UKH

As the title says. I was leaning more towards a single to reduce faff at the belays but my partner is concerned about the initial pitch on a single, anyone got any good insight? 

I haven't done the route, but I've done a couple of VSs towards the right of the crag where the girdle starts. The normal start is Doggone Groove (VS 4b) which I haven't done, but I have done Gulle Gulle Groove (VS 4c) which I think is quite close to it. I don't see why would would need doubles on that, so unless Doggone Groove is particularly wiggly, I suspect a single with plenty of extenders would be ok there too.  I don't remember the routes even being particularly long, so if you've got a skinny single you could even double it for the first pitch if you really felt the need? You finish the girdle abseiling off anyway don't you? So you need enough rope for that.

I'd recommend half ropes, the last pitch goes around a bit of a horseshoe and with half ropes you can get less drag and still protect the second well.

It's a great route, enjoy.

I would always advise double ropes (half ropes) on a traverse, clipped alternately (usually). This is to reduce swinging if you fall since they form a triangle whether you are leading or seconding.

Alan

Great point, I hadn't thought of that before but it totally makes sense

Your main issue will be traversing over LOTS of people over what is possibly the busiest crag in the country at the minute!

I'd recommend an early morning weekday 😀

To be fair when we went on a sunny weekend the other day although the rest of cheedale was packed I didn't see a single person climbing on that bit of the wall so I'm hoping we're lucky on a weekday, especially as it all looks a bit drizzly this week! 

I first did it (1968) on 100' Number 4 nylon rope. We were concerned on looking down the abseil at the end that it didn't reach the ground. Fortunately, it was only about four feet short!

Chris

Really!? Why is it so popular all of a sudden?

I don't speak for everyone but from my perspective as someone who's never climbed on peak limestone before and have discovered it post lockdown it's a mix of too hot for grit and feeling a bit more comfortable sport climbing rather than trad climbing due to reduced MRT

To paraphrase John Lennon - Chee Tor isn't even the busiest crag in that section of Chee Dale!

It really won't be a problem but you do need to take care on some sections since there can be people below.

Alan

I would definitely use two ropes. As somebody else had said the last pitch wanders round a corner, which would create a lot of drag on the last pitch. I don't know what the current grade of the last pitch is at the moment (it used to be 4c), but the last time I did it there were several footholds missing and it was more like 5a. 

The traverse in question is on the opposite side of the river from the Cornice, which is the popular sport climbing. It traverses across the top of the Chee Tor trad routes (I know some of them technically continue above the break, but I've never seen anyone actually do that). The Chee Tor trad doesn't stay as dry in the rain as the Cornice either, it's much less steep.

I'm surprised you have been sport climbing on Chee Tor!

Chris

Did it last year on a sunny Saturday. Only one other team on the entire crag. Used a pair of half ropes, which I would recommend.

David

Cheers David, that's quite a few people now who have said they recommend half ropes so I think I'll go with that!

Logically the rope through the gear nearest the belayer will be slack though, so that doesn't really apply - the climber will purely hang/swing off the bit of gear nearest to them on that particular rope.  Even if they do manage to pendulum towards the belayer and back again, the slack rope isn't going to come taught at any point and reduce any swinging.

Try it - you always end up in a neat V with two tight ropes and limited swinging.

Alan

I agree with everyone else in saying you should use a pair of half ropes. But mainly I want to add, it's a brilliant route, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Just in case anyone was curious I went and did the girdle yesterday. Ended up using half ropes which i was pretty thankful for so cheers to everyone who suggested it. One other pair were on the route just behind us but apart from that not a single pair trying any of the routes below the girdle - although the cornice was absolutely packed at the end of the day - maybe every other line was taken up!

The route itself was quite odd and not what I expected, but you really do get a sense of adventure. Clipping all the knackered bits of tat was fun if not a bit hair raising (most were backed up). The funniest bit was walking back to the start in less than two minutes when it took us almost 5 hours to climb the same distance!

I did it in the mid sixties on 120ft full weight. It was mid winter and we had duvets on. The couple in front took so long an the last pitch that it went dark so we had to ab from the peg belay near the corner. We were well short but managed to swing into the top of a tree.

Done it a few times since and always look down and thank that tree. Also, it was no fun walking back though the tunnel with no light, just black hands from dragging the walls.

That reminds me of an occasion walking back from day's pegging on Moat Buttress in the early 70s, it was pitch black in the tunnels and the guy I was with fell over, helped by a big sack of pegs. I groped about in the dark and got him back on his feet, by which time we were totally disorientated. We found one wall and followed it out, luckily in the right direction, back to the car. It wasn't until we got back to home in Sheffield and put the lights on that we saw the state of us - we looked like a couple of chimney sweeps!

Chris