Rock-climbing in the English Lake District / Third Edition

by Owen Glynne Jones

The two face routes A and B, with their variations, start from a terrace, which extends for some considerable distance across the face. This is about 90 feet above the commencement of the Chimney Climb, and may best be reached by way of a small, slanting gully filled with bilberry bushes, now known as the Bilberry Shute. It may be most convenient first to mention the most direct ascent up the nose of the buttress; this is known as Oliverson’s variation of the A Route. This starts just to the left of the ‘Nose,’ and after about 40 feet of steep practice on comparatively small holds, a ‘three-step’ traverse is made to the right on the crest of the ‘Nose,’ whence the way lies directly upwards to the ‘belay.’ To follow the original A and B Route from the terrace a course to the right of the ‘Nose’ is followed up a rough slab crowned with broken rocks, beyond which a sloping rock ledge is gained. This may be recognized by its having a shallow ‘crevasse’ separating it from the main crag. At the further and lower end of this ledge from the point at which it is reached a leaf of rock, abutting against the base of a depression in the wall above, marks the start of a short pitch, which brings the climber to the ledge where the routes divide. This has been called Thomson’s Ledge.

A Route.—From Thomson’s Ledge a traverse to the left is made in order to continue the A Route; a recess is soon entered, out of which the way lies almost directly upwards for quite 40 feet to the ‘belay,’ where Oliverson’s Variation joins the old route about 80 feet above the terrace. A traverse to the left is then made to the foot of the shallow Lichen Chimney, the ascent of which is the stiffest part of the course, and almost 60 feet of rope is used by the leader before the second man can be brought forward from the ‘belay.’ The last pitch consists of a narrow chimney, with the best holds on the right wall, which finishes abruptly at the top of the crag.

B Route.—Starting from Thomson’s Ledge a traverse is made to the right in an upward direction until a corner is turned and the foot of Amen Corner, a 15-foot pitch of extreme severity, is reached. This is a slanting crack on a rock wall that overhangs, as also does the other wall, which forms the corner. The best method of surmounting this is to grip the upper edge of the crack and walk up the other edge with the body nearly horizontal at first, and the hands and feet close together.

From the top of this pitch a ledge, known as the Gangway, which slopes outwards and upwards, is followed for about 30 feet to a small grass platform, and the Green Gully rises straight overhead. This is awkward to enter directly, and it may be better to ascend some 15 feet on the right, whence a stride can be taken into the bed of the gully. For quite 70 feet the ascent is not difficult, and at that height the leader reaches the anchorage of the Crow’s Nest. This is a small hollow in the right wall, and it is attained by making a short traverse, where the hands do most of the work. Very little assistance can be given to those following, as the rope tends to pull the climber from his holds, but anchorage can be found by threading the rope behind the handholds which were used on the traverse.

The gully can be climbed to the summit, but being grassy and loose in places, it is preferable to finish up the sound arête directly above the Crow’s Nest.

A variation which finishes up with this section can be made by way of an upward traverse to the right from the top of the 40-foot corner on the A Route, and this would join the Green Gully about 15 feet below the Crow’s Nest. It might also be mentioned that both above and below Amen Corner traverses can be effected to the right to join the Gimmer Chimney.

The deep, wide gully to the left of the main crag possesses one cave pitch, which may be passed on the right of the chock-stone, but this may be avoided altogether by keeping to the right throughout. The other gullies on the west side of Gimmer Crag afford good scrambling, but here again the difficulties are too easily obviated.

Climbers staying at Langdale could spend an enjoyable day by walking over to Grasmere and thence visiting the crags in Easedale or Deer Bield’s Crag in Far Easedale. After the climb is over it makes a delightful finish to the day to return to Langdale over the fells by Codale and Stickle Tarns.

The Tarn Crag above Easedale Tarn is a prominent feature in a favourite landscape. Quite recently Mr. J. Stables unearthed, literally, a route thereon which gives about 200 feet of quite good, sound climbing. The beginning lies in a line below the left of the highest point, and cairns now mark the way. The passage from the first chock-stone pitch to the recess, with the ensuing face traverse, will be found the most difficult section of the ascent.

Deer Bield’s Crag in Far Easedale is quite an hour’s walk away from Grasmere. Its height is nearly 300 feet; and a buttress runs up the centre, with impossible-looking chimneys on either side. That on the left is still unclimbed, but the one on the right yielded to the attack of Messrs. Stables and Turner in 1908. They found at least half-a-dozen difficult pitches, the fourth proving to be the stiffest of all. The rock on Deer Bield’s Crag is firm and reliable, but singularly free from good ledges for hands and feet. Upward progress is made by using the numerous cracks which are a curious feature of the structure.