Apocalypse, Tales from the West & Vector

Written by LakesBloc Monday, 05 November 2007 00:00

Here in the Lakes the weather has taken a turn for the worse (windy and rainy err!) but not before it had chance to endow us with a decent autumnal week of fresh(er) weather, interlaced with light cloud and a sprinkling of sunny spells.

After a tip-off from Lakeland climbing maharishi, Trev Suddaby, Tom Dixon and Mike Robinson checked out a small quarry just off the A591 north of Grasmere (G.R. 336091). Word had it that Keswick defecting strongman, Adam Hocking, had checked the area out but not climbed, so it seemed the guys had virgin turf on their hands…

Tom climbed the standout line, an obvious highball arête (5/6m), after cleaning it on abseil, to give Apocalypse 6c+/V5. The team also climbed a handful of other easier bit's and pieces and said that there may be room for a few more additions, including a relatively amenable, but good looking wall project.

Over in the Duddon Valley Greg Chapman went prospecting in the vicinity of Seathwaite reservoir - an area that has already given up a few tasty morsels. He cleaned up and climbed, from sitting, an impeccable wall/prow on Horse How (marked as project 3 on the topo) to give, Once Upon a Time in the West (7b+/V8) a line of instantly classic (if esoteric) status.

Image top right: Apocalypse (6c+/V5)

Finally, up at Thorn Crag Chapman saw two session's worth of effort bare fruit in the shape of a dynamic new problem below the Upper Tier of the main crag. Vector (8a/V11) is essentially a wild two move expulsion of controlled thrust, setting forth from a frown like set-up of in-cut crimps to a slopey rail 1.5m's away. The distance might not sound particularly far, but the foot holds are POOR and the angle of the rock is such that miscalculations can result in a messy landing. There are some action shots of Vector. In between sending Vector and starting work on another project, Greg found time to clean up and climb a really smart new 6c/V4, on the large block in front of the classic E4, Kissing the Pink. Situated on the right side of the south face of the block is a pleasant, easy jug pull on flakes; to the left of this is a pit. From a sit start in the pit climb the flawless left side of the face via stretched moves on side-pulls to a glorious high finish on jugs, magic!

Image bottom left: Once Upon a Time in the West (7b+/V8)