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Thawing Conditions…

POSTED: 15th January 2010 BY: Dan
CATEGORIES: Staff @ Play, Winter Conditions

Well all good things have to come to an end, valley ice climbing gone until it goes cold again.
Have a look at this… as a climber it has got to be one the most depressing things you could watch!

Fisherplace Gill Melting click here

On the bright side, as long as it does not wash away all the higher snow when it goes cold again we will have the best néve to climb...

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Grey Mare’s Tale

POSTED: 15th January 2010 BY: Dan
CATEGORIES: Staff @ Play, Winter Conditions

Well after a studdy of the weather reports during the day tonight we headed up to Grey Mare’s Tale.
With the van giving a temperature of -0.5 to 0 c the team of 5 made it to the top.

Large chunks of ice have fallen off the upper section however it was still fine to climb all be it a little wet in places!

Not just sure how long it will stay for looking at the huge...

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Cautley Spout – back again…

POSTED: 14th January 2010 BY: Dan
CATEGORIES: Staff @ Play, Winter Conditions

Well I first saw Cautley Spout when I was about 14, I had been rock climbing for a few years by then and was leading trad routes and done one winter ascent, some one pointed at Cautley when we where at Fell End cottage and told me “you cold climb that in winter”.
Many years later and with a few disappointed visits tonight Simon, Roger, Gareth and I got up...

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Tebay Ice

POSTED: 13th January 2010 BY: Dan
CATEGORIES: Staff @ Play, Winter Conditions

2 lads from the east have been at Tebay today.
They reported on it being a little damp but still holding in.

The top of the crag is a little loose in places.

The last time I was there, there was significant evidence of the odd lump or two that had come free.

Take care if you end up going and it is still in.

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Cautley Spout

POSTED: 11th January 2010 BY: Dan
CATEGORIES: Staff @ Play, Winter Conditions

Thanks to phil for this immage taken on Monday 11th.
It came into condition by mid last week and improved up until the big thaw (sunday).Heading over there really early tomorrow morning to see if it is still climbable. Tuesday @ 0600.

Updating this from my iPhone, the teperature is just too high to allow for a safe ascent!

Ended up on a smear of ice in a valley between...

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Fisherplace Gill

POSTED: 10th January 2010 BY: Dan
CATEGORIES: Staff @ Play, Winter Conditions

On arriving at the gill we where really surprised to see no one there just after 8 am.
Today Sally, Ant, Liz and I quested up the gill trying not to fall in the pools, especially one of them that looked to be over head deep.

Temperatures today have been the highest since Christmas reaching a high of 4.5c - this will be great for the snow on the top of the hills they will...

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Coniston Winter Conditions

POSTED: 10th January 2010 BY: Dan
CATEGORIES: Staff @ Play, Winter Conditions

So after a great little am session in Langdale we headed to Coniston.
The water ice is well formed and also well hacked at. We arrived at Low Water Beck at about 2:30 and where pleased to find no one on it.

The tarn is frozen over and is over a foot deep in the middle.

We climbed the largest piece of ice up behind the tarn and just at the R of the start to South Gully...

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