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Holly Tree Corner, Black Crag.

By Hugh Stewart May 28, 2018 Leave a Comment

Black Crag Borrowdale. My guidebook of 2000 gives this two stars, so on a lovely midge free spring evening we set out on this five pitch VS climb. Later we found the stars had gone. The first pitch is ungraded, so I led off on thin holds on a dry mossy slab. Due to one or all of the following: arthritic knees which have lost strength when bent more than 90 deg; a worn right boot tip, pointed out later; degradation of the cerebral cortex leading to moral weakness, I came down from halfway up. We reckoned 4b. The second pitch, graded 4b, soon shows why the stars shine no longer: gorse. Not bright yellow flowery gorse, dry, dusty no-flowered gorse, which perhaps prevent your right foot from getting purchase on the steep slab on the right which should enable you to get into the groove on the left. Or maybe it was my worn boot tip. I rate it 4c. I led pitch 3, the same as Troutdale Pinnacle, very polished due to its popularity, and Ian then disappeared round a corner up on the right after a nice slab traverse. Round there more gorse has to be arched over by your right leg to purchase on the only hold for it, high up and over nothing. Awkward, falling always to your right. Ungraded in my book, 4c again. Final pitch 4a in the book, is a rock scramble for short while then a heather one for longer to a reasonable belay. Interesting climb, lovely place, awful old grading.

Belay top of pitch 3, same as Troutdale Pinnacle. Picture by Ian Chadwick

 

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Hillwalks from the Settle to Carlisle Railway Stations

24 walks into the hills surrounding the historic and iconic Settle to Carlisle railway, based on the stations between Settle and Appleby. The area has some of the finest walking of the north Pennines: the Craven district around Settle; the Three Peaks area; Dentdale, and Mallerstang and the upper Eden valley.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

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Mountain Biking Adventures: Multi-day Routes in Northern Britain

Over the last two decades, mountain biking has developed enormously as a “sport”. We greatly admire the technical and athletic capabilities of modern day mountain bikers and recognise that many excellent guides have been written and custom-built trails set up. In this guide we try to reopen a sense of adventure and wilderness to mountain biking, providing multi-day routes with a remoteness, continuity and “arc” missing from many modern guides with their focus on day and half day outings.

UK £13.95 ( inc. P&P)

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Settle to Carlisle – Hill Walk with Return by Classic Train Route

With over 22,000 ft of ascent in 105 miles set out over 8 days, this walk sets out from Settle, taking in the classic summits of the North Yorkshire Dales, Howgills, Eastern and Northern Lakeland Fells, to arrive at Carlisle. The return journey to Settle by one of the classic train journeys. Illustrated with photographs and route maps.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

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Hawthornthwaite Fell.

This unusually local walk of the week recently appeared in the Lancaster Guardian. We'd never ventured on its drab looking slopes in 29 years of viewing, so decided to look anew, luckily the day before a brief "blackthorn winter" - 3rd April. From Stoops Bridge Abbeystead go south on the road and

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Malham Tarn and More

Actually the title is misleading, but kept as it sounded good; the walk goes round the "moor" north of the Tarn and only back along its north bank, and includes the wonderful boardwalk near the Tarn for a floral treat. It has 7.6 miles of limestone scenery, completely avoiding the crowds around the

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The middle Pap of Jura – Bienn an Oir

This route has been written about many times, but as we disagree with the Cicerone guide's recommended route and this was the first eight mile plus mountain walk I'd done in 18 months, we thought it worth a celebratory shout. Why just the middle Pap? Because it's the easiest as you might imagine,

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