23rd January 2010
Aire Point

Various E numbers on the overhangs

Top Roping

After my last outing in the freezing cold up at Sheeps Tor I was wary about just jumping on a climb until I’d tested my fitness and what better way than a session of top roping when you can just go for it.

Aire Point is amazing. Immaculate fresh granite, with loads of little problems and some big ones too. Given Joe’s penache for overhangs we couldnt resist the ledge at one third height with a series of breaks all of which looked feasible.

However once on them we were taught a quick lesson that what looks possible is sometimes a bit harder. We practiced on Dick Dastardley E2 5b, Spitfire E3 5C and Wiki Wiki Wheels E3 6a.

At the end of the day we managed two of the three overhangs, Spitfire getting the better of us and none of us made the face climbs which proved very difficult. However these were not beyond us and given a few months of climbing and getting fit, I rekon we could make them all.

Its good sometimes to concentrate on climbing rather than the other aspects of leading. It becomes more of a physical challenge rather than a mental one. The overhangs provided the grunt work on the day, forcing you to go on power from the offset. It is a case of postioning your feet right to assist getting your hands on the right holds. Once you got it, it became easier. It didnt help that by time we made the face we were knackered, but Chris made a good job of getting high up before reach defeated him.

Despite constantly telling Chris not to use his knees he showed blatant disregard for this advice throwing himself off a rock on the descent and using his knee as a break pad. I think he did this deliberately so that Joe and I would carry his gear out. And the crutches were just for a simpathy vote. Lame…

Aire Point is great and has now beedn esacallated to one of my all time favourite places to climb… that is until we go somewhere else.