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Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Gimmer Crag via The Crack


Postby dav2930 » Mon Jul 25, 2016 7:17 pm

Date walked: 17/07/2016

Distance: 3.5 km

Ascent: 550m

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Went up to Gimmer Crag (Langdale) from the Old Dungeon Gill for a spot of trad climbing with my old mate Karl.

Weighed down with ropes and climbing gear, it's quite a slog up to the crag. We left walking boots and sacks at bottom of Bracket and Slab and scrambled down under foot of crag and up beneath north-west face.

The climb we were aiming for was The Crack (74m VS). It was Karl's first time up this one, and only my second time after many years.

The weather was dry but cloudy and breezy. As we were gearing up the clag lowered on Bowfell and the Crinkles and threatened to spread across Mickleden. We were a bit concerned in case it started raining while committed on the climb. Fortunately it stayed dry and by mid afternoon the clag had lifted. It was, however, very windy at the top of the crag.

A really great climb, well deserving of its inclusion in Ken Wilson's 'Hard Rock', though probably the easiest of the climbs featured in that book. First climbed by A. Reynolds and G. Macphee in 1928. Hats off to them!

Langdale Pikes from Grasmere gimmer crag 032_1.jpg
The line of The Crack (only the third pitch is visible) shown in red on this photo of Gimmer Crag taken from Pike o' Stickle last year.


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At the foot of The Crack looking across Mickleden. The other party at bottom of pic are about to start North West Arete (VS).


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Looking up the first pitch of The Crack. The route follows the prominent corner right of centre, moving onto left wall at point where wide crack appears to stop at inverted triangle.


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Climber on North West Arete (VS 4b)


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Karl coming up the second pitch, having made the hard moves up the overhanging rib.


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Looking down the corner of the third (and last) pitch, Karl just above the crux overhang. The climber on the left is nearing the top of Gimmer String (E1).


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Karl coming up the final pitch, going strong for the top.


Hard? Only middling by today's standards but challenging enough for two old codgers like us and certainly no pushover. Sustained at the grade but well protected.

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Pike o' Stickle from the top of Gimmer Crag


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Pike o' Blisco and Wetherlam from top of Gimmer


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Lingmoor Fell and Windermere from top of Gimmer


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Langdale from the path down


Back at the ODG a pint each of Snecklifter rounded the day off nicely. :D
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby past my sell by date » Thu Jul 28, 2016 6:01 pm

Oh your'e bringing back memories there dav: Langdale is full of wonderful crags -rough rock covered in holds :D and masses of protection :D :D Whether it's Gimmer, White Ghyll, Raven or Pavey, large numbers of routes in what used to be middle (now easy) grades. I liked it more than Borrowdale.
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby dav2930 » Thu Jul 28, 2016 9:29 pm

past my sell by date wrote:Oh your'e bringing back memories there dav: Langdale is full of wonderful crags -rough rock covered in holds :D and masses of protection :D :D Whether it's Gimmer, White Ghyll, Raven or Pavey, large numbers of routes in what used to be middle (now easy) grades. I liked it more than Borrowdale.

Glad this brought back some memories for you PMSBD. Totally agree about Langdale being full of wonderful crags. Gimmer is my favourite but I like White Ghyll too and Pavey to some extent. In Borrowdale the crags tend to be more hidden in the trees, though I've probably done more climbing there than anywhere else! Scafell is the finest crag in the Lakes though I think.

I guess VS is now one of the 'easy' grades - but try telling Karl that :lol:
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby past my sell by date » Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:00 pm

dav2930 wrote:
past my sell by date wrote:Oh your'e bringing back memories there dav: Langdale is full of wonderful crags -rough rock covered in holds :D and masses of protection :D :D Whether it's Gimmer, White Ghyll, Raven or Pavey, large numbers of routes in what used to be middle (now easy) grades. I liked it more than Borrowdale.

Glad this brought back some memories for you PMSBD. Totally agree about Langdale being full of wonderful crags. Gimmer is my favourite but I like White Ghyll too and Pavey to some extent. In Borrowdale the crags tend to be more hidden in the trees, though I've probably done more climbing there than anywhere else! Scafell is the finest crag in the Lakes though I think.

I guess VS is now one of the 'easy' grades - but try telling Karl that :lol:


Scafell is great but not often in condition. I've not done a lot there. I liked Castle rock - particularly the southern end, but I gather it's falling down now and OB - a true clasic will probably be lost. Living in Scotland is fantastic for hill walking but not so good for rock-climbing
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby dav2930 » Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:42 pm

past my sell by date wrote: I liked Castle rock - particularly the southern end, but I gather it's falling down now and OB - a true clasic will probably be lost.

Yes it's a real shame about Castle Rock; apparently there's a block about the size of a bungalow slowly detaching itself from the top of OB, putting that climb out of bounds for all but the suicidal. Have you done this one? I did it a few times in the past and was hoping to take Karl up it a couple of years ago until we saw the warning notice in the car park at the bottom. The south crag is ok though.
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby Alteknacker » Thu Jul 28, 2016 11:08 pm

Looks absolutely beautiful, and what a wonderful environment to be climbing in! You've really captured the attraction of this - the character of the rock, the adrenaline, the surroundings. Brilliant :clap: :clap: :clap:

Sadly VS looks a bit excessive for soloing... :( .
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby past my sell by date » Fri Jul 29, 2016 7:58 am

dav2930 wrote:Yes it's a real shame about Castle Rock; apparently there's a block about the size of a bungalow slowly detaching itself from the top of OB, putting that climb out of bounds for all but the suicidal. Have you done this one? I did it a few times in the past and was hoping to take Karl up it a couple of years ago until we saw the warning notice in the car park at the bottom. The south crag is ok though.

Yes done it a few times - lived in the south lakes for 20 years or so
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby dav2930 » Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:09 pm

Alteknacker wrote:Looks absolutely beautiful, and what a wonderful environment to be climbing in! You've really captured the attraction of this - the character of the rock, the adrenaline, the surroundings. Brilliant :clap: :clap: :clap:

Sadly VS looks a bit excessive for soloing... :( .

Thanks for your kind comments AK :D Langdale is indeed a wonderful place to climb in.
VS is definitely a bit full-on for soloing. I did solo a few big VS's in my crazy younger days, but I'd never have considered soloing The Crack - too sustained.
A more reasonable way up the full height of Gimmer for the soloist, which I did many years ago, is by Ash Tree Slabs (VDiff) and Oliverson's Variation/Lyon's Crawl (VDiff). Worth considering if you're happy soloing VDiff, though Ash Tree Slabs is tough for the grade, and it's easy to get lost on the exposed west face.
Thanks again!
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby ChrisW » Sat Jul 30, 2016 5:41 am

Great work Dav, lovely shots along the way which aren't always easy to make when you're chasing a vertical like that, some fantastic perspective in a couple of them in particular :clap: :clap:
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby trailmasher » Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:49 am

Great report and pics from some hard graft :clap: :clap: Glad that the weather kept good for you all :) Well done again :clap:
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby dav2930 » Sat Jul 30, 2016 10:41 pm

ChrisW wrote:Great work Dav, lovely shots along the way which aren't always easy to make when you're chasing a vertical like that, some fantastic perspective in a couple of them in particular :clap: :clap:

Thanks Chris :D Climbing with a camera can be very frustrating as you rarely get good views of the climb you're on and often can't even see your second. This one seems to have worked out better than usual (for me anyway). Thanks for your encouragement. On the next one I'll try to take rather more photos - and maybe even do a Gopro video!

trailmasher wrote:Great report and pics from some hard graft :clap: :clap: Glad that the weather kept good for you all :) Well done again :clap:

Thanks TM :D Yes I think everyone on the crag was relieved that the weather held! Cheers.
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby prog99 » Tue Aug 02, 2016 3:39 pm

Good to see a climbing report!
Have done this, got a couple of thought provoking moments I seem to remember.
F-route and Kipling groove are even better!
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby dav2930 » Tue Aug 02, 2016 7:19 pm

prog99 wrote:Good to see a climbing report!
Have done this, got a couple of thought provoking moments I seem to remember.
F-route and Kipling groove are even better!

Thanks prog99 :D Wasn't quite sure how a climbing (as opposed to scrambling) report would go down on here. Glad to have my suspicions confirmed that there might be one or two climbers on the forum who've done this very route! :thumbup:

Yes each pitch of The Crack has its tricky crux, the overhang on the third pitch being hardest I think.

Haven't done 'F' Route :o , but did Kipling Groove about 8 years ago. KG certainly has more spectacular positions than anything on The Crack, but I remember being slightly disappointed by the brevity of the hard section. I'd probably take a different view if I did it now mind :lol:
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby past my sell by date » Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:05 pm

Yes! are we getting a climbing group going here? Agree KG's hard bit is very short. F route is sustained and stunning but only one pitch. On Pavey (given good weather, I would recommend Rake End Wall with the rib pitch finish, Capella and Golden Slipper and on White Ghyll , Haste not, Gordian Knott, White Ghyll Wall, Laugh Not and lots of others. Raven - Pluto and Holly tree direct, - East Raven Baskerville (hard and fingery), Casket hard period, damascus -the list is endless
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Re: Gimmer Crag via The Crack

Postby prog99 » Tue Aug 02, 2016 10:26 pm

past my sell by date wrote:Yes! are we getting a climbing group going here? Agree KG's hard bit is very short. F route is sustained and stunning but only one pitch. On Pavey (given good weather, I would recommend Rake End Wall with the rib pitch finish, Capella and Golden Slipper and on White Ghyll , Haste not, Gordian Knott, White Ghyll Wall, Laugh Not and lots of others. Raven - Pluto and Holly tree direct, - East Raven Baskerville (hard and fingery), Casket hard period, damascus -the list is endless

Golden slipper pitch 2 is one of the finest I've done anywhere, its a shame its not longer. Capella on the hit list, was wet last time I visited. Pluto not for a nervous 2nd! Thought rake end wall was a bit average but didnt do that finish
Had 1st look at Scafell on saturday, impressive looking and 2 hardy souls were on a route.
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