Climbing Outdoors in the UK - ICMC Freshers Trip 2014

(Fri - Sun, 24th - 26th Oct)

If you've seen my bloody hand on FB/instagram, here's the reason. I spent the last weekend scrambling up and over grit stone in the Peak District with ICMC. I kinda jumped at the chance to climb natural rock again, and it was nth short of fun (though painful)! [Grit stone is what it sounds like - gritty, like super coarse sandpaper, and hence the subsequent damage. It's different from the limestone (I think?) in Batu/Krabi. Those weren't that rough but I haven't forgotten their sharp edges.]

Sun before we hardly saw it again

But superficial injury fortunately wasn't the main highlight of my experience, which was nth like any previous climbing trips I've been on. The weather was crazy. Mildly wet + cold + super windy = not v comfortable conditions for doing any sort of outdoor activity, but I guess that's part of the package - you climb outdoors in the cold, wet and windy, or not at all. I piled on layers to climb and my harness (sized for t-shirt and tights) had to be adjusted almost to the max. My feet didn't hurt when I wore my climbing shoes too! Then I tried to wiggle my toes and realised they had fallen asleep in the cold.

The climbs

The first boulder with some easy routes

On Sat we went to an area called Stanage, more specifically, The Plantation. First time bouldering outdoors! Although I spent half the day bouldering, and the other half hiding from the wind. We picked some easy routes for starters and managed to complete them (and take some photos on top of the boulder hahaha) and I felt quite warm and ready to climb some more. Then the weather decided to be nasty and deal us strong winds with intermittent rain. The cold makes it v difficult to start climbing coz the fingers get all numb and raw, but climbing is the only way to keep warm enough to continue. I have concluded that our low level of activity this day was coz bouldering meant we were always close to the ground. Higher chance of sitting and resting and in the end feeling too cold to get back on the rocks. But I still blame the weather :/

Completed my first ever natural boulder problem!

Not the same with high walling. You're kept on the move finding routes to do and when you're belaying/tied in you're committed to climb. Which was why I found the next day much more fruitful.

The first route I seconded (inside the cavity)

A senior told us that top-roping is frowned upon in the UK. Sometimes it's coz top-roping is a "safer option" that makes routes a lot less intimidating, and hence accessible to more people. The more people go on the rocks, the more it wears down. But mostly it's coz top-roping is seen as cheating, like not true completion of a route. Here, sport or trad climbing is the way to go.

If you look carefully, you can see 2 ropes

I spent the second day seconding [ha] in Burbage North. In some ways, it was top-roping except with the extra element of cleaning (taking off) trad gear the first climber placed for protection. Mostly, trad climbers do routes easier than what they can do indoors coz of the inherent danger. The routes I did were simple (in trad grade mostly V diff), but I still struggled coz of a few reasons: (1) The weather (2) most of the climbs were cracks which I haven't experienced much of i.e. spent a lot of time experimenting and feeling around (3) I sometimes quite chicken, so I spent a lot of time testing before committing. And I was on top-rope!

Nevertheless, it was a good day of inching up the rock, squeezing my hands/arms/whole body into cracks and whaling/belly-flopping over the top. Did a total of four routes that day, which doesn't sound a lot. But I was grouped with 2 seniors and on each route all of us would climb to the top before coiling the rope and walking down an easier path, which took time. Trad climbers use 2 "half" ropes in leading up, and they set up a top-rope system when they get to the top so two people get to second up after them. [Sounds pretty garbled, but I did my best to summarise haha.] I also learnt to lead belay with two ropes - there are differences to normal lead belaying.

All cracks. There is an extra rope here from a previous climb btw.

This was also the day I got most of my scrapes and cuts and bloody fingers. I spent a lot of time feeling inside cracks for purchase and pretty much sanded my fingers and knuckles down without realising it. When you're climbing you're psyched and don't feel the pain, and then get a shock at the top. I got my first bloody flapper here, and it wasn't a small amount of blood >.< I was reluctant to wipe it off on my clothes and I didn't want to leave bloodstains on the rope. So I tried to wipe it off on a rock before asking for a passing senior for tape. My hands are pretty sore now to be honest.

The worst is under the tape. Semi-healed as of 28/10

Everything else
We were packed into 3 mini-buses along with sooo much equipment to get to the peaks and stayed in a village hall while we were there, a short drive away from the crags. There was heating which was awesome and mats to put our sleeping bags on, but no showers (not needed anyway coz it was too cold to perspire).

Packed with mats. Warm up in the mini-bus climbing over stuff.

Hole in the wall for food.

 I don't think I slept properly at all those 2 nights. 2 cans of beer didn't help one bit.

Food was great! The seniors got up early (earlier than 6.30am) to make bfast on both days for everyone - effort (Y). Also got to try ICMC chilli, and help making it (there is a special ingredient)! Cooking for 45 ppl is crazy, but an efficient supply chain always helps. The uncooked food (almost all sains basic xD) came in piles and we literally spent a few hours chopping and cooking. I wasn't hungry anymore by the time I got to eat, but it was fun to help out :) Unfortunately, I didn't get to take part in the sock game (an ICMC tradition where 2 ppl try to pull each other's sock off while suspended from the ceiling in their harnesses) :( Idea for UMC to consider so I can play? Hahaha.

Ever seen this much garlic at once?

ICMC chilli! No, it's not the chilli we know, but it was nice :)

So ended my first outdoor climbing experience in the UK. The weather made such a huge impact and I wasn't expecting it to be this bad. I think it's still more comfortable to climb in the tropics, drenched in sweat over numb fingers and toes any day! Maybe if the wind just calmed down for a moment, it would have been really pleasant weather. But still, it was great fun :) Let's see if I have the time to join any more outdoor trips before I leave.

The peaks are brown now. It's definitely colder.