Jim arrived at the now fashionable 'early afternoon' start and we proceeded with the middle age cup of tea of psyche to get us out to the car. The radar didn't look hugely promising showing showers coming in from the north west but spreading more thinly once it crossed into God's own county. Andy next door had optimistically headed to PenyGhent and later provided a text confirming suspicions of lots of wetness in the dales. We headed to Ilkley first, Jim had an appointment with Transparent wall, He had never been inspired to climb it he had 'failed to see through the moss' what a good route it is. Warming up in the quarry, I did the 6a start to short circuit and then soloed flake crack because I saw there were 2 cams jammed behind it.. why people make such a hash out of removing them i don't know? But they were now well and truly insitu and even if i did get them out not worth anything but the bin. Soloing this reminded me how worrying some of the footholds can be at Ilkley, polished and not inspiring confidence. Walking back into the quarry I contemplated another route to solo ans decided to have a go at Josephine a HS that i had led a couple of times but never thought it was a pushover. The lower section was fine and then the worrying step up into the sentry box came,, took about 5 minutes of combinations before i found the ideal set of holds to roll into it. Pleased but reminded again why soloing in the quarry isn't good. a.) audiences and b.) polished holds galore.
Racking up at the bottom of transparent wall we bumped into a couple of guys trying Bald Pete Direct - they were involved in the guidebook and recognised us as Yorkshire superstars, mainly because Jim had sent him a bunch of photos. The new guide it seems wont be out for Christmas but maybe next Easter which relieves the pressure on finishing the 3* list a little. Jamie set to work on Transparent wall, I have to say it did look dirty from below but he made reasonable progress until the final crux move, Jim stuffed so many cams into the crack that there were no holds left for him so he made the job of moving up a lot trickier than it should be, he eventually topped out and i followed using all the nice holds that had previously been blocked by cams. Jim decreed it a fine route and IMHO should feel ashamed that he ever doubted the 3* list would provide the goods.
It was 4pm now but were keen for another tick so jumped in the Mauritius and headed over to Earl Seat for a meeting with the mighty Jams to the Slaughter. Slogging up the hill, sweat pouring off me, it felt very very humid, once out of the trees a slight breeze helped but looking back along the valley towards Burnsall there was a wall of water hovering. Part of me thinking i will have an excuse, but part of me thinking i don;t want to slog up here again we arrived at the crag and the wall of water still hovered a long way down the valley. The top bit looked steeper than i remember. Jim lent me some tape an d even told me how to make proper tape gloves but it seemed like a terrible faff and i knew time wasn't with us. It was now about 5pm. I ripped the tape off and decided that I'd go without but some persuasion from Jim i put 2 strips on the back of the hands just to protect them from the pebbles that i heard all about.
Setting off with a double rack of cams i felt a lot heavier than last time i tried to solo it, I messed up the bottom bit, having not really thought about how to climb it so jumped off and started again, placing the first cam from a strenuous layback position, I was glad that Jim told me it didn't fit and instructed me on the colour, very useful. Moving higher and another cam. Jim's beta now was to step onto a ledge but I had climbed higher up the arete on my previous attempt and so pushed onto a good hold before a precarious laybacky/ rockover move deposited me on one of the upper foot holds. It seems that this method misses out a sequence of jams that may be the most brutal of the climb.
A semi restful position is gained but the crack is green and slimey and not inspiring as much confidence as i would have hoped, an arm buried up to the elbow and a flared crack for the right are stopping me peel backwards. I spy good holds although very green up and right although the wide crack looks like it become more offwidth, its looking a bit tricky now and I'm relieved i didn't try and solo this bit. I give it a go but then try and revere back to the rest, once down on the ledge it starts to prove difficult to get the jams back in the right place and I'm starting to work hard to maintain my balance. Realising it was becoming now or never I step up with sloppy jams and a high foot lock gain the good hold and the top of the crag, one fairly committing move above good gear. Pretty relieved as I have to say after reversing to the ledge before I did think there was a chance I could easily peel backwards if i didn't keep the momentum going. I was at the top surprising un-scathed a few grazes on my arm, no blood on my hands! Awesome!
Hands not looking too bad but the green shows what i was up against. My fingers look like Gollum's!
Perhaps i crimped a bit too much for an offwidth but what on.. Left hand shows some green fingers
My Abseil anchor
3 more to go for me Brimham and Minions and Frensis Direct, less intimidated by Frensis direct now, just know i have to man up for the top crack. Finally NW girdle at Almscliff. Need to talk Jim up the Waster, thin red line and artificial route in the meantime, I think he really has saved some stinkers for last!
We descended diagonally across the moor to the main track much better than the straight up/down option and back to the car, an hour and twenty car to car we headed for a much deserved pint in Ilkley. Mulling over what next pub talk led to ideas of the 2* challenge, guaranteed to get us out to esoterica or more likely the E2 list (excluding layby arete). Also pub talk about getting Font 7b once and for all and how time commitments mean its now or never, I'm vaguely convinced to start finger boarding properly, viewing Font 2012 as an opportunity to crush. I think i will train for it but in true Arnold Rimmer style I'll have to spend the next 6 months planning a schedule of training without actually doing any. watch this space! It'll be at least November before we finish as Jim is off to foreign lands again but starting to look forward to the NW Girdle and thinking about the party to organise for afterwards!
5 Crags 6 routes between us left
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