by Alan Fowler

In the Derwent Area guide, tucked in amongst the extremes on Froggatt Edge, is a climb with the name CMC Slab . Yes, it’s named after your very own Castle Mountaineering Club. It came into being in the dim and distant past when Froggatt was considered “worked out” and people hadn’t heard of Heartless Hare or Hairless Heart or any of the other more recent weirdly named routes a time when cavemen lived and people didn’t use chalk or wear pink tights, when one could go out with 120 feet of number four climbing rope, two runners and the old Sheffield Froggatt guide and be ready to climb anything in sight as long as it wasn’t above Severe . “What’s that”, you say? “Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be?” You could be right there.

What was I talking about? Oh yes, CMC Slab . It started as an idea from Mike Parkin. For those who can’t remember Mike he was over six feet tall with an incredibly long reach. He could nearly out reach me but then I’m only five foot eighteen. He liked delicate slab climbs and he had recognised the possibilities offered by the slabs between existing routes on Froggatt. He was due to take a new job in North Yorkshire and wanted to have an attempt at the slab left of Heather Wall before he moved on. Knowing how secretive one must be about new climbs, he asked me if I could go with him to look at it one evening when it would be quiet. But the summer went by and we somehow didn’t get the chance, so just before he had to leave, we went to Froggatt on a Sunday.

We had a close look at the slab and it looked possible, if a little green. I abseiled down with a wire brush and cleaned everything which looked vaguely like a hold. Predictably, word rapidly spread along the Edge and before you could say “EB” a crowd had gathered.

I top roped Mike and after a couple of attempts he managed the awkward bulge above the ledge without using holds which could properly be said to belong to Heather Wall . The slab above went well but before he could descend to attempt leading the new climb, another couple had roped up and were already on our route. Our route! A short pause to allow the booing and hissing to subside.

The leader put a runner in Heather Wall and managed the bulge. Mike was at the bottom to fight off other interpolators whilst I stayed at the top ready to throw sand down the route if this scoundrel looked remotely like managing the top slab. I needn’t have worried. In attempting to reach the finishing pockets his feet slipped, resulting in a satisfying pendulum into the right wall of the corner. Another attempt ended the same way and after a few encouraging words from me like “You’ll never make it I should pack up and go home” and “Come back when you’re feeling on form” he decided that his right shoulder couldn’t take any more and he did in fact pack up. Mike then took his chance to lead the climb in fine style and I seconded.

Thus CMC Slab entered the history books as “A rather artificial climb using the stances and protection of Heather Wall “. I see that they’ve squeezed another route in further left. It must have been climbed by a very thin man so as not to overlap CMC Slab !