One Big Step for Mankind

An e-mail from Lofoten guide Thorbjorn Enevold brings worrying news from the far north -

"Latest news about the goat, most important. The landing platform on the Lillehorn, where you normally land, (if you have not climbed down), has fallen down this winter. Now the leap is a true jump, with a much smaller place to land. The climb itself, up from the shoulder are also more difficult now. And last, but not least, the traverse on the 1910 Route has also changed.
The jump has completely changed. We will not do the jump with normal tourists anymore."

There were those of us who though the original leap was too wide for safety and sanity so now it must be really wild! The initial shot shows me on the 'Big Horn" last year, it is the smaller right-hand one that has changed - sad news!

In Deep Water

Mike Robertson's superb looking Deep Water is about ready so it is back to ClearPoint, the printers we have used for a few years now, down in Nottingham. It is getting to be a regular habit nowadays, but its great to have the printers close enough for us to go and check the books before the presses actually begin to roll. At less than an hour to get down there we feel it is time well spent.
After a thorough check that all the corrections have been done and no last-minute errors have crept in, Alan signs off the sheets and its all systems go. The half million pound machine starts to roll and the book appears in all its glory (well as big confusing sheets actually).
Its should be in the shops in a few weeks.
We bid farewell, but should be headed back in just over a month for the Pokketz printing.

Sands of Time

The weather window arrived as promised, though it was more like 90 minutes than the 8 hours the BBC had suggested! We legged it up the moor (MUCH further than it looks) to Sandy Crag, cracked of the shots I needed then raced up Angel Fingers ("the best HVS in Northumberland") just as the rain started again.
We ambled back down with the wind over shoulders, chatting away and trying to remember exactly when we were last up there. Back at the pad a check of the guidebook revealed it was September 1979 - half -a-life ago - where does the time go?

Northward one more time

A week in Northumberland was the plan to tie up the loose ends, so we slipped away early, and headed up the A1. A brief detour had me thrashing through the jungles of the Eavestones, and getting blasted on the minor grit of Crag Willas (where is that do I hear you say?) before we hauled up to classic sandstone at Simonseat and Ravensheugh.
Colin arrived and Bruce turned up too; amazingly we had Corby's to ourselves - and on a Saturday - I manage 10 routes, Binky went into overdrive with 16! My tally included Tiger Feet (E1 5a **), Sunshine Superman (HVS 5a ***) and Ranadon (E2 5b ***) all routes I had never done before.
As we packed in and headed for the cottage the rain arrived and much, much more is forecast for the Bank Holiday - especially down south!

Tidying Up

Before the great spring weather decided to break we had another weekend visit to the Dales to start tidying the Yorkshire grit section of the new Northern England guide. Conditions were superb as I skipped round Rocky Vally and Rylstone, getting a nice set of pics of these great cliffs - there were not many climbers about though!
The following week it was still superb so off we went once again - the Chevin, Caley, Earl and Eastby followed by tea and a beer in a boozer in Skipton, then a night's B&B in the pub in Eastby. The next day was another cracker so it was up to Simon's Seat, for photography, sunbathing and a bit of soloing. Its a grim job but someone has to do it!
That just leaves Northumberland to sort out - so that will be Half Term week occupied.

Weekend Shooting

The amazing spring weather continues, as does the galloping round to get all the required photographs for the up-coming volumes. It started Friday with a trip down to Willersley with Graham and Dan - the crag was bone dry and even catching the evening sun. Dan dispatched Great Corner then we move along to Cucumber Groove.
Next it was over to Harborough - Sara had just arrived and we tootled up to find Colin who had beaten us there by ten minutes.
It was a glorious evening and the crag was deserted, some pleasant banter and a clutch of routes, and of course the requist photographs. Then back to Willersley to collect the A team and a pint at Beeley on the way home - very pleasant!

There and Back again

That's that then! Four months away and now it is back to the more mundane world of work - mind you the weather is nice! The hottest day of the year so far and a large, jolly team headed to Staden Quarry, a few others were already there as it is an ideal venue on sultry days.
Most of the classics were ticked in good style and on the way home we stopped at the Red Lion, Litton for a pint in the evening sun - summer has arrived!