Borrowdale climbing

Crag: Quayfoot Buttress, Borrowdale, Lake District
Route: Quayfoot Buttress (VD:led p.1+2)
We can be excused the modest grade here, as we had just finished the fell race. After a relaxing scone and coffee next to the river in Grange, however, a shining spire of rock with two climbers inching into the afternoon sunlight called out to us on the drive back to Buttermere. A five minute walk later, and the crag turned out to be Quayfoot Buttress, which we knew nothing about. An obvious relaxing trade route crept up the left-hand side so I led off up a gentle wall with one tricky move past a tree to merge with the second pitch up a side groove. A delightful belay as the sun dropped, although Vic then introduced some stress into proceedings by taking a much harder (E2) line up the main face, with a single 9mm rope, no chalk, and various other disadvantages. He retreated, and we finished up the real easy line, which sidles up a shady side groove to gain a nice slab and the top. This was more than enough for one day, so we retreated to the Fish in Buttermere.