Neil Mawson - Kyloe

Ruth on one of the warm ups


My Girlfriend Ruth and I fancied a change from the peak limestone this week. My friend from uni Alex and his family had a cottage booked for the week in Northumberland for his 30th birthday so we drove up there for 2 days bouldering on the sandstone. I've never been to Kyloe in the woods but heard loads about the classic boulder problems there and this was the venue for the first day.

As Alex had already been to Kyloe for 2 days he had the all important beta for all the classic problems. The bouldering is on steep rock at the base of a small crag mainly on sharp pockets and edges. We started by warming up on some great easy problems to the right of the main steep part of the crag. Next up were a couple of classic 7a's then I turned my attention to the county classic the Yorkshireman. This was the problem I'd come here to do. It features very burly lay-backing on poor footholds to a sharp pocket and then a long lock of this to the top. After a handful of tries I'd latched the pocket and was on the finishing holds. What a great problem!

Now that I'd done what I wanted to do I did a few more classic easier problems and then at the end of the day tried the amazing slab problem the Nadser. I was trying it with Ruth and after slipping off near the top a few times Ruth got a hold higher than me and she looked solid. She couldn't quite reach the next hold off the footholds she was on (being only 5" 2) and fell off. Watching her (almost burn me off!) it inspired me and I did it next go. Unfortunately after a few more goes her skin had become too thin and the conditions deteriorated getting very humid so she was robbed of doing the problem.


Myself on the classic Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy


The next day we woke up to wind and rain and it was clear, needing to not get back to Sheff too late, we wouldn't get any climbing in so we drove back south. I've got a weekend climbing with my Dad on Yorkshire limestone to look forward to so I rested. The plan is to go to Kilnsey, if it's not too cold, to get back on True North. I'd briefly tried this route last year but it got wet before I could go for a redpoint. Hopefully it'll be dry for longer this year!