 25 metres high and glowing an orangey brown in the evening sun. This was Stanage Edge! "We've got to climb on it now!" I demanded. Evan took no persuading we yomped up the nearest path and got to the bottom of the nearest climb. A V.diff now graded Severe called 'Crack and Corner'. I started off up it. It was bizarre I couldn't do the first move. "What is this?" I thought. I persisted and got up it. Then continued up. It was getting dark and very chilly. I couldn't feel my fingertips against the rock. I ended up crawling under a tight gap below the overhang and going left. "I hope there not all this hard, are you sure that was a V.Diff, I rarely bother placing gear on a V.Diff in the Lakes but I was putting it all over that!" I was oblivious to how to climb on grit. It was my first time on it, I had numb fingers and most my experience on real rock had been limestone or rhyolite. Of course I would struggle to start with. This was a craft in itself and a craft I was about to learn very quickly throughout the week.
We went to the spar to buy some overpriced microwave meals before checking in at Edale Youth Hostel, having our tea, chatting to a WGL trainee and going to bed. I was feeling rather unsure about grit. It all seemed to be slopers and large bold moves. I was going to have to except that I was very much a novice here.....
It was 8am I was woken up by all the early morning walkers. I decided to wake Evan up but he just groaned and fell asleep again. I woke him up again this time blinding him by drawing the curtains. He was soon out of bed. We went down for Breakfast. I made us some stodgy Porridge and burnt toast. Evan liked the Porridge but not the toast... I didn't like either. We then shot out into Hathersage. I bought some big Hex's, I thought I'd need them for stanage, and I'd been needing some for ages. We arrived at the base of the crag early in the morning, ready to climb. Evan looked at the guide book. He chose a Diff. His plan was that to be leading lots of Diffs to log. What he didn't realise was that his trad grade and confidence would shoot up and he would be leading HS by the end of the week. This however was not a diff.
Dave, my uncle had a guidebook of the Peak District. He used to climb to a very good standard for them days. And he leant me his book. Evan for some reason didn't understand this book and when attempting a diff, started up the easy section (but still a lot harder than a diff) of an E4 and on to the top section of a HS. I did try to point out that there was an easy looking line right next to us, which must have been a diff. But he refused to except I good judge a route's grade by looking at it and therefore persisted up the HS (Hard Severe), thinking I was a "gobshite". We had also managed to climb in the shadow of a chimney and therefor freezed all the way up it. Luckily though, Evan had brought a group shelter. It seemed a bit excessive, but we were cold, so got under it to have lunch. That was just what I needed. I rose out of it warm and eager to climb. I walked straight up to a lovely lucking crack and said "what is that?"
to Evan. Evan and I have developed a general understanding that he looks at the guide and works out the route, even if I am leading it. Then he tells me where it goes, I don't take it in, start to climb anyway, go off route a bit and shout down for directions. But this time the route wasn't in the guidebook. So I simply looked at it, felt the rock, climbed the first move and decided to go for it. I was confident, and didn't care what the grade was, I would make my own route if it wasn't already one. I climbed the first few feet plonked a nut in and continued up. I kept going and came to the crux. This was a move which felt bold and tricky to a grit virgin like myself. I just decided to go for it and got up it without falling. I then traversed right onto a route called Black Hawk as this looked harder that going left. I got to the top and let out a joyful "whoop!" This was extremely out of character for me. Or perhaps this was very in character for me and I was a different person when doing what I truly loved. I was mentally in my element in this place and it was here I didn't care about anything other than climbing and feeling free.
It turned out the route was Castle Crack HS 4b and the top was Black Hawk also a HS 4c, but I think the grade was probably around HS 4b. We only got two other climbs in that day. We went back to Hathersage, where we went for a very reasonably priced meal at the Little John Hotel, before retiring to Hathersage Youth Hostel.
I woke the next day after a bad nights sleep. We had run out of milk so had an even stodgier porridge for breakfast, before heading over into Hathersage. Evan had decided to buy the new Stanage Guide, and a very good idea it turned out to be. It was a lot easier to find the routes. Today, we warmed up on an even more shaded route, called Pedestal Chimney. It was a Diff and actually felt like it this time. I lead up it. And arranged to abseil of to allow Evan to Lead it too. The only thing was, the rope jammed and I had to climb back up. It was then a matter of walking round the top of the crag looking for a descent. In doing so I found Robin Hood's Cave. This was where My Uncle Dave and his mate Geoff, used to camp when climbing on Stanage. I had wanted to camp here instead of staying in Youth Hostels but luckily Evan and a layer of snow across the Lakeland tops had talked me out of it. I finally found a way down and belayed Evan as he lead up the climb. It was an absolute funnel for wind and this really got us cold.
I wanted to try a VS (very severe). I knew I could climb it I just never got round to it, as in the Lakes it's always long multi-pitch ascents that take up a lot of the day. I chose a fantastic looking route called Central Trinity (VS 4c). I set off up it with quite cold hands and fumbled around trying to get a bit of gear in. I was anxious, my finger tips were numb and I was in a bad stance and looking quite bizarre according to Evan. Evan was very helpful. He pointed out that I looked nervous and I wasn't going to climb it in this state. He was right I came down, taking the second bit of gear out having left the first bit in. I was annoyed with myself. I knew this was within my capabilities I just wasn't able to climb it. I kept telling Evan I could, and he believed me, I'm not sure I did. Evan wanted to climb Holly Bush Crack so we decided to do that before going back to Central Trinity.
Someone was on Hollybush Crack. I had had my mitts on for a while now and my hands were warm. I said to Evan "I want to give it another go now" So we did. This time I set of calm with a few nerves, mainly because of what had just happened. This time though I placed a second bit of gear with ease, and stuck the only cam I had in the horizontal crack to protect me on the left traverse. It was a perfect fit. Usually when I start getting nervous on a climb I get worse as it progresses even if the climbing gets easier. Here the opposite happened. I did the traverse calmly and headed on up the climb with ease to the top. I had done it. I let out another "Whoop!" I was convinced I actually was a different person here because I did it again and again. Other people looked at me like I'd just climbed an E12. Evan told them I had just lead my first VS they thought a reaction like that was fair enough. But I wasn't whooping because I had climbed a VS. I was whooping because I had proved to myself what I had always believed. If you climb with a solid state of mind, calm and confidently, you'll climb with your full ability. This had been easier said then done in the past. But there was something about that climb which made me think. I thought to myself if I can't climb what I want to climb then I might as well fall off and die anyway. Then I climbed it with ease. I had learned a hell of a lot in the 10 minutes I'd spent on that rock. Next Evan did a very bold lead of 'Right Hand Trinity' graded Severe. He did it extremely well. We were both ecstatic from the days climbing. But we had only done 3 climbs, which seemed a bit embarrassing for a days work. We decided to do a quick Solo of Grotto Slab graded diff. I wanted to do it first. Evan was checking it out in the guidebook so I went for a slash against a rock. Then the next thing I knew he was off straight up it. "Ahh, you Bastard!" I said as I ran over towards it. I went up straight after him meeting him at the top of the slab just below the crux he went up and I followed. We arrived at the top buzzing. I ran back down along the top of the edge placing by feet directly on the rocks and stones that lined the moor. It was now dark. We gathered up our rucksacks ready to head down, when we saw two people out on the crag still climbing. They were two girls one had lead up and was now belaying, the other who was seconding was young and on her first climb. She was getting very scared and the girl belaying from the top couldn't see her because of an overhang blocking her view. She shouted over to me and Evan to offer her encouragement. Evan went over to her calmly offering advice. This really showed what a great people person he was and I could see right then that he'd be a great instructor. I soloed up to where the girl was to encourage her, and took a cam out she'd left in the rock. She went left below the overhang and got up ok. I then down climbed to the bottom. A man who seemed to be with them had been watching with a headtorch and spotted another bit of gear she'd left in further up. I soloed back up, borrowing his head torch, and realised it was a bit further up then I'd have liked. I moved out right onto the exposed section of the climb and managed to get it out. I then followed the girls route out left to the top. The owner of the gear was pleased I'd avoided her an abseil down to retrieve it. I ran back down to the bottom. I had done a good deed, and at the same time got a thrilling solo on a VD in the dark. I was feeling good about myself. "Well that's are good deed for the day" said Evan, "more like for the f**king year" I replied. We went to the pub for a pint before going back up to Edale Youth Hostel, where we cooked a rather disgusting mix of pasta, beans and sausage. I persuaded Evan that Cantabrian Mountain Stew looks rather rank but when you eat it its delicious and this would be the same.......I was wrong.
I woke up the next morning looking out the window. Everywhere was covered in fog. And the ground looked wet. I went back to bed feeling miserable. I was going to sleep for the rest of the day now. Then Evan looked out later to say it was clearing. I leapt out of bed and got dressed, and prepared some more stodgy porridge for breakfast. We then set off back up to Stanage. Today I wanted to have a go at two climbs; Inverted V (VS 4c) and the Right Unconquerable (HVS 5a). We started on a V. diff to warm up. Then abseiled off. Again jamming the rope leaving me to climb back up, throw the rope down and walk off using the path. It was then time for Inverted V. This is one my Uncle Dave had lead back in the 60's at my age with nothing but a rope tied around his waist, and 'actual' nuts with the thread drilled out of them for protection. Looking up at Inverted V, I was incredibly impressed by this. "It's a monster!" announced Evan. I had read about it's first accent in the guidebook done in the 1920's. They didn't even consider leading it and just did it on a top rope.
We got ready and I lead up it. It was one for hand jams. I placed some good gear on it. The crux was rather tricky, but after that it eased off. I climbed up below the overhang known as 'the birdcage'. Then I traversed right placing a sling around a giant chockstone jammed in the crack. I let out another "whoop!", for the third time this week. I really was a different person here. After that climb I felt like a part of history. It was quite probably the most obvious line I had seen on the edge. And a joy to climb.
Evan then went on to lead his climb of the week. A HS called 'Christmas Crack'. He had advice given to him by a man in his sixties who proceeded to solo on up it with a rucksack on his back. He was proof that climbing on this stuff was indeed a craft. I asked the guy about The Right Unconquerable. He said best not to do it if it was my first HVS. I said I'd only lead my first VS this week but wanted to give it a go anyway. He gave good advice, but I believed I could do it and wanted to at least go and have a look. I would have been prepared to fall on it. We went along towards it. Evan pointed out that it was a fair walk to get there and it would be going dark soon. I persisted and said I wanted to go anyway. He then told me that he was going at 5 and that was that. Again Evan was right. We wouldn't have had enough time. I said that alright we'd lead a quick severe right next to us called 'Little John's Step' and leave the Right Unconquerable for now, as long as he promised he would come back to Stanage with me in spring and I would climb it then. He pretended to spit on his hand and held it out, I actually spat on mine and shook his filling Evan's face with disgust. We then set to work on our last climb of the weekend. I started up it. I had said I would do it as 2 pitches as we only had one rope and the drag would be ridiculous on it. It was a monolith with a gap between the wall next to it. I lead up the monolith with no gear, and then set up a belay. Evan followed up. I then went onto the wall next to it. Placing a cam and climbing up and over the overhang. Evan followed up. It was now nearly dark. I stood out on the edge of the crag and did a final "whoop!" really loud across the Peak District. I realised then that it wasn't that I was a different person here, I could just finally be myself.
Thanks for Reading,
Don't be scared to bang a comment on the bottom,
Also have a read of Evan's account of our trip, it is a lot shorter then mine evanofthefells.blogspot.com
Ethan
But on the first of November, Evan and myself met at Tebay Services and headed down into the Peak District. The weather was supposed to be awful towards the west, but in the east side of the Pennines the theory was it was dramatically different.
The journey down there was a long dull motorway experience mostly, but filled with excitement. We seemed to speak none stop for most of it. Travelling past Salford I looked down at it with content. Somewhere in all the hustle and bustle of that city was the hospital I was born in, the house I lived in until I was six, the house my mum and all her brothers grew up in, the same house I would visit as a young child regularly to spend time with my Grandma. Looking at it I had such a strong feeling of joy. I have so many beautiful memories of that place, yet I've spent such a short portion of my life there. I've always remembered being aware of my surroundings at a young age, I even remember sitting in the canteen at my school with the amazement that out of all the potential souls in the world mine was chosen and put into a living human body. Now it seems a bit strange looking back at it that a five year old was busy thinking about stuff like that rather than kicking a ball around with his mates, but honestly I did and for that I am glad. As because I was so inquisitive at a young age, rather than now seeing Salford as a blur, I feel it as an emotion. I now can still picture how every room looked in my house and I remember my Grandma as a person I love and respect, rather than just a faint memory. At that time in my life I felt only excitement for what lay around the corner, instead of fear. And right now looking over Salford I felt that very same feeling again for the first time in over 10 years. Because down there many years ago I often wondered what would become of my life, and now looking over Salford I could answer those questions with pride. I was now at the start of a long and adventurous lifestyle that all those years ago I would have hoped for. For the first time I felt I could proudly go up to that kid and make him smile even more for what he had to look forward to and the best thing was, I was now in that same position he was those many years ago but this time actually having a good idea of what lay ahead with just as much excitement, and the harder times that lay ahead of him were now behind me.
It wasn't long before we were in Glossop and I was beginning to see signs that we were in the Peak District. But the forecast was wrong. The sky was cloudy and the ground was wet. There was only 20 miles left. What difference could that make? A lot! We were still on the West side of the Pennines. We climbed steeply on to Snake Pass where the Peaks emerged in front of us. The Sun was out, the leaves glowed a dark orange and the water sparkled. For some reason I was never expecting the Peak District to be anything like as beautiful as this. At this point I would have had a hard time trying to convince a Lancastrian what the Lakes had to offer that here didn't. Within 30 minutes we were in the small town of Hathersage, rearing to go. We drove across to Stanage edge just to see it before we climbed on it the next day. At first we saw another crag, thinking that was the mighty stanage edge. Our faces lit up as we gazed over there in awe. "There it is then, it's beautiful". The car ventured over the brow of the hill and another crag was revealed a mile long, 25 metres high and glowing an orangey brown in the evening sun. This was Stanage Edge! "We've got to climb on it now!" I demanded. Evan took no persuading we yomped up the nearest path and got to the bottom of the nearest climb. A V.diff now graded Severe called 'Crack and Corner'. I started off up it. It was bizarre I couldn't do the first move. "What is this?" I thought. I persisted and got up it. Then continued up. It was getting dark and very chilly. I couldn't feel my fingertips against the rock. I ended up crawling under a tight gap below the overhang and going left. "I hope there not all this hard, are you sure that was a V.Diff, I rarely bother placing gear on a V.Diff in the Lakes but I was putting it all over that!" I was oblivious to how to climb on grit. It was my first time on it, I had numb fingers and most my experience on real rock had been limestone or rhyolite. Of course I would struggle to start with. This was a craft in itself and a craft I was about to learn very quickly throughout the week.
We went to the spar to buy some overpriced microwave meals before checking in at Edale Youth Hostel, having our tea, chatting to a WGL trainee and going to bed. I was feeling rather unsure about grit. It all seemed to be slopers and large bold moves. I was going to have to except that I was very much a novice here.....
It was 8am I was woken up by all the early morning walkers. I decided to wake Evan up but he just groaned and fell asleep again. I woke him up again this time blinding him by drawing the curtains. He was soon out of bed. We went down for Breakfast. I made us some stodgy Porridge and burnt toast. Evan liked the Porridge but not the toast... I didn't like either. We then shot out into Hathersage. I bought some big Hex's, I thought I'd need them for stanage, and I'd been needing some for ages. We arrived at the base of the crag early in the morning, ready to climb. Evan looked at the guide book. He chose a Diff. His plan was that to be leading lots of Diffs to log. What he didn't realise was that his trad grade and confidence would shoot up and he would be leading HS by the end of the week. This however was not a diff.
Dave, my uncle had a guidebook of the Peak District. He used to climb to a very good standard for them days. And he leant me his book. Evan for some reason didn't understand this book and when attempting a diff, started up the easy section (but still a lot harder than a diff) of an E4 and on to the top section of a HS. I did try to point out that there was an easy looking line right next to us, which must have been a diff. But he refused to except I good judge a route's grade by looking at it and therefore persisted up the HS (Hard Severe), thinking I was a "gobshite". We had also managed to climb in the shadow of a chimney and therefor freezed all the way up it. Luckily though, Evan had brought a group shelter. It seemed a bit excessive, but we were cold, so got under it to have lunch. That was just what I needed. I rose out of it warm and eager to climb. I walked straight up to a lovely lucking crack and said "what is that?"
to Evan. Evan and I have developed a general understanding that he looks at the guide and works out the route, even if I am leading it. Then he tells me where it goes, I don't take it in, start to climb anyway, go off route a bit and shout down for directions. But this time the route wasn't in the guidebook. So I simply looked at it, felt the rock, climbed the first move and decided to go for it. I was confident, and didn't care what the grade was, I would make my own route if it wasn't already one. I climbed the first few feet plonked a nut in and continued up. I kept going and came to the crux. This was a move which felt bold and tricky to a grit virgin like myself. I just decided to go for it and got up it without falling. I then traversed right onto a route called Black Hawk as this looked harder that going left. I got to the top and let out a joyful "whoop!" This was extremely out of character for me. Or perhaps this was very in character for me and I was a different person when doing what I truly loved. I was mentally in my element in this place and it was here I didn't care about anything other than climbing and feeling free.
It turned out the route was Castle Crack HS 4b and the top was Black Hawk also a HS 4c, but I think the grade was probably around HS 4b. We only got two other climbs in that day. We went back to Hathersage, where we went for a very reasonably priced meal at the Little John Hotel, before retiring to Hathersage Youth Hostel.
I woke the next day after a bad nights sleep. We had run out of milk so had an even stodgier porridge for breakfast, before heading over into Hathersage. Evan had decided to buy the new Stanage Guide, and a very good idea it turned out to be. It was a lot easier to find the routes. Today, we warmed up on an even more shaded route, called Pedestal Chimney. It was a Diff and actually felt like it this time. I lead up it. And arranged to abseil of to allow Evan to Lead it too. The only thing was, the rope jammed and I had to climb back up. It was then a matter of walking round the top of the crag looking for a descent. In doing so I found Robin Hood's Cave. This was where My Uncle Dave and his mate Geoff, used to camp when climbing on Stanage. I had wanted to camp here instead of staying in Youth Hostels but luckily Evan and a layer of snow across the Lakeland tops had talked me out of it. I finally found a way down and belayed Evan as he lead up the climb. It was an absolute funnel for wind and this really got us cold.
I wanted to try a VS (very severe). I knew I could climb it I just never got round to it, as in the Lakes it's always long multi-pitch ascents that take up a lot of the day. I chose a fantastic looking route called Central Trinity (VS 4c). I set off up it with quite cold hands and fumbled around trying to get a bit of gear in. I was anxious, my finger tips were numb and I was in a bad stance and looking quite bizarre according to Evan. Evan was very helpful. He pointed out that I looked nervous and I wasn't going to climb it in this state. He was right I came down, taking the second bit of gear out having left the first bit in. I was annoyed with myself. I knew this was within my capabilities I just wasn't able to climb it. I kept telling Evan I could, and he believed me, I'm not sure I did. Evan wanted to climb Holly Bush Crack so we decided to do that before going back to Central Trinity.
Someone was on Hollybush Crack. I had had my mitts on for a while now and my hands were warm. I said to Evan "I want to give it another go now" So we did. This time I set of calm with a few nerves, mainly because of what had just happened. This time though I placed a second bit of gear with ease, and stuck the only cam I had in the horizontal crack to protect me on the left traverse. It was a perfect fit. Usually when I start getting nervous on a climb I get worse as it progresses even if the climbing gets easier. Here the opposite happened. I did the traverse calmly and headed on up the climb with ease to the top. I had done it. I let out another "Whoop!" I was convinced I actually was a different person here because I did it again and again. Other people looked at me like I'd just climbed an E12. Evan told them I had just lead my first VS they thought a reaction like that was fair enough. But I wasn't whooping because I had climbed a VS. I was whooping because I had proved to myself what I had always believed. If you climb with a solid state of mind, calm and confidently, you'll climb with your full ability. This had been easier said then done in the past. But there was something about that climb which made me think. I thought to myself if I can't climb what I want to climb then I might as well fall off and die anyway. Then I climbed it with ease. I had learned a hell of a lot in the 10 minutes I'd spent on that rock. Next Evan did a very bold lead of 'Right Hand Trinity' graded Severe. He did it extremely well. We were both ecstatic from the days climbing. But we had only done 3 climbs, which seemed a bit embarrassing for a days work. We decided to do a quick Solo of Grotto Slab graded diff. I wanted to do it first. Evan was checking it out in the guidebook so I went for a slash against a rock. Then the next thing I knew he was off straight up it. "Ahh, you Bastard!" I said as I ran over towards it. I went up straight after him meeting him at the top of the slab just below the crux he went up and I followed. We arrived at the top buzzing. I ran back down along the top of the edge placing by feet directly on the rocks and stones that lined the moor. It was now dark. We gathered up our rucksacks ready to head down, when we saw two people out on the crag still climbing. They were two girls one had lead up and was now belaying, the other who was seconding was young and on her first climb. She was getting very scared and the girl belaying from the top couldn't see her because of an overhang blocking her view. She shouted over to me and Evan to offer her encouragement. Evan went over to her calmly offering advice. This really showed what a great people person he was and I could see right then that he'd be a great instructor. I soloed up to where the girl was to encourage her, and took a cam out she'd left in the rock. She went left below the overhang and got up ok. I then down climbed to the bottom. A man who seemed to be with them had been watching with a headtorch and spotted another bit of gear she'd left in further up. I soloed back up, borrowing his head torch, and realised it was a bit further up then I'd have liked. I moved out right onto the exposed section of the climb and managed to get it out. I then followed the girls route out left to the top. The owner of the gear was pleased I'd avoided her an abseil down to retrieve it. I ran back down to the bottom. I had done a good deed, and at the same time got a thrilling solo on a VD in the dark. I was feeling good about myself. "Well that's are good deed for the day" said Evan, "more like for the f**king year" I replied. We went to the pub for a pint before going back up to Edale Youth Hostel, where we cooked a rather disgusting mix of pasta, beans and sausage. I persuaded Evan that Cantabrian Mountain Stew looks rather rank but when you eat it its delicious and this would be the same.......I was wrong.
I woke up the next morning looking out the window. Everywhere was covered in fog. And the ground looked wet. I went back to bed feeling miserable. I was going to sleep for the rest of the day now. Then Evan looked out later to say it was clearing. I leapt out of bed and got dressed, and prepared some more stodgy porridge for breakfast. We then set off back up to Stanage. Today I wanted to have a go at two climbs; Inverted V (VS 4c) and the Right Unconquerable (HVS 5a). We started on a V. diff to warm up. Then abseiled off. Again jamming the rope leaving me to climb back up, throw the rope down and walk off using the path. It was then time for Inverted V. This is one my Uncle Dave had lead back in the 60's at my age with nothing but a rope tied around his waist, and 'actual' nuts with the thread drilled out of them for protection. Looking up at Inverted V, I was incredibly impressed by this. "It's a monster!" announced Evan. I had read about it's first accent in the guidebook done in the 1920's. They didn't even consider leading it and just did it on a top rope.
 |
| Inverted V |
We got ready and I lead up it. It was one for hand jams. I placed some good gear on it. The crux was rather tricky, but after that it eased off. I climbed up below the overhang known as 'the birdcage'. Then I traversed right placing a sling around a giant chockstone jammed in the crack. I let out another "whoop!", for the third time this week. I really was a different person here. After that climb I felt like a part of history. It was quite probably the most obvious line I had seen on the edge. And a joy to climb.
Evan then went on to lead his climb of the week. A HS called 'Christmas Crack'. He had advice given to him by a man in his sixties who proceeded to solo on up it with a rucksack on his back. He was proof that climbing on this stuff was indeed a craft. I asked the guy about The Right Unconquerable. He said best not to do it if it was my first HVS. I said I'd only lead my first VS this week but wanted to give it a go anyway. He gave good advice, but I believed I could do it and wanted to at least go and have a look. I would have been prepared to fall on it. We went along towards it. Evan pointed out that it was a fair walk to get there and it would be going dark soon. I persisted and said I wanted to go anyway. He then told me that he was going at 5 and that was that. Again Evan was right. We wouldn't have had enough time. I said that alright we'd lead a quick severe right next to us called 'Little John's Step' and leave the Right Unconquerable for now, as long as he promised he would come back to Stanage with me in spring and I would climb it then. He pretended to spit on his hand and held it out, I actually spat on mine and shook his filling Evan's face with disgust. We then set to work on our last climb of the weekend. I started up it. I had said I would do it as 2 pitches as we only had one rope and the drag would be ridiculous on it. It was a monolith with a gap between the wall next to it. I lead up the monolith with no gear, and then set up a belay. Evan followed up. I then went onto the wall next to it. Placing a cam and climbing up and over the overhang. Evan followed up. It was now nearly dark. I stood out on the edge of the crag and did a final "whoop!" really loud across the Peak District. I realised then that it wasn't that I was a different person here, I could just finally be myself.
Thanks for Reading,
Don't be scared to bang a comment on the bottom,
Also have a read of Evan's account of our trip, it is a lot shorter then mine evanofthefells.blogspot.com
Ethan
