Close to Cashing in My Air Miles on Esk Buttress

     I eagerly watched the weather forecasts develop through the week and the stable high pressure looked like it was hanging around into the next week. It had been dry for what seemed an age which means one thing, up to the mountain crags. Esther and I met up in Langdale and had a cracking day up on Pavey Ark, climbing the classic routes Astra and Cruel Sister. If you haven’t climbed up at Pavey yet, I highly recommend it as the rock is superb and the crag full of classic routes. On the way back to the car Esther asked where I was keen for tomorrow and only one route popped into my head; Central Pillar on Esk Buttress.

Esther on Astra, Pavey

     After camping at Cockley Beck we began the walk into Great Moss and the crag. I had wanted to climb Central Pillar for several years, through my time in the Lakes, when visiting friends up there, climbing trips on the mountain crags nearby, but for some reason it had never quite come together. The crag is stunning, huge clean buttresses of rock looking over Great Moss like a fortress at the head of the valley. I was pretty nervous as we walking in, the anticipation of climbing the route in good style, I knew at this point it would definitely be pushing me close to my limit. The crag grew and grew as we got closer until we were gearing up at the bottom with the crag rising above. 

Esk Buttress

     I was leading off, up the start of Bridges Route, a classic Hard Severe until reaching a pinnacle I was heading straight up the wall. I stood comfortably on the ledge looking up the wall for the crack line I was meant to be following which was little more than a few intermittent splits in the rock. For some reason I was worried about what lay ahead, but i managed to talk myself round and got on with it. The pitch pieced together, the holds appeared and the gear was plentiful. I reached the comfortable belay ledge, slipped my boots off and bought Esther up. 

     Esther led off up the slab, on quite a long pitch linking lots of features of rock. Up a slab, traverse to a ledge, breaking through some ledges and into a groove above to a comfy ledge above. Sounds easy when written down. The pitch was complex, I followed through the lower sections which climbed well with really nice moves. The groove proved problematic however, it seemed blank of both holds and gear, a top effort by Esther, who, at the belay had left a lonely zero cam some eight metres below here. I pressed and smeared my way up the insecure groove, cursed Esther for the small holds she had left chalk on. She could only remind me that her hands are smaller than mine and therefore the holds felt bigger and fine. I reached the belay and could see my next pitch ahead and simultaneously a lump appeared in my throat. 

Esther heading up Pitch 2 on Central Pillar

     Here is what Hard Rock has to say about this pitch: ‘The second man, belayed in this position is excellently placed to apprehend his leader’s fate. A slight traverse onto the wall, which tilts out above the groove below leads to a piton. Despite the situation’s unsuitability for such antics, a series of boulder problems ensues. A pull out onto a block is both insecure in itself and leaves doubts as to the block’s stability. After standing on the block a long grope upward to holds in a quartzite band in the only escape. The band is seized, pulled on to and traversed to a cool haven in Bower’s Route.’ Well I’m glad I hadn’t read that before climbing the route as I probably wouldn’t have done. 

     I thought the crux moves were the traverse across the ledge and the piton ledge above big enough to stand on. I was wrong. The traverse wasn’t too bad, just relied on balance as the wall above was pushing out. I was after some gear as I reached the ledge, but pulled up to find no piton, just the rusty remains of one, but a deep lock off enabled me to reach some cord around the block. I moved up both hands behind the block and reached up. The hold was not as positive as I’d hoped and the steepness of the wall was dwindling the energy in my arms, I couldn’t commit. I moved down to the ledge, no standing though as it was to small, feet below I shook one arm out at a time. This was not a good position for me, I don’t recover well on routes so couldn’t hang around too long. I pulled up to try again, no way could I make the move, back to the block, shake shake. I had to go now. 

Looking down to Great Moss from the top of Esk Buttress

     My memory is a bit hazy on this next section as I can’t quite remember how I managed to stay on. I reached up again with my left, right gripped this poor pinch crimp, again with my left, flatty. I was grasping, flatty again and stand on the block. I was looking at the air miles into the void below, at least it would be a clean fall I though. I grasped again, the holds had to improve otherwise I was off; jug. Yes. The right hand was a sloper jug with weight on my fingers, and I could guppy the left. Between my hands a small wire slot, number 2. I had to put it in with my left because of my feet, too much weight over my right. I don’t know what possessed me next as I stuck a heel hook out left near my head. What on earth! This took a lot of weight off my right hand and the wire was in. I pulled up onto the ledge and finally had weight on my feet. The holds were small again but I could stand as I traversed right to bridge a groove where I stood for a few minutes before moving up to the belay. I was so relieved, I was sure I was off. Esther came up, surprised that I had managed to stay on and lead us up the last pitch to the top of the crag. Sat on top with the sun beaming on us, I was so chuffed and I was pleased that it was a challenge, maybe a little close to going airborne, but I, we had done it.