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The Crack, Gimmer Crag

By Hugh Stewart June 10, 2018 Leave a Comment

A classic climb dating from between the wars. Its co-protagonist Graham Macphee commented on the staging of hard climbs as time goes by, ” An inaccessible crack- The most difficult climb in the Lake District –  An easy day for an undergraduate” . This climb shows clearly that with ageing this works in reverse in just 14 years. Well almost, it was never easy.

Well my first guidebook graded the three pitches 4b,4c, 4c, so even if you don’t understand what that relates to, it means the first pitch is technically easier. I seconded this in 2004 and thought it was the hardest bit, teetering across a wall with a polished foothold down and along, and a sideways jump to the next handhold. It is now graded 4c, and was not the hardest bit on a recent outing on our decent dry June weather, which I next thought was the second pitch, an upward diagonal traverse on a good foot crack with no handholds. OK if you have good balance. I don’t, particularly, and age has obviously not helped as this was remembered as fine. The hardest that is, until the crux on the final pitch, which I fell off, probably as the left foot slipped, annoying as I’d changed the right boot due to wear (see post Holy Tree Corner), but kept the left! Need I say I was seconding? Now this is 9.30pm a long way up from the ODG hotel and the last drink, usually called somewhat before 11pm, so I unashamedly pulled on a long abandoned piece of gear,  to get up this grunt, and the long up along and down descent past where the late evening sheep had been seen hoovering the vegetation on the opposing spur. Ian was dispatched down at the Mickleden track to run for last orders, looking like a training squaddie with his son’s military rucsac full of the gear and two ropes – I still have a bad knee, and I’m sticking to that – which he managed, bless him.

Boots worn, and boot worn on right! see Holly tree Crack post
The last pitch, between the stars. Photo: 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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Nine Standards Rigg walk update

Walk 21 in the Walks from the Stations book: Since 2016 the official path to Ewbank Scar is closed, from where it splits from the path to Lockthwaite, just past a ruin after a stile. Do not be put off, however, as there is a clear path to the right of where a sign points down to the left, where soon

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Watendlath and Borrowdale circular

A suitable pre-Theatre by the Lake evening production, when the cloud level is low and you don't fancy walking with no views in the damp. It comes to just under 9 miles with 2100ft of ascent. From the Lodore Wood car park up the Watendlath road, take the road south till an obvious track leads off

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Addition to the book of Trespass: Warcop.

This is an 8 mile walk over Little Fell and down and along the side of Scordale. A wild, lonely, and in places rough walk, with 2100ft of climbing. The trespass refers to the fact that most of the walk is in the MOD's land, with access granted by them on 12 weekends per year and other odd days. The

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