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Winter Climbs
Page numbers refer to the
FRCC/Cicerone Press Guide:
Lake District Winter Climbs (2006) |
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FELL and ROCK
CLIMBING CLUB
of the
English Lake District |
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The new FRCC/Cicerone Press guide Lake District Winter Climbs (published in December 2006) details all new winter climbs recorded in the Lake District and Cumbria up to the end of the 2005/6 winter. This page contains new routes and amendments recorded since then.
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Introduction (p15) |
On page 19, the Lake District Weatherline Phone number is 0870 0550575 (not 017687 75757). |
A Plea for Photographs |
Photos of crags in good winter condition are desparately difficult to track down. For the next edition of Lake District winter Climbs we could do with photos of the following crags: Black Crag, Wasdale; Scafell Shamrock; Raven Crag, Combe Ghyll, Borrowdale; Hutaple Crag, Deepdale - plus any others where you can improve on the quality of what we have in the 2006 guide. Please contact the FRCC Guidebook Photographs Editor if you think you have any such photos (in any format). Needless to say any good action photos would also be well received - for these we need to know: crag, route, grade, pitch, name of climber, name of photographer. You don't get paid I'm afraid, but you will get a free guidebook if we use any of your pictures! |
LANGDALE
Great Cove (252 047 ca p50) |
| This is the east most coce of the crinkles and marked as Great Cove on the map
Curving Ridge 150m III
The base of this route is at approximately 700 metres and it is north-west facing.
(4). Climb the obvious curving ridge line over steps and slabby corners.
Steve Ashworth (solo), 21st January 2007
Crinkle Picker 150m IV
251 049.
(4 with a move of 5). Climb the arete of the buttress on the right-hand side of the gully to the right of Terrace Crag. After a saddle at the top of the first ridge section, make a couple of steep moves through a corner before continuing up the buttress.
Steve Ashworth (solo), 21st January 2007
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SCAFELL
East Buttress
(p142) |
SOS (climbed to top of the crag!)
Mark "Ed" Edwards writes: "We went to the East Buttress on 25th January 2007 and Dave Birkett led again the hair raising pitch we did last year up S.O.S (page 143 of the new guide) to the first belay on May Day Climb. He then followed May Day Climb leftwards round the tricky arête and up turf ledges to below an off-width corner formed by a semi-detached pinnacle (approx 12 metres). I led through and got up the off-width by using a rock chocked in the crack that allowed an axe to be hooked (but was not good enough for protection). From the top of the pinnacle I stepped up to a higher ledge and climbed a V-groove with OK gear at the bottom. A couple of turf ledges led to the bottom of the slab, with a faint groove leading straight up it that peters out. With gear at about 3 metres up the slab you then run it out with bold moves left where the groove fades, to reach a turf boss and then a few metres to a long grassy ledge. Here I tried to move right to the end of the ledge to gain a big ice corner but one of the ropes was giving bad drag. I managed to find a clear out a crack for a belay, above the line of climbing up the slab (approx 24 metres). Dave led through up the corner to the top (approx 15 metres). We believed we had done the top pitches of May Day Climb, a route Dave has done a couple of times in summer. However when I look at the diagram in the FRCC Scafell guide I am not now convinced. The diagram which is good and detailed shows a corner to the right of the May Day Corner and I believe we went up this."
Here is a description:
SOS 66m IX
1 15m (10). The mossy groove adjacent to the walled shelter is followed to the first belay on May Day Direct.
2 12m (6). Climb leftwards round the tricky arête and up turf ledges to below an off-width corner formed by a semi-detached pinnacle.
3 24m (6/7). Up the off-width using a rock chocked in the crack. From the top of the pinnacle step up to a higher ledge and climb a V-groove. A couple of turf ledges lead to the bottom of a slab with a faint groove leading straight up it that peters out. Run it out with bold moves left where the groove fades, to reach a turf boss and then a few metres more to a long grassy ledge.
4 15m (3) The corner on the right leads more easily to the top.
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Above: the line taken.
Just to give you an idea of the conditions this photo of Wez Hunter on Pisgah Buttress Direct (V) was taken on the same day (Matt de Vaal).
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SCAFELL
Pikes Crag
(p145) |
| Grand Slam 110m IV **
This route held a good deal of snow when the buttress routes on either side of it were black.
1 40m (5). Start at the bottom of Right of Centre, move up the snow slope on the right and climb the groove at it's top. Follow the groove, initially steep, then easing slightly, then steep again to a belay in cracks on the left wall below a continuation chimney.
2 40m (5). Climb up a short ramp above and slightly right of the belay, and continue up into the rightward-trending chimney above. Follow this to a chockstone. Move up to this and then pull out steeply onto the right arete overlooking the chimney. Continue straight up to a large spike belay.
(These pitches had great mixed climbing on frozen turf, snow, good hooks and occasional torque. They have plentiful rock protection.)
3 30m (3). Climb up and left over turfy ledges to gain a rightwards-facing corner. A couple of steeper moves gain entry to this, which is then followed to the top of the crag.
Huw Davies, Nigel Gregory, Mark Holt, 25th March 2008.
Snow Patrol V (6) *
A direct line up to the crux crack/chimney of The Citadel (Summer VS, 4c), via a difficult corner step up to a ledge below the crux.
1.
Climb the crack/chimney to a good ledge and belay.
2.
Step right 1 metre and climb the turfy corner capped by small roof on awesome layback torques, pass the roof on the right, and go up 5 metres to a belay.
3.
Step left from the belay and climb the stepped turfy corner between The Sentinel and The Citadel.
4. Easier scrambling to the summit of Pulpit Rock.
Mark Thomas, Dave Almond, Tuesday 20th March 2007
Nick Kekus writes: Noticed in Lake District Winter Climbs that Southern Cross has an error. It's my error as I'd previously indicated the route went 'up the groove immediately left of Slanting Groove' when in fact it should read 'right'. The description should read:
Southern Cross IV 145m * 2006
Essentially a direct line on Southern Corner.
The climbing is more in keeping with the first pitch of that route and provides a direct line up this part of the buttress, taking in a groove immediately right of Slanting Groove on pitch 2.
1 40m (4).
Start as for Southern Corner and climb the initial groove of that route. Where Southern Corner moves rightwards, continue up and slightly left to a good ledge beneath a steep wall.
2 30m (5). Climb the wall for 3m until it is possible to move left around the edge. Trend leftwards into an open groove and climb this to where it steepens beneath another rock wall
3 25m (5).
Climb the wall above for a few metres, then move rightwards via a series of cracks to gain a precariously perched block, just below the right arête. Follow the arête to good ledge and belay where Southern Corner comes up from the right.
4 50m (3). Follow Southern Corner to the top of Pulpit Rock.
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ENNERDALE
Pillar Cove
(p182) |
Great Doup Buttress is much better (and longer and harder) than the guide suggests. The following description is proposed (Stephen Reid, Colin Wells).
Great Doup Buttress 200m III ** 1972
An excellent and sustained outing with a fine airy finish along a knife edge arete to the final summit tower. The buttress is the lowest and most prominent central buttress of the outcrops in this isolated cove. Follow the crest of the buttress in six pitches, overcoming the steepest section (Pitch 2) via a leftward-slanting chimney/groove (4) and moving back rightwards onto the crest above this.
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Stephen Reid on the penultimate tower of Great Doup Buttress (Fish-eye Panorama by Colin Wells).
(Please click the image for a larger view). |
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GREAT GABLE
Gable Crag (p186) |
Two new routes climbed by Steve Ashworth, Brian Davison, Stuart Wood (Woody) and Jake Huges in the grade V to VII region on 24th January 2007 - further details awaited.
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One of the new Gable Crag routes. |
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BUTTERMERE
Dove Crag (p233) |
| Photo Caption on page 236: Photo of Stuart Holmes on Chicken out was taken by Peter Batey (not Bailey). |
BUTTERMERE
Force Crag (p239) |
| Photo Caption on page 240: Photo of Martin Armitage on Force Crag Direct was taken by Tony Daly. |
BORROWDALE
Raven Crag (p249) |
| Ian Grimshaw writes; Saw in the new Winter Lakes Guide that Raven Crag Buttress (VD) is not recorded as a winter route. Anna Blackburn, Ian Grimshaw and Tom Hawkins (varied leads) did this route on 20/1/2001, in winter conditions, following the exact summer line. We guessed the route to be III/4, but assumed it had been done before (which it probably has.) |
THIRLMERE
Shoulthwaite Gill
(p280) |
| Photo Caption on page 280: Photo of Tony Daly on Shoulthwaite Gill was taken by Martin Armitage (not Tony Daly). |
EASTERN CRAGS
Red Tarn Cove (p288) |
Gully 2, Left Hand Finish 100m
II
*
Half-way up Gully 2 is a broad groove, steeper than the main line, which breaks left up a series of turfy steps. Follow these until the groove broadens and becomes less steep onto the summit slopes to emerge south of the summit shelter.
This has been climbed a billion times before but isn't recorded in the new winter guide - so bagsy! (Er, I mean, here it is for the record).
Colin Wells 17th December 2007
Grade confirmed by Matt Griffin |
EASTERN CRAGS
Nethermost Pike South Face (p300) |
| Frank Fitzgerald has recorded an early if not the first ascent of Jogebar Gully on 7th February 1955, F Fitzgerald, GA Leaver, Miss SE Evans. He writes: my notes show that I was nearly caught out by windslab at the top! Sunny; snow conditions deteriorating during the day. |
EASTERN CRAGS
High Crag (p300) |
| Gully B is more like 130m (David Bell). |
EASTERN CRAGS
Hutaple Crag
(p337) |
Ampitheatre 150m VIII
A brilliant icy mixed line based around the summer line of the Ampitheatre: if it wasn't for a short section of steep and technical mixed climbing in the iced crux groove of Heat Wave this would be a fantastic VI (6) ice climb. Requires a good build up of water ice.
1 50m (3). Climb the broad ice line to the base of the corner and belay on a large ledge.
2 40m (8). Climb the obvious ice formation on the left-hand side of the slabby wall into the corner. The summer line climbs out right on the slab. Continue up the corner into the undercut overhanging groove (part of the summer line of Heat Wave (E2 5b)), and pull right out of the groove to icicle and warthog belay on turfy ledge.
3 40m (6). Step back left off the belay and climb the icy groove. Continue up easy mixed ground to good belays.
4 20m (3) . Pick a line to the top of the crag.
Stephen Ashworth, Stuart Wood 26th January 2007 |
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Steve Ashworth on Amphitheatre (VIII).
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EASTERN CRAGS
Red Screes North Cove (p349) |
Easter Gully 60m I
Start at the top of an obvious snow/scree fan, 250m right of the descent gully and follow the winding gully to finish on the summit ridge. Fun.
BP Hopton (solo), 24th March 2008 |
FAR EASTERN CRAGS
Smallwater Crag (GR 455095, 600m North-East Facing) |
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Smallwater Crag and the line of Cavers on the Crag (III) |
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Cavers on the Crag 110m III *
Good mixed turfy climbing between large ledges. Start at the obvious icy groove/chimney above a tree.
1 35m (3). Climb the icy grove with some bridging and hooking on the right-hand wall. Exit right at the top and belay at the next rock step.
2 25m (4). Climb the groove immediately left of the belay (crux), continue up the turfy groove and belay at the next rock step below an obvious left-slanting turfy groove.
3 25m (3). Climb turfy ledges to the groove and continue using hooks and turf to a ledge above; belay at the next rock step with a small spike belay and turf placements.
4 25m (2). Ascend the left-slanting turfy groove to gain the arête in a fine position overlooking the gully and continue over the blocky arête to the top.
Adrian Dye, Rob Middleton, 10th February 2007
Adrian Dye leading the first pitch of Cavers on the Crag (III). All photos: Rob Middleton. |
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FAR EASTERN CRAGS
Bleawater Crag (p355) |
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| Chris Dale reports that the lines of 4. Blewater Gill, and 3. Bleawater Ice Fall are wrong on the diagram on page 354. Also that he suspects that the line of 2. Far Left Fall is also wrong. The correct lines are shown above. |
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The following historical details have been unearthed by Stephen Reid.
Deep Ghyll , Scafell:
FRCC Journal Number 2 1908, p199. A note from our President (then Ashley Abraham) acquaints us with an earlier ascent of Deep Ghyll, Scafell, than that commonly accepted as the first ascent in 1886.
Messrs Charles and Lawrence Pilkington, with Mr E Hulton, climbed the ghyll in 1882. Wintry conditions prevailed, and an hour and a half was taken over the second pitch.
North Climb, Pillar Rock:
On page 156 of the FRCC Journal Number 2 (1908) in a reference to North Climb it is stated “ if the conditions are wintry… it is a good idea to lower two climbers into the Savage Gully. ” GD Abraham, The Climbs of the English Lake District . This rather imples that it had been climbed in winter by this date. On page 190 of the same journal the Christmas Meet of 1907 found the crags and gullies in “fine condition” and ringing to the “musical clink of ice axes”. The Napes Arêtes “were soon clear of snow” and the “famous North Climb was literally crowded from top to bottom” This was Dec 31. On the same day a climb first ascended at Easter 1906 ( Shamrock Buttress WG Clay, SP Beeching, G and A Abraham) was repeated when Shamrock Traverse was “swept with sheets of blue ice, affording some strenuous step cutting.” |
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