Back out climbing again after damaging my ribs at Pavey Ark… I wanted to get out on rock as quickly as possible, not just because rock climbing is such brilliant fun, but to help make sure my head was in good shape and I didn’t find myself too scared to climb after my fall on Cruel Sister.
Jon and I spent Thursday at Raven Crag, Langdale and headed up to Iron Crag on Friday.
Iron Crag is an impressively steep place, but being north facing and seeing very little traffic, it was very lichenous and dirty. A shame really, as with more traffic the routes would clean up nicely and would become high quality classic climbs.
Not a route for a weak second as, being a long traverse, it's every bit as serious for the second as the leader.
Iron Crag is in the quiet valley of Soulthwaite Ghyll, an amazing and beautifully peaceful area of the Lakes. Far far away from the hordes of Lakeland tourists. We enjoyed just as much time simply sitting taking in the place as we did climbing. A pair of Wheatears kept us interested whizzing around and feeding their chicks in their ground-nest just a few feet away from where we ate our lunch. Wheatears are a member of the Chat family. I mistakenly thought they were Stonechats – sorry to mislead you there Jon, but I have just been checking the details and apparently their song sounds “even more like the sound of two pebbles being tapped together than the Stonechat’s call” does. ๐
Cool.. Looking good Jon! Pete not so much ๐