April Showers

After one of the driest Marches on record - certainly in the ten years we have been here I can't remember a March being so dry, though certainly we've had one or two Aprils that have been pretty arid.

True to form as soon as we get in to April we get heavy showers! Of course the farmer then decides to spread muck on the fields next to the house so the lane is covered in muck and soil from the fields so you have to be really careful with the power when driving up the lane so that you don't spin, it's nearly as bad as with the snow and ice through the winter.

We went to Anglezarke on Sunday afternoon, first we were going, then we weren't (April shower) then we decided to head over anyway. Years ago we used to visit Anglezarke in the early spring but the trees in the middle of the quarry have really grown (we saw the same last year with our aborted visit to Houghton Quarry) so that it now feels much more enclosed than it used to. Perhaps the BMC should have one of their crag clean-ups, much more useful here than at places like Egerton Quarry.

Kicked off proceedings with Terror Cotta, HVS though it felt awkward for some reason, then the classic VS Metamorphosis before an E1 that I hadn't done before - First Finale. Given E2 in the guide it felt easier than Terror Cotta - a good route to break in to the grade but beware the loose hold at half-height. Then another April shower or two and a bit of mooching around before Mike decided to do Mu'Azib an E1 to the left of Tangerine Dream (an E3 I'd done many years ago). The first few metres looked tricky and he was a bit worried about the top section since that was getting wet but it turned out not too bad. I didn't find it too bad seconding even though it's quite a bit steeper than most things I've been on this year though leading it might have been a different matter.

By the time we'd got back down it was after six so time to pack up and head home. I think I still need more footage to get my head in to gear, going climbing more than once a week is going to be the thing.