[205Chris]

That time of year again folks, what were your highlights of last year.

The previous lists:
Best of 2006
Best of 2007
Best of 2008
Best of 2009
Best of 2010
Best of 2011
Best of 2012

The usual categories are below. 3 problems / routes in each category or N/A if it's not your thing.

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

[peewee]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Jason's Roof - Wanted to try this for years, did it in a session, Great problem.
Roof of Baby Budda - Great find by Nodder, Hard moves on small holds on good rock what more do you want.
Freehang SS - Not the best line but i've tried this on and off for a couple of years and finally got good conditions and did it.

Top three boulder probs, abroad
Coupe De Force, Le Kracken Droite - Both really good problems, wanted to try them ever since i saw the in Out Of Sight.
El Poussah - 5th time in Font and only just got round to doing this, Real Thing Tick.

Top three sport routes UK
Only did one, Harry Tuttle at the G-Spot - Short and sweet and it gives you a close up on the matchstick edges of Violent New Breed.

Top Spanking's -
Any long Sport route i've tried. Beaux Quartiers closer but still no cigar, 4 moves further but the LH keeps popping.

[205Chris]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Heaven in Your Hands, Brandrith - Probably the best problem I've ever done anywhere.
Brock the Start, Cheedale - An esoteric Moffat classic. All the more satisfying figuring the beta out for myself.
Ben's Groove, Caley - Wanted to do this for ages, flashing it was a bonus.

Top three boulder probs, abroad
Rubis sur L'Ongle, Font - I had a brief scope of this when the top was covered in snow. Went back a few days later and did it first go. Well deserving of classic status.
L'Etrave a Sucre, Font - Had to clean snow off the top of it first, but still left me with a icy top out after the crux
Eden Roc, Font - Just about everything that's good about Font distilled into one problem

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Reiver, Ravensheugh - More of a highball than a trad route but I wouldn't want to fall off the top. Climbed ground up in a session. Outstanding climbing and well worth the trek up the hillside.
Feet Neat, Rivelin quarries - Trad climbing for sport climbers if you trust 25 year old pegs. Luckily I didn't test them.
Flex, Rivelin quarries - Trad climbing for boulderers. I abbed the line to clean it and got covered in sh*t as the farmer in the above field was muck spraying at the time so I had to go back and clean it all over again.

Top three sport routes UK
Caviar, Rubicon - Luckily I happened to be at the crag at the same time as Paul Fearn who gave me some awesome beta. Redpointed on my 4th session when it was chucking it down with rain and just about everywhere else in the peak was wet.
Toys for the Boys, Cheedale - Brilliant technical climbing. Took me ages to remember my beta from last year then just managed to redpoint it before it went dark.
Jug Jockey, Cheedale - Timed to perfection. Climbed the day before the cornice crapped out.

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
No routes abroad for me this year so instead I'm having:

Top three snowballs
Another vintage year for snowballing on the Eastern Edges, the snow coming late enough in the year to make after work sessions a reality.
Shine On, Stanage - Struggled for ages on the last move with my leg getting stuck under the roof, finally sent a few days before the snow melted.
Black Car Burning - Another Barker classic
Chip Shop Brawl - Flashed thanks to a constant stream of beta from Mark20.


Top three new route/prob put up
Nada

Top Spanking's
Don't feel like I've got too much unfinished business from this year, fell off the last move of Blind Ali's Date a few times though.

[dave]

Not done a right lot this year just gone, mainly for work reasons. I'm not having a year like that again.

Top three boulder probs, UK
Talk To Me Martin - horrid problem but never have to do it again.
V-Crimps & Sprung - these two at bowden in a 30 minute period of climbing quite well.
Sphinx - flashed it, shit myself.

Top three boulder probs, abroad
Fuck all

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Dubhs Ridge, Skye
Corvus, Borrowdale

Top three sport routes UK
Fuck all

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Fuck all

Top three new route/prob put up
Missile Toe
Sinew Stretch Sitter
Thing at burbage south

Also did Blind Ali there and back - might class as a FA assuming Pat King has more self respect than to retroclaim this.

Top Spanking's
Jellybomb at Froggatt - basically did this with the slightest of dabs on the mat, which was a bit higher than usual because of the snow. Balls.
Cuillin Ridge - fucking weather.

[stokesy]

Top 3 boulder probs, UK
Olicana Arete, Ilkley - Quality moves, one of the best 7As I've done on grit.
The Keel, Almscliff - Perhaps not the best problem I'll ever do, but as the hardest thing I've yet done definitely a highlight for me.
Si's Arete, Almscliff - Enjoyable problem with a good slappy crux move

Top 3 boulder probs, abroad
Pixel, Cresciano - Excellent thuggy traverse, may have the name wrong.
2 problems at Chironico that I've forgotten the names of...

No routes or solos this year.

Top 3 new probs
A good circuit of apparently unclimbed problems on a beach in southern Brittany, some harder stuff to go back for

Top spankings
Mark's Roof, Gardoms - Why I can't finish this problem off is beyond me, 3 and a half years and counting 
Underhand, Almscliff - Worked the moves very quickly, declared it piss, and then proceeded to fall off on the link for the next 2 hours...

[AndyR]

Apron Strings, Grand Wall, Squamish ... rested on a trad 5.10b three days after redpointing my first 5.13 

That was pretty funny though...   

[JackAus]

Top 3 problems local.
Gz Up Hoes Down V5. Terrible name, great problem. At North Black near Canberra.
Little Jon Jon V6. Frontline in Sydney. Very fun roof problem. Only took about an hour.
Pinche and The Brain V4. Grampians. Very fun and took about 5 attempts too many...

Top 3 solos.
The World According To Garf 21/6b+ish. Thompson's Point, Nowra. 6m sport route with not the best landing that I did over 2 pads by myself. Very polished, very scary, would've missed the pads and off another drop if I fell off the top. Very nearly did. Also good as it's the same grade as the hardest thing I've done on a rope.
Just For Fun 16/VS. Point Perpendicular. Part of my easy soloing circuit. Topped out one afternoon, turned and watched a sea eagle cruise past below me, looked out over the water to see a whale breach about 200m away. Nice day.

Top new lines.
8 Bit Hero V6. Bomaderry Creek, Nowra. Really fun problem that took far too long to work out. Have had some really good feedback on it, so that's a plus..
Chloe V6. Nerriga. Slopey overhanging prow. Took 2 sessions, the 1st being very hot and the 2nd being nice and cool.

Top Spankings...
New V7 line. Worked on it on and off for about 6 months, even fell off the last move... Warmed up one day to finally tick it... And pop goes the pulley.
Mega dws project. About 3 months work so far including some time off because of finger. Probably  about 50+ attempts all ground up. Been stuck working out the crux since attempt number 1. Finally getting within reach of topping it out, yesterday managed to slap just 6 inches short of completion. Not to sure on grade. As a boulder, it feels around 7A+/B. Had a mate who's done routes up to 8b and bouldered up to 8A, look at it and he thinks 7c/+...

[Richie Crouch]

Top three boulder probs, UK
- Cosmic Wheels, Mallory Boulder - great day up in a wonderful setting with Sam and Mike. Should have flashed it but a steady 2nd go. Great top out on jugs far above the pads!
- Brad's Arête (the presence of absence), Stanton - the last new climb I did this year and what an amazing one. Gripping all the way till the end and only after a dramatic horizontal deck out from near the top minutes earlier!
- Pilgrim, Parisellas - couldn't resist putting one cave tick on it... Although I did a few of higher quality like Flashpoint, Buddha roof, flick of the wrist, Nazgul's trav and Special K, I still derive great satisfaction from horrendous sieges of Pumpy link ups in polished manufactured caves!

Top three boulder probs, abroad
- Fightclub, magic Wood - consolation tick number 1 of a chastening trip of failure.
- Neanderthal, magic Wood - consolation tick number 2 of same trip, a crap lowball into a green slab
- Exclusive, magic wood - consolation tick number 3 of the same day after having given up trying to climb anything of note!

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
- hunters Walk, pex hill - fun highball /short route locking between big jugs
- Hallt Fono, Tanygrisiau - creeps in at micro-route height in my book! Fantastic rock and setting
- nothing else was quite as gripping, though I could probably put Barking Direct here on the Mallory as nothing else felt quite this exposed!
Top three sport routes UK
- Pisa Wall Traverse, pex Hill - a long term goal finally realised. Felt like the pumpiest thing I did all year and definitely has more moves than most uk sport routes?
- Left Wall High, Sellas - another one that I had wanted closure on (and involving no rope) but I'm taking it anyway 

Top Spanking's
- Diesel power, Cromlech - fell off the lip about 10 times over first 4 sessions and then split my left middle finger on the credit card hold every time I went back to finish it off, getting barely 1-2 attempts before splitting. Felt so close on session 3 and it never happened. Needs closure!
- Louis Armstrong - managed 3 good sessions on it this year eventually Doing it frequently in 2 halves but keep getting spanked on the crux from the start. Rolls over to 2014.
- Dark Sakai, magic wood - got it in overlapping halves in 2 sessions this summer then split my skin and couldn't get any further in the 30 deg+ heat.

A grand year for failure!

[i_a_coops]

Boulders UK

Enchantress, Forest Rock - after so many sessions working it with damp holds
Magician, Forest Rock - possibly the best set of moves I've ever come across
Taylor Made, Dinas - I remember seeing someone on this several years ago and being blown away by how hard it looked, being able to do it in a few goes now was a great feeling.

Boulders abroad

Immodium Assis, Font - my first ever ninja kick dyno.
Magic Bus, Font - because everyone else had gone home and the sun finally came out!
La Baleine? Ariege. allegedly 7A granite traverse thing that I found utterly desperate.

Trad routes uk

Big Greeny (with a no hands kneebar)
Western Front
The Grand Illusion (flashed/onsighted all those in a day, then barely used my rack for the rest of the year. More trad next year!)

Sport routes uk

Pioneers of the Hypnotic Groove, Foxhole - best route in the uk?
Comedy - so good it made up for me being terrible on Northern limestone.
Academic - not iconic by most people's standards but I have a soft spot for esoterica, quarried rock and weird moves.

Sport routes abroad

Le fantasme de lizard, Ariege - 7c+ granite levitation slab. Couldn't pull on in about 4 different places last year, did it second go this time with better conditions and improved footwork.

Masha et Moko, Ceuse - more people should do this, it's incredible. Nearly did it fourth go, but then had a bit of an saga as it seeped, I went away, I came back, my digestive system seeped, it hailed, it seeped again….. then I finally did it and it felt piss. It's like doing a 7A Malham esque boulder problem on spinal column tufas, then a Cascade 7c, then a weird slab crux. Got everything!

Big Bug, Boffi - I love this rock, I love this crag, I love climbing out of big caves, I love that I got 1050 8a.nu points for it.

Minette a la Plage - I topped out Ceuse!

New routes

Fingersmith, Venasque - project line at Quinsan. (I've tried to find out if this has been done or named before, so far it doesn't look like it.) So cool to do such an old school shallow pocket fest just down the road from Buoux! 'Fingersmith' is the name of an erotic novel I was shocked by just before I did the route, and seemed appropriate given the crux is on a mono….

Dark Magic, Forest Rock
Ungradeable gymnastics. Love it. (nb the line on the only online topo is in the wrong place)

Also did some new things near Holywell Bay in Cornwall. Wouldn't recommend the area though, very tidal, very seepy and not much non-choss


Top Spankings
Raindogs. Must have fallen off above the last bolt about 30 times.
6c sandstone slabs at Venasque (Spormidable and Ouvrez le Feu). Had to red point both of these, both desperate. Like doing sandbag 6As in Fontainebleau on a rope!
Needing a poo on the Quarryman. Shit myself a little bit.
Wellington Crack + hangover + lack of fitness = doom pump!

[T_B]

My excuses this year are... baby + injured back in the spring, then broken heel in September. On the upside, I've enjoyed training a bit more methodically and did have a few days in Northumberland climbing well in primo conditions...

Top three boulder probs, UK
Dark Art, Anston. Esoteric and soft, but only my second 8A
Yorkshireman Sit Start, Kyloe In. Classic.
Pockets Traverse, Back Bowden. Has felt impossible in the past.

Top three boulder probs, abroad
First time in about 30 years I've not been out of the country! 2 little kids, plus a cancelled Font trip in October due to broken heel.

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Face Route, Gordale.
Dogging across Vlad at Dove
.. that was the only trad I did.

Top three sport routes UK
Well Hung, Gordale. V traddy feel.
Big Apple, Stoney. Soft and sharp, but worth it for the final move.
Green Alternative, Tor. Nearly on-sighted it.

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
N/A

Top three new route/prob put up
Managed to traverse off left after the dyno on Adrenochrome at Lulworth 

Top Spanking's
Mark of the Beast at Lulworth. Too scared on my own 
County Ethics. 2 pads, no spotters. What the F was I doing?
Vlad the Impailer. E7/F7c off the couch? What the F was I thinking?

[Stubbs]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Impropa Opera, Bowderstone: Via the left hand start after some fatty pulled the jug off. Very satisfying to feel some improvement at one of my favourite UK venues.
McNab, Lord's Seat: Kind of forgot about this for a few years, worth the walk!
Pixie Tits, Crookrise: Lovely setting, great move which I thought was really hard for the grade, followed by a topout insecure enough to make you remember how far from the road you are!

Top three boulder probs, abroad
Get Carter, Bishop: Slept in our camper next to the boulder, warmed up whilst making cups of tea out the back of the van, got it done just before the sun came onto it. If only everything on the trip could have gone as well, but this was as close as I got to hard climbing in Bishop.
Cover Me In Flowers, Pollen Grains, Bishop: A very nice consolation prize after getting too scared on Suspended in Silence with only one pad!
All Washed Up, Joshua Tree: Post injury, climbing was very painful, but this Bachar classic was worth it.

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Top three sport routes UK
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
The only reason I've put my harness on this year is to hang weights off it whilst fingerboarding!

Top Spanking's
Jason's Roof: quite a few sessions last winter, fell off move to jug due to a wet hold on last session, then it got wet/snowy for about 2 months and I lost interest! This year hopefully.
The Flakes, Earl:  I cannot do this problem, it may as well be 8C...
Bishop Trip: Strained a muscle in my side 5 days into a 3 week trip, the first day trying something remotely hard. Opening car doors was painful, let alone climbing overhanging granite. Slightly disappointing...

[dave]

County Ethics. 2 pads, no spotters. What the F was I doing?

I love how you opted for someone filming over spotting. That shows commitment.

[Luke Owens]

Getting a family, work and climbing balance was a big tick this year for me. Our little one is now 15 months old, time flys! He's been out to plenty of places bouldering with me, I'm a very proud Dad!

This year I feel I've continually progressed and got plenty of firsts!

Top three boulder problems, UK
Red Sky Wall SS (7A+) - Clogwyn Y Tarw - First 7A+, ticked in the last weekend of 2013. So happy to get this 3rd go, 3 star wall climb! Suited me down to the ground.

Robert Duvall (7A) - Pantymwyn - First 7A in March, took a couple of sessions and had a bit of a battle with conditions on it. i.e foot holds on the tensiony moves were always wet!

Toe Dragon - (6C/+) - Sheep Pen - An anti-style for me. Powerful moves on open handed pinchey holds. Great problem, felt hard!

Top three boulder problems, abroad
La Nescafe (6A+) - Font
La Moreau - (6A) - Font
Dalle à Poly (4+) - Font - Loved this ~10m solo on jugs!

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Tearg Wall (E2 5c) - World's End - Only trad route I did, enjoyed it but not enough to do more trad.

Top three sport routes UK
I Punched Judy First (7b+) - Dinbren - First 7b+, took 7 sessions. Started to get in my head I couldn't do it around the 4th session as I found the moves nails in isolation. Something ended up clicking and when it went it went easy! Video:

Axle Attack (7a+) - Pen Trwyn - The Orme is now my favorite venue, this route is just absolute quality and a complete classic!

Ice (7b) - Dinbren - A hard test piece of the crag. Very powerfull climbing and has about 7 undercut moves in a row!

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
None - Sport trip planned for when the little one can be trusted at the crag!

Top three new route/Problems put up
Force Majeure (7b) - Denbigh Castle - My first and only FA , I tentatively gave it 7b as I had never actually climbed at the grade at the time. It's now had about 5 repeats all confirming the grade, happy!

Video:

Top Spanking's
Font - The whole trip spanked me, logistics were difficult with our 1 year old and some places I picked to go weren't the best for a child.

I found all the problems I tried nails and found myself throwing myself at stuff that was too hard. I have the beta for this year now though and I know what grade range to aim for and what to get better at.

I also went out on our last day of the trip sans family and it pissed it down. Went to 4 different parts of the forest and got soaked...

As a whole I enjoyed the holiday and chilling out with family side of it though!

Horny 'Lil Devil (7a) - Lulworth - Found this nails! Steep juggy stuff is my enemy and I'm currently working on getting better at this stuff! Must have ended up in the drink about 10 times.

Although I ticked it, "Ice" at Dinbren seen me off completely. I fell off after the crux first session and on the day I sent it I actually slipped off the rest position after the crux which was after my previous high point...!

Top Belay
Got an 8b first ascent belay tick when I held the rope for Doylo on his Pigeons Cave route "Speckled Jim". Effort pal!

[fatneck]

Top three boulder probs, UK

And For My Next Trick - Thorn Crag - Great day and out of the blue really. Well pleased!
Pick Pockets Crack - Widdop - A nemesis ticked!
Red Edge Traverse - Widdop - send trained with TomTom, good day!

Also, just great to get the wife out loads this year! She's really got the psyche and climbed her first V2 the other week.
 
Top three boulder probs, abroad

This - 95.2 - Brilliant move unlike anything I've ever done before.
Can't remember anything else of note I did on the trip...

Top three trad routes/soloes UK - N/A
Top three sport routes UK - N/A
Top three routes abroad (any genre) - N/A

Top three new route/prob put up

Heath Ledger - Runcorn Heath - Quality 6b arete and my first FA of any note! Thanks to Andy Popp for leaving it for me!

Top Spanking's

Where to begin...

The weather - made Font difficult and has ruined multiple days out especially for the wife.
SS to Really Cool Toys - Ysgo - again and again and again...
Tantation - 95.2 - Really close to this a couple of years ago and total shut down this year.
Loads and loads of other stuff everywhere...

[georgenorth]

Bit of a trad-centric year this year!
Top three boulder probs, UK
Malc's Arete, Torridon. Brilliant problem done in the middle of a week of great winter climbing conditions. Scraped through the top out the first time I made the big move.
Hockstack and Two Broken Toothbrushes, Carrock Fell. One of the best problems of the grade in the Lakes.
Red Clover SS,  Dow Crag. Not many better located blocs than this. Great new venue.

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Saxon, Scafell. Brilliant conditions for trad in the Lakes this summer. A route that lives up to the hype.
Cruel Sister, Pavey Ark. Fantastic intricate climbing in a very exciting position. Felt like I was climbing well.
Western Front, Almscliff. As good as it looks!

Top Spanking's
Tourniquet, Kentmere. Loads of sessions, close but no cigar. Rubbish weather recently definitely didn't help.
Silicon Slave, The V Crag. Really thought this one was going to go.
The Yorkshireman, Kyloe. Next time...

[T_B]

County Ethics. 2 pads, no spotters. What the F was I doing?

I love how you opted for someone filming over spotting. That shows commitment.

Have you seen the size of my wife? She never spots me!

[Doylo]

Top three boulder probs, UK
- Cosmic Wheels, Mallory Boulder - great day up in a wonderful setting with Sam and Mike. Should have flashed it but a steady 2nd go. Great top out on jugs far above the pads!
- Brad's Arête (the presence of absence), Stanton - the last new climb I did this year and what an amazing one. Gripping all the way till the end and only after a dramatic horizontal deck out from near the top minutes earlier!
- Pilgrim, Parisellas - couldn't resist putting one cave tick on it... Although I did a few of higher quality like Flashpoint, Buddha roof, flick of the wrist, Nazgul's trav and Special K, I still derive great satisfaction from horrendous sieges of Pumpy link ups in polished manufactured caves

North Wales is good isn't it 

[Monolith]

All board problems.

Bradbury's Bumhole (left hand)
Chase The Lace
Bag of Adders

On rock, the highlight of my year doesn't even warrant discussion. Depressing in the main! Let's see what 2014 brings.

[Richie Crouch]

See below

[Richie Crouch]

North Wales is good isn't it 

I love it. If I had to choose only one region in the uk to climb in forever, It would definitely be n Wales. (With the occasional trip abroad to touch dry rock! )

P.s. I completely forgot about 36 and 22 chambers too.... So much immaculate rock, so little time!

[Dr T]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Sauvito (Peak)- flash
Brass Monkeys (Peak) - felt so close, then so far, then so easy
Tale of the Talbots (St Bee's South) - two moves, love it

Top three boulder probs, abroad
All Font
Pierrot - Probably the best problem I've ever done!
Welcome to Tijuana first 7c... and it was in the forest - well worth the three sessions...
Gargantoit - almost flashed it, damn my lack of mantling skills

Top Spanking's
Peak limestone - period....

[joe dobson]

Top three boulder probs, UK
Bad Moon Rising, Thorn Crag - been wanting to get this done for a while, went pretty easily after I finally marched up the hill!
The Keel, Almscliff - never thought I'd be able to do this but got it in a session :D
Little Women Stand Start, Kentmere - hardest flash to date!

Top three boulder probs, abroad
Does the Chere Couloir on the Tacul count as a problem?! Not been bouldering abroad this year unless yorkshire counts?

Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Only did one day in wales

Top Spanking's
Middle bit plus at longridge, far to long and pumpy for me!

[Doylo]

Pretty good year despite injuries (7 weeks off in middle of summer) and consequently not a lot of volume. Finished my film too 

Top 3 boulder problems uk

Didn't do a lot of bouldering last year

Hatch Life High, Parisellas - Wouldn't be on the list in a normal bouldering year but I'm scraping the barrel.  Megos thought it was worth 8a+ though 
The Lotus, Pass - Got some nice tall beta and it went quick. Old skool Welsh testpiece.
36 Chambers SS , Tremeirchion- Awesome piece of limestone.  Been on the wishlist for a while.

Didn't climb abroad

Trad comeback not happened yet, 10 years and counting

Top 3 Sport Routes UK
Oyster, Pen Trwyn - Old Moffatt testpiece that rarely gets climbed despite it's relatively amenable grade (8a).  Satisfying.
Underworld, Pantymwyn - Half of a 8a+ testpiece but brilliant in its own right.  Great crimpy climbing up a smooth concave wall.
Senile Penile Extension, Pen Trwyn - I re-equipped this old Andy Pollitt route then did the first ascent for a long long time.

Top 3 Routes Put Up
Speckled Jim, Pigeon's Cave - Probably my favourite new route on account of the aesthetics and funky climbing.  Was special to do a quality 8b FA on the Orme.  Means a bit more than doing them on the A55.  Was a windy mint day and I felt so good, rare moments.
Cold Blood, Pen Trwyn - A reward for bushwacking to the top of Mayfair Wall and bolting up the old extensions.  This was a brilliant surprise as i didn't even though it existed.  The hard climbing was so good too, nicer moves than the other hard routes on the wall.  Felt so good.
Blood Lust, Pen Trwyn- Another Mayfair Wall FA, my reward for pulling a big flake off.  Some nice crimpers and quite tenuous.

Top Spankings
Masterclass Masterclass Masterclass.  I know it's extremely technical and vertical but despite being able to do it in two the redpoint still aludes me.  Unfortunately i have to move my right foot in the middle of the crux and i just lose tension and fall. Even bought new shoes for it,got to finish this year.....
Roof of a Baby Buddha -Struggled to get a doable sequence on this in Spring.  Did the moves in a session before Xmas so should go now.

Top Belay
Robins on Dark Energy - what a route!

Top Shag
Definitely Dense, he's huge.... 

[Sasquatch]

hmmm.  Best of 2013.... 

Top 3 boulder problems UK
Never made it there.....

Top 3 boulder problems - Local
The Sheriff - first ascent of a stellar line
Through the Looking Glass - first ascent of a another stellar line
Sweet Home Alaska - 2nd Ascent

Top 3 boulder problems - Non-Local
Slider - HP 40
Zen Flute - Bishop
The Dali - Mt Evans, CO

Top 3 Sport Routes
Howl of the damned 8b/+ FA - Old Local project
Also the only new sport route I did this year....

Top Spankings
Mandala - Fell off last hard move 5 times....
Mandala - Popped Tendon
Mandala - Overall failure....

[petejh]

2013 turned into a non-event after a promising start.

Top 3 2 boulder problems uk

2 days bouldering in 2013?
Regeneration and Smackhead RH on the first day. Don't remember the second day, probably nothing.


Didn't climb abroad

Top 3 Trad Routes

Barely climbed all year, but:
Fay and Pacemaker on Lower Sharpnose. Lovely routes, setting, company and trip.
Rainbow Bridge. Just grinning the whole way.


Top 3 2 Sport Routes UK
Hardly started etc.
Braichiation Dance. Went with the intention of flashing it and did, which is satisfying and it's a cool route.
Empire of the Sun - for the same reason

Top 3 4 New Routes
Underworld, Pantymwyn - 'Half of a 8a+ testpiece but brilliant in its own right.  Great crimpy climbing up a smooth concave wall.' Thanks Doylo!
Lateo. Just what trying hard on a new route is all about. A long-time challenge to get conditions, a top quality challenging line, on a great crag, with a great partner. Didn't think it'd go down until it did.
Adam's Rib FWA. Beautiful classy winter line, this would be a classic in Scotland. All the more special to think a bit outside the box, go scope it, then go and do it on a perfect alpine-like spring day on a cliff that virtually no-one ever goes to. Part of an unforgettable 5-day spell of winter FA's in amazing spring conditions.
The Burner - it's a drytool M9+ but anyone who gets on it will recognise a classic whatever the genre.

Top Spankings
Solo aid bolting The Glory Hole project - 25m horizontal roof inside a mountain. This fucked me up.
Hades. Flogging myself to death to try to get the FA when my body was shouting at me to stop. Should have stopped earlier.
The first 3 weeks following back surgery. Fucking hell, never again I hope.


Dog with a new stick