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Back at Little Almscliff
It had somehow been more than two years since I had last climbed at Little Almscliff. I had wanted to go back, as it’s a fantastic, small outcrop of gritstone with interesting, easier bouldering and...
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Father and Son Bouldering at High Crag (Stump Cross)
A long period of dry weather recently gave my son and me a chance to go climbing at High Crag, on the moors not that far from Stump Cross Caverns. We did some fun climbing, on a glorious day, and on a...
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Bouldering at Carrock Fell
A couple of weeks ago I had a great weekend bouldering on the sharp gabbro boulders of Carrock Fell in the Lake District. The sun shone brightly, the gorse was in bloom, the rock was full of friction,...
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Traversing at Low Roof
In the run-up to Christmas last year, I went bouldering at the Low Roof sector of Brimham Rocks for the first time. It was a good trip, but I unfortunately ran out of time before I could try a couple...
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Father and Son Bouldering at Almscliff
My son and I had a great bouldering trip to Almscliff last weekend. He had fun playing among the rocks and skilfully climbing up some relatively challenging lines. I enjoyed trying a few problems that...
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A Short Trip to Low Roof
Brimham Rocks is best known for its jumble of amazing, bizarrely-shaped pinnacles, cliffs and boulders. This gritstone wonderland was always what I pictured when I thought of Brimham Rocks, and always...
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Just a Little Bit is Enough
On my last bouldering trip, I succeeded in completing just one problem that I had failed to climb on several earlier visits. That might not seem like much, but it was enough. After a long period in...
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This Should Have Been Frustrating
I doubt that I’ve ever climbed so consistently poorly. Despite choosing to climb only easy problems, everything felt challenging, and nothing came easily. I failed to do boulder problems that I could...
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Frosty Bouldering at Almscliff
I woke up on Saturday morning to clear skies and a crisp frost. The perfect, and long-awaited, combination of perfect gritstone bouldering conditions, and the opportunity to take advantage of them. I...
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A Quiet Sunday Morning at Brimham Rocks
I think every rock climber knows that strong urge to get outside and climb. It’s a compulsion that gets stronger the longer you’ve been away. It intensifies on those days when the weather is good, and...
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A Quiet Sunday Morning at Little Almscliff
A few months ago, I walked around the small crag of Little Almscliff. I’d climbed a lot at Almscliff and wanted to see what bouldering on its diminutive namesake offered. It was clear that Little...
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A Lesson in Checking the Guidebook
On the hottest day of the day 2022 heatwave, we escaped to the Yorkshire moors to go bouldering. I thought that there was sure to be a breeze, maybe even a cool one, on high, open ground. I was right...
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Somewhere New
Me climbing Worn Down (Font 3) at Almscliff, Yorkshire. It’s been a while since I last wrote a blog post. The main reasons for this were that the pandemic, and actually getting Covid-19, made it hard...
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Back to Climbing (Concrete)
It was really good to get back to climbing after so long. My weekends away climbing, and weekend visits to the climbing wall all stopped with the pandemic lockdown. I’ve missed it in so many ways....
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Joshua Tree Climbing Salve Review
Joshua Tree Climbing Salve Quite a few people responded to my earlier reviews of hand balms for climbers by raving about Joshua Tree Climbing Salve, and suggesting I give it a go. Unfortunately, it...
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Trying Again and a Little Bit of History
A little over a year ago I returned to climbing outside after surgery on my knee. It felt absolutely great to be climbing again, but I knew I still had a way to get my strength and technique back to...
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Roaches – along and high
Sometimes rain on a climbing trip can be good thing. A couple of weeks ago, rain forced me to give up on climbing at The Roaches and instead go for a walk in the surrounding countryside. It turned...
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Langdale Bouldering
Climbing an unnamed boulder problem on the Top Block at the Langdale Boulders. I’ve been wanting to climb on the Langdale Boulders for years. Ever since I moved from mostly climbing trad to mostly...
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Bouldering in Longsleddale
Climbing an unnamed problem on the Jacko Boulder at Settle Earth Boulders, in Longsleddale. Longsleddale was the one place I really wanted to go on my bouldering trip to the Lake District. Some people...
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