http://picasaweb.google.com/simon.bigair/PinnacleRidge#
this contains the pictures of Pinnacle Ridge that I took...I'll upload Ben's later and add these as well.
Woke up on Sunday morning to a couple of cm of new snow in Carlisle and the conditions were the same in Penrith when I met Ben at 8am in Morrisons car-park. We drove down to Patterdale and started the walk up Grizedale. It's been a long time since I had been this way but we were soon plodding up the valley. All was going swimmingly until we arrived under St. Sunday Crag and had to work out exactly where the route went!! From the valley floor it looks a mass of gullies and ridges which seem to slope a different way to the picture in the guide - which, it must be said, could be a little clearer!
In the end we decided to ascend towards the crag to try and locate the route...it was at this point that I realised that spending 6 days in Scotland recently was a good idea as plodding up a steep slope was hard graft but not as hard as it was before that trip.
About 45 mins later we encountered another person gearing up below what we thought might be Pinnacle Ridge...he confirmed that it was as two more people arrived over the horizon. To be fair, the lots of snow over the past two days and the snow on Sunday meant that only somewhat with terminal levels of stupidity would be in a gully and Pinnacle Ridge is supposed to be a good route. At this point it should possibly be noted that my only ascent had been a summer ascent about 20 years ago so I could not remember much of it.
Ben, who had done a lot more winter climbing than me this season (not too hard!!) lead off for the first two pitches and then I took over to get us under the crux corner. This is the bit that causes issues in the summer - its either a grade III scramble or Easy rock-climb depending on how one views such things....either way Ben provided a blinding lead that was not at all easy to second. Looking back in hindsight I am not convinced that he went the easiest way - however there is no way that I could have lead that pitch...MUCH respect is due. I had a graunchy pitch to follow and then we lowered off the pinnacle - leaving a sling and carabiner to join the manky rope that was there....luckily Ben belongs to the school of thought (as do I) that gear is easier to replace than body parts....
A final couple of rope lengths suddenly saw us deposited on top of the ridge with only a steep slope between us and the summit ridge and the descent. As it was now 3.30 this was a good thing indeed and after a de-gearing and bite to eat we set off. The descent was not the joyous romp anticipated - a lovely mix of shin deep snow interspersed with sheet black ice providing much fun and amusement for 1 1/4 hours until we hit the road in near total darkness...with only 1km back to Patterdale to do....then arriving to find my phone has no signal so I borrowed Ben's to give Claire a quick call before heading back....
This is being written over 24 hrs when I have just about stopped aching!! Winter climbing is seriously tough but also very good.......roll on half-term!!
