Archive for August, 2009

Nova HS 4b, Lawrencefield, Peak District

This was our second trip to Lawrencefield, and it didn’t start too well. We got all the way down to the crag and I realised that I had left the guidebook in the car – doh! I had to run all the way back to the surprise view car park.

We started on the Gingerbread Slab, David kicked things off with a pretty easy V Diff called Snail Crack, which we had climbed on our previous visit. I decided the raise the stakes and go for a HS called Nova.

Climbing book review: Peak District Climbing (Vertebrate Publishing)

I was immediately drawn to Peak District Climbing because it’s published by Vertebrate Publishing. I have 3 of their mountain biking books and they have all been top-drawer. This book is no exception.

The figure of eight climbing knot

The figure of eight knot is probably the most commonly used climbing knot, and is the first one that you are taught when you learn to climb.

It is an absolutely bomb-proof knot, especially when you add a stopper knot, and as such is the first choice for most climbers for attaching the rope to their harness. It can also be used as part of your belay setup if you have run out of karabinas (I’ll show you how in another post).

Climbing equipment review: Boreal Joker climbing shoes

I bought my Boreal Joker Climbing shoes when I first started climbing, early 2008. They have been used for a few hours every Friday night at Rock City, indoor climbing wall in Hull, though they have seen me through quite a few outdoor expeditions.