[Bonjoy]

As is customary at this time of year I shall kick off the annual roundup thread. Thanks due to Doylo for doing this last year while I was away.
So what did 2008 bring you in the way of climbing? This is a climbing discussion board after all, so modesty/embarassment etc aside, if you please i'd like to know all/any of your most enjoyable things done this year in the usual categories:

Top three boulder probs, UK
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Top three sport routes UK
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Top three new route/prob put up

For me:

• Top three boulder probs, UK -- Superset – Ilkley, Mossatrocity – Grindleford, Barry Sheene – Gardoms.
• Top three boulder probs, abroad -- Didn't boulder abroad, but will be at xmas so should have something to add before the year ends
• Top three trad routes/soloes UK -- Moolah – Rivelin, Ride the Wild Surf – Slate, The Inaccessible – Ina’s Rock
• Top three sport routes UK -- Mid Ledge Spread – Malham, Caviar – Rubicon, Unleashing the Wild Physique – Cheedale Cornice.
• Top three routes abroad (any genre) -- No Man’s land, Devers Pevers, Les Diamants sont Éternels – all at Buoux
• Top three new route/prob put up -- Beluga - Rubicon, Cheeks'N'Beaks - Rivelin, Right Between the Eyes - Turning Stone Edge

Ding dong merrily on high!

[dave]

top i.e. hardest or top i.e. best? best is probably too hard to decide for me, i don't do shit problems.

[Nibile]

Top three boulder probs, italy: out of service, the roof, on line (dolomites)
Top three boulder probs, abroad: rock atrocity, blochx addiction (chironico), cortomaltese (a long standing goal)
Top three trad routes, italy: can't remember the name, piccolo lagazuoi, falzarego pass
Top three sport routes, italy: bird, ferentillo (the only one...)
Top three routes abroad (any genre): nothing
Top three new prob put up: boars traverse (amiata), the first of the mohicans (amiata).

hope to add something new in the next few days!!!

[Richie Crouch]

Top three boulder probs, UK: Lizard King (llwyfan), Under the Bridge (pantymwyn), Rockatrocity (cave)
Top three boulder probs, abroad: Carnage (font), egoiste (font), Duroxmanie (font)
Top three trad routes/soloes UK: Preposterous Tales (Bosherston), Rear Wind (St Govans E), Original Route (Idwal)
Top three sport routes UK: Consenting Adults on a TR (Malham)... erm thats all!
Top three routes abroad (any genre): 0
Top three new route/prob put up: Arrostino's Wall & assis (Amiata) crimpy and morpho..nice!

p.s.

Top 3 things I tried but failed to complete: Spigolo Calibani (sasso), Lourdes (Sasso), Salle Gosse (font). The first 2 are amazing lines. Belisimmo!

and ofc

Top 3 things at Pex! : Catalepsy, Breakaway, Will Simms Silly Whim

[Jaspersharpe]

Top 3 UK boulder problems:  Bigger Splash Direct - Low Right (Rubicon), The Pinch (Crag X), Seans (Crag X).

Top 3 problems abroad: Rubis sur l'Ongle (Gorge Aux Chats), Toit De Cul De Chein (duh), Blue problem left of Rubis.

That is all.

top i.e. hardest or top i.e. best? best is probably too hard to decide for me, i don't do shit problems.

I took it to mean best which is my case also includes hardest.

[dave]

ok i've gone for best, but with a difficulty bias.

• Top three boulder probs, UK - Press-reverse-kudoshard, Secret Seventh, Brass Monkey
• Top three boulder probs, abroad - Rubis, Noir Désir gauche, Footrix.
• Top three trad routes/soloes UK - must have done something, clearly nothing life-changing enough for me to recall.
• Top three sport routes UK - Out Of My Tree, Eat The Rich, Too Old To Be Bold.
• Top three routes abroad (any genre)- you're having a giraffe right?
• Top three pinches wall problems - the one with the bad undercut with feet on smears, L1R1>R-that semi-backhand-diagonal-knobbly-pinch-over-right>L8>R14L14, L1R1>R(thumb-only)>L8>R14L14

[Stubbs]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Underhand extension, Unfinished Opera, Pedestal Arete SS (hard to choose any away from the 'cliff)
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Carnage, Surplomb de la Coquille assis, Lapin ou Canard (only went to Font and it/I was rubbish, will be saving my £ next year and go to places I actually want to climb at!)
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Bird's Nest Crack, Pot Hole Direct, Low Man Easy Way (not really trad climbed)
Top three sport routes UK
Sticky Wicket TR, that's it...

[T_B]

Top three boulder probs, UK - Western Eyes, The Terrace and Thumbelina
Top three boulder probs, abroad - No bouldering abroad yet, but off to Albarracin on Boxing Day 
Top three trad routes/soloes UK - Parthian Shot, Unicorn (in winter), The Pride (Churnet)
Top three sport routes UK - Zoolook, The Free Monster, Thread Flintstone (Torbryan Quarry)
Top three routes abroad (any genre) - Les Diamants sont Éternels (Buoux), La Bomba (Gorges du Tarn), West Buttress of Denali (Alaska)
Top three new route/prob put up - None!

Plus

Top spanking - Captain Crochet at Buoux 
Top failed redpoint cos I never re-worked the top like a numpty - Subculture   
Top return trad failure - Crypt Trip 
Top bogey problems that go down at last - T Crack and Captain Hook 

[dobbin]

Top three boulder probs, UK - I finally did Tsunami this year, so thats my big one. Brad Pitt with Adam way back in Feb. And finally, I'm torn between the eatswood trav which I really enjoyed and Suavito which is everything a boulder problem should be. Hmm.
Top three boulder probs, abroad - Le Pilier at Chironico was great to get done, but best from that trip was les cliques a claques (from sitting)(last move on Serre moi forte (didnt do the whole thing sadly) is fab too). Defenders of the faith in Squish was really good, but Worm world would have been the problem of that trip had I done it.
Top three board problems, School - Too fluffy to be hard and Amoeba Assasin. The hardest I think I have ever tried. Brilliant, and nice to think that within this year I was still climbing at the School... Sigh...
Top three sport routes UK - Comedy - mega mega mega. I loved it. Everything I'm not good at. Otherwise Sissy - which was a real fight, Zeke because it was my first of that grade and Hot Fun which has great climbing, and props to BonJoy for making that one possible by rebolting it.
Top three routes abroad (any genre) - only did 2 - TCF and Dresden, both at Buoux.

Been a good year for trips looking back.

[Jaspersharpe]

Top spanking - Captain Crochet at Buoux 

Tasty!

[T_B]

Top spanking - Captain Crochet at Buoux 

Tasty!

I know, I managed to get to the crimps, but alas, could not continue...

[willackers]

Top 3 Boulder Problems UK: In Bloom (Dumby), Vienna (Bowden), The Terrace (Burbage)

Top 3 Trad UK: Masters Edge, Ground up (Millstone), Adjudicator Wall (Dovedale), Our Father (Stoney)

Top 3 Sport UK: Frankie Comes To Kilnsey (Kilnsey), Persistence Of Vision (Dumby), 50 For 5 (Kilnsey)

Top 3 Boulder Problems Abroad: Rainbow Rocket (Font), El Poussah (Font), El Poussif (Font)

Top 3 Routes Abroad: Ironman (Rodellar), Cafe Solo (Rodellar), Leo (Rodellar)


Picking UK problems was hard because I've done more bouldering than anything this year.

Bring on 09!
 



 

[Steve R]

Here goes:

Top three boulder probs, UK Pounce (Brimham), underhand Extension ('Cliff), Ringpiece (Ilkley)
Top three boulder probs, abroad Tatonka, Holm Boy Sit Start, Viper (all at squamish)
Top three trad routes/soloes UK Shock Horror (Ilkley), Trilogy (raven crag, Lakes), Magic in the Air (Highcliffe Nab, N Yorks)
Top three sport routes UK The Ashes, New Dawn, Herbie
Top three routes abroad (any genre) The Grand Wall (Squamish Chief), Dead on Arrival (Pet wall, Squamish), Peggy La Cochonne (Seynes)
Top three new route/prob put up Well, tried one that'll be really good.  Hopefully do it in '09.

[Fiend]

Very limited choice due to being fucking crippled for most of it, but:

Top three boulder probs (anywhere): La Poussif (Font), Red Baron (Shipley), the volume mantle problem on the comp wall (Climbing Works)
Top three trad routes UK: Flashdance (Torquay), The Phantom (Staffs), Age Of Confusion (Torridon)
Other top three trad routes UK: Exorcist (Sheigra), Rock Steady (Rhinnogs), Brothers In Arms (Craig Y Mwn)
Top three sport routes (anywhere): Uretofilio (El Chorro), Rockadictos (Costa Blanca), ?? up the flowstone (Penmaen Head)
Top three destinations (any genre): Rhinnogs, Torridon, Simon's Seat.
Top medal-worthy action: Staffordshire Obscurist!

[Adam Lincoln]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Brad Pitt
Vitruvian Man
Ringpiece

Top three boulder probs, abroad
Power Of Landjager, hueco
Evilution (to lip), bishop
Focus, hueco

Top three sport routes UK
Mid ledge Spread (due to bonjoys crucial new beta!)
Toadal Recall
Obsession

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Privilege Du Serpent
Vagabond
Blanche fesse

[Jim]

Very limited choice due to being fucking crippled for most of it, but:

Top three boulder probs (anywhere): the volume mantle problem on the comp wall (Climbing Works)

Get a fucking grip man

[Kingy]

Top three boulder probs, UK The Press Low Right, Jerry's Traverse (Stanage), Shit

Top three boulder probs, abroad Caroline, Sunset Arete, A Question of Balance (all at Rocklands, South Africa)

Top three trad routes/soloes UK Only been tradding twice this year but my top 3 would be Scoop Wall and Wee Doris at Stoney and King Krank on the Orme (honorary as hybrid trad/sport)

Top three sport routes UK GBH, Dangerous Brothers and I've Been a Bad Bad Boy (Pen Trywn)

Top three routes abroad (any genre) Vorpal Sword - 2nd ascent of 35m pitch (never been so pumped in my life), Jack of All Trades, Butterfly (all at Waterval Boven, South Africa)

[Shy Yorkshireman]

Isn't this just an excuse for a bit of ego massaging. OK I'm in.

Witness the Gritness 7a Higgar. Got to be Amazing! modern day classic em.
DIY can't believe I'd not done it before.
Terrace in the dark and cos it's hard for me.

Millionaires touch, couldn't believe i was in electric quarry, well good!
Evil Gazebo Cos it's my baby. and dead good.
Tonight at noon on the mighty Doris, shiting myself all the way, upside down chosss nice! BELOW!!!

Chimes the full thing well good wall climbing
Zoolook. classic
Spider. exposed your not wrong!

Swiss route on the north face of the Courtes, cold and boring but awesome.
Oceania irrational vallee mello dead good/long. apart from pickles mini moaning the whole way.

That'll do. good year, oh and the spotty light purple no13 at the works, slab perfection! em.

Nearly forgot in the night every cat is brown/black prob the best route on the planet! Diablo
 
ho ho ho. Splash.

[cofe]

despite a shit climbing year from about may onwards i do have some nice highlights from early on.

Top three boulder probs, UK: the king line arete at Grinah Stones (just right of the guys in the pic below), Brass Monkeys, Flatworld
Top three boulder probs, abroad: (all font) Compression Ministerielle, Satan m'Habite, Vandale
Top three routes:  Didn't do many but Amber Arete at turningstone was very enjoyable
Salvation from injury:  special award goes to my mountain bike
Best/most wholesome climbing experience generally: finally going to Grinah Stones:

[SteG]

Top three boulder probs, UK: Haven't really been bouldering much in the UK yet  hoping to fix that just after xmas
Top three boulder probs, abroad: flash of Joker, Carnage (ss) and a valiant failure of Rubis due to footwork muppetry...
Top three trad routes/soloes UK: err...
Top three sport routes UK: Hurricane on a Millpond and Breathing Method at Portland, The Sissy
Top three routes abroad (any genre): Daniboy and Priapos (my first 7c o/s) on Kalymnos and a really cool 6b+ at Chateauvert which was 40m and steep, really absorbing and in a great position (and on jugs  )

off for some winter chuffing over xmas in Spain and back in the New Year to open my bouldering account in the UK   

S.

[cowboyhat]

Swiss route on the north face of the Courtes, cold and boring but awesome.

I don't know what that is but it doesn't sound awesome.


Where is Grinah Stones, fifteen minutes from Nether Edge I hope?

[cofe]

GR: SK130961

[Andy B]

Bleaklow. Looooooonnnnnnng walk in.

[chillax]

Top 3 problems, home (Ire): Andy's Arete, Chillax (both glendalough), Ivy Chimney traverse (Dalkey)
Top 3 problems away: La Marie Rose, and some other stuff in font that I can't remember the names or locations of cos I'm 'a bit special'.

Top 3 trad: The Ghost, The Masochist (both Dalkey), Skywalker (Ailladie)
Top 3 sport: I live in the wrong country....

[Andy F]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Breakfast, RH roof at Robin Hood's Stride, Cave Arete (Edlington crags Northumberland)
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Didn't leave this green and pleasant land...
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Didn't do any trad, or solo anything of note...
Top three sport routes UK
Again, not much done but Stone the Loach, Tricky Pricky Ears (Chapel Head) and Chiselling the Dragon stick out.