Year of publication 1960 - Fell and Rock Climbing Club

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Harold Drasdo 7anything else in this locality. There is scope for some harderroutes and for the removal of grass and other debris from theexisting ones.Scrubby Crag already has some excellent climbs. In fact,there isn't much obvious climbing left to do since Jack Soperwent over the place, except one of the finest routes in theneighbourhood, if you look carefully enough. I hope it willhave gone by the time this is in print. The climbs here aresteep and well-placed, very much like the White Ghyll routesin lengths and standards but taking better lines.It is not for want of trying that only one new route hasappeared on Dove Crag in the last twenty years; and thisroute—Dovedale Groove, by Whillans and Brown—indicatesat what level the next ones will be carried out. I have not seena more impressive piece of igneous rock, of similar size,anywhere. All we can say is that we have failed; others cantry.Grisedale, on the other hand, doesn't offer much for thefuture, but it is a very pleasant valley to climb in, especiallyif you stay at Ruthwaite Lodge. You have Eagle Crag, onlyten minutes' traverse across the hillside, with Mike James'sSobrenada, a finely composed little route. At the top of thevalley Falcon Crag has a selection of short, difficult climbs ofwhich Bottleneck is the best. Whilst I am writing aboutGrisedale I should like to anticipate the remarks of those wholook across from the Lodge to St. Sunday Crag for the firsttime. I said the same sorts of things myself. We makemistakes and it is a good thing to suspend judgement until youhave climbed the Nose Direct. In trying to fix the atmosphereof the climbing on any cliff one could always begin by tryingto give the atmosphere of the valley; for the feeling of anyclimbing is always qualified by the feeling of the surroundings,the particular impression of place. Grisedale, I have said, isvery pleasant; which, ultimately, may mean no more thanthat there is usually evidence of man, people to be shouted toin case of need; whilst in Deepdale one has no such recourse.I only mention the peripheral places: Carrock Fell, with itsarchaic and modern ways, Lakeland's final geological gesture,staring over the flat plain of the Eden; Swindale and the leet—the ingenuity of man!—and the compact little buttresses;Longsleddale and the senile decrepit Dandle. It's easy to
8 EXTREMES AND EXCESSESget attached to these little crags, close to roads and often insunshine.But now I must put things in perspective. After all thistalk about the retarded development of Lakeland climbing Iwant to add that some of us have tried very hard. We havenot been idle. Some people simply don't realize whatqualities are demanded of the leaders of new routes and atwhat physical and nervous expense these sometimes dangerouslyvegetated enterprises are effected. I can think of nobetter way of conveying this than by describing two daysspent in Swindale by my brother and myself last July orAugust.I had noticed this line, a heather-tufted, overhanginggroove, the previous year whilst completing the Guide. On aperfectly fine day we went up to try it. Evidently someonehad been about 15 feet up verv recently. I attacked and after agreat deal of fiddling and nervousness and tweaking out bits ofheather I made about 20 feet, having to learn every move,forward and back, by copious experiment. After a half-hour,with the heat, dirt and awkwardness, I seemed discouragedand disgraced and decided to leave it for another day. AndI was about to descend when suddenly, though capacity wasnot yet present, desire swelled and although I couldn't get upI would not come down: a frustrating and embarrassingsituation for leader and second alike. So that I was constrainedto remain where I was for a while, supported at thatheight by appetite, checked there by a faint overhang, whilstmy nervous energy began to suppurate slowly.I started to let fall the cliches of the uncertain leader,drawing neither encouragement nor acknowledgement otherthan subtle adjustments in the tension of the rope. I said thatif I could just get my feet where my hands were . . .; that itwas no use; that one good hold would take me to the restingplace; that the holds all sloped; that I was going to fall off;that I was not going to fall off; that I would have to move backfor a rest; that we were wasting our time; that I would haveone final go. I had it; and several more. Another half-hourslipped by. 'It's no good,' I said. 'I'm coming down. Right.Take in.'When the leader was in the resting place, these strugglesrewarded, an access of pride took him and he stood there in a
Page 1 and 2: ft'H. P. SMLSBURY (President, 19.5K
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTSPAGEThe North Face of the G
Page 5 and 6: 2 NORTH FACE OF GRANDES JORASSESpai
Page 7 and 8: 4 NORTH FACE OF GRANDES JORASSESdur
Page 9: EXTREMES AND EXCESSESHarold DrasdoT
Page 13 and 14: 1(1 EXTREMES AND EXCESSESLater it w
Page 15 and 16: 12 THE EVENING ALPSnice bed here, o
Page 17 and 18: 14 THE EVENING ALPSindeed awaiting
Page 21 and 22: 18 THE EVENING ALPSmaxim: nature ab
Page 23 and 24: 20 THE EVENING ALPSa party of four
Page 25 and 26: 2.2 THE EVENING ALPSCanadian proble
Page 27 and 28: THE MOUNTAINS OF MOURNEPeter Grindl
Page 29 and 30: 26 THE MOUNTAINS OF MOURNEthe Spelg
Page 31 and 32: Peter Grindley 27the line in a very
Page 33 and 34: Peter Grindley 29But this is a digr
Page 35 and 36: G. Oliver 31to the next pitch which
Page 37 and 38: G. Oliver 33Phil Gordon was leading
Page 39 and 40: G. Oliver 35The second pitch, which
Page 41 and 42: SOME SCOTTISH SCRAMBLESTerry Sulliv
Page 43 and 44: Terry Sullivan 39here things went u
Page 45 and 46: A BRAKING HITCHJohn C. LythThis hit
Page 47 and 48: John C. Lyth 43
Page 49 and 50: John C. Lyth 45The rope is laid as
Page 51 and 52: CLIMBS OLD AND NEWEAGLE CRAGTRAPEZE
Page 53 and 54: Peter Moffat 49(2) 65 feet. Continu
Page 55 and 56: Peter Moffat 51right, round a rib,
Page 57 and 58: Peter Moffat 53(2) 100 feet. The be
Page 59 and 60: Peter Moffat 55stance with good fla
Page 61 and 62:
Peter Moffat 57(2) 70 feet. Travers
Page 63 and 64:
Peter Moffat 59(3) 60 feet. Climb u
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Peter Moffat 61LANGDALEGIMMER CRAGK
Page 67 and 68:
Peter Moffat 63above almost to a ju
Page 69 and 70:
Peter Moffat 65(4) 80 feet. This pi
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Peter Moffat 67the final overhangin
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IN MEMORIAMHENRY BRAITHWAITE, 1906-
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IN MEMORIAM 71of an observant and i
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IN MEMORIAM 73years all school holi
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IN MEMORIAM 75number of years a Lib
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IN MEMORIAM 77assert that, protecte
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CLIMBS AND EXPEDITIONS 79He carried
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CLIMBS AND EXPEDITIONS 81Terry Sull
Page 87 and 88:
THE YEAR WITH THE CLUBHarry Ironfie
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ANNUAL DINNER, 1959F. H. F. Simpson
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ANNUAL DINNER 87John Hirst did anot
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JEKYLL AND HYDE 89While hateful Hyd
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SCOTTISH MEETS 91energetic to scram
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LONDON SECTION, 1959During this yea
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RlSSlANS WITH SOME OK THEIR HOSTS I
Page 101 and 102:
96 EDITOR'S NOTESGimmer where Paul
Page 103:
CLIMBING BOOK 1893-1906A note by J.
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Year of publication 1960 - Fell and Rock Climbing Club

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