Eleven Brixton Climbers set off for the mighty Peak District on Sat 17th of October of 2009. Destination: Millstone Edge, the mighty capital of crack climbing! Millstone Edge is a disused quarry, where the quarryman's dynamite created one of the most astonishing climbing landscapes on grit. Smooth, vertical, straight walls interspersed with sharp corners and parallel running, splitter cracks. Millstone is not for the faint of heart, there are very few climbs below VS, and the climbs explode in glory from HVS upwards!
As soon as we arrived Eric and Jon took Lucy and Martina for an introduction to the delights of trad climbing. Alex went on an on-sight spree, taking out Bond Street (HVS 5a), Great Portland Street (HVS 5b) and Covent Garden (VS 5b). He also tackled Great North Road (HVS 5a), but had a minor fall, spoiling the on-sight attempt. In any case, all those three HVSs are stern tests, three start routes that are firmly consolidated in the Peak's top 50.
I concentrated my efforts on Embankment 4 (E1 5b). The Embankment wall in Millstone, takes its name from a similar, but clearly inferiour feature in London. I had climbed this route previously, although resting on gear. This time I was coming back for a clean, from the bottom-up, trad ascent. I went up slowly, taking several rests along the way and testing the patience of my belayer to the limit. The middle section is a fierce fingery crack with virtually no proper footholds. I managed to overcome it with trouble, and when I reached the upper stance, I felt hugely relieved. This is a 'large' ledge where you can place a half foot on it, and balance so you can take your hands off and rest. Next to the stance, the crack widens enough to accept a large cam. Placing it gave me reassuring satisfaction. It is one of those placements that you simply call "bomber!". Above the cam I placed an additional piece of gear, a chunky nut, snugly stuck into a narrowing of the crack. I looked up towards the final 5m of easier climbing (VS 4c), and then I looked down to the ground, 13m below. I knew I was safe, I could now fall from anywhere on the route, and it would be impossible to hit the ground. Little did I know that things would become nasty.
I started slowly but confidently upwards. The upper section, although easier, still felt hard on tired arms. I decided to run it out to the final stance just below the top. I reached the narrow stance and balanced on the tip of my right foot to have a rest. If you're tall enough, you can just reach the ledge and exit. If you're shorter, like me, you have to reach far to the left, where the ledge is lower, swing, and mantle shelf with no footholds. I tried this, but I was so pumped that I nearly botched it. So I swung back to the right and panicked. Very clumsily managed to put my right foot back on the stance, on a steep smear, and not onto the proper flat protruding micro ledge I had used before. I managed to keep my balance using my left hand, palms away, pushing my body towards the right. There I was, right hand in the air, left foot in the air. Breathing deeply to achieve self control. Waiting for my blood to clean my muscles, to regain the strength to pull up to the top.
As I calmed down, and regained my confidence, I shifted my body ever so slightly, so I could go for the mantle shelf. Unexpectedly, I was gone. The rock face a fast blur of green and red. Everything was lightning fast. When I came to a rest, I had my belayer, David, staring at me, face to face, both of us hanging in the air. I was upside down. I was barely 2m above the ground. I had missed a protruding ledge on the right. I looked up and the cam had held the fall. But the cam was very high up. I didn't understand how I had fallen so far down. Everybody rushed towards me. The gray nut above the cam failed. One of my harness's loops got stuck to something and broke, showering all the bits of gear on the ground. This probably caused my body to rotate 90deg to the left, and according to Alex, I fell on a lying like position for about half of the time, until my legs got caught on the tight rope below and I finished upside down. One of the cams hanging from my harness was smashed and rendered useless. A lower quickdraw suffered an upward force that bent its gate.
Being a scientist, I performed a postmortem examination of the fall. I careflully analysed a couple of pictures showing the climb from ukclimbing.com. Taking several measurements from the pictures, I conclude that I was standing 2.7m above the cam when my right foot slipped. I felt a total of ~11.5m. I am satisfied that I was not being reckless, and that the gear I placed held appropriately. I still do not understand why the overall length of the fall was so large. Needless to say, I did not lead any other routes that weekend. This is my 9th fall on trad gear, and by far, the longest and most dangerous one, specially considering how close I was to hit the ledge.
Shattered, we cleaned the route and moved onto the Key Hole area, where Eric was preparing to tackle Regent Street (E2 5c), considered the finest finger crack in the country! Eric took a large ensemble of micro cams and small nuts. The route is about 25m long, and a real hard man test of endurance and technique. Eric set off confidently, with yours truly as his belayer. The first crux is about 5m of the ground, where a small overhang has to be tackled pulling on finger locks. Eric did this in impressive fashion, and continued up the upper crack and the tricky slab traverse to the middle ledge. Above the ledge, the final upper crack, with no footholds to speak off, towering towards the sky. This crack is the second crux. Eric set himself onto it, going up with great technique and placing the small but bomber gear on the way. He reached the upper section of the crack, where he got really pumped and where progress became increasingly difficult. After a short but hard battle, the air claimed his body, and he flew for a couple of metres, the micro cam holding perfectly! This was the third fall of the day. All falls in perfect grade progression: Alex HVS 5a, Mario E1 5b and Eric E2 5c. Thanks God, nobody tried an E3 6a that day!
I lowered Eric off and it was the turn of our President, Jon Lee. He top roped the lower section, with good technique and smooth moves. Jon has had one of the most impressive improvements I have seen since he started climbing with us about 2 yrs ago. The only thing that spoiled his ascent, in my opinion, was that he was moaning all the way up, and constantly asking Eric "what do I do", and "this is mental" and "where do I put my foot" and blah, blah, blah. Mate, you're on a top rope, get a grip. You have the technique to do it without asking! Despite all the chit-chatting he reached the upper crux crack smoothly, but alas, was also defeated in the tough section. Finally, THE MASTER, Mumtaz, took centre stage and sailed up the route, showing us how to do it, without even breaking a sweat!
Brixton Climbers on Brixton Road (VDiff, far left) and Regent Street (5c E2, far right)
Other memorable ascents included Lucy and Martina on Brixton Road (VDiff) and Jonathan on Enbankment 2 (VS 4c), the latter, a peculiar climb involving two parallel cracks: the left crack being an off-with (i.e. too wide to jam, too narrow to be considered a chimney), and the left one finger thin. A tough test for a VS!
After such an exciting day, it was high time for the pub. Following what is now long established tradition, we headed to the Millstone Inn, to be delighted with delicious and hearty food, accompanied with some good old ale! What a day!
The night was spent in the Sheepshit Hotel (*****) in Stanage. A wonderful cave with all amenities included. A group of four rebels decided to be bold and slept in the North Lees Campsite, not too far away.
Stanage edge and the sheepshit hotel.
The next day was a fest of leading in Stanage Popular. Alex, without preamble, without even warming up, went straight for the ONE and ONLY, the mighty Flying Buttress Direct (HVS 5b). One of the most imposing flying roof climbs in The Peaks! It is such a legendary climb. One of those magnetic routes that attracts the crowds as mere mortals launch their bodies at it. Alex made very good progress up to the very lip of the overhang, where he spent a considerable amount of time in the sloth position, heel hooking with his right foot and hanging with both arms stretched, placing 3(4?) camming devices in the crack. Such an effort led to the unavoidable pump and a rest on gear. He then finished the route without further incident. Eric, Jon and Mumtaz all tried but none could do a clean ascent. Mumtaz found a considerably easier sequence of moves, which shows his great technique and experience. What a climb!
The one and only: Flying Buttress Direct (5b HVS)
Alex and Mumtaz spent the rest of the day soloing various VDiff routes. Stephen arrived from London and went onto a leading spree. Eric on-sighted Queensvile (HVS 5a), very though for a 5a in my opinion. Thin and technical moves all the way! Kate made a very confident ascent of Flying Buttress (HVD). I was just happy to be alive and enjoyed the top-roping!
Overall an amazing weekend. I vote in favour of Jon's motion of a "no falls" policy for the club. This seems to be very sensible. And as the great wise Brixton Climber used to say "BE BOLD BUT BE SAFE!".
Mario.
Alex account of the falls:
Over the last two weekends I have witnessed two very serious falls - Chris and Mario - both times I had enough time, as they fell, to think quite a few thoughts. Both had gear rip and both nearly hit the ground. Here is my (un)dramatic version of events...
I watched Chris fall when I reached the top of an exposed Stanage cliff after seconding Eric. Having already climbed past Chris at the point where our two routes converged I thought it worth pausing to watch his attempt (number two) of the crux. He had already fallen once, when I was below him, where he 'tested' his cam placement which was in a shallow flaring pocket. We had agreed that I would climb ahead and as I did I noiticed the cam and passed him some encouraging comment like "That looks a bit shit, ooh - that'll be a big fall if it rips!" "Thanks a lot" was his reply...
From the saftey of the belay Eric and I tucked into some popcorn and settled in to watch the action directly below. Unaware of his audience Chris set about tackling the crux once more. I have a very bad memory for climbing moves and routes and I don't remember much about what this crux involved other than that you have to smear. I think it was a nice move but it definately involved balancy smearing. I watched Chris attempt it in a way that could not have been more strenuous and less unbalanced. I later found out this unconventional technique was due to artheritis in his toes which prevents him from smearing! I'm not sure what it was that gave out - his fingers or the friction from his shoes - but he fell. He scraped down the slab, past his trusty cam and over the edge of the arete. I saw the rope go taught as it tore the cam from the pocket then whip violently around when it released. Chris looked far away as he rapidly approached the ground before his second piece of protection stopped his freefall and shot him out of sight back round the arete less than a meter from the ground. I knew the ground was uneven round there and for a moment I was unable to resolve in my head whether or not he would be injured. All I now had to gage the seriousness of the incident was the reactions and body language of the people on the ground that I could see. I knew he was alright when the surge of concerned movement towards the scene quickly relaxed and dissipated. Chris later seemed suprisingly unconcerned.
Marios efforts were played out in the sheltered and awesome Millstone quarry. Mario has been banging on about Millstone ever since I've known him - "You've got to go there man! Every climb is 3 stars, perfect yamming cracks!" etc. I didn't expect much when I actually went there - it couldn't live up to all this hype - but I was really impressed with the place. It holds the kind of atmosphere that you have to respect and tells you the climbing will be great if you do. We all set about knocking off the classic routes.
I had a minor fall on Great North Road which had concerned me as I was not expecting it. No warning, no pump, no slipping - one minute I was on the next I was below my gear. I had scraped some skin off my little finger and left little deposits of blood and skin on each hold as I finished the route to mark the way for Mumtaz who was seconding. When we finished we arrived back at the base of the cliff just in time to watch a couple of locals climbing a hard route with a long runout diagonal finish which we had both contemplated doing. A few meters up and to the right of the finish of this climb was Mario battling his demons on the last moves of a climb he was set on conquering. I wasn't paying much attention to him as it seemed like he was finished and I was discussing with Mumtaz what would happen if you fell from the crux of the other climb. We recognised that the diagonal traverse from the last bit of gear would mean an almighty swing which would be quickly halted by a ledge of rock that jutted out near the base of the climb Mario was on (and far above). Cue Mario. He was very much in my visual field and the sudden movement drew my attention. As he fell my anxiety grew in proportion to his acceleration and his distance from the ledge at the base of the climb.
The first couple of meters I was just pleasantly interested to spectate. I expected him to come to a bouncy halt just below his first bit of protection. Pop. Pop. First and second bits of gear rip in rapid succession. From where I was standing I could see the whole cliff, top to bottom, and Mario in relation to it. He is now accelerating fast - and I'm waiting for the next piece to stop him - he has fallen half the height of the cliff but is still accelerating! I felt genuine concern at that moment as he had rotated ninety degrees and was falling horizontally at full speed presenting the side of his skull to the jutting ledge and he was not slowing down with very little time left. It looked for a moment serious - as in coma or death serious. I think the rope started slowing him when he was a distance above the ledge but with so much rope to stretch and with a lighter David belaying plus slack and knots there were quite a few meters of additional falling to be done before the fall was arrested two meters off the ground.
It took me one or two seconds to realise all was well and nothing could change that. I had a moment to look at the reactions of everyone else who was party to this short event and even to wonder whether I should be running towards him as one girl from another group instinctively was but I already knew there was no need. I declined Mario's offer to finish the route for him.
I didn't see Eric's fall or Jon's but Jon's description of his little finger popping back when he untied his shoelaces made me cringe.
A good time was had by all..
Mario's comments on Alex account
A couple of clarifying points. The first bit of gear that failed was a tricam I put inside a flaring, round pocket hole. I knew it was never going to hold even the smallest of falls. The second gear failure was the nut above the cam. Two more pieces of gear failed, but this were the first two nuts I placed on the route. I suspect my belayer was standing too far back, and when the rope became taught, it pulled the pieces of gear up and then out, 'unzipping' them (I think that's the technical term). Four pieces of gear remained on the route. That's why when you belay you should stay close to the rock, and keep the slack in the system to a minimum.
I fell with my head on the left side of the route. The ledges were on the right. I could have broken my legs, but not my head.
Mario.
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