Damp Dewerstone 04 Feb 2011

Guess what? yeap, climbing again :-). This time it was off to The Dewerstone on the edge of south Dartmoor. Tucked away up the wooded Plym valley, this crag is the best inland crag in Devon. Loads of quality routes to go at (although not many above E2), including Central Groove, Leviathan, Mucky Gully, Spiders Web and Climbers Club Direct. I had a couple of Duchy College students to look after, both of whom climb well, but have little experience of climbing outside. We opted to climb the "Classic Rock" route, Climbers Club Ordinary, graded VS 4b. Classic Rock is the companion book to Hard Rock and lists various climbs around the country that are special for many reasons. Our route choice for the day is one of those routes. Despite being damp, we launched ourselves up the route, which started with a serious traverse, then a steep wall, followed by a steep crack and then a layback groove. A bloody good effort for 1935, when it was first done! The lads did well, although they found the damp rock and exposure difficult to cope with. Big smiles on the top, though.