Just back from a lightning visit to The Crag of Dreams (Wintour's Leap). Paul and I climbed the classic 'King Kong', which was pretty sustained for the grade. This is actually my first bit of proper climbing this year so far, disturbingly, what with broken legs etc. Paul's part of the guidebook effort for the crag, so we moved on to investigate one of his remaining routes probably outside his comfort zone, La Folie, at a respectable E4 6a. We worked it in an ethically dubious manner, and to both of our surprises managed to do it. One to return to.
Martin Crocker has been responsible for BMC's general tidy-up of much of Wintour's, and boy have they done an amazing job. It's like a whole new crag with vegetation cut back, rotten, dangerous rock removed and crumbling pegs replaced with shiny Petzl and Fixe expansion bolts. Some sections have been designated pure 'sport', and not a day too early, I say. Some of the more fundamentalist old guard are grumbling, but it's all done with the blessing of the BMC and in some cases with the express wishes of the land owners in order for them to grant access. Wintour's now sports a 100m+, 3 pitch, three star clip-up rated F7a. I'm sure that will have constant queues for a while.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
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