Jade & Veronica on quite a moist belay on Troutdale Pinnacle.Saturday a group of us headed up to Black Crag and set off up Troutdale Pinnacle S 4a. I've done the route before, its another classic rock number and its really good with some varied climbing and being moderately long. The guidebook gives it 105m in 6 pitches, we managed it in 4, running 1+2 and 3+4 together. You could try stringing 5+6 together but unless you were very minimalistic on gear placements, and hence leave you second un-protected on to a degree on the slab down-climb at the start of pitch 5 you'd end up with quite a bit of drag, plus you'd miss the wonderfully exposed belay on the saddle by the pinnacle. The hardest pitches in my opinion are the final two, with the crux probably being one of the last moves on the last pitch but the gear it good and once you've got the hold its all good.
Foolishly I was being optimistic and set off without waterproofs on, only to have the torrential rain start at the first belay, pretty moist by the top. I also climbed the first 2/4 pitches in my Guide Tennies which seemed to work ok on wet rock, they were however, as always deadly walking down the grass on the descent. I had Jade and Veronica with me and I think they both enjoyed it.
Sunday we headed over to Gillercombe Buttress with quite a large group. With the forecast looking better I'd hoped, perhaps naively, that the rock would be dry - it wasn't, not in the slightest. I set off up Gillercombe Buttress S 4a with Jade and Rebecca in tow and Dan, Luke & Becca following us while another two parties set off us Grey Knots Face, the Diff slightely to the right.
Pitch 2(?) on Gillercombe.I did the route a few years ago on a lovely dry sunny day, but like everything it takes on a little bit of a different demeanor when its wet. The rising traverse on pitch 2/3 was interesting as was the crux slab on pitch 5 which was dripping, and which I almost slipped off completely - managing to grab a placed nut on my way down. The route is 195m and I think we did it in 5 pitches, we could of don it in 4 but I belayed before the traverse instead of after so ended up with a short 10m pitch over this, otherwise we just tried to run the rope out as there are belays a plenty. Jade and Rebecca did an awesome job of seconding in the poor conditions, climbing quickly and being spot on sorting stuff at the belays.
Rebecca, Jade & Myslef at the top of Gillercombe Buttress.After we topped out, we hung around for a while, looked around for the other but saw no sign of them and then bimbled down after we started to get cold getting to the bus at about 4:30pm, where sat around eating chorizo, cheese and cracker sandwiches, drinking whiskey and taking photos. Unbeknown to us the other parties had ended up in various predicaments forcing them to retreat, which in turn caused some issues of ropes getting stuck etc. I was just putting my boots back on at 7pm when a trail of torch lights appeared much to my relief, everybody was fine despite a few learning experiences and they all did really well to get off safely in the dark, the only casualty being a few club slings and biners, which are certainly expendable.
Bit of a learning experience for some people I think, a few key points being:
- Don't underestimate a big mountain route in poor conditions.
- Climbing in a three can be slow, especially if your climbing in series and/or switching the leads.
- Its a pretty good idea to always have a headtorch, whistle, map an compass with you.
- A few meters of 6mm cord, or nylon tape in the bottom of your sack will avoid you having to leave slings behind.
- Everybody should really have at the minimum a single prussic with them for abseiling with.
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