Fossils, freshers and falling

Today Joanna, Mary Leese, Nina Hersher and I went to Limekilns, again. Im not complaining I actually quite limekilns. There are lots of interesting fossils to look at, the climbing is good, the crag has a nice setting and I never feel like my stuff is going to get stollen when its sitting at the bottom.
Nina is new to the club this semester, she is on exchange from Boston, and Mary is a fresher, studying medicine.
I began by warming up on the Gellet Block Traverse (font 6b). This route traverse around all of the faces of the Gellet block, starting on the West face and finishing on the East face, with each face harder than the previous one.
Next I soloed bouldered slots (font 5+) and then lead White Ensign (VS 4c), which Nina seconded. Next I moved onto do Grasp The Nettle (E2 5b), which Joanna seconded very smoothly. The only gear on Grasp The Nettle are two pegs, which are apparently very big deep.

Nina on White Ensign

Joanna seconding up Grasp The Nettle (Photo: Nina Hersher)

My last route of the day was Ivy League (E4 6a). I had attempted this route a while ago on top rope but today I thought I should tied into the sharp end and go for the lead. I managed to get to the big crack, which gives the first proper gear, and placed some gear. I hung around here trying to work out how to get higher. I finally worked it out and abit higher. I couldn't really rest in this position so I had to try and find a way through to the next ledge. I tried, but failed, and took a small fall. It felt good to takes this, as it was safe. I got back on and did the moved but failed to get any higher, as I didn't really trust the nut I placed, and I remembered finding it hard when I tried it before. I lowered to the ground then went to the top, abbed for the gear, then tried it on top rope, and did it easily.

On the lead on The Ivy League (Photo: Joanna Lisowiec)

Today Joanna also managed to lead DTs (VS 4c) and Mary did White Ensign (VS 4c), as her first trad lead, and Red Flag (HS 4c).

Joanna on DTs

While Mary was climbing Red Flag I busied myself by looking at the fossils at the bottom of the crag. I noticed what looked like a large band of corals and some bivalve shells. There were even what looked like some load casts within the bay splitting the South wall, although I'm not too sure about these. Maybe the paleoenvironment which the Limekilns limestone formed in wasn't as much of a mono culture as I first thought.