[moose]

Due to tedious work issues, I have hastily booked two short stays in the Lakes (3 and 4 days each) - one this week based in Kendal, the other at the end of the month in Keswick.   Any recommendations for crags to visit and problems to try?  I'm looking for a few nice warm-ups in the 6s, and some quality low / mid 7s to siege.  I'll be on my own with a couple of pads, so not keen for places with terrible landings (especially if the walk-in is so fierce, I would try to get away with one pad and a sit mat).

Nearish Keswick, I've already been to Carrock and the Bowderstone, and re Kendal I'm familiar with the South Lakes limestone. I've got the new Lakes guide and have a few ideas but it's hard to tell what's genuinely good, and what's winningly photographed choss!   E.g. Virtual Crag (Tilberthwaite) looks promising - 10 minute walk-in, and the guide makes it look Bowderstone-esque, but I have a suspicion I'll just find a load of 2-metre high sits starts, pulling on shale!  Lad Stones (Warstarter, pr0n Star face), Seathwaite (Thoroughbred Wall), and Sour Milk looks interesting too.  Or should, I just pull myself together for the walk to Sampson Stones?

[teestub]

Worth bearing in mind when looking at Greg’s guide that the approach times seem to be based on him jogging down hill unladen 😂

I’d say Lad Stones is probably the archetype for long walk in and bad landings, although it’s not that far, the landings are pretty shocking.

Badger Rock at Kentmere might fit your requirements? The Hole and the Weasel problems also worth doing. Tourniquet is obviously great, but need some conditions for that. The More? bakery and Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley are also excellent bookends to a Kentmere trip.

[moose]

Noted re Lad Stones.  I'm increasingly cautious about landings these days, so a long walk to be too scared to commit to moves would be worth avoiding.

Kentmere could be promising, although, Tourniquet is well above my pay-grade!  I've been once to do Badger Arete but the only non-Badger Rock problem I've done is Negative Reality Inversion.  It's at the outer limit of day-raid territory for me, so there'd be the possibility of a non-holiday return for unfinished business too (though, perhaps that suggests I'd be taking insufficient advantage of staying overnight in the area).

[tomtom]

My folks live in Kendal.

TStub is on the money with Kentmere. Esp during midweek when you may actually be able to park there :D

Langdale boulders are only 30 min away if traffic behaves - chapel style circuit there too.

Also Humphrey head is that side of the estuary (only ever been for a walk there not climbed).

[AJM]

Re Virtual Crag - I went there on Monday and had a good time. There are a few videos on the interweb:
https://vimeo.com/betabouldering/technobabble7a
and a number of others from the same account. A video of me nearly succeeding is here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQHUNiZDlW6/?utm_medium=copy_link
Between those you hopefully get enough perspective to get a fuller pic of the crag than guide photos provide. It is bowderstone esque, the guide is right, in that it's steep, fairly good holds, a sort of "indoor climbing outdoors" basic sort of style.

I'm not sure if you were thinking about this from Keswick or Kendal, but if the latter then it's worth noting that St Bees is about the same distance to drive due to being better roads.

[moose]

Cheers for the videos - Virtual Crag's not beautiful but the climbing looks like good, basic fun - decent for a day of bagging a few 7a-bs at the very least.  I'll keep it on the list.

I'm not sure if you were thinking about this from Keswick or Kendal, but if the latter then it's worth noting that St Bees is about the same distance to drive due to being better roads.

Presumably you mean the former? Googlemaps says St Bees is around 50 mins from Keswick but 1 hr 45 from Kendal.  I've never been to St Bees as the distance and unforgiving looking landings have put me off.  It looks beautiful though, so I I guess should consider a trip during my Keswick stay.

[tomtom]

Isn’t hellboy or something like that nr Chapel Style - that new ish low overhanging wall?

Also moose - knowing we have similar problem requirements (height + knack rather than strength 😁) there’s a 7C at HH that looks like a soft touch…

[AJM]

Presumably you mean the former? Googlemaps says St Bees is around 50 mins from Keswick but 1 hr 45 from Kendal.  I've never been to St Bees as the distance and unforgiving looking landings have put me off.  It looks beautiful though, so I I guess should consider a trip during my Keswick stay.

I did, of course! About 50min versus maybe 45 to Virtual.

Others are certainly better qualified to discuss St Bees than me but whilst it's all rock landings plenty of them are very flat.

[moose]

Isn’t hellboy or something like that nr Chapel Style - that new ish low overhanging wall?

Also moose - knowing we have similar problem requirements (height + knack rather than strength 😁) there’s a 7C at HH that looks like a soft touch…

Hellboy is at Hell Moss, which is indeed near Chapel Head.  I've done Functional Junkie there (supposedly 7b+, nasty fingertip undercutting).  I had a quick look at Hell Boy - I was too tired and the holds were too soapy to give it a good go, but there's a heinous cross-through that would probably defeat the best version of me.

[Will Hunt]

I wasn't especially impressed with Kentmere on the occasion that I visited. Badger Rock has that one OK problem but it was far from stellar. I liked trying Karma of Trees but I don't think you'd like it, Moose! The bit where Tourniquet and Runs on Weasel are actually has a big drop behind the landing and I wouldn't want to fall off the end of any of those problems (they're far from undroppable) without a spotter.

My slight disappointment may be a product of the phenomenon whereby any collection of boulders or problems which references Font in the name invariably fails to live up to expectations.

[moose]

I liked trying Karma of Trees but I don't think you'd like it, Moose!

Is that less a comment on my kinaesthetic tastes, and more a nice way of saying "you're too shit to climb a 7c"! [which would probably also be correct].

[Bradders]

The bit where Tourniquet and Runs on Weasel are actually has a big drop behind the landing and I wouldn't want to fall off the end of any of those problems (they're far from undroppable) without a spotter.

You're just thinking of the Runs on Weasel block there. The landing on Tourniquet is pretty flat and no drop. Doable with a big pad, a medium and a sitter. The lines going direct from the start of Tourniquet and via a higher diagonal line are okay, with reasonable two pad landings.

But yeah, Font it ain't.

[Will Hunt]

I liked trying Karma of Trees but I don't think you'd like it, Moose!

Is that less a comment on my kinaesthetic tastes, and more a nice way of saying "you're too shit to climb a 7c"! [which would probably also be correct].

Very much the former.

[Fiend]

Gillercombe. Lovely secluded spot, nice easy-mid circuit, a few trickier things to lose skin on.

[moose]

Gillercombe. Lovely secluded spot, nice easy-mid circuit, a few trickier things to lose skin on.

Cheers - Sour Milk was on the radar for my Keswick stay, but I'll look into Gillercombe.

[highrepute]

Based on where I've been to in the Lakes as a tourist - if I were acting as a tour guide this is where I'd take you... I've excluded south lakes limestone as assume that's not what you're after here.

Kendal

Kentmere is the obvious one. If you've been there then you know what to expect - it's vaguely shady which is good if it's hot.

Langdale (possibly with chapel stile). Very short walk, good landings and very good selection of problems. If you've not been then you should definitely go

Keswick

Sour Milk bouldering is really good (i've never done this but could be combined with Gillercombe). Proper Lakes experience reasonable walk, open vista and feels properly in the fells.

Bowderstone - for obvious reasons. I always feel guilty going here. Like I should be hiking in to sampson stone or something, and I have access to 50 degree boards at home so why go here? but it really is the best climbing of it's kind and shouldn't be missed - especially if you've not been there.

I think echos what other have said.

[tomtom]

When you're at Keswick - go up to Castelrigg stone circle at either dawn or dusk.. esp if you're there for midsummer! Good for some druid vibes

[Fiend]

Gillercombe easy circuit and scenery, note the two shitty old skool Pod mats...

[yetix]

Last time I went to Kentmere run on weasels landing had been improved.

Virtual is a poor man's bowderstone, but stays dry during rain(eventually gets run off at the top)

St bees has plenty of good flat landings that only need a few pads (undercooke, clash of the titans, huecco crack (may want a spot just for confidence at height here) etc

Lad stones is probably a team venue, but one of the best that the Lakes has to offer. Done this walk in in Similiar time to the guide, by basically walking in a straight line and avoiding the approach notes haha (the location is easy to find on Google maps if you decide to walk in a straight line)

Sour milk, gillercombe and honnister are all good, the latter 2 have options for a solo session with a couple of pads imo, sour milk some stuff you might want a party for depending how much you like to pad ground coverage on easish moves (lambrini girl etc)

Bowderstone at high repute says

Sampson stones, probabaly a team venue really imo. 75 mins is the best I've done this walk in in.

Seathwaite is great. Nice landings etc, I took 2 pads for that block. Clousy weather is the one there (same for harter in the summer imo)

[moose]

Thank you for all the advice.  I'm currently in a B&B near Kendal,  after a session at Tilberthwaite. I thoroughly enjoyed myself there but felt a bit of a pervert for doing so.

Current plan is to go to Kentmere tomorrow - take advantage of the ability to get an early, midweek start. If the weather's good, aim for Seathwaite on Saturday. Forecast for Sunday looks awful, so I'm resigned to a probable Southern limestone hit on the way back.

For Keswick next week,  some combo of Sour milk, gillercombe and honnister for at least one day looks really promising.  I'll hopefully also get to St Bees.

[AJM]

Thank you for all the advice.  I'm currently in a B&B near Kendal,  after a session at Tilberthwaite. I thoroughly enjoyed myself there but felt a bit of a pervert for doing so.

A  pleasure?

 

[moose]

Possibly.  I found myself even viewing a spectacular flying dismount after a finishing jug shattered, as part of the jolie laide charm of the place!

[AJM]

Possibly.  I found myself even viewing a spectacular flying dismount after a finishing jug shattered, as part of the jolie laide charm of the place!

No injury I hope?! Which problem?

[andy popp]

I'm resigned to a probable Southern limestone hit on the way back.

But in my very limited experience south Lakes limestone is fab.

[moose]

Possibly.  I found myself even viewing a spectacular flying dismount after a finishing jug shattered, as part of the jolie laide charm of the place!

No injury I hope?! Which problem?

Uninjured thankfully.  It was one of the mass of spiky jugs at the top of Technobabble - I was using it to lower myself down after finishing.  I don't think the problem is significantly changed.