Epic Slate

Well, I managed to finish off my last project at the Cornice. Truth be told there was probably time for one or two more but I just can't justify the time. Evening sessions are too short and the Verdon is looming on the horizon and I'm yet to be convinced of how transferable any Cornice based climbing is to L'Escales!

That said, I can't really complain. Between this Cornice and the currently unloved steeper version I've had a fantastic haul of high quality routes this year. I'm happy. Maybe I'm slightly gutted that I didn't have the forethought to clean up Monumental or invest time into Butterflies but it'll dry again (it will dry again?).

The last evening session on lime came and went last thursday and I opted for mileage, packing as many routes as I could into the two hour window before darkness. Its a good crag for that with everything from Martial to Bored on offer. I left suitably pumped.

Beyond pure fitness (50m to at least 150m anybody?) there are a few other factors playing on my mind. Firstly, exposure, its not something you get a lot of on Peak Lime and there are few places that I've been with quite the breathtaking expanse of nothingness below a belay than L'Escales. Secondly, ropework. Between the pair of us (bitching a lot) we've ended up with knots in ropes, ropes stuck around tree's and generally a sphagetti junction type affair whenever we've tried to 'move fast'. In order for us to get things done on this trip it needs to stop.

What better place to cure it than a day on the slate romping up some 4 pitch (at a mere 75m) fully bolted MP routes?

It was epic. Walking in we noticed some bright folks (from London town) had pitched tents adjacent to the main path, fools. Following the directions we were given we soon found ourselves balancing our way to the Golgotha area and the mouth of the skull. I love the tunnels in the quarries, this one emerges giving you a grand view of Twll Mawr and the intimidation beings. Descending a large scree slope is entertaining when dry, deadly when wet yet we made it to the base of the route without incident, just in time to see the showers blow in.

Moments later the strange silence was broken by the instantly recognizable terror inducing noise of rockfall as people rained down rock from the upper track, the both of us huddled at the base, screaming rude words until it stopped.

The route was fully wet by now and I began exploring the quarries, sheep in bags and old mine equipment litter the floor as well as alarmingly large blocks sporting a Petzl hanger! The slippy floor. I went arse over tit grabbing the nearest thing for support however it turns out this convenient handle was actually crafted from a slate razor which gashed my palm like a papercut on steroids. Ouch. As the route clearly needed to dry off I balanced my way back up to the bags at the top of the scree (very slippery when wet) to find the 'streamlining' of my bag (by my other half) consisted of removing the finger tape. I slithered back down.

By now it had dried off enough to have a go (even if my palm was still pissing blood), but not for long. Mid crux and the slate was once again dripping. I lowered off and we walked back up the scree sulking.

The other mouth of the tunnel leads to roughly the first stance and after returning to this level we could see it had dried off once again. We rejoined at the first belay and lowered down to get the first pitch done. Nat made it look far easier than I felt she should. Pitch 2 and predictably it began raining again. Nat suggested we give up and I ended up downclimbing the majority of the pitch as it progressively became wetter so we could walk off through the tunnels (which we did).

By now we were both a little grumpy and went to wait it out at the top level. After discussions with a few very local locals (think Royston Vasey), the other route of interest dried out. Back down we went and this went without a hiccup (and oddly felt a fair bit easier?).

Supermassive still looked fairly wet from above but then I couldn't work out how black the dolerite slab looked that morning. I convinced myself it was always that black and off we trotted once more, the slate was dry, the dolerite wasn't. Thankfully the wet pitch, was the easy pitch.

As I said, EPIC. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come... Next time I go back its Dark Half or Spong, lets keep things simple!

ps - apologies for getting blood on the route.