[Adam Lincoln]

Need distracting from work!

For me.

Focus - Hueco Tanks. (Id seen it on the best of the west dvd, and thought it looked amazing and high and that i'd be too much of a pussy to ever do it. Its amazing what having a certain hot female competition climber spotting you will do to your performance!)

Brad Pit - Stanage. (Ever since i started climbing its the one problem i always wanted to do. When i was a kid i'd try and pull on the moves whenever i went past. Even in summer! I tried it on and off for years later, never quite being able to do it. Then a combination of amazing weather and a dragon heal made me realise the dream!

Power Of Landjager - Hueco. (This is on the list for so many reasons. Its the main reason i took a second trip across the atlantic for having come so close to it on last day of previous trip. Its one of the best lines on Hueco, and also it was a first at the grade for me)

[dave]

my three:

that one at whatsitsname's crag

The one with that move on it, you know.

and of course the obvious thingymajig at some crag or other.

[LucyB]

my three:

that one at whatsitsname's crag

The one with that move on it, you know.

and of course the obvious thingymajig at some crag or other.

That's just spooky  Those are my 3 too...

[GraemeA]

Lucy, I thought your fave 3 were

The, Stanage Plantation
Green, also at Stanage Plantation
Traverse, guess where this one is!!

[Duma]

Tetris, 4th cloud - it was midsummer so arrived with no expectations, it's on probably my favourite block of grit, fine grained grit is amazing.
Multipass, Drei Zinnen - big and impressive, one of my favourite areas in font, gorgeous day.
Iceberg, Isatis - took 4 or 5 sessions so longer than I've spent on anything else, nice progression through the gradually longer versions.

[Paul B]

I can't instantly think of three maybe because this one stands out more than most:

Noir Desir - easy for some I'm sure. Usually I'd hiss and spit if someone described a problem such as this; slopey dishes, heel's, nigh on vertical etc. It wouldn't yield to brute force and I had to learn a lot about each body position and the climbing subtleties that I'm pretty sure made me learn a lot more than I had through the previous X numbers of hours spent climbing eslewhere. As soon as I applied what I'd learnt it went easily, then again and I'm pretty sure I've got it wired now.

One more is coming to mind:

Le Nombralistes - a slab, a f*ckin slab and I was loving it. Potentially because Nat and I could try the same problem and REALLY climb together which up until now has been difficult at times.

and to a lesser extent:

Gargantoit - It'd been on my lists for a while but I'd never got around to going and looking at it. L'etranger planted it firmly in my christmas get around to doing list and TBH it looked like a stunning line. I was shocked when I got to it at how high it was compared to how it looks in the footage. It made for some great climbing.

[Fultonius]

Kinda depends what mood I'm in, but right now I'd say:

1. Pongo, Dumbarton. Total classic and one of the first problems that I'd always considered "impossible" that, over the years and attempts became "possible" and finally "cruisable".

I just love the moves on it - jump start, powerfull steep moves, cheeky toe-hook and smooth, dynamic boost to the jugs and a tricky top-out that never gets any easier. Awesome!

2. Pump up the jam, Coire a Ghrunda, Skye

Not actually completed this problem yet - one day! This beast singlehandedly taught me how to jam! A seminal moment in my crack climbing career.

The final one is difficult - I'd like to say Mugsy Tarverse at Dumby as it was breaking into new ground and it's probably been my longest seige, but I've already got one from Dumby so I'm going to say:

3. Physical Graffiti at Dumbarton 

3. L'Oblique at Rocher aux Sabots - first 7a in the forest (for me), took three trips and lots of skin. I can still feel the moves now and it's six months since I was last there. Not a classic, but memorable for me. A realisation of how important practice, technique, mental focus and conditions are. When I finally did it I was not as strong as when I first tried it, but I was a much better climber.

 

[TobyD]

White Rastafarian, V3 Joshua Tree.
did it first thing one morning on a wander out from the campground, just went to look for it really, as i had assumed a big pile of pads would be a good idea (it's pretty tall) it just looked so inspiring i pulled my boots on and did it straight away, barely realising that i'd totally committed myself until i got to the thought provoking top out at 25feet or so above an awkward boulder.
Onde Choc,  7b Apremont
on a perfect dry icy cold sunny day, one february.
West Side Story 7b+ Burbage
just a brilliant boulder problem in every way.

[Andy Harris]

That’s not an easy question and impossible to distil it to the top 3 but these are up there. If it were routes I could make it more specific. Apologies they’re all bigger numbers but my early memory is starting to fade.

NES part 2, Magic Wood
I don’t do sieges, I get too bored which is probably why I’ve never done anything that hard. However I made an exception for this. Saw this on my 1st trip to magic wood and even though it’s chipped it looked pretty bloody amazing on this mad polished boulder right next to the river. It took me 3 separate visits. I found the 1st move really hard as I needed press the 1st move past my full lock. Unfortunately I could then do this move 20 times on the trot but then continuously fell off the huge left span. I fought so hard, knackered my knee, even did it ground up and eventually did it on my own above 12 pads on a chilly eve. Exhausting.

Vienna, Bowden
Did this in 1994 or so on my 1st trip to the Northumberland. This trip was the start of a love affair with the county and I got the 7th ascent (I think). I got so close on day 1 and ticked it 1st go next day. Prob my 1st of the grade (in it’s original state).

La Nave Va, Cresciano
Washed Malc & Jerry crush this during the making of Stonelove and I couldn’t move on the hard bit. Ticked it last year as part of my best day ever. Such a beautiful problem which is so totally fingery and burly at the same time even though it’s only just vertical. Even managed to static it into submission. Made all the sweeter by Tyler stating it was “the hardest 7c+ I’ve ever done”. That’ll be an upgrade then!

Cetait Demain
Remebered trying this with John Welford years ago when I was crap on slopers. I just couldn’t fathom how you could hold the 1st sidepull and generate pull off it. Couple with it being the magical 1st grade 8 in the forest and it’s quite special. Years later I got through the crux 1st move 20-30 times and continuously fell off the next reachy move, I was just so strung out I couldn’t work it out. Then as is usual in font a  subtle change of the foot and it’s in the bag, then again, then again later for the camera. A true Taj Mahal tick of boulders.

[butters]

NES part 2, Magic Wood

...I fought so hard, knackered my knee, even did it ground up and eventually did it on my own above 12 pads on a chilly eve. Exhausting.

Did you carry all 12 pads in yourself?

bluebrad

[Andy Harris]

with my chicken thighs you must be joking. I found them behind the Tricky boulder and would stagger back and forth across the rocks. There were 2 enormous metolius crash pads that I could just about walk although I fell over several times due to how big they were.

imagine doing this old school with a t-shirt to stand on. E8 anyone.

[corniceman]

1) Pinches wall match box with left hand heel hook to jug
2) Pinches wall match box with right rock up to jugs
3) Pinches wall Slopey pinch below match box with right hand, cross to match box with left and pop to jugs


just 3 amazing problems that cant be beaten

[Sloper]

Crescent arete, probably because it was the first real (as in integrity of line) boulder problem I ever did.

Sans pieds (blue 1 at Cuvier), because it was my first problem in Font.

West Side Story, because it took me 12 years and I did it above a perfect cloud inversion early one weekday morning when I should have been at work reviewing prison write offs.

[jonjon]

Brad Pit - done one deserted evening at the Plantation - a great feeling looking at that jug then hitting and hanging it.

The Arete at Dame Jouane - need I say more, one of the most essential cover ticks about.

Super Prestat -  the White Circuit at Cuvier, 'when a man is tired of Cuvier, a man is tired of life'

The feeling of doing these problems will never fade (i don't even know what the middle one is actual called)

[Johnny Brown]

L'angle parfait. And it is.

Three I've enjoyed too, though I was disappointed at Prestat being an eliminate.

[Three Nine]

Demon Wall Roof, Almscliffe - as i wanted to do it for years and never thought to try it as it would be too hard, then did it in an hour

Horror Arete, Bridestones - i never thought i'd be brave enough

Proof of Concept, Combeshead - failed on it one year, crushed it the next

[Doylo]

drink driving-hardest and just took soooo long.                                flashpoint-by far best FA-ace!                                  alphane moon-most epic holiday prob and one of my favs.

[slackline]

The Times Cryptic Crossword No. 4268 - First time I completed a Times Cryptic crossword.
Frozen Bubble Level 86 - A tough cookie, took a long time to get past this, but once cracked it opened doors to whole new range of possibilities.
Picture This from the Independent (Sat 3rd September 2005) - A truly inspiring topic of computer geekism, perfect!

 

[tomtom]

From the more moderate grades...

1. Otley Wall, Caley roadside. pad, pad, pad, lunge scrabble.. first English 6a 
2. Right Hand Twin, Slipstones. Lovely moves on a great day..
3. Dolphin Belly Slap.. first problem I ever worked properly. Took about ten trips, was well above my grade at the time.. finally went while it was gently snowing

[mark]

Hake. I was young, I was drunk, it was all Grimer's fault.
The Thirty Foot Slab Finish to Swiss Miss and the Smith Myth. Go to Smith, do Chain Reaction, discover that everything else there is drilled or crimpy so find a small but steep buttress and play on it.
Crescent Arete. I may well climb this 1000 times in my life. And every single time it will make me smile.

[granticus]

la Boucherie @ Bas Cuvier (in it's broken form) - because it is in Font, it was a break into a new high grade for me and I flashed it after being given beta! (It was also the begining of one of those best days ever....)

Ache Ball @ Hartland Quay (Devon) - because it is the first problem I've made a concerted effort to project, I completed it alone and it was the first time in my life I had bouldering close to home.

Time and Tide @ Lynmouth East (Exmoor Coast) - because it seemed unlikely to start with, it took 3 years of efforts and repeated visits/ failures, because it is a 1 move wonder off some amazing slopers and because I beat everyone else to it.

[Bonjoy]

1. Raped by a Kestrel - Congleton Knoll

2. Burning Lark Sunset - Hepstow Brow

3. Trapped in Crow's Craws - Burbage East

[nik at work]

Wheres Congleton Knoll Bonnos?

Dunno my three, I'll have a ponder.

[Adam Lincoln]

Wheres Congleton Knoll Bonnos?

Dunno my three, I'll have a ponder.

I'll start you off.

Nik's Wall   

[andy_e]

1. Demon Wall Roof, Alsmcliff - took me 10 sessions and it was my hardest problem at the time. I still love it to bits today and do it every time I go up there. Beautiful.

2. Doing New Jerusalem and Dreamland on the same, crazily weathered day. There was horizontal hail, rain, snow, sun, wind, everything. Two fantastic problems, two fantastic crags, one fantastic day.

3. Cortomaltese (the 6b+ way) - just a great problem, not hard, but I spent ages spooning everything up before doing it on my first trip to font. Fantastic.