Climbing At Rivelin and Millstone - 8th to 9th March 2008

First time to Rivelin, started off overcast but a bit of soloing and it brightened up enough to tick a few 3 Star classics and check out The Brush Off Area. Millstone quarry on sunday, this had huge flat slabs with long winding finger jamming cracks and soaring arretes. A day here and I knew that I definitely wanted to get back there soon.

Climbing At Stanage - 23rd February 2008

I got My first E4, "Old Friends", a classic three star route at Stanage High Neb, I had top roped this the week before and the start had felt 6a, I knew the crux was placing the gear in the roof from a precarious position below before commiting to a strong move to reach the horizontal ledge above. The only gear before this point was a side runner in the flake which fell out immediately, turning the first half of the route into a solo. However it went like a dream even in windy conditions.

Climbing At Froggatt & Stanage - 9th th 10th February 2008

First Trad trip of the year and keen to get straight into it. Kelvin and I were keen to have a look at Long John Slab and both got it clean repeatedly on top rope but the rock began to warm up so we decided to leave the lead for the time being and get on something else. However, feeling inspired I went in search off an alternatively bold slab, I’d seen someone on Browns Eliminate years ago and said I’d never do anything like that only to find myself now heading up there to check it out. Setting a good cam in the left hand arête it was then decision time to commit and head up the wall, it was an incredible line and the 3 stars were totally warranted. After this I felt totally psyched so with no more excuses left we top roped Long John Slab one more time and then it was now or never so I went for the Lead. I was pretty concerned about the fall but as soon as I was committed to the slab the prep had paid off and it felt really smooth. Sunday, headed to Marble Wall as I’ve wanted to check it out for ages and got a grit wake up call on Orang-outtang after underestimating how strong the moves were for getting out from the roof and how poor the front rest was, but a lesson learnt for the year of trad ahead.

Climbing at Stanage - 15th September 2007

Stanage – Quietus has always been on my wish list. The first time I climbed outside was at High Neb and I couldn’t even comprehend the possibility of being able to do this. However in more recent years just not wanting to mess it up has meant that I’ve put this off for far too long. Watching a climber dogging up this on the previous weekend frustrated me enough to finally just get on it. I wasn’t disappointed, this was an great 3 star route and I was really pleased to give it the clean ascent it deserved, afterwards I wondered what had taken me so long to come and do this.

Climbing at Stanage - 30th September 2007

Hadn't been back to High Neb for years, so it was great to be able to enjoy climbing some classic lines which had once seemed so daunting and appreciate that I must have improved a bit! However I couldn't resist High Neb Edge, it had a great crux at the start, although not saving a crucial cam for the top section made it bolder than it needed to be.

Bouldering & Climbing at Stange & Burbage North - 04th to 5th August 2007

Headed to the Black Hawk Area at Stanage, a chance to get back into a bit of Trad after far too long. Prudence had some great moves following the diagonal finger crack across the face and the Eliminator is now a must when coming to this area with it's long flowing reaches! Burbage North has a great first section for soloing and is great for a warm up in particular Route 4 with a high crux to test your confidence and then Knights Move and down to the Long Tall Sally sector to tick a few fun 3 star lines.

Climbing at Stanage - 7th - 8th July 2007

A great weekend outside with Rob and Amii apart from the weather, thought i'd picked a great inspiring line, Robin Hood's Right-hand Buttress Direct Hs 4a, only to see it covered in a torrential downpour while Amii was about half way up and I was belaying from the top feeling like I had caught hypothermia, brrr.

Climbing at Stanage - 6th May 2007

I had got excited about getting on Flying Buttress Direct this weekend only to arrive and watch it being doused by a rain shower. But, a warm up on some routes nearby and a break in the weather made it far too tempting to leave for another day. It felt dramatic and reaching out to the first roof felt committing, although the gear was good the key cams seemed to have unnervingly shallow placements. However, once past this reaching through the roofs and getting some nice heel hooks was totally exhilarating. Repeating this on second to get the gear for Andy was a chance to really enjoy it after knowing the moves. Kirkus’s Corner is the climb on the front cover of the old East Peaks guide and was a real classic, setting the final gear at the base of the initial roof gives a true bold padding experience.

Bouldering at Stanage & Burbage North - 24th to 25th March 2007

Climbing at Burbage South - 27th January 2007

Climbing at Stanage - 2006

Black Hawk Bastion

Bouldering at Stanage & Gardoms - 4th to 5th November 2006

Climbing at Stanage & Lawrencefield - 23rd to 24th September 2006

A very inspired day of climbing, first of all I decided that I'd not pushed my grade for a while so a quick look at Black Hawk Bastion and I was on my way, Miserable weather but with people keen to climb we stuck it out but typically I found myself having to retrieve gear in a heavy downpoor.

Climbing at Froggatt - 16th September 2006

Great to meet up with an old climbing mate and tick some classic 3 star routes I’ve been wanting to do for ages. Last time I wanted to get on Valkyrie someone was using the base of it as a toilet, nice! This time more luck, although not a pushover with an incredibly polished first pitch and a classic committing one move wonder on the second. Three Pebble Slab is a real foot smear test but incredibly satisfying after the initial hesitation to comit. I’m not sure if getting over the block and onto the slab could be done with any kind of style but although effective my ascent was probably not classic. Strapiombante has been on my list to do for a while and over eagerness to just get on and do this before we left for the day meant I didn’t check it out or read the beta on the long reach across to the final ledge. Not reaching far enough and as a result having to cross through with my hands on a poor sloper mean’t I took a great fall down and round the corner, a quick check in the book and it went clean on the second attempt but I was totally gutted for not giving it the time it deserved.

Bouldering at Cratcliffe & Froggatt 29th to 30th April 2006

Climbing at Bamford & Stanage - 11th to 12th June 2005

Headed out with Fritz who was more used to US big wall climbing than short technical routes but was up for a Peaks experience. Had an excellent day at Bamford despite being eaten alive by the midgies, the friction here was excellent and we went from Severe to E2 in a day, Auricle E2 5c was my first at ths grade and I was pleased to onsight it even though it was definitely low in the grade, however no such luck on Jetrunner E4 5c, without the right gear I opted for two opposing micro nuts and as I stepped above this I realised they would never hold so dissapointingly retreated to leave it for another day. My favourite route by far however was Parliament HVS 5b, a long winding route that is underestimated and deserves 3 stars without doubt! Sunday we went to Stanage Plantation, I was keen to tick another E2 but felt the one at Bamford had seemed lower in the grade than I expected, Stanage I knew would have more defined grades so Pot Black E2 5b although possibly low in the grade looked like a good contender. solid gear set half way but then with this at your feet it's a high step and then reach to a shallow groove, It was a one move wonder but did feel bold due to the possibility of decking out.