The Call of the Raven

13 June 2021

2019 was a bumper year for visits to this widely underrated venue, with four visits between May and August that year. The feast turned into a famine for 2020, apart from one little looky with CB in September that year, that day the crag was pretty grungy so we pressed on the the Wainstones.   After 21 months absence hopes are high for catching up this year, so it was great when an out of the blue message on Saturday announced the prospect of a return to the daunting buttresses of;

Raven's Scar

   

9am at Clay Bank car park so the milky sun was still catching some of the prominent aretes and faces when we arrived.

Forest Face offers a brilliant start.

The iphone was on video setting so this is a scrape from a half second video clip.

Pity that, could have been a good one.

MT focusses on sorting his feet ready for some delicate footwork up in a fine position.

TM resets his leader rack and floats upwards on Airlift.

Short clip (best played full screen)

MT follows in good order

TM latches the side pull that offers the key to the lower crux on Via Anna

Shaping up

AT leads the improbably named Sunshine Slab.   Eponymous?  Moi?

TM En Passant pictured.

(photomerge with some artistic license)

It's a fair cop Guv....

An album for the times on route home

Return to Rhyolite

 Thursday May 27th

After over 22 months absence, the time was finally right for a return to Lakeland.  NB takes break from house moving business and free to roam.  Despite demanding quite a long distance solo drive for both, the temptation to get back amongst the much missed destinations out west trumped all other considerations.    NB suggested a great venue to kick us off;

Upper  Scout Crag - Langdale

From Darlington about 1 hour 50 via Red Bank, about ten minutes less via the M6 from Clitheroe way. 

NB assembling gear for the start of  Route 2, which starts up the stepped buttress in the left background.

 Moving smoothly up the crux of the second pitch.

AT on P2

Pic from 2016

The gear is good but even better if all quickdraws are clipped......

Not to mention the advantages of keeping pockets all zipped up.

Good belays are hard to find up top but NB got some bomber gear in on the upper ledge.

Doggo takes a break after a bit of soloing

After a spot of bait AT sets about Route 1 first pitch.  Often suffers seepage in the first few metres, today particularly soppy.

Opted for a roomy lower belay from a good block backed up with a large cam.

Better than the bigger block higher up.

NB gains the fine arete of Pitch 2.

Superb position in a fabulous setting

(excuse the superlatives but 21 months is a long while)

The second of the following pair reaches the same point.

AT climbed the corner a few metres left of the climber

The grassy descent path is v exposed.  

Spot the yellow dot - the next target.

Libations de rigeur as usual.

2021 Lions Limited

 May 25th

The Birmingham gang have come up north again, so another opportunity to have a meet up and invent some nonsense with the crew.  A one day wonder so the EK troops not in range.  RL came up with a wonderplan so we were all set.

The day dawned well......

Arrived at Skelton all present and correct for an alfresco coffee and cakes, then set out on the mission, weather dictated plenty of fluidity in options, but a walk to the fish and chip fleshpots of Saltburn sounded good.

Early bearing check.  We are at position A.

Where is that then?

This option seemed too adventurous to ignore.....

Not surprisingly it was the wrong way....

Returned over the raging torrent and found our way to Saltburn.

.

We rented three of these for 20 minutes and scoffed fish and chips in the dry

Team Surf show their moves

Weather picking up, looks like stage 2 of the plan is GO!

AT confirms that there will be a bus back.  Offers a lame excuse about some past timetable mishaps.

The walk along the cliff top is exposed in places, leads to Cattersty Sands at Skinningrove.

A steep path lands everyone on the beach

Bus back to Skelton caught in good order.

An excellent meet blessed by the weather Gods, the chippie,  the on-time bus, and great company.

12km

500m ascent

Almscliff Antics

 Wednesday 19th May

The unpredictable weather spell drags on in a rather cool autumnal rut.  So short notice planning is the name of the game, 10am till 2pm looked like a worthwhile slot at the all too accessible;

Almscliff!

CB follows AT's lead on Stewpot.  Belay up top and additional friend for the top out thanks to BP

AT not exactly cooking on gas on this top-end VDiff.!

CB followed this with fun and games (?) on the Square Chimney and Whisky Crack combo.

The Chimney only succumbs to traditional tactics.

Otherwise known as desperate.

Not used to watching CB have to work so hard for so little height gain.

BP emerges intact after an epic struggle.

AT finally makes progress with the help of some useful tips from BP (the right arm behind was the key, except it nearly went out of joint) and a very tight rope from CB.

BP jams the way to the finishing jugs.

All pretty exhausting at a mere 4b.

Pinnacle Flake offers more amenable movements after a rather tricky lower third.

CB back to cruising settings.

AT makes the most of the jamming hands on Kiernan's Traverse and Rough Crack

CB and BP managed to follow before the weather gave up and rain stopped play at about 13.30.  Just as planned.

Three hours of excellent sport well worth the trip.

Out West Again

Tuesday 18 May

Eight months since we made it over to the Lakes, finally took a chance on avoiding any showers and headed out to Keswick.  Usual circuit below Catbells and down to the Lakeside.  Return to Keswick for a spot of late lunch - takeaway pasties, and a Booths raid.  Then off to the H&F to collect the set.  On-line ordering a right pain!