Back in January I set out to Birchen Edge with Chris
(ElectronicMountainLeader) and Atko with the intention of doing my first lead
climb on a smaller crag. We’d sat down the night before and decided my first
lead was going to be on a climb called Stoker’s Wall graded Diff, to break me
in gently. Upon arrival I spent a few minutes with them both practising gear
placements, and waiting for some remote control car people who decided to carry
out repairs right at the bottom of the crag to move.
First gear placement
20 minutes later and off I went. I spent a few minutes at
the bottom of the climb faffing with my first gear placement, not because I wasn’t
happy with it, I was just trying to calm my nerves. Without realising, after
the first move, I strayed left of the climb and straight onto Stoked which is
graded at Severe 4a, which is the level I need to be climbing at for my SPA assessment.
I climbed pretty well up until the crux
at the top of the climb; I just couldn’t get any grip with my right foot and
was struggling to find a handhold to help me push up. At this point I was
getting really frustrated with myself as I thought I was still on Stoker’s
wall, and I didn’t like the idea of being defeated by a Diff as I knew id
climbed much harder grades on Top Rope before. If I was struggling to finish a
Diff how was I ever going to be able to complete my SPA? I didn’t really have
much choice other than to top out or fall. I managed it, in the end I just had
to trust my foot placement and maul my way over the top.
The crux
At the top of the climb
At the top I didn’t really feel a sense of pride, I just
wanted to get away from the crag, as I was stood shivering and was starting to
question my ability. The main problem I have with climbing is that I have poor
circulation in my hands and feet which makes it really hard to grip sometimes,
especially in the cold and windy weather. It was only on the way back in the
car when we realised I’d actually climbed across onto Stoked that I felt an
overwhelming sense of relief, and felt happy that I’d successfully completed my
first lead climb.
Packing up with numb hands
Video of my first lead climb
