Andy topping out on Rotunda Buttres (Photo: Peter Walker)  



Base Camp (Roger Dyke)
Arrival of the Gurus (Roger Dyke)
Rob demonstrates (Roger Dyke)
Dan dances (Roger Dyke)
Laura Launches Out (Roger Dyke)
Dave does it Daintily (Roger Dyke)
Mark heads upTechnical Slab (Roger Dyke)
Dan dominates West's Wallaby (Roger Dyke)
Carolyn following West's Wallaby (Dave Wylie)
Carolyn high on West's Wallaby (Dave Wylie)
Mike Preece inspects the crux of Saul's Crack (Roger Dyke)
Dave Shotton at the crux of Saul's Crack (Roger Dyke)
Andy at the crux of Rotunda Buttress.jpg (Roger Dyke)
Andy at the crux of Rotunda Buttress (Peter Walker)
Andy topping out on Rotunda Buttres (Peter Walker)
Jason at the crux of Kelly's Shelf (Roger Dyke)
Saul's Crack Knee (Roger Dyke)


Roaches


Present , in order of appearance:- Dan O’Brien and guest Rob Embrey, Mark Ashley, Andy Stratford and guest Jason Hardy, Carolyn Mills, Dave Shotton, ex-members and guests of Roger Martin Heaton, Zoe, and their 9 year old son Alex. Ding Oi Koy, Dave Dillon, Mike Preece, Dave Wylie, Iain McCallum, Pete Walker, Alan (Liverpool) Jones, Laura Collier and of course the Controller of the Weather himself Roger Dyke.

 

A grand day out indeed. Mark set out to get maximum points this weekend, by swimming at Pickmere on the way there, camping at Hen Cloud, arriving first at the crag, and taking the Meet Leader up an easy route before going off to do some real climbing. But Dan and Rob had started really early and were already bouldering when Mark and I came up the steps.

Rob kindly set up a beginners’ slackline and gave demos, lessons and encouragement – but was still acknowledged Best On Line at the end of the day. www.wikihow.com/Walk-a-Slackline reported record traffic the following week, and Manchester Royal has built an extension to its A&E.

It was good to see Iain, and as is our tradition we had a quick review of Ty Powdwr’s sewage system and hot-water arrangements.

Pete Walker and Alan (L) Jones joined us for lunch and reminiscences, Pete celebrating 50 years since he first climbed at the Roaches – ten years more than the meet leader.

 

Meanwhile, at the rockface…

Mark led Right Route, Kelly’s Shelf, Technical Slab, Black Velvet, Jelly Roll, Aqua…and had a serious think about The Sloth.

Dan led West’s Wallaby with borrowed gear (replenished at the ½-way point) and only Carolyn could follow him.

Dave Shotton led Aqua by mistake, believing it to be Damascus Crack, Saul’s Crack by sheer determination on a wave of good wishes and encouragement, and finally Right Route by intent. At the Swim weekend a week later, we could all see that Saul’s Crack had taken its pound of flesh from Dave’s knee. Noble battle-scars Dave…

The powerful Andy-Jason team knocked off Black & Tans, Damascus Crack by the Tower finish, Left Pedestal Route by the Rope-Jam finish, Rotunda Buttress, and probably more that I didn’t spot.

Carolyn led Central Route, Rotunda Buttress and Damascus Crack, in addition to being one of the best on the slackline.

Pete Walker was particularly pleased to see all the ascents of Rotunda Buttress: he reminded me that Bowden Black, one of our Founder Members, made the first ascent in 1945. In those days it was hemp rope, Woolworths plimsolls, and very little gear, so the route was then even more necky than Andy pronounced it on Sunday.

Mike Preece gave Saul’s Crack a serious try, and had more success with Technical Slab and Rotunda Buttress.

Dave Wylie led Damascus Crack and Maud’s Garden, and demonstrated just how easy the crux of Aqua is when you are 7ft tall and competent with it, but failed to coach Laura – arriving late due to parking at Roach End (mind you, by that time of day that was probably as near as you could park to the crag anyway) – to replicate his agility.

Ding put in some serious belaying, notably at the foot of Saul’s Crack.

Martin, Zoe and Alex had fun in the boulders, and were the only team to sample the Lower Tier.

We only really explored the centre and north of the Upper Tier: next year we must get to grips with its southern end, the Lower Tier, and the delights of Skyline….. and who is up for The Sloth?

 

Epitaph at The Roaches

The Roaches Meet was great fun, but saddened a little for me by the news from Gary Gibson at lunchtime that Fred Crook had died from cancer. Fred was one of the bunch of Roaches enthusiasts I had come to know over the years who all climbed far harder than I could. Fred was one of the oldest – even older than me – but great fun to be with. I’ll miss him.

While we were making our mass ascents of Aqua, Gary and co were celebrating Fred’s life by doing battle with the adjacent route, Quickbrew E2 5c, which Fred put up in 1981.



Roger Dyke
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