Better than power........

.....is more power

It has been a hectic week or so in planetFear with all hands on deck to have stock and fixtures ready and available for an amazing offering at Kendal Mountain Festival. The previous week however, Johan (myself) and Chris headed East, for a patch of a few days good weather, to re-stoke their phyche for climbing.

Following a glorious summer, the recent wet patch had somewhat dampened our spirits, and having been confined to the joys of pulling on plastic, or nothing at all, grades were dropping and pints were beggining to show. Luckily salvation was just across the country in the form of the outstanding sandstone outcrops of Northumberland.

Johan shows off his impressively big p........rotection.

This was my first climbing outing to this legendary region, having previously sampled sandstone in the South (joyous..) and at St Bees (awesome), and it did not fail to impress.

First up was the Pilgrimage of Power to the ever lauded Kyloe-in-the-Woods. To say this took some getting used to would be an understatement, and although being a frequenter of both The Styan and Trowbarrow, failing utterly on fb6c (and below) upset and inspired me for the coming days. We did however come close on the local testpiece of Jocks and Geordies (fb6c+) needing to just suck it up a little more when we next assault it.

Not quite enough suckage on Jocks and Geordies

Following a few more pints than expected,  Doveholes was the second day's entertainment. A picturesque clearing, offering shelter from the ever-bitter North-East wind, trapping the sun in a patch of large boulders who provide many low-end climbs. A flask of coffee, with bagels and chocolate, makes this the perfect autumn venue, as you relax listening to the wind sigh amongst the trees.

Sandstone softer than the local norm gives rounded slopers and top-outs, smeary slabs of all angles and a break from the tendon-busting crimps found elsewhere. Unfortunately it does see less traffic, and as a result, lichen-covered boulders lead to excitement, demonstrated perfectly when I became unexpectedly airborne, and narrowly missed Chris' head.

The final offering went back to the brutal! Bowden Doors, where the weak get spanked and the strong, well, still get spanked. Bust out the guns lads, 'coz the climbing here takes no prisoners.

Messiah

First up was The Messiah (fb6b) as, being a bunch of girls, we decided we didn't fancy the E4 top-out (fb7a)! This was then followed by a hectic run down the crag to complete as many reasonably-graded problems as possible, the best of which, The Lightbulb, gives fantastic fridge-hugging, heel-hooking gloriousness, and, as you think its all over, the sandiest rock-over known to man. Shins anybody? This was all finished off with a reachy, crimpy, 7a slab and then home for some well earned rest.