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By Mike Hams - October 2006
Beginners weekend was the scene for my best ever day out in the Peak district. Saturday dawned a tad damp and some hearing the forecast on Radio 4 went off to Sheffield for a hard outing on plastic holds. My son Matthew and I along with Judy, Beryl, Ian and Christina headed for the obligatory Lawrencefield trip. We reasoned it would be sheltered, out of the cloud and may possibly dry given some let up in the rain.
We weren’t disappointed in our guess and being a moderately concerned parent I asked if Matthew could tag on the rope that went up Nailbane on the Gingerbread slab. Last time out Matt had struggled and sworn at me (under his breath) all the way up Snailcrack and I had put him off! So working on the basis that climbing near to me but not with me would help confidence off he went. Being a foot or so taller helped with the climb and he made a really good stylish ascent to the slab while his dad looked on proudly. As the conquering hero returned to lunch on fine food the heavens opened and thoughts of a trip up Pulpit Groove went out the window.
Matt and I went and practiced some belay set-ups alongside the climbing area as he hoped to lead something easy at sometime weather permitting. Several belay arrangements were tried and clove hitches became second nature. It was all going well and rock was drying from the shower. The other teams decided that a trip to the Frustration area would be a good idea, as we weren’t inspired by the other offerings in the Pool area. We arrived to find a top rope on every easy route and an abseil on the hard ones. After some muttering we crossed the road to Millstone and the Hells Bells area.
Here I finally climbed something Giants Steps. It was green and the holds were a touch slippery. Thankfully under the watchful gaze of my 13 year-old I managed to climb the horror without looking too bad! Minor complaints about rope drag were due to my belayer doing his job properly as Ian informed me. (Performance anxiety, what performance anxiety?) Matt had a nightmare on it, as he was just too short for the move off the block in the corner of the ledge. I had to winch him up a couple of inches at a time.
Time had marched on and it was dinner o’clock according to MMT (Matthew Meal Time!) A return to camp and cooking followed. Some ale was consumed (his mother will read this gentle reader) and a reasonable bedtime followed.
Sunday dawned reasonably wetly, team wuss headed for the café and the full Hardhurst breakfast. I was reasonably concerned that we wouldn’t be getting off the ground after the big feed. Froggatt was to be the venue, decided between the second and third cups of tea.
Steve Culverhouse joined us for the trip, as he was part of the lift share. The weather cleared to a moderately good day (by Peak standards) and Matt declared he was ready for the challenge of the first lead. What to put him on? Well it could only be Nursery Slab (M) in the Downhill Racer area. Steve kindly agreed to solo alongside Matt giving advice on gear placements and Matt had climbed the route before. Success should be a reasonably sure thing. (I wasn’t going home to explain why the son and heir was dented to domestic management!)
Steve was calmness personified as he followed the putative leader up the climb. Gear placements were tried and rejected, the belayer (me) had to work hard at maintaining concentration. The man at the sharp end was fully aware of the potentially exciting time that would be his if it all went wrong (I was working out how to drop Steve off and flee the country before word got back home). An hour or so later the call came “climb when ready”.
I set off in big boots to see how it had all gone. The gear placements were all top notch (well done Steve and Matt). A very proud father topped out to shake his son by the hand in best stiff-upper lip British Mountaineering tradition (Mallory would have been proud of our control). I then hugged the hero and let my top lip quiver a bit in a 90’s new-man fashion (those that are too young can ask their parents about new-man).
Time was getting on so we left after one route (in line with my Mike one-route Hams reputation) and headed home. It was without doubt my best ever days climbing and will unlikely to be topped even if Matt drags me up E3 in the future. My heartfelt thanks to Steve Culverhouse for making it all possible and Pete Tonks for superb organisation of the whole weekend. (Can we have better weather next time please?)