Overview - The parentals were off to Dubia/Doha to see my brother for a week, so Dad and I nipped out to Bamford for a few quick hours... The time out on the rock had been eroded from a day to half a day to a few hours to only two hours by the time we'd got around the Bakewell Show, so we didn't get much done, but we managed to run up and down some routes that certainly felt pumpier than they looked! I think I like Bamford, and need to come back with bouldering mat for all the right-hand boulder-problem jump-to-start routes.
Led - The 'easy' intro to the day, with a single long reach and mild exit. A nice warm-up, though it definitely feels a tad bold if you don't have a good selection of Cams! I just had nuts, so the vertical slot near the bottom was the some total of my gear as I topped out. Whoops! Dad seconded, and it felt more like easy 5a.
Led - Very powerful start, almost irrespective of where you do it. Jamming / huge rockover from the front of the buttress straight into the crack, or some thuggy shelf pulling around the right-hand side. I opted for the right-hand variation, which leads nicely to a knee-bar and delicate balance around into the crack proper. The rest is slightly more strenuous that it looks, though perfectly protected - lots of #10 nuts! Not sure what the second star is for...
Led - Well that's the first time an HVS has had me thinking of falling off in a while! A very nice, but slightly tenuous sequence leads from the porthole to the arete, and there you stay, gripped, until you finally find something to grab a hold of and finish relatively easily. Must feel much bolder than it actually is...
Led - This time, head straight up the wall just right of the porthole, with each move further from your gear, but slightly easier than the last. Didn't help that Dad told me the protection had fallen out just as I considered committing to the top. It hadn't, hence he got shouted at, but I'd prefer him to make the mistake that way round! Might deserve a star.