
Went to Staple Edge will Mike after saying I would never go back there after the last trip. But went there and even though Mike was trying to get me to climb "Ice Pick"?, some VS. But I just wanted to look at the crag and find a line and just climb it for the pure reason of it looked good and inspired me to climb.
This climb met those requirements. Mike did try telling me the grade, but I didn't want to know. So I just climbed it.
The gear was good and the holds were plentiful... though I did have to scrub a lot of moss off to find them. Messed up the crux sequence and pulled on a peg to readjust my body position. So I down climbed the crux and worked out the correct beta and re climbed it. The rain started at the crux and I made my way up to the anchor, again rehearsing different betas for the move to get established at the top of the crack before the anchors.
Didn't look at the grade or guidebook until my feet were on the floor. E1 5c... not bad, not bad at all. It felt closer to HVS with how well protected it was. But looking forward to going back on a dry day and getting it clean in a single attempt.
Area :
The Wye Valley, Monmouth, Gloucestershire and The Malverns
Includes Symonds Yat, Wintour's Leap, Shorn Cliff, Wynd Cliff, Windcliff Quarry and many other smaller crags.