[spidermonkey09]

The Boss looks much more modern in style than a lot of hard grit problems (I can easily imagine the sequence on a magic wood video!) and maybe has more crossover with the comp beasts skillset?

[cheque]

52-year-old Italian bloke solos an 8c.

[Fiend]

Goddamn, that's some Benchmark For The Elderly. Lovely bit of rock too, and not some lowball arse-drag line Darwen Dixit either.

[moose]

It reminds me of that Polish mountaineer Voytek Kurtyka.  After he stopped doing stuff in the greater ranges, he felt the need to inject some danger into his mid/late 40s and solo a 7c+ near to his home - and that grade wasn't far off his RP max.  He supposedly didn't tell his wife and spent months sneaking off to the crag to practice before his success.  And the climb apparently wasn't a nice positive one where you'll be fine if you have enough energy - more smeary, balancey and momentum based.

[Fatboyslimfast2]

Benchmark For The Elderly.

My benchmark is getting up and breathing.......

[shark]

Another 9a in the bag for Buster

El Portro (Potro?) at Margalef

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMcF8J4jtCe/?igshid=1603qh13g4zmh

[Stu Littlefair]

Shark, if you are going to report the odd 9a here and there you probably want to take a glance at Tom Bolger's instagram account. He's done at least 4 this year - it's hard to keep count, including a couple of 9a/+ routes and some great looking FAs.

[BillyTheMountain]

Interestingly he mentions that it's the 4th ascent (seems like the FA was just the other day), and gives the grade as 8c+ https://www.instagram.com/p/CMc4m5HDjKU/ .  I wonder who downgraded it.

[gme]

I think he downgraded it. He did it fast.

In the comments it looks like the 3rd ascensionist agrees.

[nedfee]

Thought I’d add my bit on The Boss, for the sake of clarity.

I’m so pleased it’s seen some attention, repeats, and generally good feedback from people.

I went up there the other day for the first time since I climbed it. I was intrigued to see this “spike” undercut, and look at the sequence that uses it. I remember that hold to be a poor 2-and-a-bit finger tooth that faced in a pretty unhelpful direction. Ben Bransby and I discussed using it when we were figuring out the moves. But we sacked it off as it was such a poor hold. As well as nasty and quite friable. 



I was surprised to find the “spike” hold has become a fair bit better since then.  Now it’s possible to fit 4 fingers behind it, and the good bit of the hold points in a much more useful direction - as Dan noticed, it allows compression between the arête and the spike, which wasn’t really possible before. Hence the odd backwards toe hook and tension sequence that I came up with and Billy also used.

Just to be very clear, I’m not pointing any fingers here. The rock in that roof is pretty crappy in places and it would only take some scrubbing, or prodding around with the end of a bush to excavate some of the soft bits of rock, opening up the handhold. But the hold is definitely different to when I climbed the problem last year.

Of course it’s a bit disappointing that hold has changed. I think it spoils the character and the quality of the climbing on that problem. But that is unfortunately the nature of living in Britain and having to sometimes climb on some average quality rock.

I can’t really comment on the grade of The Boss beyond what I originally said. It felt hard. Regarding grades in general though, grit is a funny one. I don’t think we have a benchmark for “8b” on Peak grit. Do we?

The Ace - Holds have improved, generally considered a bit easy.
Voyager - Was considered a bit easy, but now it’s broken and harder.

There are a few others but they can’t really be considered benchmarks as they don’t get done much. It’s all very confusing.

That’s all,
Ned

[shark]

 

[remus]

Looks like Buster Martin has continued his good run of form in Siurana with Jungle Speed, 9a. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMuzNlgD5xp/

[Teaboy]

Can’t find this mentioned anywhere but to a relative local this seems significant just not sure if it should be here or in news. Certainly has a LGP feel to it

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMjfjJ_jGZo/?igshid=1u419fxtltckp

[shark]

So googling this is the highball finish by Oliver Parkinson (please stand up) to Slim Shady an existing 8A at Earl Crag

[webbo]

In the comments Mark Katz suggests its been done before by Steve ( Dunning?)

[Duma]

Also says olly checked with steve and he'd only done it on a rope.

[IanP]

It appears that Hamish Macarthur has flashed a fairly hard link-up at Almscliff.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMwtm3HDRf3/


(Bulbhaul 8b+!!)

[tomtom]

That seems to be 8A+ According to the UKC comments...

(But that’s not as good a video title )

[RobK]

Just seen this, effort. Didn't this get quite a significant downgrade at some point though?

[IanP]

That seems to be 8A+ According to the UKC comments...

(But that’s not as good a video title )

Oh dear, decent effort anyway, but quite as spectacular maybe 

[Bradders]

Muy impressivo whatever grade it is, hard climbing most of the way with the crux at the end and several easily droppable moves.

I thought the downgrade was around a change in beta for the finish, whereas he has done it the original way there.

Why the halfway edit in the video? Bit weird...

[RobK]

Ah I see, so just BGFBB then 

[36chambers]

yeah he's climbed it the original hard way. Very impressive!

I don't know if anyone ever questioned 8B for that beta.

I'm actually equally as impressed that he hasn't done the keel before.

Ah I see, so just BGFBB then 

It's an eliminate, so of course!

edit: in fact, on second viewing, I've just realised that he's skipped the infamous bulb hold altogether. Still looks significantly harder than the high left heel beta.

[36chambers]

Just seen that Hamish has done the sitter to XXXX at the Bowderstone as well

Not sure if it's been mentioned before

[User deactivated.]

Just seen that Hamish has done the sitter to XXXX at the Bowderstone as well

Not sure if it's been mentioned before

That is an incredible looking problem