A Roaches Ramble....

Cally "on belay" on The Pedestal

An older but familiar face from past posts. Pedestal Route at the Roaches getting a second visit to do the LH variation. An excellent 2 or 3 pitch ramble on the Upper Tier that also affords a good eyeball opportunity for anyone wishing to assess their poorly protected chances on Technical Slab, a route framed nicely by Pedestal LH.

Back to the Forest

Well, back to Back Forest actually.

I guess it must be about 26 years since I last climbed at Back Forest, near Gradbach Mill and at the far, far end of the Roaches. Didn't really remember much about it except that I was with a giant, red haired outdoor photographer called Rob. Had it filed under, good views, not much to do.

Sure enough, the view is still nice. But, so is the peace and isolation. Also, lots of bugs and birds about for the budding naturalist. And the climbing? Actually, not bad at all. Only about 30 routes all told and mostly around 7m high, so not exactly on the scale of its neighbours. However, for all their low grades and stature, the climbs have both charm and quality and some of are just a bit steep!

Think I might go back a bit sooner next time.