Climbing - Froggat Edge

Cast in order of appearance:  Andy Stratford, Dave Wylie, Jim Symon,  Lester Payne, Nils Elgar, Ding Koy, Roger Dyke, Rob Allen, Geri Mihalkova, Dave Shotton, Emily Pitts, Aleksandra Pawlik, Cathy Gordon, James Williams

Guest:  Paul Gordon

Apology for Absence: Sheena Hendrie, who emailed “I needed more exercise than a trip to Froggatt would provide”.  Right Sheena, we’ll pair you up with Gareth or Jim on the next Meet.

 

Weren’t we lucky with the weather!   Torrential rain and thunderstorm the day before, dry rock when we arrived, warm and sunny all day, then gentle drizzle to speed departure to The Grouse at 4.30.

The Stratford – Symon – Wylie team made a gentle start with Heather Wall HVD 3c, then Jim led the crew up Diamond Crack HS 4b - always yields to a powerful approach.   Next for the team was North Climb HVD 4a - a steady lead by Dave, with the comfort of a vast Friend borrowed from a (wealthy?) spectator.     Terrace Crack HS 4b was next on this team’s list, followed by Green Gut HS 4a, at the top of which Jim found himself belayer to a steady stream including Cathy Gordon who arrived just in time and Emily who was told she had 60 seconds to do it before the belay service closed for the day.   She almost made it – that girl really is quick.

Andy thought he might be getting a rest at this point, but James arrived – travel from the car park no doubt slowed by the impressive rack (3 racks?) of gear he had brought.  James had his eye on Pedestal Crack HVS 5a, and it became Andy’s job to follow him.   Tough route James – well done.

Nils and Ding had a great day.  It started with Nils leading North Climb HVD 4a followed by Terrace Crack HS 4b, then Ding leading Heather Wall HVD 3c.    With Nils back in the lead, next on their list was Sunset Crack HS 4b, followed by the infamous Three Pebble Slab HVS 5a – well done Nils!    Just to celebrate, Nils was followed not only by Ding but also  Rob, Dave (“however did I lead this myself in 1995?”) Shotton, and Geri.  Well done guys!    Glad you had good anchors up there Nils.    Or did everyone manage to stay on?

Finally Nils zipped up the well-polished Slab Recess Direct HS 4c – just as the rain started.   Ding had the good sense not to try to follow in the wet, and Nils abbed for the gear, becoming last man off the rock – watched by those coiling their ropes in the shelter of the trees.  As Nils himself said, a route too far.

Emily and Aleksandra distinguished themselves by walking in right past Froggatt and phoning from Curbar to ask someone to pop to the top of the crag and wave.  Dave S explained that unless they had a telescope this was unlikely to help, and issued words-of-one-syllable instructions instead.     They made it.  Then tackled Grey Slab S 4b, with Aleksandra eventually succeeding on the notorious crack and Dave W being called in to collect her gear.

Rob, Geri and Dave Shotton started with Rob leading the inevitable Heather Wall HVD 3c, moved on to North Climb HVD 4a led by Dave, also with a vast Friend, this one borrowed from Rob, then Sunset Crack HS 4b also led by Dave.  At this point the team got sidetracked by Nils’ offer of a toprope on 3 Pebble Slab….. then the big black scary clouds came over.….

Lester and Roger had a bumbling-around-at-the-crag day, as befits retired gentlemen.     Lester set off up Heather Wall HVD 3c, but after the seventeenth attempt at the hard initial move peeled off just above his second runner, lifting Roger into the air and embedding the runner so well that it needed all Jim’s strength to extract it. 

Eventually reaching the main crack by a technique known only to old Froggatt hands, Lester made it to the top with no problem and Roger followed.  Lester decided Sunset Crack HS 4b was next on his list (you like routes with hard initial moves, Lester?) but with 2 parties queuing below with their eye on the route he generously came down from the start and transferred to Slab and Crack D 2m away.   

This also proved intractable, so we retired for a leisurely lunch – after a chat with Steve & Helen Swygart, KMC members 15-20 years ago, now living near Llandegla.    Good to see you again guys! – and to see you’re still climbing hard as ever.

Having warmed up on Green Gut, Cathy decided it was time to give 14 year old Paul an outing on real rock and led off up Gamma VD.     A confirmed soccer enthusiast, Paul was having none of this so Roger zipped up and collected the gear.

At this point Jim decided that Roger was getting away with a very quiet day, and led Trapeze Direct HS 4c, using both knees on the crux.  Clearly a man who has done it before.  Roger demonstrated that now he has got his weight down to 64kg he has no problem with strenuous 4c moves as long as there is 63kg of tension in the top rope.

Now the drizzle started – throw ropes down crag, scoot to bottom, drag ropes into the trees and get sorted out in the dry.  You can’t do this at Stanage!

Off to the Grouse for a mug of tea – end of a grand day.

Roger Dyke