Rivelin Nutters - Saturday 15th March

Last Saturday started quite windy with breakfast at the Outside Cafe in Hathersage. The breezy theme continued up at Stanage Popular. It was a bit quiet, too quiet, we should have known better.

...After not warming up on a couple of VDiffs ‘Boot Crack’ & ‘Shuffle’ we throw in the towel. We’ll... we try to throw it in but it keeps coming back in our faces, as does 60m of Mammut Galaxy. Borne by a howlin gale, a tirade of expletives buffet their way down the Ringinglow Road.  Whilst opening a window to hark an early spring raptor, the ears of a polite pensioner in Sheffield, are audibly assaulted in broad Black Country “Bastard windy aye it, blownin me nuts in me face’”. Assuming ravaging Mercian’s are at the door the victim slams the window to check that Radio 4 is still on air.

Attributing this outburst to severe wind lassitude, we peruse Eastern Grit for the ‘not so fekkin windy’ icon, the only option looks live Rivelin Edge.

In hurry to dump the gear in the back of Damo’s motor. We inadvertently realise all our mobiles are in the boot, sans easy access to Google maps. “OK so where’s Rivelin” says Daymo, Dunno but it’s not far from Sheffield. Too lazy t get the moby’s out of the boot we use The Eastern Grit guide as a road map. Gotta be down the Ringinglow somewhere then turn off left. Turning left we ask a chap on a bike who says he has lived here all his life and just come up from Rivelin but can’t remember how he got here, he thinks its the right way but no he thinks its a dead end, but yes its the right way. We should have asked the bloke in the tractor.

The wind still sucking up the waves on Rivelin reservoir, Len recons he can canoe the sluice and gives it a grade 5. Rivelin is new to us, never been before but it looks a top venue, the wind has eased both externally and internally. First up comes Deej on Left Edge VS 4c seconded by Daymo & Len. Tom lead Temple Crack VDiff then Pious Flake Severe, nice little routes not to worn. Daymo then went onto Jonad Rib HVS 4c a bold exposed route with little protection. We all seconded.

Deej by now was getting the grit itch for a major route, Croton Oil HVS 5a a grit classic. Peed off cause my back was given me gyp, at least it gave me the chance to take a few pics. After a few slow moves around half way and some major protection works, Deej trundled off to the top. Len, Daymo and Tom seconded which made for a bit of a crowd at the top. After a bit of a juggle they all abbed down safely. After a rusty winter it was good to get out, thanks Rivelin.