[SA Chris]

You need to wise up. :roll:  I read that thread when it was first posted, nothing in it has changed since then. Apart from a redundant footnote.

[LongMonkey]

SA Chris you obviously have an attitude problem or maybe you get pleasure from bullying newbies. Were you bullied at school? Maybe you have a good dose of short man syndrome too.
So what, I resurrected an old thread and added my view. Big deal. That's what this site is all about...remember.
If you look back you'll see that similar topics keep reoccurring anyway. You're not in the schoolyard anymore; try to remember that in future.

[dom]

the problem is getting directions to the other crags.  I don't want to buy the northumberland bouldering guide, since its out-of date (and crap) when theres a new bouldering guide on its way.  And theres no point in buying the trad guide just for directions.  When the new guide comes out (when is this btw?) i predict the other northumberland venues wil get a lot more attention.

[SA Chris]

SA Chris you obviously have an attitude problem or maybe you get pleasure from bullying newbies. Were you bullied at school? Maybe you have a good dose of short man syndrome too.
So what, I resurrected an old thread and added my view. Big deal. That's what this site is all about...remember.
If you look back you'll see that similar topics keep reoccurring anyway. You're not in the schoolyard anymore; try to remember that in future.

Dry your eyes. You came on with the mouthy attitude problem about how people should be behaving in Northumberland, and where we should and shouldn't be climbing. I retaliated with like for like.

As for short man syndrome, that I doubt. The "don't tell me it's reachy" tagline refers to the fact that I am 6ft 2 and hear that from too many people. Nice try though.

I don't bully anyone, some people just feel they are being bullied.

Stick around, you'll get used to it. It's actually fun here.

[LongMonkey]

Dom there is an update to the bouldering guide on www.climbonline.co.uk in pdf form from November 2004. As for the new bouldering guide, who knows when it'll be published. There is a new film coming out soon documenting new routes and boulder problems in the county called (funnily enough) 'The County. A preview should be up and running soon on the site www.The-County.com. This has numerous venues other than Bowden and Kyloe where new and hard problems have been climbed. Check out Callahues crag too as there is a draft pdf bouldering guide for there.

[Paul B]

Poverty and Vienna are absolute classics.

can you vouch for vienna not being the ridiculous 7c/+ you hear bandied about?

think the 7c/+ is way out but it seems harder than 7a to me, ive done it all three ways with the crimp then flick method definately being the easiest, 7a+/b?

[Stubbs]

Listen to you all harping on about Bowden and Kyloe! You know there is more to Northumberland than 2 crags! This is exactly why routes are getting trashed.

The thing is if you go to an area for the first time you'll want to go to the classic crags won't you? Like the first time i went to the peak i went to stanage and burbage, not churnet and baslow.  It was the same when i went to the county for the first time last year, i went to kyloe in and out and bowden doors and back bowden.  Maybe next time i go i'll go to some other crags, but i'll probably go and do all the problems i couldn't do at those cras first.

Popular crags are popular for a reason - they're the best crags in the area.

[LongMonkey]

You have a point Stubbs but I think the only reason they are as popular as they are is because they are right next to the road. Like the popular end at Stanage. If Bowden were swapped for Callahues or The Wanneys it would be just as busy (not that I'm knocking the quality of either of these crags). I wonder if it boils down to convenience and laziness in a lot of cases. I have visited Bowden once this year because there are so many quality problems elsewhere. There was a thought when the bouldering guide came out that it would spread the traffic over the county. If anything it's just intensified at the Bowden and Kyloe group. Point taken though.

[dave]

There was a thought when the bouldering guide came out that it would spread the traffic over the county. If anything it's just intensified at the Bowden and Kyloe group. Point taken though.

problem is with that bouldering guide it is so shit that you have to stick to crags you already know well to be able to work out where anything is from the guide! So yeah it will have made it worse!

[Johnny Brown]

the only reason they are as popular as they are is because they are right next to the road. Like the popular end at Stanage.

Rubbish. The popular end is so because it has the best concentration of mid-grade gritstone climbing in the world.

Whilst I'm here, I reckon Vienna as a dyno is worth 7c. Its certainly harder than any of the popular peak dynos.

[dave]

i don't think in its current state (i.e. footscoops worn through the bottom now) it would quite be 7c - i was excruciatingly close to it a year or so ago and it was feeling like 7b or maybe 7b+. Not as hard as hurricane for example, which i also havent done but been excruciatingly close to..... :cry:

in its state as about 6 years ago (footscoops very good) i was excruciatingly close to it static and at the time i'd have been going well if i did a 7a.

[Johnny Brown]

Yeah well Dave, I find it harder than hurricane.
The crux on Vienna isn't making the distance, or hitting the hold right, you can do both of those and still not do it. Wierd, I think its cos of the sand in the break, and the fact you can't get up to clean it.
Actually the same is true of hurricane, you can catch the hold right and then just swing off. For both, sadly, the grade is contained in actually doing it, though you are massive so they should feel easier anyway...

[Moo]

I'm with monkey on this one, there's plenty of good crags in the county that just don't get the attention they deserve. I think it shouldn't be too long now till we get a proper bouldering guide for the county with glossy photos and everything. maybe if i get my really tight climbing pants they'll let me in one.

[Johnny Brown]

I'm psyched to go anywhere I haven't seen a picture of Karin Magog at. Can you help?

[dave]

Yeah well Dave, I find it harder than hurricane.
The crux on Vienna isn't making the distance, or hitting the hold right, you can do both of those and still not do it.

tell me a-fucking-bout it.

[a dense loner]

has someone photoshopped a horses' arse on that? vienna just goes from this to that. when i tried it years ago, like i've pointed out, with a broken rib off cowboy's bird, it was at the very most 7a. the only reason i din't do it was cos of this little thing called pain. tho pete kirton knows what he's on about so it was obvious things change.
with regard to people who tell us there's more to the crags in the county than the obvious, there isn't really is there? please don't try telling me that shaftoe's good...

like johnny say's the popular end is not a misnomer for no reason

with regards to johnny, if you think vienna's harder than hurricane get a fucking grip

[Bubba]

has someone photoshopped a horses' arse on that?

my thoughts entirely

not that I can talk.

[Bonjoy]

The current bouldering guide is totally useless as far as selling the virtues of different venues goes. No stars, very few (uncaptioned) photos, uninspiring descriptions, poor diagrams and wildly inaccurate grading. You can't blame visitors for sticking to what they know. I for one don't fancy making the long trek up to the county then wasting a day at a mystery crag which might turn out to be pants.
 Come on then all you Northumberland types, give us some inspiring pictures of these other great venues. Make us want to go to these places.
 I once went to Rothley, which was ok for a day but was nowhere near as good as the better known venues. It certainly had no super classics. I wouldn't go back unless I intended to do a bit of roped climbing. I have heard very mixed reports about Shaftoe, but mostly quite negative. Basically both these crags are gritstone and the Peak/Yorkshire has far superior grit which is much closer to home. Basically I would only visit the county for the sandstone areas. I would love to check out some new sandstone venues if I had seen pics and knew there was at least one classic to make it worthwhile.
 How about someone giving us a top ten of county problems outside the big two and a bunch of photos??

[fatneck]

I have some photo's of Doveholes which I could post if you want :?:

[webbo]

i've been to all the classic northuberland venues over the years.but more recentley been to shaftoe and rothley.although the've got good bits some parts of shaftoe are complete shite.you don't want to drive 150+ miles to climb onthe equivilant of white edge.

[moose]

How about someone giving us a top ten of county problems outside the big two and a bunch of photos??

Definitely be much appreciated by me too.  I have done my fair share of tramping around the more esoteric venues and frankly come to the conclusion that I was largely wasting my time e.g. the only really worthwhile stuff I have found in umpteen wanderings around Rothley is the Yorkshire 8a and the Arete Land section; Shaftoe's supposed 300+ problems boil down to a handful of problems on the Font Boulder, The Neb Roof, The Classic Arete area and a load of filthy, friable choss.  Please prove me wrong... please.

If there are lots of great problems and areas I have missed... well I plead in mitigation that the guide is an absolute joke.  Complex areas are represented by a wiggly line and descriptions comprising "climb to the left of the previous problem" (which is probably described as to the "right of the next problem"!).  Admittedly some sections are now almost usable in conjunction with the new routes guide's phototopo's but that's no help to the occassional boulderer.

[Bubba]

The guide was (apparantly) only produced to keep Rockfax from getting there first.

It is hands down the shittest bouldering guide ever produced.

[LongMonkey]

Sorry I don't yet know how you quote people properly (the blue dotty thing)  

'Rubbish. The popular end is so because it has the best concentration of mid-grade gritstone climbing in the world.'

But would it be so popular if you had a 15-30 minute walk in rather than a short trot from the car?

'The crux on Vienna isn't making the distance, or hitting the hold right, you can do both of those and still not do it. Weird, I think its cos of the sand in the break.'

I am afraid to say it is how you hit the break. I've done Vienna umpteen times over the years and I've never experienced the break being sandy, maybe damp but not sandy. .
Dave, if you aim about a hands width to the left of the main chalk mark you'll find it slightly better.

'I'm psyched to go anywhere I haven't seen a picture of Karin Magog at. Can you help?'

That's a real tricky question! I think she's got just about every crag covered!

'with regard to people who tell us there's more to the crags in the county than the obvious, there isn't really is there?'

See Moo's comment. He knows the score. Although, can a man wearing tight pants really be trusted!?  

Bonjoy check out the preview page on www.the-county.com there might be something on there to inspire you. Let me know how you get on.

[LongMonkey]

Bubba is right. The guide was produced in a rush to beat Rockfax. I'm pretty sure lessons have been learned and if the new routes guide is anything to go by the new bouldering guide will be great.

[Stubbs]

There's nothing really inspiring on that preview page to bo honest., just some very small stills, but i'm sure the video will be excellent.

Also there is a big differnece between a crag that has one or two classic hard problems that look good in a video and a crag it is worth leaving yorkshire or the peak to vist.