[RichK]

I'm unsure on the etiquette, not to mention copyright of the annual "Best of ..." post. I believe Bonjoy to be the official gatekeeper and Doylo to have been a caretaker in previous years. Anyway, as is customary at this time of year and following the "calling" of end of year posts with the "Aims of" post it us surely time for an end of year round up of folks high's and lows. Don't be shy & let those ego's fly. Tell us all what 2009 brought in climbing terms. Same categories as previous years with the addition of the Top Spanking category;-

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
Top Spanking's

Here's my offerings.....

Top three boulder probs - Lay By Arete - Slipstones, The Pinch - Ogwyn, High Speed Impact - Churnet
Top three boulder probs, abroad -- N/A
Top three trad routes/soloes UK -- Trouble in Toytown - Nesscliffe, Great Wall - Craig y Forwyn, Byzantium - Craig Doris
Top three sport routes UK - G.B.H - Malham, Walking With Barrence, Technicolour Yawn- Clywd
Top three routes abroad (any genre) -- - Brandler Hasse - tre Cima,  Le Linceul de Penelope - St Leger, Montgronyeta - Maraglef
Top three new route/prob put up-- N/A
Top Spanking Millionaire Touch - Stoney

Goodwill to yall........

[Eddies]

Top three boulder probs –
Gorilla Warfare (Proper mans problem)
Ollies Roof AKA Too Drunk (Done in the dark one Friday night between rain storms)
The Cube (A little bit of wee came out on that one!)
Top three boulder probs, abroad –
No Font trip this year
Top Solos –
Requiem for tired fingers – Back Forest
The whole of Harborough Rocks in a day
Top three sport routes UK –
Sumo - Harpur Hill
Born Slippy - Slayley
Max Head Room – Chee Dale
Top three routes abroad –
Clocher Clochetons Traverse – Aiguilles Rouges (Uber Classic)
Voie Frison-Roche - Aiguilles Rouges (6 Pitch beaut)
Le Marteau – Les Gaillands (Last route of an amazing holiday)
Top Spanking
Flaming Sambuca’s!

Merry crimbo guys

[Andy F]

Top three boulder probs - High Speed Imp Act, Red Baron, Left Pine
Top three boulder probs, abroad -- N/A
Top three trad routes/soloes UK -- N/A
Top three sport routes UK - Conehead, Baboo Baboo (Malham), The Squealer (Lorry Perk Quarry)
Top three routes abroad N/A
Top three new route/prob put up-- N/A
Top Spanking Grooved Arete.

[T_B]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Blind Fig
eatswood Traverse
Sole Power

Top three boulder probs, abroad
L'Arrache Coeur
Berezina
Haka

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Conan the Librarian
From a Distance
Perplexity

Top three sport routes UK
Lightweight
Space race
Something at Masson Lees Quarry???!! (didn't do much sport climbing this yr...)

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
A 7a at Bauchet, Verdon
Something at St Leger in the baking heat??
Kilimanjaro Barafu route??(didn't do much routing abroad this year...)

Top three new route/prob put up
Various boulder problems around Kangchenjunga North and South base camps, which may or may not have been done before...

Top Spanking's
Summer Wine - Cheedale. Peak Limestone, don't ya just love it 
Also falling off the top of Mother's Pride the same week

[Will Hunt]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Manson's Wall (Shipley Glen)
Demon Wall Roof (Almscliff)
Daz (Shipley Glen)


Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Middlefell Buttress (Raven Crag, Langdale) - I arrived at the bottom and nearly vomited with fear. Tied on for the first time in about 5 months. I got onto the first pitch and was laughing by the top.
S Crack (Ilkley Quarry) - The first time I felt unscared and got that feeling on a trad route really since last December. You all know that feeling. Its the one you get on a route when you'd rather not be anywhere else in the world.
Spartan Slabs (Etive Slabs) - Fooking amazing route!

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Nothing worthy of mention.

Top Spanking's
Somersault (Ilkley Rocky Valley) - In the rain on green green rock. Jamming is still impossible.


2009 was the year when I was injured. EVERYTHING seems to have centered around it. My trad, I think, will improve with mileage and I'm on the other side of the year stronger on the boulders than I've ever been and have ticked my hardest boulder problem and hardest flash of a boulder problem so all in all its better than I'd hoped.

[GCW]

I've had some great days out when I haven't acheived anything, just had a good time with the banter and watching other people crushing in good style.  It's been a mixed year really, the first 1/4 was good for getting stronger and doing some stuff.  After the A2 it was more chilled and consisted of visiting places I hadn't been to and having a chilled time.


Top three boulder probs Fight on Black (Widdop), The Big (Undercut) Dyno, Roaches- something I'd wanted to try for years, Fisherman's Dyno (St Bees- this was a great day out even though I fell in a hole and hurt myself)

Top three boulder probs, abroad Sadly I never got to Wales.

Top three trad routes/soloes UK Don't do rope stuff no more
Top three sport routes UK Don't do rope stuff no more
Top three routes abroad (any genre) Don't do rope stuff no more

Top three new route/prob put up-- Didn't manage my projects, but 2010 awaits

Top Spanking Big Marine still repels me and I don't know why.... Grrrrrrrr

[GCW]

Oh, and Will- if you like Spartan I highly recommend Hammer, The Pause, The Long Reach and Swastika.  Plus most other stuff there actually.  Just mind the midges 

[willackers]

I think 2009 has been my most productive year now roll on 2010!



Top three boulder probs, UK

Sabotage @ Dumby
King Kong @ Dumby
Brad Pit @ Stanage (does everyone find this easy but me?)

Top three boulder probs, abroad

Super Prestat @ Bas Cuvier, Psyched out ma face! 
l'Arrache Coeur @ Isatis, first 7c flash!
Eclipse @ Le Cul De Chien


Top three trad routes/soloes UK

Reproduction @ High Tor
Dies Irae @ High Tor
Edgehog @ Glen Nevis

Top three sport routes UK

Raindogs @ Malham
New Dawn @ Malham
Hamish Teddy's Excellent Adventure @ Dunkeld, Upper Cave

Top three new route/prob put up

Mr Tickle @ Dumby (finally!)   
Mr Tickle Extension @ Dumby, took a long time and probably the hardest thing I've ever done!

Top Spanking's

Dum Dum Boys @ Dumby, 7c my arse!

[chillax]

Top three boulder problems - Eat It Left (Murlough Bay), Jeremy's Problem (Dalkey), Voltas Vortic Vector (Dalkey, Given a route grade, but its a 6m slab problem with a 15m severe on top. Boulder problem)
Top three boulder problems abroad - Only bouldering I did abroad this year was an afternoon at the cromlech boulders, which frankly did nothing for me.
Top three trad routes - The Ocean (Ailladie), Blind Pew (Fair Head), Fath mo Bhuartha (Fair Head)
Top three routes abroad - Did 2 nice 6c's in Rodellar (can't for the life of me remember their names. probably never knew in the first place). Fiacaill Ridge (Coire an t'Sneachda, first winter climbing experience and loved every second of it)

Top spanking - Midnight cruiser, Fair Head. 3 moves from the top, bloody heartbreaking.

[Doylo]

Defo my best year yet! Was very route orientated.

Top three boulder probs - Jack The Drunk (FA), Halfway House, Broken Heart
Top three boulder probs, abroad - N/A
Top three trad routes/soloes UK - N/A
Top three sport routes UK - Pas De Deux- hardest route of the year, previously overlooked but actually brilliant.
The Magic Flute - great 7c tufa.
Overnight Sensation- this route gave me so much trouble over the years so good to do it.
Top three routes abroad (any genre) - Only one short trip but Le Cara in Siurana was mega.
Top Spanking - Magnetic Fields- Malham. Managed the 'crux' pocket pull alright but couldn't do the slippy V7 start. One to polish off next year!

[nik at work]

Top three boulder probs
Real Keel because I didn't think I could
Powerband because I didn't think I'd want to
Demon Wall Roof because it's classic and I can't think of anything else

Top three boulder probs, abroad
Barre Fixe because it was a flashtastic ascent in front of a collection of grumpy tanned Euro muscles
La Rampe because it looks good and climbs well
Tup's Traverse because it's (probably) the hardest boulder problem on the Isle of Man, and hardest is always best right?

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Don't think I did any??

Top three sport routes UK
Comedy because it is fun fun fun
Smooth Torquer because it is my hardest flash to date
Spent Youth because it is as fun fun fun as Comedy but a bit easier

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Didn't do any

Top Spanking
It's a toss up between Sport Climbing and Whitehouses...

[Fiend]

Top three boulder probs, UK
1. Hitchhikers, Kyloe In
2. Slap Happy, Dumbarton
3. The 40m long traverse at the right end of Kyloe I used to warm up

Top three boulder probs, abroad
0. Didn't fucking boulder abroad *angry*

Top three six nine trad routes/soloes UK
1. Wilderness Grit, Y Grisau
2. Later That Night, Y Grisau
3. Marlene, Nesscliffe
4. Mongol, Beacon Scar
5. Charge Of The Light Brigade, Loch Sloy
6. White Meter, Loch Sloy
7. Sculptress, Ardmair
8. Some route I forgot the name of in the Rhinogau
9. Sweet Baby James, Craig Cywarch

Top three sport routes UK
1. Barguest Direct, Trollers Gill
2. Highway 395, Kilnsey
3. Another Choadside Attraction, The Tor (redpointed)

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
0. Didn't fucking climb abroad *angry*
1. Aiguille Rouge descent in Les Arcs, flashed.

Top three new route/prob put up
0. Not one of mine but I found a really cool prow for Oggers and cleaned it and spotted him on the FA. Dunno the name.

Top Spanking's
1. DVT.
2. Passion And Warfare, Dib Scar (very near miss mostly due to bad bolting)
3. No Cruise, Glen Lednock (spanked?? ground to a bloody pulp in the final niche!)

Edit: A fairly mixed bag overall. I didn't do very much climbing but I do note that quite a bit of what little trad I did was brilliant, which is nice, proving once again I have impeccable taste in semi-esoteric classics and hidden gems. Being crippled fucked things over, and not getting abroad to climb is deeply shameful. All of this will be rectified next year and I intend on doing a bit more bouldering and sport too.

[chillax]

Top three routes abroad - Did 2 nice 6c's in Rodellar

Forgot about The Arrow and Rear Wind at St. Govan's. Mega 

[Steve R]

It's been a strange year - not much bouldering owing to injured elbows for most of the year.  Haven't climbed at all for the last 2 months  .  Been a decent climbing year in spite of that though. No records broken but climbed some good stuff - consolidation ey.
 
Top three boulder probs

Figure of 8, Tom's Roof - Stoney.  Like I said, haven't done an awful lot of bouldering this year!  The moves on this are as good as anything else I climbed though, contrived brilliance.

The Prow, Wainstones.  Stumbled upon this having no idea what it was and climbed it. 3* quality anywhere.

Grand Master Flash, Scugdale.  Right on the threshold of highball/route, great moves and line.

Top three boulder probs, abroad
 
a cool granite prow, Cavallers
a nice granite slab, Cavallers
a great granite arete, Cavallers

Top three trad routes/soloes UK

Strapadictomy, Froggatt.  Nearly puntered it on the pirhouette move but rallied and made it.
Warpath, Rhoscolyn.  Most out there route I did this year.  Good gear but still managed to feel scary. Ride that pump!
Central Wall, Blue Scar.  Burnt from Subculture, only just made it.  Class route. Memorable.

Top three sport routes UK

Subculture, Kilnsey.  Invested a handful of sessions in this and it felt worth it which was nice.  Probably the hardest bit of climbing I've done.
Pierrepoint, Goredale.  Only made it to 1st lower off but great climbing on a great wall. 
Pantomime, Kilnsey.  Satisfying to find this piss after having an epic time of it with Comedy a couple of years ago.

Top three routes abroad (any genre)

Rahan, Calames, Ariege.  Malham style crimping comes to France.
Masa Kumba, Cavallers.  Perfect granite crack line. The deal was sweetened as where bronzed & honed euros who couldn't jam failed, my mate and I flashed.
Le Pacte De Loups, Saut de L'ours, Ariege.  Classic tufa style Euro climbing with a good pumpy section and a good bouldery section.


Top three new route/prob put up

No Prisoners (low start thereof), Ingleby Incline.  A couple of nice slappy moves into a good quality stand up.
Chagrin Left, Stoney Wicks (nr Scugdale). 
For Liechtenstein, Wainstones.  Lowball one mover but a decent move at that.

Top Spanking

Flute of (no) Hope, Higgar.  Should have posted this day in NNFN thinking back.  Got hurt spotting then hurt my elbows failing on this 

Right then, on to the 2010 aims thread....

[yorkshirewarcry]

Top three boulder probs, UK

Dreamboat, Stanage
C3PO, Roaches - I'd done it before but it topped off a perfect day out so it's on the list
The Beagle Has Landed - Eagle Stone

Top three boulder probs, abroad

N/A

Top SIX trad routes/soloes UK

Desolation Row - Great Zawn
Suicide Wall Route 1 - Idwal - memorably spooky
Magical Mystery Tour, Berry Head
Out of the Blue - Lower Sharpnose
Alcasan - a midsummers day wander along the classic Stoney traverse
Astral Stroll - mega!

Top three sport routes UK

Countdown - Two Tier
Sardine - The Tor
None of the others were especially memorable...


Top three routes abroad (any genre)

Pourquoi Pas - Ceuse
Zagreb - Ceuse
Objetivo M - Rodellar

Top three new route/prob put up

N/A

Top Spanking's - could be tricky limiting this list to 3 items!

Plumbline - Llandudno - climbed like a tw*t, got pumped and unecessarily gripped.  What a pussy.
Sean's Arete - Curbar
Ceramic - Chee Tor 

[Drew]

Top three boulder probs - UK
Brad Pit, Demon Wall Roof, Flatworld
Top three boulder probs - abroad
L'Aerodynamite, Duroxmanie, a cool (but easy) 7c at Sector Sol (Albarracin)
Top three trad routes/soloes - UK
Hell Crack (tried it a few years ago, and gave up early on), Christmas Crack, that's about it
Top three sport routes - UK
Yeah right. I did two rubbish routes at Horseshoe, and they're not going in any list of quality stuff!
Top three routes - abroad (any genre)
n/a
Top three new route/prob put up
Nothing this year
Top Spanking
Ben's Roof. Just need to get stronger!

[Stubbs]

I've still got 9 days left yet, hoping to make them count!

[Bonjoy]

Top three boulder probs, UK: Sole Power – Froggat, A Northern Soul - Hepburn, Under Rumsfeld – Whitehouses.
Top three boulder probs, abroad: Only had one Euro trip, Dob’s stagathon to Magic Wood - Du Cote De Szechuan, Supernova, Hohenrauch.
Top three trad routes/soloes UK: Loads to choose from so I’ll be greedy and have three of each. Trad leads: Gigglin’ Crack – Brimham, A Step in the Light Green – Hepstonstall, Superdirectisima - Kilnsey. Soloes: Downhill Racer – Froggat, Death Knell – Roaches, Heartless Hare – Froggat.
Top three sport routes UK: Not a lot to choose from as ended up doing mostly trad this year; Supercool – Gordale, China Crisis – Kilnsey, Call of Nature – The Tor.
Top three routes abroad (any genre): Only one (semi) foreign trip this year, to the Burren; Refraction – Mirror Wall, Fall of Wossils – Arran Wall, Ice Queen – Arran Wall.
Top three four new route/prob put up: The Great Tribulation – Hipley Hill, Lip of Fools - eatswood, Rocky – Bamford, Molly Moocher – Rylstone. Did a whole load of new things up at Rylstone but as we didn’t report them at the time I dare say they’ll all be claimed by others in the new guide. Going on the pre-cleaned condition (big sticky out crystals on key holds) I’ve no doubt this one was my FA whatever the book might say and it's too good to give away, so there etc  .
Top Spanking's: Ray’s Roof – Couldn’t get my spazzy hand in the handjam at the start. Connect 4 – Got close, then some muppet moved the bolt, the clipping of which is the crux, after which I gave up in disgust. The Ogre (Chee Tor) – Spent a full day cleaning but never got to try due to wetness. Big Air – The biggest pad stack ever but I still managed to bottled it!

[uptown]

Brief I know but time is too short for some categories right now.

Top 3 Blocs -  Mistaken identity, Kilnsey. An inspiring move.
                    Rude boy, Ben Ledi. For the location.
                    Dialectics, The Cliff. Some eliminates are worth it for the movements.
Top 3 Sport -  Comedy, Kilnsey. Fun, fun, fun.
                    The Jim grin, Trollers gill. More fun, fun, fun.
                    Barguest direct, Trollers gill. For the in-situ surprise.
Top 3 New -   The tinderbox, Trollers gill. Extended bouldering, just my style.
                    Joint enterprise, Yorkshire limestone cowboy. Deserves to be Peak.
                    Spin Ghar, Yorkshire gritstone cowboy. Technically majestic.
Top Spank -    A river running through it, wet holds and a lack of time.

Still enjoying the rocks after 25+ years is best of all, here's to a great 2010. 
Merry Christmas y'all.

[dave]

I'm never sure with these threads if its supposed to be "hardest three" or "best three"....

Top three boulder probs, UK:
Yorkshireman sitter - tried a few times sporadically over last couple of years, fucking awesome, perfect rock, best problem ever?
Staminaband (lanky finish) - fairly long term, didn't expect to get it this year.
Sole Power - about the last thing i did pre-bambino.
Top three boulder probs, abroad:All font:
Vandale (flash) - wanted to do this for ages, almost the perfect problem.
Jambe de Bois (flash) - nice to find something really good you've walked right past before.
Mur Lombard - been bummed on it before, pulled on this year and it felt piss.
Top three trad routes/solos UK:
Think I only did a few trad at Stoney when it was too hot for anything else:
Gabriel & Pearly Gates
Solitaire
Top three sport routes UK:
Only did 2 sport routes of note the year:
Rattle & Hump - tried it years ago and couldn't pass the jug, then went back on it one day and did it that session - surprising! Cheers for Fiend for the belay.
Stone The Loach - dogged up it once then did it first redpoint attempt after harvesting Scouse's beta. Again, very surprised.
Top three routes abroad (any genre): None
Top three new route/prob put up:Can't think of any.
Top Spankings:
Minus Ten - tried to lead this and bailed pumped solid and drenched in sweat. Will just try and solo it next time.
Trainer Tamer (crunch buttress) - got totally bummed, painful, nails, shit.
Ozone Bozo (garage buttress) - got fairly bummed, couldn't find a way of doing the crux. Dirty, shit rock, unpleasant route, wank buttress, never again.

[BenF]

Top few boulder probs - UK
South West Overhang sitstart (Pex Hill), Help the Young (Stanage), almost any of the Boss Cuvier block stuff (Beddgelert Forest) - a really nice find that boys, Pocket Cream (Talfarach) - a wicked one mover.
Top three boulder probs - abroad
Onde de choc (Apremont), Lady Big Claques (Buthiers), The Shield (Chironico).
Top three trad routes/soloes - UK
I can't think of anything new that really stands out, not that I did much trad this year.  Again.
Top three sport routes - UK
Pink Pinkie Snuffs It (LPT) - really nice and can't believe I'd not got round to doing this before, Twangy Pearl (Portland).
Top three routes - abroad (any genre)
Motorhead  (Eldorado, Switzerland), Les Lausannois (Tour D'Ai, Switzerland), anything at Lehn.
Top three new route/prob put up
Harmadillo (Harmers Wood) - crap name but well good wall climbing, Manley Virtues (Cheshire) - not my first ascent but I was second, moments after Mr Popp and it's boss.
Top Spanking
Where do I start?  I was crap for most of the year but got my shit together in the past few months.  Monoblock.  The Cave, fullstop.  Andy's board.  Limestone.  Crimps.  Anything without heel locks.

[Doylo]

Good flashes in font there Dave.
I can't believe i left out my new route on Mayfair Wall as best thing put up. Future classic!

[Bonjoy]

I'm never sure with these threads if its supposed to be "hardest three" or "best three"....

All previous best of threads I've started have been about best rather than hardest, though naturally they often coincide

[Adam Lincoln]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Pump Up The Power
Bens Roof
Iron Man

Top three boulder probs, abroad
Fourmis Rouges
L'Arrache Coeur
Manchester Dogs (Technically it is abroad!)

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Nada.

Top three sport routes UK
Zeke The Freak
Caviar
Revelations

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Anabolica
Siouxie
Afroman

Top three new route/prob put up
Full Circle, Longridge

Top Spanking's
Connect 4
Dangerous Brothers
Hot Fun Closing

[nai]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Deliverance - Stanage
The Storm - Stanage
struggling to choose between Demon Wall Roof and S&M, I suppose it should really be DWR having invested years in it rather than a few lunchtimes but S&M is a really great problem.

Top three boulder probs, abroad
only had 3 days in font this year and largely got spanked.  Graviton is the only stand out problem.

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Another lean year for trad so I’ll have to sneak some highballs in:
Goodbye Toulouse - Stanage
DIY- Stanage
Syrett’s Roof - Almscliffe

Top Spanking's
Triangle Wall continues to confound, can’t quite summon up the courage to top-out Small Is Beautiful and despite being told “it’s all over at that point” about the top hold of Excalibur I still failed at that point four times.  Stall Arete is a bit of a teaser but I am at least making progress on that now.  Trad in general.