3 days in the Lakes

My Dad and dog were heading up to the Lakes for a couple of days, I was invited and so, having no work on and ready for a change of scene from the Moors, I gratefully tagged along. Arrived in Borrowdale thursday and after a bit of classic cragging with the old man on Black Crag, drove further up the dale and into the stunning stonethwaite side valley and on to the Langstrath boulders there. Unfortunately, I found them really disappointing. I just didn't get what was going on with the problems. Having looked at the main boulder there and it's best problems for a while (like eat yourself whole, 7B) I tried to do some moves hoping the problems might unravel a bit once I got pulling on the holds. To be honest though, I just got more confused with the very low starts and became increasingly unsure as to what holds were in on the problems or how they're supposed to be done. Add to this growing sense of frustration of 'just not getting it', sweaty/humid conditions and Midge at ~55% and rising I wrote it off as a bad job. Ah well, can't win 'em all, at least the long walk in was very nice as walking goes.

Anyway Friday, day 2, was spent in Langdale. After some more classic cragging and walking I headed to Rakerigg which I instantly reckoned was much more like it and had a great time. Though conditions weren't great again and the midge were quite grim the problems seemed well worth hanging about for and once warmed up a bit I got the overlap(7b) and undercuts left hand(7a+) bagged up fairly quickly before retreating content; the midges had reached the ~65% threshold.



^Rakerigg. Photo from the awesome resource that is Lakesbloc.

Saturday, I'd intended to get up to the sampson stones or to try and work a good Birkett route somewhere in Langdale. For one reason or another and to fit in with what my dad was after doing however, we ended up back in Borrowdale and the day followed a similar format to the others. I hit the Bowderstone after some cragging - a venue I was fearful of as I'm still heavy and didn't want to get demoralised finding it too steep and perhaps not being able to do stuff I'd done before. Conditions were great though and I did alright. Did the crack, crack direct & superdirect all first go, sort of warming up but each one feeling a bit too hard for a warm up really! Crack superdirect was a new tick though so that was good.

On to Picnic Sarcastic and did that first go too from standing, albeit climbing it pretty badly and too slowly. The climbing felt unfamiliarly steep and I was conscious I wasn't moving too well on it, slow and reluctant to be dynamic. Still, I was enjoying it and worked the moves on Picnic sitter, gratefully receiving some good beta from some lads there. Started to feel a bit more confident with the angle and got a better sequence sorted for the rest of the problem. First RP, I fell going for the finishing jug having gone too slow again and finding it all quite uphill. Second RP I was going much better but greased off one of the holds a couple of moves from success - felt a bit robbed as had plenty in the tank. 3rd RP I climbed the best I'd done all session and executed well for me. Felt pretty easy which was nice. Got a good feeling of wanting to carry on when I latched the jug and since I wasn't over my pad anymore to make jumping off comfortable I heroically pressed on to reach the ladder and came down that for the first time. Satisfying. Finsihed off getting slapped about by Coming Up For Air, definitely too tired now to link it, felt hard! Good day had, chilled in the sun by Derwent water for a while before heading home.