Just a quick note to start with... this is my 50th Blog entry! So I'm averaging on more than one a week which is above what I was aiming for... so all is good.

Spent Friday in Southport first trying to frantically get a photo printed and then
finding a frame for it before buying large quantities of meat for Dave & Tracey's BBQ. Ash collected me from the house around 5 and we set off plotting a route on minor roads south, through St. Helens for a un-forfilling LPG stop an then on the M62. Eventually got to Heather's farm shortly after 7. Was then ditched by both Ash and Heather (!!!) so borrowed a guidebook and ran up to the local crag of Windgather, about 20 minutes away. Light was dying so gleaned what I could from a guidebook and then solo'ed 2 mods, 5 diffs and 2 vdiffs - so a rather productive 50mins. Back to Heather's to chill with her folks and discuss with her dad what sought of a dowry he should offer to marry Heather off!


Woken from my bed on the living room floor by Heather at 8am and had some breakfast then watched the DVD of Heather climbing Valkyrie at The Roaches followed by many stories of people having big and scary falls on there with career ending consequences - not a good thing to hear about a route your about to do! Ash arrived soon, and smartly paid no attention to the tales of the route Heather was spinning and after the Tupperware incident we were soon off. Stopped for fuel, and Heather decided on a Magnum to aid her head which apparently worked...


Arrived at The Roaches, I've never climbed there before, was chased along the top a few years ago on an Alcatraz by Andy Davies and Matty Parker though! Me an Ash decided to go straight for Valkyrie, the 2 pitch VS/HVS with pendulum fall potential. First pitch went well to a really nice belay. We tossed to see who was going to lead the next one and I won, or lost depending on how you look at it. First moved entailed swinging out onto the buttress via a big flake and getting a sling over it before downclimbing the flake on the other side - while attempting not to fall and become a human wrecking ball. Managed the first bit ok and attempted to move down the flake but then suddenly didn't have the nerve to go any further - looking down the flying buttress to the ground a long way below. Decided that rather than push on and end up hurting myself the wisest move was to come back an let Ash have a go - we all have to admit defeat sometimes! Ash led it out, managing the part where I bottled it across the gap and up the frontal face of the buttress. I then had the job of seconding which on most climbs is usually a piece of cake but on this there is still quite a fall potential for the second due to the downclimb. The hardest part was after the first move, having to remove two 240cm slings from the spike and do 'something' with them to get them out the way before continuing the downclimb while hanging off the slopers on the top of the flake. Knew there was no chance of knotting them or coiling the round me so ended up stuffing them down my shirt. Continued down eventually finding the ONLY foothold which is very cunningly hidden and no matter how you do it is invisible! Had an epic fight with one of the hexes Ash had placed before making the ballsy move across the gap then up the fabulous climbing on the frontal face to the top. Topped out an shook Ash's hand an we both took in what we'd just done feelling rather happy. We then sorted the gear and I passed him the slings which were down my shirt now rather damp - a consequence of what I can only describe as 'fear sweat'!

Wandered down and found Heather who had been taking the rather spectacular photos of us while intermittently bouldering and being a general Crag Socialite. She'd eyed up a HVS 5a on the upper tier so after recouping with fresh orange and donuts we went up there. Ash was on belay duty and I was on photo duty. Heather did a really good job up to the crux which after 'physcing' her self up she manged only to find she couldn't reach the final hold for the last committing move. After a few goes she decided to come down admitting defeat. Ash decided it was worth having ago so tied on and I belayed him up and he managed the final move, I then followed and stripped the route of the gear. Got to the top and felt happy once again, very content that we'd climbed, depending on which guidebook you look in 2 HVSs.


Swiftly (no pun intended Heather!) to the car and further south to Dunchurch where Dave an Tracey's quaint little cottage sits in a village just outside of Rugby for their housewarming. Ash drove, I navigated and Heather sprawled out on the back seats and went to sleep. Took us about 2 1/2 hours to get there including our impromptu stop at 'Ash Green'.

Really good crowd of people there, and lots of food, oh, and the keg! Fed and socialized for the evening which eventually degraded into a few of us raving in the front room to some music Dave had put on at some early hour in the morning! Eventually we all fell asleep, leaving the stereo playing which some music that Jonathan had chosen claiming we could sleep to it.


Woke up at 10ish and glanced across the coffee table through the maze of bottles, pint glasses and wine glasses to Ash who had also just woken. Had weird photos taken then went to the kitchen to say good morning to everybody and have some nice breakfast sausages cooked by Maria with some of the excess BBQ sauce that was supplied with my ribs the previous night.

Bid farewell to Dave an Tracey, and everybody else after lunch an started our journey home. Went via Buxton to drop Heather off and then Knutsford and north. Called in at Ash's to let him steal my photos of the weekend then he dropped me off.

Conclusion - amazing weekend, did 10 routes including a VS an HVS and had a great evening with good friends. Very content now.