Get ya (two) grooves on.

yesterdays adventure took me to the lake district and to a route called two grooves on brown cove crags, which is situated on helvelyn on the first shoulder which can be seen from the swirils car park.

Once id met cliff at a car park in ambleside we set off in separate vehicles only to my amusement about 2 minutes down the road cliff ringing me to tell me he had left his BOOTS at his digs, hahaha.

WHAT A NUMPTY 

As we set off up the path the weather came in the higher we got and by the time we got under the crag it was blowing a hoolie. thankfully its a short walk in.

In my natural habitat

geared up and ready to go i cracked off up the first pitch which was a bouldery ramp into the first groove, i placed some gear and attempted the first hard section of climbing, the snow was soft and unconsolidated, it had built up in the groove and provided no solid placements what so ever, it only hid all the decent placement rather than providing any.

 on first attempting the groove i wasn't paying attention and naively made placements which i expected to hold and before i knew it with i slight shift of weight i popped off, as i fell i managed to arrest myself and not even load the belay.(i also managed to put a hole in my boot and my foot with my front point of my crampon)

after falling i realised the error of my ways and bucked up my ideas and concentrated on what i was doing. spurred on by the buzz of my fall i nailed the first pitch and set up the belay in blizzarding conditions. lol

Next was cliffs turn and he set off up the soft, sketchy ramp leading to the mouth of the first groove, but i could tell he wasnt happy about the conditions of the route as his body language was screaming out.

from my position at the belay it wasnt filling me with confidence. The soft unconsolidated snow on top of the slabby rock wasnt the best and cliff decided to back down of the lead n see how i got on with it.

i set off up the slabby ramp taking my time to get positive foot and axe placements a torque here a stienpull there and i was up on the ledge to the entrance to the main groove. all the snow that had built up in the groove proved to be hard work clearing it before i could place my axe and move to the next hidden holds and repeat.

i absolutely loved this route it was awesome, if you havent done it already you need to put in on the things to do list. you wont be disapointed, and if when you do it theres still a piton in the upper crack its mine (cliff couldnt get it out)  ENJOY...........