SUMC - Swansea University Mountaineering Club

Leaving Swansea in a minibus that had suffered from a years worth of abuse, it looked and sounded very worse for wear, especially the hand brake! As there were only 6 people going on the trip, the minibus was hardly cramped. Four to five hours later, we arrived at Thorpe Farm in Hathersage. A quick stop to get some grub, we headed to the crag! With Bodger's very tasteful neon orange and lime bouldering matt, and a Manga style bouldering matt lent from Tom the group headed to Burbage South for some evening bouldering on the likes of the Liver and the Kidney or as Steff calls them the Steak and Kidney, maybe he was hungry? We adjusted our climbing style to climbing on grit, with some traverses and balancy problems.

Whats that? You need technique to climb here? What I cant just grab a loose rock, do a pull up on it and scream BELOW to warn my seconder of the imminent rock fall?

We decide that the next day would be spent at Stanage Popular, as we expected it to be super busy on the weekend, so Friday we headed for a hard days climbing. Steff and Pete geared up and headed to get warmed up on some classic easy routes. Simon was left in the capable hands of the wise Bodger. Between them the pair knocked up 6 climbs during the day, Simon leading Anatomy & Hollybush Crack, both VDiff. Owen tackled the Black Hawk Hell Crack, S, which in actual fact he found quite pleasant perhaps "Colourful Bunny Heavenly Jug" would be a better name? The pair climbed two HVDiffs, Recess Wall & Crack and Corner. After gearing up with stupid amounts of gear the first target for the day for me and Matt was Heather Wall, VS 4c. Struggling with gear placements the entire way up, and getting a serious pump I was glad to be at the top, to belay. Matt then lead Manchester Buttress, HS 4b, with good looking protection Matt meandered his way around this route to the crux. He then gained an exposed bulge, to a tricky finish at the top. Next was Gargoyle Buttress, VS 4b, the climb started with traverse with probably bomber gear but I wasn't happy with any so I rammed the crack with as much protection as I could, which resulted in massive amount of rope drag I regretted later. Once Matt had seconded the climb it was lunch time! After catching up with rest of the group Bodge recommended Christmas Crack HS 4b to Matt, a good climb following a crack, sustained at times. The final climb of the day for myself and Matt was Central Trinity VS 4c. Having a mare on the two other climbs I said I wouldn't do another VS that day. But watching a local make light work of it, I thought I'd give it a go. A good route using hand jamming, the crux at mid height, and an easy top section. The group did pretty well for a first day on grit, each pair averaging about 5 climbs for the day, fairly respectable I'd say!

As we had thought Stanage Popular was super busy with groups of sprogs, we stayed on Stanage but the Northern End. Where a 15 minute walking reduced the numbers at the crag severely. The group mostly spent the day on Cosmic Buttress, Simon leading X-ray HS, 4b whilst Matt attempted Electron VS,4c. Simon did well on X-Ray making light work of the route, as Matt struggled on the crux of Electron in an awkward move over a bulge which Matt straddled elegantly. Owen gave Beanpod S,4a a try on the same buttress, while suggesting Cosmic Crack VS, 4c to me. A fantastic route, bomber gear, with a brilliant airy finish. Top Notch! Lunch time again, Pete and Steff fancied something a little harder after lunch so set up a top rope on something stupid like an E3 or E4, which was basically a blank slab, silly boys!. Simon and Owen went to another buttress to do the excellent Aries, HS 4b a tricky start off the ground moving up to a overhead jamming crack, over far to soon. Matt lead Simon's first route of the day, X-ray. After this I tackled Quantum Crack HVS, 5a a bouldering problem start, over a roof up a short slab, coming out of another roof. My climb of the trip, an unprotected start really, I chose to place gear below me just in case I came off the slab. Up the slab then ram in plenty of gear in the bottom of the roof and flake nearby. Matt seconded and agreed it was the climb of the trip, Simon and Owen also top roped the route, a Stu recommendation! Hearing about Aries from Simon, he fancied it to end the day off, Owen had similar ideas with Youth, VD. Pete and Steff on the other hand thought the best way to warm down and end the day would be to do a chimney?!

Saturday night was curry night! Oh yes I had been looking forward to this, two hard days climbing on grit, my fingers were a tad raw and I hadn't had a ruby murray in yonks! What looked like a small tiny curry house from the outside was actually quite big once we got in, got harassed by locals for wearing t-shirts and shorts into the place. Maybe it was because I hadn't had one in ages, but the meal was fantastic, probably the best curry I've ever had. Most of the group would agree I think, back to the farm for some tinnies. As a few people wanted to get home at a reasonable hour on the Sunday we decided another spot of bouldering would be best at Burbage North, nice easy walk in, hardly any kit needed: bargain!

We started on the Chant area doing some low level traverses, and building up to some highball(ish) routes, we think they were Route 3,2 and 1. No idea what the grades were, but they were good fun all the same. After we had done most of the problems at out level, we moved onto another part of the crag, Triangle Buttress. Where myself, Simon and Matt soloed Leaning Wall Direct VS, 5a, and an un-named route. Simon did extremely well as he soloed his first VS, before even leading one, nice little boast that, good effort! The last problem was found by Steff, after trying it the year before, we were hopefully that at least a few of us would be able to do it? A dyno with shit footholds, onto a razor sharp crack. No thanks I’m quite happy to keep my fingers. Alas no one was able to do the fiendish dyno. A few hours bouldering and it was time to head back and look forward to the five hour journey back to Swansea, in stupidly hot weather.

Thanks to Matt and Owen for driving us back, forth and around the grit country, to Pete Steff and Si, thanks for coming had an awesome trip, hope you did to. For those that couldn't make the trip I know you were pretty gutted, bet this detailed write up hasn't helped! HA HA

Stu
http://www.uwsmc.org.uk