I did this in the days before 'friends', it has some tough moves - a great Don Whillans memory, a great route. Really nice production, thanks for sharing.
Hey Arthur many thanks for taking the time to post your postive vibes and I hope my wee vid evoked some nice memories of your pre-friend ascent! :-) Cheers Dave
Yes Doug Moller (aka the Lord of the Roaches) was quite a character and was very nice and helpful on the 2 occasions I met him when staying at Rock Hall Cottage/Don Whillans Memorial Hut. He popped into the Hut so I offered him a brew and biscuits and we ended up talking about his experiences and time living there with his wife for over an hour. His book called The War of the Roaches is also well worth a read if you can find it an AbeBooks or Ebay! Sadly he died in 2022 but a life very well lived... Cheers Dave
Keep coming back to this beautiful video, albeit with some melancholy feelings as that pioneering generation is almost snuffed out now. Classic route and tidy rope handling!
Many thanks for taking the time to post your positive vibes! You are quite right and the generation you mention are mostly no longer with us. Alas my friend and the young man who led this climb is also no longer with us. Taken far too early so this vid evokes melancholic memories for me too... Cheers Dave
Thanks for sharing.. seems far to long si ce I climbed this old classic... has to be a fav of mine, one day maybe I might struggle up it again.. nice footage .
Hi J Bradshaw and many thanks for taking the time to post some nice feedback! Please feel free to subscribe as plenty more climbing vids coming out soon... :-) Cheers Dave
Hey Simon cheers for your kind comments. All featured in this video are members of the Bristol based Avon Mountaineering Club and have been going to the Roaches for our annual visit for many years. Do feel free to subscribe as I've just got back from the Swiss Alps and have a film coming out very soon :-) Cheers Dave
Great vid. Thanks for posting. I went up there in 1985. Did this and Sloth, amongst others. Only realize now we got the line completely wrong on Valkyrie! Remember 'mad Dougie' living in the hut that is now the Don Whillans and stalking climbers round the crag. Anyone know what became of him?
Jon Rushman Hey Jon thanks for the positive feedback and glad you enjoyed the vid! I actually met Dougie about 5 years ago when he came wandering into the hut whilst we were staying there. After making him a brew we had a good natter and he regaled us all with various tales of the history of the hut and his time there with his wife! No idea where he is now though... :-)
Hi ! I really enjoyed watching the climb of Valkyrie it brought back a lot of memories, I last climbed it some 30years ago. Rockhall looks a lot better.
Tony Faulkner Hey Tony many thanks for taking the time to post, glad you enjoyed the video and that it evoked some nice memories! Please feel free to subscribe as plenty more climbing videos coming out soon... :-) Cheers Dave
Hey Ed sound advice and having led Valkyrie a few times, the leader "Rusty" did a great job with the rope management! I''ve seen a few epics on this route over the years wih single ropes, running both pitches together = crazy rope drag and all... :-)
The most memorable thing about climbing Valkyrie in 1963 is that we had the entire crag to ourselves. There were literally no other climbers around. John Amatt
+John Amatt ha ha now that has definitely changed and any half decent weekend of weather and the Roaches is rammed nowadays! Please feel free to subscribe as plenty more climbing vids coming out soon! :-) Cheers Dave
Beginning leaders take note of the second pitch rope work. The leader used double ropes to good effect only clipping one through the pro early on thereby assuring the second climber a continuous top rope with minimal chance of a pendulum should he have fallen. If it's a long traverse that doesn't zig back above the traverse, the leader should remember to place good pro BEFORE AND AFTER the crux so their second isn't looking at dangerous whipper.
Oops forgot too mention Gus do feel free to subscribe to keep up with all the latest BE productions as I have a new vid coming out in the next week or so... :-)
Another excellent video, are you guys members of a climbing/mountaineering club? I am Cheshire based and only 40 mins from the Roaches, been neglecting my climbing of late, makes me want to get out a bit more :-)
I did this in the days before 'friends', it has some tough moves - a great Don Whillans memory, a great route. Really nice production, thanks for sharing.
Hey Arthur many thanks for taking the time to post your postive vibes and I hope my wee vid evoked some nice memories of your pre-friend ascent! :-) Cheers Dave
Wow happy days spent at the Roaches. Long, long ago. The old guy with an eye patch ( Dougie? ) giving directions, that hidden hols?
Yes Doug Moller (aka the Lord of the Roaches) was quite a character and was very nice and helpful on the 2 occasions I met him when staying at Rock Hall Cottage/Don Whillans Memorial Hut. He popped into the Hut so I offered him a brew and biscuits and we ended up talking about his experiences and time living there with his wife for over an hour. His book called The War of the Roaches is also well worth a read if you can find it an AbeBooks or Ebay! Sadly he died in 2022 but a life very well lived... Cheers Dave
Just found this . brings some good memories climbing this with "Dougie" watching us at the bottom.
Hi Chris I'm glad my wee video evoked some nice memories with the legendary King of the Roaches for you! Cheers Dave
Keep coming back to this beautiful video, albeit with some melancholy feelings as that pioneering generation is almost snuffed out now. Classic route and tidy rope handling!
Many thanks for taking the time to post your positive vibes! You are quite right and the generation you mention are mostly no longer with us. Alas my friend and the young man who led this climb is also no longer with us. Taken far too early so this vid evokes melancholic memories for me too... Cheers Dave
@@chdslDave Sorry to hear that mate, may they rest easy and thanks again for this superb footage.
First class as always Mr L.
Thanks.
Gus.
Thanks for sharing.. seems far to long si ce I climbed this old classic... has to be a fav of mine, one day maybe I might struggle up it again.. nice footage .
Hi J Bradshaw and many thanks for taking the time to post some nice feedback! Please feel free to subscribe as plenty more climbing vids coming out soon... :-) Cheers Dave
Bring on the summer - beautiful
Hi David and many thanks for the positive vibes! And indeed bring on the summer! :-) Cheers Dave
Looks like so much fun
Yep Valkyrie is a superb climb for it's grade of VS, covering ground on the second pitch which is normally reserved for harder climbs! :-) Cheers Dave
pheasant shots and music make one awsome edit.
Great film, super stuff.
Hey Simon cheers for your kind comments. All featured in this video are members of the Bristol based Avon Mountaineering Club and have been going to the Roaches for our annual visit for many years. Do feel free to subscribe as I've just got back from the Swiss Alps and have a film coming out very soon :-) Cheers Dave
Rewatched for the first time in a while. So THAT's how you do the rope management : ) Raise a beer to you Rusty.
Yes Rob that's the way to protect the second, that is me! And Rusty very sadly missed but never forgotten...
Great vid. Thanks for posting. I went up there in 1985. Did this and Sloth, amongst others. Only realize now we got the line completely wrong on Valkyrie! Remember 'mad Dougie' living in the hut that is now the Don Whillans and stalking climbers round the crag. Anyone know what became of him?
Jon Rushman Hey Jon thanks for the positive feedback and glad you enjoyed the vid! I actually met Dougie about 5 years ago when he came wandering into the hut whilst we were staying there. After making him a brew we had a good natter and he regaled us all with various tales of the history of the hut and his time there with his wife! No idea where he is now though... :-)
Hi yer he now lives in a care home down in Leek. I use the hut on a regular basis to run my advanced first aid courses :)
Hi allan many thanks for the update on Doug! :-) Cheers Dave
remember meeting his whilst climbing there in the early 80s. Came over, shook hands and thanked us not climbing too near to his home.
Hi ! I really enjoyed watching the climb of Valkyrie it brought back a lot of memories, I last climbed it some 30years ago.
Rockhall looks a lot better.
Tony Faulkner Hey Tony many thanks for taking the time to post, glad you enjoyed the video and that it evoked some nice memories! Please feel free to subscribe as plenty more climbing videos coming out soon... :-) Cheers Dave
Hey Ed sound advice and having led Valkyrie a few times, the leader "Rusty" did a great job with the rope management! I''ve seen a few epics on this route over the years wih single ropes, running both pitches together = crazy rope drag and all... :-)
Hi Scannerman many thanks for taking the time to post some positive feedback. Muchly appreciated! :-)
lugar encantador por su belleza, y buenas piedras para la escalada
Sí, el Roaches es un hermoso lugar para el paisaje y un lugar encantador para escalar! Cheers Dave
@@chdslDave Es una de las cosas buenas de la escalada
Hey Jez many thanks. Do feel free to subscribe as lots of cool climbing classics to be filmed coming soon! :-)
Climbed Valkyrie with Joe Brown in 1963. Looks like nothing has changed.
John Amatt (Canada)
+John Amatt Hey John thanks for the comment and 63 was the year I was born! And you're right not a lot has changed! :-) Cheers Dave
The most memorable thing about climbing Valkyrie in 1963 is that we had the entire crag to ourselves. There were literally no other climbers around.
John Amatt
+John Amatt ha ha now that has definitely changed and any half decent weekend of weather and the Roaches is rammed nowadays! Please feel free to subscribe as plenty more climbing vids coming out soon! :-) Cheers Dave
Cheers Gus really appreciate your appreciation! :-)
No mention of Dougie??
Beginning leaders take note of the second pitch rope work. The leader used double ropes to good effect only clipping one through the pro early on thereby assuring the second climber a continuous top rope with minimal chance of a pendulum should he have fallen. If it's a long traverse that doesn't zig back above the traverse, the leader should remember to place good pro BEFORE AND AFTER the crux so their second isn't looking at dangerous whipper.
Oops forgot too mention Gus do feel free to subscribe to keep up with all the latest BE productions as I have a new vid coming out in the next week or so... :-)
Another excellent video, are you guys members of a climbing/mountaineering club? I am Cheshire based and only 40 mins from the Roaches, been neglecting my climbing of late, makes me want to get out a bit more :-)
Shame to see chalk on this classic route, however I’m an old f**t.
Chalk ALL over a VS? Pathetic
Hey even though the first pitch was "chalked up" into submission that was not my partner or I! I hardly ever use the stuff...