[Johnny Brown]

1. Raped by a Kestrel - Congleton Knoll

A dissappointing problem at a surprising crag. Just because you (think you) did it first. The other two are good though, I'll give you that.

[Bonjoy]

1. Raped by a Kestrel - Congleton Knoll

...Just because you (think you) did it first...

If you're referring to Somebody's Fool's 'ascent', dabbing a passing cow mid-crux is unlucky, but still a dab in my book!

[Somebody's Fool]

You pair of cunts. I never touched that cow.

[mini]

Nigh on impossible to chose just three, a bit like picking your best three films of all time, they can change from day to day. So today these shall be my top three;

1. Inertia Reel Traverse at the Roaches - only took four years of work to do the crux for the first time, then it only took another four years to finally tick it. Guess you can call that a bit of siege! The day I finally did it was topped of by ringing AndiT two minutes after ticking it to find out he had just done his new E7(?) 7a route over on Hen clouds. We had a good day followed by a grand night out 

2. Barry Sheen at Gardoms - in contrast to the above it is probably the quickest of the harder problems I've ever done in one session, and after convincing myself I'd be way to short inth' arm to span that sloper.

3. Vienna at Bowden - first go of the day after a previous session a month prior. Ain't they sweeter when that happens?

[BenF]

Nigh on impossible to chose just three, a bit like picking your best three films of all time, they can change from day to day. So today these shall be my top three;

Indeed, the impossible question and one that I often battle with on long drives, sleepless nights and trips away with friends.  I've pondered off and on since Adam posed the question and feel compelled to simply blurt out the following problems which appear frequently in my considerations.

Brad's Arete, Eagle Tor.  I worked hard to get this a long time ago on a winter evening and it was the first time that I'd climbed the grade.  I very nearly did the sitter too (back when it got a daft high grade) and this opened my eyes to the fact that I could potentially boulder much harder than I had previously managed.  Gradually I learnt the techniques of working a hard problem but it was with this problem that the process started.  For my sins I'd not done much bouldering at that point and shortly afterwards I left the UK to live in New Zealand where I got my bouldering shit together.

Ocean, Quantum Field, Castle Hill.  Once the heat of summer disappeared I noticed this beautiful lump of stone.  It is just a wonderful problem as I'm sure others will testify, with pretty much no proper holds - just smearing, laying away and balance.  Not the hardest thing around but it has always summed up Castle Hill climbing for me (and not a pocket in sight).

Shock Horror Slab, Stanage.  Another beautiful problem that to my annoyance was over in a flash but gets climbed everytime I pass close by.  Technical and fairly high, with lovely views as you stroll up the upper half.  Perfect grit climbing I think.  My girlfriend climbed it the other day and I was just as happy as she topped out as it proved that she CAN climb on grit and enjoy it (my work here is done). 

[J.P]

Yep, to pick out three is very difficult Top 10 would be a lot easier... this is todays though:

Bach Block Brione - best rock I´ve ever climbed on. Great friends, good wibe. Perfect.
Rubis sur l´Ongle  - Not so much because of the line itself (though it is good!) But first of the grade (I think) and topping out in pouring rain just before the crimps got soaked - can´t beat that!
L´Aerodynamite  - As a first timer in Font many years ago I remember standing under it thinking "how the hell do you get up this thing! What to jump for there are no holds!" The day i did that was a good day.

[Vitamin K]

1. Hanks Wall - A lot harder back in the day before the LH crimp broke off. Basically I started climbing (circa '82) found out that Brownstones was the place to get better locally and made a beeline for what was the hardest thing there at the time. Got to the point where I could pull on the holds and that was it. A beautiful wall of rock with improbably tiny holds (or so they appeared at the time) and just great moves - now look at it; more eliminates than you can shake your stick at. Kids eh?

2. Horror Arete @ Bridies - on my lonesome with a kids play mat to land on. A real buzz for early one Sunday morning a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

3. L'Aerodynamite - what a beginning to the my best Font trip ever. last problem on day 1 - oh yes. Ditto the above post. Saw this on the Real Thing and vowed that I would do this problem before turning 40 and I did.

Hard to pick 3, but those are the ones that come to mind today.

[GCW]

now look at it; more eliminates than you can shake your stick at. Kids eh?

Weird, I don't really like Hank's as it trashed my skin.
It may be getting harder again as bits keep snapping off the footholds.
May see you there at some point.....

[Eddies]

The Staffordshire Flyer – Doxeys Pool. Going back a few years but this problem used to look like a huge futuristic roof to me when I started climbing and was my nemesis for a year or two until I took the time to get stuck into it and found it wasn’t really that hard at all.
The flyer move still gives me a semi!

Stall Arete – Gib Torr. I hated it at first but was pretty much forced into giving it ago, soon grew to love it and after about a dozen sessions bagged it at dusk after work late one October a couple of years ago. I didn’t use the big dish at the top either…And seeing Ben Moon in one of his vids describing it as ‘fucking desperate’ made it all the more precious!

Cortomaltese – Cuvier. On my first trip to font I walked into the heart of Cuvier and loved the look of it instantly, got my mates to try it with me, they both did it that afternoon but I went away empty handed and with both my elbows in agony. Couldn’t stop thinking about it all night so insisted we dropped by on our way home the next morning. No warm-up just straight on it and after 15 mins and half a dozen ‘Just one last go guys please’ I was pumping my fist from the top of the boulder, a real YYFY moment for me.

[Mike Tyson]

Staffs flyer, brilliant problem I'll agree.

[whispering nic]

Ahhhh

Childs Play at Bowden when it was still tricky

Crazy mantel from a sitter at t'cliff leading on to best day ever

Ange naif,part of other best day ever

[Mike Tyson]

Number 1 for me has to be Picnic Sarcastic SS at the Bowderstone. It took me years to do and seemed so far out of my reach I'd never do it but finally did it and boy what a feeling. Oh yeah Jim hasn't done it either which is a bonus 

Number 2 was the Egg problem at Cratcliffe. Wicked problem that purplexed me until I worked out the moves.

Number 3 was a cool little problem at Bowden that inspired me to start the non-quality bouldering videos thread. Felt nails but then just clicked into place. Mint.

[slackline]

Number 2 was the Egg problem at Cratcliffe. Wicked problem that purplexed me until I worked out the moves.

  I need to be able to use my "third eye" to see where to get my foot 

[Blunk]

You pair of cunts. I never touched that cow.

   My nominee for best post of 2009.

[n_man]

1. Raped by a Kestrel - Congleton Knoll

2. Burning Lark Sunset - Hepstow Brow

3. Trapped in Crow's Craws - Burbage East

Love to know why? Two crags I've not heard of and a 'funny one' (personal view not meant to be offensive) at Burbage East.

[Andy F]

Tough to say but:

Horror Arete. Amazing line, amazing finish.

Mothership reconnection. Brillliant climbing, part of a very memorable day/night

Hart's one handed. FA, took me a while to figure it out, everyone else who's done it rate's it as well. Which is nice.

[dave]

Hart's one handed. FA, took me a while to figure it out, everyone else who's done it rate's it as well. Which is nice.

sounds good, I'm surprised you've never mentioned this before.

[hairich]

1. bannana finger

2. la marie rose

3. the terrace.

[SA Chris]

This has caused so much head scratching.....

1) Snake Bite, Area 51 Joe's Valley. Utah in June. Dawn starts or no climbing at all. Got there at first light and did a load of probs before the temps started to rise, had a couple of goes on this and could figure out what to do, but getting sweatier, rock getting warmer, and it's the last day at the place. And then it all comes together! Plus the guy who I was with fed on the psyche and got it too. YYFY.

2) Highball slab on Blue Circuit (no idea of number) at bas Cuvier. One of the first probs i ever did at Font, and the start of an ongoing love affair.

3) Full Traverse - The Wilds - Joburg. Probably first went here a couple of months after I started climbing in South Africa, and could do the moves up to the start of the traverse. Measured progress by getting furth over the years, and finally did it after about 4 years on and off.

4) Curvature - Castle Hill. First day there - flash, after fighting tooth and nail and nearly failng on the mantel, it was soooo close.

(yes it's 4, deal with it).

[Vitamin K]

now look at it; more eliminates than you can shake your stick at. Kids eh?

Weird, I don't really like Hank's as it trashed my skin.
It may be getting harder again as bits keep snapping off the footholds.
May see you there at some point.....

I just love the pain! Did this 10 times in a row on one session - I lack imagination.

[BenF]

4) Curvature - Castle Hill. First day there - flash, after fighting tooth and nail and nearly failng on the mantel, it was soooo close.

Oh yeah, now that's a beautiful problem.  On my first day after wandering around bemused at the sheer scale of the place I found and then did the Lung Dyno and that's always had a special place in my heart.

[tim palmer]

1.  Inertia reel traverse, Roaches: I had a similar experience to Mini with this one, took ages but it was worth it. Technical sustained climbing on a great feature.

2.  Surprise Du Chef, Ailefroid: The perfect problem, commiting moves on good rock with just enough height to be a bit scary without being dangerous.

3.  No troublems, Squamish: This was particularly memorable not because it is that classic or even that hard, but because as you top out on this roof problem the ground drops away under the boulder, leaving a 20 foot drop on to jagged rocks: it was at this point I decided to cut loose and almost soil myself as i struggled to hold on.

[Johnny Brown]

2. Burning Lark Sunset - Hepstow Brow

Bagged this today, magic! Not sure about all time top3 but I'd do it again tomorrow.

[Somebody's Fool]

Witnesses etc?

[Will Hunt]

Hart's one handed. FA, took me a while to figure it out, everyone else who's done it rate's it as well. Which is nice.

sounds good, I'm surprised you've never mentioned this before.