[Petey]

Cow's mouth and tonacliffe are good if that is all you have got - when i was younger I didn't have a car so anywhere I could cycle to / get a lift to was fair game. Both venues are good for a short soloing session - cow's mouth doesn't have much in the way of bouldering. Not really worth the walk unless you want to do routes (there is a lone boulder on the moor just before the quarry with a few low-mid grade probs on a big roof but that's it really). There is also grit going down the hill towards summit etc which i have explored a bit - I didn't find that much though but I only did a small bit of exploring. Tonacliffe has a good wall (hand jam crack area) on which I have done lots of eliminates up to around 7B but again it's only worth it if you're near - not worth a half hour+ car journey. Cow's mouth is probably the better of the two in general.

[SA Chris]

Nont Sarah's any good?

Is that seriously the name of a crag? Class.

[Jaspersharpe]

Nice "right toe blantantly standing on the ground" dab.

[GCW]

Nice "right toe blantantly standing on the ground" dab.

How dare you.  It wasn't touching the floor at all, and I refute the allegation.
It was a foot-swinging-off-before-I-lost-contact position, so there 

Yeah, it's called Nont Sarah's.  Not much info around but people speak good of it.  That probably means it's shit.

[BenF]

I didn't know that Stephen Gerrard bouldered. 

[Sloper]

PLenty of real quality, keen to go back, maybe next week.

A team with a few brushes and some traffic would make all  the difference.

[GCW]

Right, been up there today in the pishing rain.  Scouted out a few things, but everything was covered in a layer of lush green slime.  It seems to have proliferated since R-man and I visited.  There's a few things to have a go at, only a few will be over the 7a mark.
Also, I can confirm that "Nont Sarah's" is an alternative name for the Buckstones.  Lots of rock, but not that many problems.  The roof of Pig in a Pokey looks impressive though.

[nik at work]

It really was minging wet. I think the dogs got a cold...

[r-man]

I can confirm that "Nont Sarah's" is an alternative name for the Buckstones.  Lots of rock, but not that many problems. 

Really? The map here http://www.yorkshiregrit.com/map.html?id=buckstones looks nothing like the aerial photo you posted earlier. No reservoir for a start. And this is near Ilkley!

[GCW]

Really? The map here http://www.yorkshiregrit.com/map.html?id=buckstones looks nothing like the aerial photo you posted earlier. No reservoir for a start. And this is near Ilkley!

Buckstones is a small edge on the wild moorland south of the M62. There are around seventy problems here, mostly in the lower grades. The crag is documented in the Huddersfield bouldering guide.

And we saw the problems pictured on the Buckstones page.  Where's JonP when we need him?  I think that map is wrong.

Nik- sorry bout the dog.  Hope the cold gets better soon

[andy_e]

I was suitably impressed by Blackstone and would be well keen to get back in the future! Pig in a Pokey looks good too, but deceptively juggy? On a slightly related note, West Vale is an ace venue!

[Pantontino]

West Vale is an ace venue!

That's not a phrase you hear often, and more's the pity. Not sure if anybody goes anymore, but back in the mid - to late 80s this place was rammed on mid week evenings. My mate Al Bennett used to do 5 laps of the big traverse in a session!

[GCW]

Pantontino:  Yeah, I used to live 20 minutes drive away and it was a great fall-back venue.  Overhanging face stayed dry in the rain, most walls were quick drying.  The lower rock is good.  I'm impressed with lapping that traverse, it's quite long.  There's still a fair bit of chalk, so people obviously go there.  Some arse has thrown paint on the OH face, which reduces the friction of some of the holds a tad.  Shame really.

Maybe we should arrange a Blackstone meet, brushes at dawn.

[webbo]

I can confirm that "Nont Sarah's" is an alternative name for the Buckstones.  Lots of rock, but not that many problems. 

Really? The map here http://www.yorkshiregrit.com/map.html?id=buckstones looks nothing like the aerial photo you posted earlier. No reservoir for a start. And this is near Ilkley!

there is buckstones as in bouldering round cleckhuddersfax and an ilkley buckstones.no wonder you spend your lives in dodgy quarries when you don't know the difference between ilkley and huddersfield. 

[r-man]

It seems to me that it's yorkshiregrit that has got mixed up.   

[GCW]

The Jennings and myself had a wander up to Blackstones today.  I had a great time, a very good venue.

[Sloper]

Are the grades subject to a local numerical inconsistency, ie. normal grades +1.3?

Or is it puntering editing techniques?

PS may well be up for a trip Thursday?

[GCW]

Which are you referring to Slopes?  (They are font grades, I assume you realise)

Strangely a lot of the problems which I found hard last time were easy yesterday, so the grades may not be 100%, so other opinions are very welcome.

[nik at work]

Just watched again this time paying attention to the grades and they seem about right to me. But what do I know?
I think the crack could go down half a grade (especially as the lichen disapears), as may the twin aretes if it descrittles (it felt quite sketchy to me, but is easier for the tall, of course I would say that). The other problems all seem about right to me.
Are you saying the grades are too low or high?
Keen to get back on a couple of the 'project' lines so if you are up on thursday let me know (I'll keep you posted on the weather).
And the arete will go one handed (or even with two GCW )

[GCW]

Keen to get back on a couple of the 'project' lines

Shhh!!!  I reckon you'll be back before I will (ie no tips) but I'd be keen to get those 2 things done.  If I'm free I'd be keen to get back there.

And the arete will go one handed (or even with two GCW )

Someone had greased it up before I tried it 

[nik at work]

Don't worry, we can show them to Slopes. He'll never haul his 15 stones of semi digested foie gras up them...

[Sloper]

I think the grades are way too high. Other than the weird slab (font 6a) thing  and the pull onto the undercut slab (we did it by a different sequence if I recall due to small vs injured knees, about 6a as well) I can't remember anything being harder than font 5+

Anyway Thursday seems like a go-er, I'll be in touch, as for your project lines I'll crush them like a poorly constructed meringue.

Oh and if you want some foie gras , just let me know I'll bring you a dose.

[GCW]

The double arete was graded from a floor start, not standing on the boulder which is a couple of grades easier.
R-Man's Slap and Wall certainly aren't 5+.
Anvil Arete may be 5+ if you're tall, I added a grade for shorties.   
The crack sitter felt 6b+/c to get the pocket with your right, but may be easier when it cleans up more.  Going right to the sloper and avoiding the pocket was probably 6b.
Have a look on Thursday and let me know- I am interested in accuracy.

[nik at work]

I don't think we did any of the problems in the video. We did slopy pocket to the top without the sit start.
Have you tried the other problems on another occasion?
R-mans slap and wall are not 5+
Anvil arete is somewhere between 5-ish and very hard depending on your span. 6a is probably a reasonable average.
The crack sitter is going to be somewhere in the 6's, depending on which finish you do and how clean it is.

Check it out on thursday? I would of course take into account that you are a sandbagger...

[GCW]

I assume your reply was to the goose liver gobbler?
You have an e-mail, Nik.