Inspired from: https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/rock_talk/rescuing_undeservedly_neglected...
So: Black Cleft.
The Chasm. Devil's Kitchen. Mur droite de la Grande Cascade (Gavarnie). Benny.
More?
What was that quote from a Steve Ashton guide? Something like "harder when wet. The climb that is, not the climber"
Ahh Steve. He wrote some fab ones.
Back to the original question. Any Classic Rock tick in The Pass or Langdale because it's the only time you can get on them without queueing
Clachaig gully, obviously.
I enjoyed Spartan Slab when there was a waterfall coming over the big overlap. Never really enjoyed it in the dry.
Crescent climb on Pavey Ark. The traverse pitch is far more memorable during or soon after a downpour
> Crescent climb on Pavey Ark. The traverse pitch is far more memorable during or soon after a downpour
If we expand to "more memorable" then we invite in the dark side.
A mate who climbed rather better than me was on Rainbow Slab when rain came in. Very soon the only dry rock on the expanse of slate was the two square centimetres under each of his toes.
Well above the last bolt, he had three options:
- try to climb on. Wet slate is unhelpful that way
- wait it out and hope for the slab to dry before his calves cramped
- drop his rope and get his belayer to run around to the top
Waiting with baited breath, what did he opt for?
Idwal Slab's The Ordinary Route (D) is fun when it becomes a significant stream.
The first pitch Little Brown Jug, had a certain spice added doing it in the wet, further enhanced by all my protection, small brass nuts ,refusing to stay in place once I'd climbed above them. I'd essentially soloed it, when my climbing grade was maxing out around HVS.
I only climbed it once, in mitts and big boots in a deluge. Still one of my favourite days out ever!
Corvus (Lakes). Only done it in the wet, but really enjoyed it.
I’d imagine that Lockwood's Chimney (VD) could almost be boring if it were climbed in dry conditions, but in the wet provide an unforgettable outing - especially if done in the age old tradition (ie at night, whilst drunk).
Have you really done Devil's Kitchen in the wet? It's absolutely horrendous. Very nasty, slippery, steep, untrustworthy rock (probably because of surface dirt/lichen etc) and very badly protected. About 2 ok runners in 110 feet, I think. I thought it was somewhere between HS and VS in seriousness and not remotely enjoyable, it was just too plain nasty. Someone's mentioned Idwal Slabs ordinary ... that goes enjoyably in any conditions because the friction remains great (all lichen worn off), very well protected, and almost laughably easy and gentle. Not much more than a scramble. If anyone were to claim it goes up to V Diff in the rain, then Devil's Kitchen would be about E2 on the same grading system.
Spartan. You're absolutely right, it'd be horrible if it wasn't piss wet through. We did after Hammer. Everybody else had buggered off, so we thought we were being clever to get another route in.
We got eaten alive by midges ) Still haunts me to this day....
Segeant's Crag Gully (summer) (S) another good lakeland one.
https://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/dbpage.php?id=53874
As to actually answering the original question, i'd offer Dihedral - the SRT route into Gaping Ghyll. It's got to be one of my all time top-five experieced. Absolutely stunning when you're half way down the first pitch, watching your rope disappear into an infinite stream of droplets, above and below you, suspended in the middle of an enormous noisy bright chasm, seeming attached to nothing.
It wouldn't be half the experience if it was dry.
Anything that's clean (polished) is generally fine in the wet, not much difference in the friction for your feet (hands can be less convincing) - so pretty much anything on Raven crag Langdale maybe parts of Castle Rock of Triermain
Gets a lot trickier when there is a layer of slime - Shepherds crag gets a bit of this due to the trees and the slatey nature of the rock, Quayfoot butress is a total slime fest
My vote for slimy rotting classic would be
Less steep but fairly serious
Or take the whip 🤪
But the 'walk off' is a nightmare!
It's a bit intimidating, but I wouldn't call it a nightmare. Holds are all there if you look carefully.
> Anything that's clean (polished) is generally fine in the wet, not much difference in the friction for your feet
Are you thinking just of rock types like rhyolite? Most of my local routes (limestone) are way harder when wet - small, sloping footholds become well-nigh unusable.
Yes, rhyolite is great, wouldn't fancy wet limestone, I think the slime is still pretty key in the lakes, even on Quayfoot butress, the clean holds (if you can find one) are quite ' frictitious'
Re Lockwood's Chimney (VD) I agree.
Having done it numerous times I've never managed the trifecta, most ascents have met 2/3 conditions. All have been as a large party on a single rope, as they should be. Also, I've never actually topped out.
In a similar vein, a night time welly ascent of chocolate blancmange gully at horseshoe was on my wishlist until the top fell down.
Surely any climb with a great big roof over it.
>Someone's mentioned Idwal Slabs ordinary ... that goes enjoyably in any conditions because the friction remains great (all lichen worn off), very well protected, and almost laughably easy and gentle. Not much more than a scramble.
It feels like cheating to do it when it's dry.
Of Idwal slabs, perhaps, yes. I remember once doing Tennis Shoe when it started to rain. We stood on a belay ledge for about half and hour and got absolutely drenched (other parties abbed off). Then it stopped, and we carried on just fine. By the time we were on the last tricky pitch the rock was more or less bone dry again.
You'd definitely want it dry for that last pitch!
Assuming you're sufficiently competent, in the dry it's a good descent route. Have to take care going past ascendees, but there's enough good holds to go to the sides in enough places.
I am glad you said that re Devils kitchen. We tried it once, 1978 I think, were climbing VS at the time. Didn't get up it, had an absolute epic and had our arses kicked. Always wondered about the V Diff grade!
Many years ago we chose to do gymnic at raves dale in a torrential downpour. It sss surprisingly good fun!
Wasn't it at night, drunk and naked?
> Have you really done Devil's Kitchen in the wet? It's absolutely horrendous. Very nasty, slippery, steep, untrustworthy rock (probably because of surface dirt/lichen etc) and very badly protected.
I remember doing that first pitch of Devil's Kitchen and initially attempting the right hand line which goes pretty much straight up the stream. Now I love a bit of wet rock, but this really was next level, being more like white water rafting than rock climbing. I tried several times, but the main obstacle was breathing whilst so much water was gushing into your face. I remember thinking that it is was going to be possible - which it most certainly wasn't that day - then a snorkel would be required to make it through.
Couldn't agree with you more about the upper pitch too, it's pretty out there and would be horrendous whilst actually wet. It's wild enough when dry!!
Used to wear wool socks over EBs to climb the lichenous wet rock of Wilton Quarries. Still not a joyful experience. Then again, climbing at Wilton never was.
Soapgut HS, Milestone Buttress. Remember it being surprisingly nongreasy with water pouring down, similar to other polished rhyolite routes mentioned. Nice and near the road for a quick journey back to the cafe after getting soaked.
> Clachaig gully, obviously.
Yet looking at the logbook, those who did it in the wet generally hated it, those of us who waited for a dry day actually enjoyed it
Benny is great for the leader in rain as they'd be dry. Less pleasant for the second who could get soaked waiting for them to finish pitch 1.
> > Clachaig gully, obviously.
> Yet looking at the logbook, those who did it in the wet generally hated it, those of us who waited for a dry day actually enjoyed it
Fair enough but I reckon the optimum time to do it is on a wet but warm day.
You're going to get wet anyway, you'll spend a lot of time on wet rock even if it's a nice day and you'll be in the shade. Better to be on Rannoch wall or Aonach Dubh if the sun shines?
I did it one day in the wet. Not an experience I'll forget, or want to repeat.
Routes when wet.
Cant say I am a connoisseur with wet climbs. However 2 years ago during the awful winter I had loads of fun trying to do classic rock climbs in Scotland in the wet with Irish Jack. Lots of time was spent dodging wet holds at Creag Dubh being very run out and pumped to hell. Living in fear, forgetting and repeating.
Did Agags groove in big boots and it was totally dripping. It was genuinely a life affirming soul searching experience. Laughing our asses off wishing we had rock shoes and then crying with fear as we slowly teetered up the slimy holds, then laughing our asses off again. Even found my green hex id left a few weeks before at the top of Crowberry Tower!
Remember meeting a few depressed climbers in Fort William afterwards and grinning to myself at the ridiculousness of what I was being smug about. But mostly how chuffed I was managing to have a totally crap day out and get to the car soaked,shivering and glad to be alive.
That chippy afterwards was the best! thanks Jack
> So: Black Cleft.
> The Chasm. Devil's Kitchen. Mur droite de la Grande Cascade (Gavarnie). Benny.
> More?
Remember doing samurai groove in torrential rain once . Completely smug till crux done and pulled out onto top wall !
The Chasm? I've done it when damp but never "in the wet" (which im taking to mean raining?) and I really think it would be better when totally dry. We climbed it having done Clachaig gully in the morning (I felt at the time it would be better to just get both done in a day) but I think now it would be better when bone dry and having time to appreciatte the surroundings.
Good post subject as I feel people can be quite precious about getting on routes when they are totally dry. I doubt that many of the 60's classics were climbed bone dry on the first ascent and being able to deal with damp rock on routes definitely pays off. I've hit damp/wet pitches on etive slabs a few time (Agony is rarely dry), Agags in the pouring rain and the Shibboleth crux never really drys out - all fun days though in general would have been more fun if totally dry. I climbed Centurion when the second pitch was still wet last year and Salamander (HVS 5a) the next week between showers. Both felt a couple of grades harder and my client (who has sport climbed 8a) commented about having never struggled on an HVS before.
Classic Rock routes are usually a good shout in the damp.
I seem to remember that North Buttress on Tryfan was fine in sleet and rain, and quite enjoyable.
I first did Salamander on a dry, frosty day when the schist was clean and thought it was an over graded Severe. Repeated it a few years later on a dank but dry day of scudding clouds and found it several grades harder!
> Surely any climb with a great big roof over it.
Although that is better because it is dry so not quite what the OP asked
That reminds me. I once did Gashed Crag in the pouring rain sometime in a 1980's Autumn. I had done it a couple of times before in good weather. We also did the chimney above that leads almost directly to the summit. On the way down it went dark and our single headtorch died. Luckily we had got to the bottom of Heather Terrace, but it was hard work stumbling the remaining distance through heather back to the A5.
Actually, that's exactly what happened to us on that day of sleet and snow. It was while I was at university. There were about three parties on different routes, one very inexperienced. We had to a wait for ages for them on the summit. They eventually joined us in fading light so the descent was increasingly tricky. As with you, all our head torches were soon either dead or fading. Unbelievably, when we got to the top of that short scrambly descent gully on the route back down to the Little Tryfan car park, one of the others started insisting that we went down a gully on the west side towards Milestone Buttress! Even though I already knew the eastern descent route very well (having done about 4 routes previously on the East Face the previous summer). We also knew that the rest of the climbing club would be waiting in the transit van in the car park, and obviously if we came down that eastern route they'd see our descending torches (I was waving the one still quite bright one towards the car park the whole time so that they would see us) and know that we were OK. If we'd gone down the other side of the mountain we would have disappeared into the night. I remember having an incredible row, losing my temper etc, and more or less pushing them down the descent route. It didn't help that it was snowing on and off.
Yes, I too did Devil's Kitchen Ordinary Route in the wet after dragging the team up there with promises to do the waterfall route. My attempt got about four feet up before giving up. I don't remember the OR being anything particularly out of the ordinary (hah - see what I did there).
jcm
> You're going to get wet anyway, you'll spend a lot of time on wet rock even if it's a nice day and you'll be in the shade. Better to be on Rannoch wall or Aonach Dubh if the sun shines?
We stayed virtually dry when we did it, but a good point about the sun. We chose it because although the sun was out, the wind was as well and the gully was sheltered from the gales that ruled out those other crags.
> More?
Grey Knotts Face (D) - Gillercombe Buttress in upper Borrowdale. It has an ‘inside passage’ so tight - for me at least - that I doubt I would have got up it without the help of some rain and sleet to lubricate it. The only climb I can think of where slipperiness makes upward progress easier.
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