KeithSharplesPhotographyBlog :: Down to the Wire...

For the first time in a long time I’m mourning the end of winter months and the onset of warmer weather. As a committed sport climber the sweet smell of lower-offs should be wafting up my nostrils now that just about all the (usually) seepage-ridden limestone crags are dry. And I am psyched by the lime as my earlier blog about Malham will attest. True be told though, I’m still hankering after one more grit tick; not any old grit tick mind, one that’s been on my list for a while…

I’ve spend a month already on the limestone with trips to Malham, Kilnsey and the Snor and I am getting into the groove. But as much as my head keeps telling me that’s its time to crank up the effort on the limestone projects every once in a while we get a decent night when temps get down to the low single figures and I’ll be off to Stanage in pursuit of that last grit tick.

Completely by chance, a Canadian friend stopped by last weekend and was keen (read desperate) for some grit action. It would have been rude not to tag along and meet him after work on the Friday night. And I’m glad I did as temps dropped faster than the setting sun. It went dark at 8:15pm and as the crag emptied I cranked up the lantern. In no time at all the Plantation was all ours.

Knut, said Canadian friend, had been out most of the afternoon already and hence was saving what remained of his finger tips for the following day. He grabbed my camera and started grapping some pixs whilst I climbed. It felt odd having a camera pointed in my direction to be honest – but, as they say, those that live by the sword must expect to die by the sword! A little over an hour later my fingers are close to the bone and Knut’s shot off a card full of images on my camera despite being hampered by me shouting instructions on Nikon DSLRs to him (he’s a Cannon man!). In the hour I’d added more polish to the crucial moves and worked on some links. All in all the omens looked better - if not good. No wait - scratch that last remark; let’s stick with things were looking better! Pleased with the evenings work, we left by 9:45 for some pub grub, but that is another story.

That was a week ago and if they say that a week’s a long time in politics, it’s often only a heat-beat to a climber. That said, in the week temps have gone silly. Last night I was back a Stanage again – after dark of course. Temps were way higher, too high if I’m being honest with myself. It will get cold again, but will it get cold again for long enough and on the right nights? From where I sit, it’s looking like the grit is all but over now and that my last grit tick as all but slipped away for another season! At best, it’s certainly going right down to the wire…

More perhaps another time on the fixation that overseas visitors have for the grit but for now here’s some snaps from the night…

Knut givin’ it some whilst trying to repeat Deliverance for the camera…