Lakes Bouldering - Good Weather Link-ups

3^rd Jan. Its been a few weeks since I've had anything to write about, but the weathers cleared up recently so here's a bit of an update.

Cool, dry weather is a good excuse for gritstone, so Thorn Crag seemed the choice for the day. Warming up at the crag boulders, (not to be confused with the boulders beneath the crag), is always a good option with plently of easy slabs. Fix my Sink and for my Next Trick were next, a steady progression in the warm up.

The Plummers Link (7c) followed, which moves across the whole face, starting up the arete of Easy Karma, moving through for my Next Trick, then finishing as for Fix my Sink. The tough move at the end held me back on several attempts until i'd got it wired.

The Plummers Link (7c)

We moved on to the Loaf boulder, at the far end of the Thorn Crag circuit and climbed a cool problem; Positrons of Strength, which suffers only from lack of traffic, hence a rather gritty feel. It's an impressive looking line, which a tough first couple of moves followed by easy pulling in an exposed position above a poor landing.

Positrons of Strength (7b)

The day was finished up with a few other Thorn Crag classics including Mothership Reconnection then a swift desent back to the car before dark.

19^th Jan. Anyway, another good day was forecast and it was time to visit the Bowderstone again; despite driving back to keswick on a day off from the keswick store.

I began the usual warm up circuit on the crackface, soon moving onto ladderface, feeling good. It'd been several months since any sustainaed period of climbing at the 'stone so it was good to be back. Picnic Sarcastic, PowerPinch, Impropa Opera, Grand Opera and Final Curtain all climbed ok so a good rest was had.

The rest of the sessions' efforts were put to completeing a few Laderface links; from which the Low Traverse into Final Curtain (8a) went first then followed by linking Lateral Gruntings into Grand Opera (8a+). Having put some effort into the latter in the early summer months it felt to have it finished, although theres still a few more link ups to follow.