Widdop Circuit

Tony Astwood going all out for it on Splash Down Arete (V4/ Ft 6b) at Widdop

A grey and windy day in Lancaster but Tony and I decided to risk a day out after the ridiculous amount of bad weather we've had in the last month or so. Headed to Widdop and the weather was looking good heading down the M6. Got to Widdop and it was really windy with the wind whipping up massive waves on the reservoir. Waves were smashing over the dam but as the guide book stated the plantation boulders stay sheltered in strong winds we decided to risk it and ran the dam wall gauntlet with out getting wet or blown back to Lancashire. Once at the boulders it was reasonably sheltered and we got stuck into the classic circuit of lovely problems. Ticking off a few of the classics such as splash down arete (V4/Ft 6b), the shelf (v3/ft 6a), pickpocket's crack (V3/Ft 6a), and the red edge problems. I had ago on red edge traverse (V4/ Ft 6b+) which really puzzled me and kept spitting me off. Also looked at the crimpy wall problem next to splash down arete and the pebbly slab on the top boulders. Both problems didn't do my fingers very much good so I left them for another day. A good skin trashing day out and the weather held!