I am really not that hardcore

10 April 2021

2 min read

This post is over 4 years old. My thinking may have shifted since then.

I am really not that hardcore. I’m a cakeday climber.

But recently, I took a step up, with both crampons in ice, and lead my first winter / mixed pitch.

Sure, it was small in height.

Sure, it maybe wasn’t 100% ideal conditions.

Sure, there are things I’m now aware I need to improve.

But it worked, it was safe, and it was a step up.
—
I’ve often felt like living for lockdown on the edge of the Peak District is wasted on me.

Rather than enjoying wading through mud, I long for Manchester, Castleton, Bala, Llyn Idwal, Leck Fell, Glen Brittle and Langdale.

And basically, the only options round here is wading though mud.

And I don’t like wading through mud.

Well not long ago, the unimaginable happened – the hills became ‘in condition’ for icy gully climbing. This happens so rarely here, because our winters are warming up.

So me and Meg, headed to Wildboar Clough. This is a super fun, easy-ish summer scramble and in winter, an icy gully of jolly obstacles. Also fairly easy-ish, but plenty challenge for us.

And in fact, we only did the first ‘mini-pitch’ because we were strapped for time, but that was plenty exciting enough for me.

On that mini pitch I placed,
an ok hex
a bomber icicle thread (that in caving we’d call ‘a natural’)
a good 16cm ice screw
ªmost of a 22cm ice screw

Belay building was a new exciting challenge, with “play peekaboo with possible gear placements hidden by snow” the new and fun game I learned to love. Eventually I got an ok nut and an ok hex.

There’s a great deal for me to learn and practice, and hopefully there’ll be more opportunities to do that.
—
It’s taken quite a long time to get to this point, and so many things aligned for this:
‘ having knowledge of trad climbing,
‘ having knowledge of winter walking skills,
‘ having the right conditions,
‘ having [some] knowledge of winter conditions,
‘ having someone up for it, with the right skills, and kit, within the weather window, locally
‘ having the right gear myself, without having given up hope of ever using it

(Continued in comments)