On the hottest day of the year so far, Malham was a veritable white-hot caldron of limestone yesterday. The sky was a cloudless deep azure blue, the wind conspicuous by its absence and the crag was almost bone dry – it was as if the south of France had been shipped lock, stock and smoking barrels into the middle of England.

 

In fact, it was that hot, yes you read that right; it was that hot that climbing wasn’t really an option until the sun dropped behind the hillside at about 3pm and the temps dropped. There were only two teams there all day (Barry and Dylan, Paul and myself) and, save for the peregrines, it was a very quiet day indeed.

 

So folks, it’s obviously time now to dig under the stairs for a rack and a rope and get thee to Malham this weekend. The limestone season has obviously started…

 

Malham Cove from the walk-in...

 

 

 

Barry Chiselling the Dragon under the mid afternoon sun..