We had planned to go to Skye for the Spring Bank holiday, but Pete was still recovering from a bad cold and we didn’t feel up for the journey. Instead, the forecast was good for the Lakes, so we decided to stay at home.
Saturday was sunny, and it didn’t seem too breezy, so we opted for a day at Gimmer. By the time we got to the crag there were already a few teams tackling the popular routes on the south east face. As we geared up a few more teams arrived, and amazingly included someone I knew from up in Edinburgh – Ross and his girlfriend Jules. What a small world. They were also chasing the sun and had come south for the weekend.
We scrambled up to the Alphabet Slabs and warmed up on the lovely B Route.
The crag was getting busier, but luckily our next route was available – Spring Bank. Ross was making easy work of Whits End Direct so there was a perfect photo opportunity with Pete about to tackle the crux on Spring Bank.
After a late lunch we finished off with a quick ascent of Gimmer Chimney via Bracket and Slab alternative start.
Sunday was sunny again, but we couldn’t be out late because Pete’s mum was coming round for dinner. We decided to go to Helm Crag. Avoiding the expensive parking in Grasmere, we found a space on the A591 and walked over to the crag.
We started on the newly cleaned left side, not in the current out of print guidebook but will be in the new. It’s a bit loose still, and a bit dirty on the top, but it’s not bad.
We then hummed and ha’d over the poorly protected Beacon Rib, but decided to go for the usual Flarepath, via the Direct start, which has some interesting moments when you step into Beacon Crack.
We sunbathed for a bit, contemplated poorly protected routes for a bit, and then decided it was time for ice-cream in Grassmere, via Lancrigg Hotel gardens and the Wordsworth Memorial.
did anyone else read ‘Spring bonk’ instead of ‘Spring bank’ in the title?
That’s the kind of comment I imagine myself making – & No, on this occasion, I didn’t!