Summer came early today, so off up to a sunny Camp Hill to check out the new boulder problems people have been recently putting up there. You can see this place from the Blakey road, nestled above Botton village it's a series of little crags and boulders stretching over about half a kilometre of hillside with a classic moors outlook. The burners were out today on the moor above so the air was filled with heather smoke, making the sky a little hazy. Despite not being a hugely popular place the rock doesn't suffer from it, being clean, solid and well weathered, so it isn't too tough on the skin.
Bypassing the main crag we headed to the far north end where a very hard problem called Phillias Fog had been done in 2010. It was always going to be way above me being a good three grades above what I am usually capable of. Taking the centre of a high wall there are obvious and decent holds but moving between them was hugely difficult. The first move from sitting felt impossible to me, a dynamic sideways stretch for a sharp left hander but with feet under an overhang you either catch it or fall off. Needless to say I didn't (catch it, that is). The next few moves were ok and I didn't even attempt the blank looking top section. It certainly will require a lot more finger power and dynamic strength than I have at the moment but the easier (in comparison) standing start may be worth coming back to try in the summer.
Attempted a tricky traverse as the sun went down to try and get a bit of a pump before hometime and for once wished the walk back to the car was longer it was such a fresh evening.
Free guide to Camp Hill available here
No comments:
Post a Comment