Wollaston School
Duke of Edinburgh Award group
Rock Climbing Weekend

the DoE award


The Peak District

9~11   July  1999

 

 

 

during two hot days of July 1999
I went with Wollaston School DoE award scheme
to Derbyshire staying in a hut in Hayfield.

we had two days climbing one on Windgather rocks then onto Stanedge,
where many aspects of climbing were experienced.
these include both the practical and theoretical aspects,
with each person climbing up to 20 routes during the weekend.

 

belaying on Birmingham climbing wall before our weekend we arranged
two indoor sessions so as to practice
the basic skills, learning
the art of belaying
and some of the climbing moves
at Birmingham climbing wall

this allows maximum time
to actually climb when at the rocks

 

 

Windgather rocks Windgather rocks
the climbs were a mixed bag of

cracks
chimneys
open faces
walls
and corners

14 routes from
Diff through to Hard Severe
were climbed on Saturday
each climber was belaying each other
seven young climbers

climbing for their

the bronze award

they were

Hayley Hopkins
Sam Buchanan
Rachel Finlay
Leanne Buchanan
Keri Stagg
Peter Mays
Jeremy Grantham

the temperatures soared to a massive

106 deg. F

during a long hard days climbing

interesting
viewpoint
most of the climbs on Saturday
were
"climb up
then
lower off"
letting go of the rope
and
trusting the belayer
most of the routes are about
30 feet high

with this route

"Nose Direct"

being the longest

nose direct at Windgather rocks
later as everyone gained confidence to stretch and "go for it"

on the harder climbs

 

abseiling

also took place at
Windgather rocks

abseiling at Windgather
each person

had three abseil's over
open face
overhangs
and mixed ground

 

Stanedge edge Stanedge edge
the longest route of the weekend was

black hawk chimney at Stanedge

black hawk chimney, Stanedge edge
belaying skills now fully learnt

with each person able to belay
and tie all their own knots

belaying at Stanedge
traversing on
black hawk chimney
black hawk chimney
top belaying top belay
a longer mixed route with many different
climbing styles needed

 

more pictures of Stanedge

 

with the Staff team consisting of

Nigel
"the climber"


David
"the driver  &  apprentice climber"

Miss Royall
  (formal teaching title ~ better than what most people in DoE call her)
"Wollaston School DoE teacher"
also an apprentice climber

 

David David

~

belayed and abandoned

(can you
not leave him there girls
after all he is your driver home)

Miss Royall Miss Royall

~

recovering from all the stress

(it's only
diet coke)

Nigel Nigel

~
turned upside down

did he just decide
to turn upside down anyway ???

(or poor belaying perhaps ???)

 

 


the DoE award

Nigel's DoE page

 

 

 

Woolaston School
further training for
Silver award
Birmingham climbing wall
belaying at Birmingham wall

 


more
climbing pictures
shows a few examples of
where I have got my rope out!!!

Dovedale


more
Peak District climbing
A few shots taken in the Peaks,
including a rescue at Birchen

 

 

 

main
training
menu

learn to ......

 

 

 


"Special Needs 2000"
on expedition training

 

climbing walls

 

cooking on a DoE gold practice in Glencoe

DoE expedition
to Glencoe, Scotland
Easter 1999