Thursday 3 February 2011

Around Derwentwater 6 - A Question

A question...

How is your head for heights?

After our walk, I took a scramble around the side of Shepherd's Crag in Borrowdale, to join the lads on the top of their climb.


It was a long way up!

I like heights, but my stomach did turn a little queasy as I walked past the edge to reach the top of the route.


I'm told that it's a three pitch climb, which means that it is normally climbed in three stages, with the lead climber stopping at a suitable point to fasten in and set up a belay for the follower. When the follower has climbed up to join the lead, they usually change roles so that they don't have to swap the belay plate between harnesses whilst hanging onto a rock ledge.

The lads hung around on the top for a short while because Mark had a 'Hex' jammed fast into a crack on the rock face and he wanted to abseil down to retrieve it before we left, but, meanwhile, there was another group of climbers coming up.

When, eventually, the route was clear, Ben was on belay duty for the abseil.


Much to his delight, Mark did manage to loosen the Hex and bring it up. As he pointed out, he's a student... he can't afford to leave equipment behind!

There will unquestionably be a quorum of quality Q posts over at Miss Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. Why not take a quick shufty?

19 comments:

  1. Wow! you climbed that ledge? My head is normally quite alright when it comes to heights . This is fantastic.

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  2. Personally, I'd have taken the lift up.

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  3. Oh no, makes me Queasy just looking at it. No head for heights here...

    Bleurgh

    Maggy

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  4. I think I would rather watch from below.

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  5. No head for heights. Had to hold on to the chair just to look at the photos.
    Beautiful shots!

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  6. I am already getting dizzy by reading your post !

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  7. I'd be quite afraid of that quagmire! Heights are not my friend.

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  8. Words for today: nausea, vertigo, hex, abseil, belay....dictionary!!
    Lovely pictures again, but as Alan says, we need the lift.
    When you leave the Lakes, could you tell us some time about Derby? We have never been there, but my Uncle Billy ( Engine driver) and my Aunty Alice lived there a long time ago.

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  9. I am fascinated by heights and want one day to leap out of a plane (yes, with a parachute)... but for reasons I can't fathom, my knees turn to jelly whenever I get too close to an edge with a drop. I can't call it "fear of heights"... but it sure feels funny.

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  10. Even just looking at the lad on the cliff made my stomach do a flip!

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  11. I can't even look at the pictures without getting the heebie jeebies...

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  12. I like heights. As long as I'm not too close to the edge.

    GREAT shots.

    =)

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  13. OMGOMGOMG! I guess I have "high"drophobia, because even looking at you sitting on the edge made me scared!!! Good post, though!

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  14. I love being up high. I do get a little dizzy sometimes if I look over the edge of a sheer drop but it's more of a feeling of excitement than fear.

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  15. definitely thrilling! wonderful views! I'm a little afraid of heights, enough to probably have not sat on the edge there. I've not done any of that style of rock climbing before, however.

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  16. Glorious views out =D
    not so sure about the views down though :(
    [shudders & goes to make a mug of tea to steady nerves]

    and there seems to be some strange species of bipedal mountain goat in a couple of the shots...

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  17. I missed this post, yesterday, but 'better late than never' so the saying goes ;)

    I can now understand why your sons are such enthusiastic rock climbers - with a Mother like you, it has to be 'in the genes!'

    Stunning pictures, H! I'm not nearly as brave as you are - my knees go all wobbly & jelly-like when I get too close to the edge of anything high. I'm fine, as long as I can stand well back &, preferably if there's a solid barrier in the way! So, No! I guess I don't have a head for heights, to answer your question.

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  18. Although that is an incredible view there's no way I would be able to sit there.

    Yikes.

    It gave me vertigo just looking at your lovely pictures.

    Thanks for a slightly scary link to Alphabe-Thursday's letter "Q".

    A+

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