Not Frozen

Lost Valley Minor Buttress left of centre, and Lost Valley Buttress

Lena and I headed out early this morning keen to find out if there was anything wintry to climb at the moment. We knew there was a good dump of snow high up, and also that the turf wasn't frozen, but we thought we could find a non turfy mixed climb under the snow...

We walked through the low cloud into the Lost Valley. The Valley can now be accessed again by the bridge, now the staircase and bridge work is completed. We popped out of the cloud in the valley to see the very wintry appearing upper cliffs. The snowline was at about 550m.

Lost Valley lost in the low cloud

We walked easily up to the Lost Valley Minor Buttress Crag without any need for crampons. The snow is still unconsolidated, and hiding all the loose scree beneath. We haven't climbed on this crag before, and some of the routes looked good fun. The Chimney route looked good, but wouldn't have been a winter climb at all today - just bare black rock on the right side and in the chimney. Right Edge looked inviting - so I started up.

Right Edge (IV,4**), on Lost Valley Minor Buttress

It was easy enough getting to the chockstone, but after this was the steep groove, which felt like climbing a vertical scree slope, under snow. There were just enough solid hooks to get me up (there were 2).

The difficult section, pulling up the groove. Spot Lena, and her right leg out wide on the bare rock slab (I didn't find any hooks there)

Above Lena is climbing the steep groove (vertical loose rubbish). This section would however be excellent after a solid freeze.

On easier ground to the belay

At the belay, the next pitch was obviously not going to happen - there was nothing solid about it at all. From the ground I thought it would be a hook fest - but unfortunately it was more about the turf than the hooks. When frozen it looks like it will easily earn it's 2 stars. We abseiled off - and walked through the low cloud back to the van.

A new handrail, and fencing on the Lost Valley Bridge

A pretty substantial new staircase by the Lost Valley Bridge - much safer than the old one