28 May 2012

Coastal Birthday Bash

Well I think its time for a coastal meet, somewhere away from the midges, also it's my birthday soon, so a good excuse for a full weekends climbing, Ice cream, Fish and chips, bouldering, swimming, bring your speedo's.
The date for the meet is the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of June. The venue for the Saturday is Boulby.
 A vast coastal venue just past Whitby, all are welcome as long as you contribute to the betaguides approach shoe charity box as mine have finally given up and gone to converse heaven.

Day two, if the weather holds, might be at a new wooded venue with some hard projects on glacial blocks, that have never been tickled by the hand of a modern day bouldering fanatic, until now.
 Boulby Blocks, so many! 
 Sunrise on the coast, Photo Jason Wood
 R.I.P, maybe one more trip? 
Steam Trains, Trout fishing, Woodpeckers, wild flowers, wooded valley bouldering on glacial blocks, on some of the best rock in the moors.

21 May 2012

Four Visit Rule

A double hit today, firstly to a new crag with blocks, It was a bit damp so did a little cleaning, then moved onto Cook's Crag. This was my fourth visit to Cook's and things seem to come into focus after four of more visits to a venue, I've got my head round what's there now. 
Cook's Crag was opened to the elements about a year ago by the forestry commission (I never did it, honest), so the condition of the rock is better and it's a lot less green. The perfect time to work out what the big boulder below the crag has to offer.

If you fancy a day here combine Cook's crag with all the little quarries nearby and you have a full days climbing, It's great place to be introduced to bouldering with a good selection of 6's you can tick off as you progress. Click here for Climb Online PDF 

Nimrod, Old school E2 6a Slopers, Crimps, Undercuts
Mark on Submariner, probably 6a+ now? the friction was amazing now it's dry and out the woods.
James on Marrs Attacks 7a, a worthy eliminate and the hardest problem on the crag. 

13 May 2012

Lee Minutes = walk in time x2

A good day for me today, A day out with some old and new friends, climbing on forgotten rock on the Moors. returning to remote venues that hold some hard problems and even harder projects. A good few problems got done, with some good efforts on some of the harder projects 
Neil on the £20 says you will not flash it, lucky for me he didn't 
Terrible holds!
Aido showing the way
Neil keeping his cool
Time for some Hong Kong Fuey moves on the hanging arete

11 May 2012

Crag Regeneration

My last friday off work for a bit, so made the most of it by doing a bit of exploring with Mike, checking out some old quarries and some stuff Mike had found previously. The good finds had usual signs of a youthful nights drinking with a fire. The bigger and steeper buttress the bigger the fire in this case!
The wall soon cleaned up and rapidly gave some cracking problems, with a couple to go back to.
I might have smelt like a bacon frazzle and looked like a commando but it was worth it.
The Mag Lime Caretaker "who did this?"
might buy him some overalls and a brush
Pinches and crimps, very nice
In the heart of darkness, great moves
On the way back to the car, fields of yellow gold, a great sight this time of year 

5 May 2012

The Pursuit of Happiness

Quite a lot on at the moment, The Moors guide is all-absorbing, maps, photos, topos. I am happy with the content that will be included in the guide, but at the same time realise the area has even more to offer. It keeps pulling me back to what I love best, exploring. So some areas can be put in the second guide. Also I have decided to invest into the Betaguides website, merging the database with the blog and adding a shop to sell guides that are available to the relative areas. I must be mad to put the effort into doing this, but I think if one person gets as much out of exploring as I have, or gets out climbing to some of the locations and experience some of the problems or venues a guidebook has to offer then it will all be worth it.
Heaven is living at the venue, with the sausages cooking
Steve on his project
More good blocks to clean (looked worth it)
A good place to camp
Perfect little hold
A resident robin with a built in instinct to know that human disturbance or appearance will be a source of food.