With all groups from the CUMC intent on Stanage Popular for the weekend it fell to Tanya and I to warm up the crag on Saturday prior to the larger group descending on Sunday. Arriving at 9:00 after an early start it seemed sensible to take advantage of the Black Hawk area with Black Hawk, Black Hawk Hell Crack, Gargoyle Variant and an excursion to Crack and Corner providing the warm up to Eliminator.
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| Atop Eliminator |
Eliminator proved to be a climb of two halves, the lower technical crux and the upper physical crux. The technical lower crux required commitment to a move with the feeling of an assured barn door as you pull up on a thin crimp on the arete with feet on the ledge where the gear is staring up at you rather uncomfortingly. The next horizontal break reached and a perfect cam placement to calm nerves, the next move was to walk the feet up the arete before stretching up for the base of the short vertical crack which can just about provide some restful hand jams while some more peace of mind could be placed. With strength rapidly failing it was then time to get hands in to the top of the crack and feet in to the base before pushing upwards and going for the next break and hopefully a rest. DAMN, missed the hold. To far right. Not even a sloper. Moving back down with strength almost gone. One more try. NO. Bugger. Rest. Oh well, after giving forearms a little time to recuperate it was worth another go. This time in something approximating technique a tenuous swap of feet in the hold at the base of the crack allowed the move to be made with less energy and I was all of a sudden at the next break with the previously missed hold, a locker. Quick gear and then up to the rail on the lip of the ledge which heralded a proper rest and the end of the difficulties. So much climbing in 14m. That's why grit is special and can give such classic lines. Will be coming back to this to climb it clean. Can't wait.
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| Tanya on Hollybush Crack, her last lead on Grit for a while |
A rest over lunch and then it was Tanya's turn on the classic Hollybush Crack before being repelled from Leaning Buttress Direct and Central Trinity by other parties we moved round to the fun of Zigzag Flake-Crack which I had been warned was poorly protected. Instead I found plenty of cam placements and a very enjoyable climb with classic grit moves in beautifully exposed situation. Heading back round to the bags Leaning Buttress Direct was now free so it was time to ratify the 5b club card once more. The bouldery start was extremely bold with what would have been an awkward landing but luckily I didn't test this and after the first move sketched my way up to the ledge at around 3m where at last some good protection could be found. It then proved equally hard to move on once more from the ledge but the protection was excellent and inspired confidence in the slopy holds available. Soon the technical difficulties were past and the bold rounded upper half of the climb unwound on perfect rock complimented by a complete lack of protection. However, rock of such quality would probably be insulted by the need to protect climbing on it. Tanya arrived at the belay just as my alarm was ringing calling me back to Cambridge and a rowing outing which I would arrive just in time for.
Eight great climbs and a good farewell to another climbing partner, heading back south to South Africa (the way of university mountaineering clubs). A strange coincidence had meant that Tanya seemed to be my partner on the hardest climbs that I have managed so hopefully she will be back to visit for some more hard grit again.
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