Sandbags and bikes.

I have been house sitting in Addingham on a farm and so was keen to get out localish but the 3* routes takes a precedent. I tricked Johnny into joining me for a trip to the remote Ash Head crag of  the failed solo trip a month or so ago. It occurred to me as I was putting the phone down on John that biking in would make it infinitely more fun so we arranged to take boulder mats and rack and ropes on the bike and met at Menwith Hill to share cars early doors. The approach on bikes was a dream absolutely the way to do it. Johnny had boulder mat on back I had rucsack with rope and rack. Johnny warmed up on Windy wall a route I had done on my last visit and then I got on Thunder crack the 3* "VS" - Well the start was much harder than i remembered but eventually reached the jug and launched out on the traverse - the end of the traverse the holds get worst so i slapped a cam in and immediately got myself up into the groove/flake which was marginally more restful. placing 2 cams I pulled up for the huge rail with massive holds and swung out left onto the finishing slab, Johnny took some photos as i topped out and that was that. The route was superb, certainly not VS more like HVS but possibly up there as the best mid-grade route in Yorkshire - as good as Great Western for sure. Johnny went for the lead and after a bit of encouragement pushed on for the slightly run out traverse on the big jugs despite the pump he was victorious. Next up I went for a look at the route of Horn a HVS which follows some cool looking protrusions, I lassooed the horn with a sling for the only runner but despite the overhead runner I could not reach it even with my feet high - sandbag. More like E1 5c. Johnny followed this up with a go at Barnstorm a route I failed to solo last time I was here. One word - SANDBAG! More like VS and not easy at that but managed it. Next up a VS led Tip off which basically had a 3-4m runout. VS.. haha ha. Are you getting the message - HVS 5a.   Finally we went over to the really nice looking line of A climb which climbs an A shaped crack, Johnny led it and then i soloed up to take the gear out - graded Severe it was about right.

As we were packing up our kit a landrover turned up - i was bit worried as although i had checked on the shooting situation I wasn't totally sure - the games keeper appeared to be checking we weren't up to no good. We got on our bikes and rode back happy not to be trudging on foot arriving as it started to rain at the cars - with another tick under the belt and the prospect of only 4 more routes to do.

Minions Way and Frensis Direct - the latter worries me a little as I've had a failure on it.
Jams to the slaughter
and the finale NW Girdle. Can't wait - hopefully be done by the end of September!

PHOTOS TO FOLLOW