Pennine Lines w/c 4 September 2023

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4 Sept

|| Another warm snap || Easterlies, watch out for midges ||

Jason's Roof, Crookrise || Climber: Steve Dunning

|| Focus On... ||

Plans

September rolls around again, the blackberries are out, and we’ve already had a little tentative taste of cool gritstone in the evenings to whet the appetite for autumn.

September always feels like the natural starting point of something to me. I’m sure a few people reading this who have kids or work (or worked) in education might agree. It feels like it fits with the natural cadence of life - not just the new school year but also the seasons changing. You’re already aware that the evenings are drawing in, the bracken at the crags is starting the brown up at the edges a little. Speaking personally it always feels like a new year more than the actual New Year does.

So whereas I don’t really bother with New Years resolutions I do tend to give some thought to the year ahead in September. I hesitate to refer to any of this as ‘goals’ though. My association with goals in a climbing context is that goals equals performance equals gains equals metrics equals training. I’m not in climbing for performance, I’m in it to enjoy it and be outside as much as I can - that’s the goal, if there is one. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being into performance, but it’s not really me. Even the language used - goal - is inextricably linked to organised team sport, and doesn’t feel like climbing talk.

Instead I’m saying I’ve got plans. Plans are cool. Some plans come off, others don’t, and sometimes plans change; that’s plans for you. Planning equals guidebooks equals maps equals research - all good with me. Goals are something you miss - with the negative language associated with it. The other side of having plans is if you tell someone about them they’re more likely to happen. So I’m putting these out there in the hope that in some way this approximates to some degree of commitment on my part.

So my main plan for this coming autumn is to try and get up to Yorkshire grit more often. I had a lot of days up there in the very dry autumn of 2021 shooting and researching for Grit Blocs, but last year autumn was kinda terrible weather-wise so nothing really happened. So I’m due some good Yorkshire days.

Buy Grit Blocs

Lower Gorple aka Dicken Rocks || Climber: Matt Thompson

In no particular order:

Crookrise - haven’t climbed here for years now so this is long overdue. It requires a little more organisation and commitment to drive up here from Sheffield, especially when the days get shorter, but it’s worth it.

Brandrith - visited twice now to try Heaven In Your Hands. First time it was wet, and the second time was in May and it was boiling. Third time’s a charm?

Hawkcliffe - was on my radar for investigating during Grit Blocs research but never made it there.

Jumble Hole Clough - I was pleased to be able to head up here on my own and get some decent photos of Red Rooster for the book, but ever since then it’s remained unfinished business. This is a great problem, and a lovely quiet spot.

Gorple - not because I’ve especially got anything in particular to try here but it’s just a great place to be, so why not.

So there we go, I've written it down so it might just happen. Fingers crossed for a good Yorkshire autumn. See you out there.

Red Rooster - close but no cigar || Climber: Dave Parry

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|| Recently Through the lens ||

A lot of time was spent shooting indoors this week, and that means an equal amount of time spend indoors editing said images - a little taster below. All good fun - and hopefully outdoors a little more this week.