19/8/06
Saturday morning. Rog and I were both suffering from hangover malaise, Ken had just left and we were wondering what to do. After realising that the day was wasting we bundled a rack and overnight bag into the beast and headed to the Motorway. Plan was to stop by in Nottingham so Rog could check out some gym equipment out, before we hit the crags.

The drive up was slow and both of us wondered whose great idea it had been to sit in the car - but as Rog pointed out we'd only be doing the same in London. The gym guys were helpful to the extent that one of them even guided us into the showroom via phone from the motorway. Whilst Rog sorted the kit out I graduated back to full pre drinking sentience. Around about 3 we left the showroom and set out to Matlock Bath in search of food and adventure.  The Bath was a little touristy so we backed out to one of the cosy pubs and snacked. At about 5 the decision had been made and we pushed onwards towards black rocks.  With only peak rock in the bag the buttresses were reasonably tricky to define however we eventually managed to identify Queens Parlour slab which I had picked out in the pub. Despite my sneak tactic of racking up at the foot Rog insisted on flipping a coin for the lead - in a break with tradition he called tails and landed it. I had already bouldered up in my 5.10s and had proclaimed the moves past a jammed block rockboot territory - the slow drizzle that had set in confirmed this. Rog set off and made the block without difficulty, chucked in a large nut, the camalot 3 and moved up to the ledge above. About now the drizzle turned to rain and I called up my consternation in the form of a query on the weather.  The hanging slab above the wall Rog was moving up looked blank smooth and just a little green.  Rog stepped out to the break and expressed his wish for an even larger cam to protect the move with. Unfortunately we had already established that the Camalot4 (recent purchase) was back in London. Not good. Rog reckoned he'd be able to make the move anyway but by now I was convinced that this was too much - a blank unprotected green slab in the rain without the benefit of a good high runner was getting daft. I let Rog know that I reckoned it wasn't on, he agreed and wended up the gully to the left.  With the benefit of the top rope I tried the moves and found them pumpy and runnout - the conditions just weren't right. I lowered Rog from the belay to try the route proper. He agreed that today just wasn't the day for it though it would be a cracking lead in the dry.  

It was half six already - though there we still enough light for another route neither of were feeling the enthusiasm to try anything more in the rain. We packed it up and headed back to London.

Entertainingly we have subsequently found that this route seems to have a little controversy associated with it - find out more