With the new year having past, and what felt like all the food under the sun having been consumed over Christmas, it was time to get back on the unforgiving grit stone. The first grit trip of the new year saw me accompanied by Nathan Phillips and Callum Sewell to the famous Stanage Plantation.
The gloomy weather hung over the peak district threatening to rain in the late hours of the morning. Upon arrival at the crag we decided if it was wet we would sack it off and hit the works. Strolling up the path we were not holding our breath for a good day out as it looked sodden and damp but as we reached rock we discovered only a few things sheltered by the wind were wet and the rest was dry. After walking around checking out what was dry the rain rolled in. Great indoors it was. All we had done was manage one warm up climb, and to entertain Nathan, the same climb, one-handed. We stuck around for a while in the hope that the rain would pass and bumped into Hamish Potokar who had been trying The Ace (F8B), desperately trying to keep the holds dry with his jacket. Twenty minutes later and luck was in our favour. The rain had passed and the wind picked up. We're in!
Not being bothered to warm up again we decided to jump on Captain Hook, a cool small roofed F7B with a funky top out. We saw this off relatively fast, myself having to repeat the problem because of kicking the rock while trying by best to "whale-mantle" myself onto the top. After this we took a short walk to Deliverance, a classic slab wall with a dyno to finish. We got shut down. This was hard. So instead we hiked the incredible distance of about 40 yards to Hamish and The Ace. Nathan jumped straight on The Joker (F8A), tickling the jug in his first few attempts. After around half an hour, gaining some super psyche from Hamish getting agonisingly close to topping The Ace, Nathan pulled off the starting block and smashed the campus with his feet flying everywhere. (This was a sick effort, nice one Nath!)
My aims for the day had been to try out Careless Torque (F8A), one of the coolest looking lines at the crag, as well as Brad Pitt (F7C+). From checking earlier in the day we knew Brad Pitt was wet so we went to try and figure the first few moves on Careless Torque. Nathan quickly managed to get the first few moves but no further and after countless efforts to get the first move, I concluded, I would need to be stronger. MUCH stronger.
In a last ditch effort to grab another tick before the sun went down we checked Brad Pitt one last time. It was dry! Someone was there trying it, perfect. After 10 minutes the local sent the problem, leaving behind his beta but also a lack of light, brilliant. Within 15 minutes on the problem under the light the flash on my phone I had stuck the first move 3 times and hit both the left and right sides of the ledge, not sticking it any of the times I had hit it.... This was unbelievably frustrating. Throwing my heal back on the starting crimp I decided if it did not go soon we may have to leave and save it for another day. Summoning all my strength I hit the first hold perfectly, this was it, just a match and flick to the top and it would be done. My heal felt poor on the starting hold but I knew if I adjusted it and came off, there would be no getting here again. I stuck with it, matching the crack. With one powerful flick I hit the ledge bang in the middle, YES!! First F7C+ in the bag! Clambering over the top my hands and feet were sodden from the puddles at the top of the boulder that I could not see in the dark, but I couldn't care less. I was happy, a sick day out!
(Hamish Potokar hitting the top hold on The Joker (F8A)
