For one reason or another, Terry and John Hollands didn’t get away until quite late on Saturday for their proposed trip to Borrowdale and the Grange Hut.
So it came about that they sat in ‘the caf’ at ten past six in the evening, drinking tea and deciding what to do.
Logic said a quick route on Shepherd’s might have been sensible, but John had other ideas – he wanted to do Troutdale Pinnacle!!!
I knew it was daft and would end in trouble, since we didn’t even have torches, but said to myself, ‘what would Pete do?’ OK, I said, ‘let’s do it’ And even then, we didn’t rush to finish our tea.
I know McHaffie had soloed it every Saturday for 20 years in all conditions and that many folk had been benighted on it but had anybody intentionally climbed it in the dark before?
The light was already fading as we started. We did it in three long pitches and on the last one, the light had virtually gone – lucky I knew where all the holds were!
The climb had taken less than an hour, but now the real trouble began – descent in the dark! Determined not to injure ourselves, much of it took place purposely on our arses.
Sunday dawned murky and a day up high, as we had considered, seemed unattractive and Shepherd’s had been too frequented recently. Oddly enough, we did consider Walla crag but memories of that awful approach and lack of landmarks and vegetation on climbs quickly caused rejection. Then I remembered Ian’s post on Christmas Crag last year. So that’s where we went.
Well, its an awful long way but a nice little crag in the sun. Here is Terry on ‘Christmas Pudding’. We had a nice afternoon and did most of what we could, so no need to go back, which I probably won’t.
Amazed to see that I have such influence! ๐ ๐ It sounds scary though… I remember the crucial holds on TP pretty well too, but I’m certain it would be fairly exciting entering and moving up that final groove before the reach left for the “hidden jug” – in the dark!!! ๐ฏ Placing protection must have been exciting – perhaps the crux; “seeing” and placing descent runners? Good job [US accent]! ๐
PS. Christmas Crag looks lovely, but it must have been tame after the ascent of TP in the dark.
Weird, in Langdale, it pissed down Saturday evening and was bright sunshine on Sunday morning. Troutdale Pinnacle in the dark and the wet…. ๐ฏ
I did TP with Sabiene a couple of years ago…. her first real outdoor route and a midweek evening…
she insisted on being able to see me at all times , so the route was done in quite a few short pitches. We topped out at 11pm ๐ฏ and i agree that the way down in the dark is a little tricky! ๐
Pete D:- Well, as it turned out there was a hint of rain but it didn’t actually happen ๐ I certainly couldn’t have done it in the dark and the wet ๐ However, it did rain during the night.
Ian:- I’d call an 11pm finish a benightment ๐ If Sabiene could still see you at 11pm, then she must be a true Kat, with cat-like vision ๐
We got down and raced to Grange to claim our beds, little knowing that there would be 14 at the hut ๐ฎ Fortunately, several were staying in campavans ๐ Then we hastened to the Scafell Hotel and got there at 8.55, only to be told by the pillock behind the bar that they had stopped serving. Fortunately, John has some characteristics in common with out good mate, Mel, in Canmore and, after he had grabbed the guy by the throat over the bar, he agreed to serve us :angry: