Matt's Blog: A Weekend in the peak

I have just got back from a great weekend in Sheffield visiting Jim and meeting Phoebe, We managed to get out climbing both days and on top of that Jo has learnt to ski ready for our ski holiday.

John on Black Nix wall - a superb high ball E1 5c at Curbar

In the trench at Curbar

Saturday we headed out to Curbar - i assumed it would be the usual play on trackside boulder with some flailing on Gorilla Warfare but no - i was pleased to visit a part of Curbar i didn't even know existed (the far end) a place you can pretty much see Brown's eliminate from so is almost frogatt!
After a long walk we headed up to the edge after passing the ultimate gritstone experience and remembering the blood soaked holds of a few years back. We dropped down between some boulders only to do an immediate U turn when i realised we'd walked in on a couple involved in some "intimacy" so we headed to the Trench which had about 5 or 6 problems at V0 to V5, they were superb and managed the V5 second go (therefore can't be V5). We dropped down below the edge and looked at a highball route/problem called Black Nix Wall. I was slightly worried because Jim said he couldn't even pull on but managed to flash it using an undercut method -it was high but the holds were positive and felt good to get it first time. We did a couple more problems including another V5 which i managed to do after a few goes and some helpful Jim beta before It started to rain heavily and we walked back to the Mauritius before picking Jo up and heading into Sheffield which was full of Police protecting Clegg from the hatred of the liberal northerners that see him as some sort of tory puppet.

Waking up with a stinking hangover - it was wet outside and Jo had a ski lesson at midday. It brightened up by the time i had sobered up so we headed out to Gardom's South where we did a handful of great problems including the classic G Thang and some brilliant Font 6a's including a very fun and funny dyno (see video). We eyed up an amazing line which goes at Font 7b+ Suavito which is very highball but what a line!!

The cool dyno problem from above at Gardom's South

Jim holding the starting and finishing holds on some random 1 move Font 6a to the right of the cool dyno problem at Gardom's south

Finally despite the clock ticking we wondered over to Moorside rocks and tried a V4 arete problem that Jim had read about - it was great and i worked out the lower half very quickly with some heel shenanigans - Jim couldn't even do the first move - i was feeling very smug! but i couldn't for love nor money top the thing out! I lost lots of skin sliding off the fontesque featureless top. Jim then managed to do the opening moves and after a rest sent it. Gutted i changed my beta slightly to Jim's but my guns failed on the top move and shut down i didn't have time for the required rest so headed back to Sheffield to pick up Jo the pro skier and head back to Leeds and little Tyskie who had clearly missed us both.