John battling the moss on the 2nd pitch of Great End Corner (HVS 5a)After a mornings paperwork John and I headed out to Great End Crag to attempt one of the classics - Great End Corner (HVS 5a). Unfortunately this prominent feature is a natural drainage line and it was extremely dirty and wet despite the recent dry conditions. After a few exciting moments we retreated from midway up the second pitch. This north facing crag is in very poor condition at the moment and would benifit from a good cleaning session to open up the many classic routes once again.
We opted to climb at Quayfoot Buttress instead which gave two great routes in The Crypt Direct (E1 5b) and The Go Between (E2 5c). We bypassed the easy but dirty first pitch of the Crypt Direct by soloing Quayfoot Buttress (VD). The 5b top pitch had a definate crux with a long reach up right to a hidden hold. The Go Between is a real gem offering a bouldery overhanging start before delicate slab climbing, with good protection where needed, leads to the top in one long 36m pitch.
John puzzling out the crux of The Crypt Direct (E1 5b)
