[Jameshs]

I was at Stone Farm yesterday and came across this



Any idea what it goes at as it looked quite fun but i never got round to having a go?

Also nailed Stinging Nettle too 

Also does anyone have any beta for Slap Happy?

[Dr T]

if that's the one on the lone block about half way down...
tried it direct on a year or so ago, was beaten by the heat but thought it felt 7a/+ ish
will be back down in the next few weeks once schools out if the weather cools - might have a better answer for you then..
where is slap happy couldn't find it in the guide??

[neil h]

I got told years ago 6b+/6c but felt a little hard

[Jameshs]

Where is the offical start?

[tomtom]

I used to really like Stone Farm. Not many people went there and there was (is?) some good rock there. So good to see a picture of it again! I used to work a traverse under that block from R-L that was quite fun - I seem to remember it having a knuckle lock off a corner for the RH when dropping into it. Its been ages since I was last there (96??) as my folks moved away from Surrey and I settled in the north.. (cue reminiscing music....)
 

[Dr T]

Where is the offical start?

I thought the 6B+ went leftish where as I was trying straight up but what do I know....  ???

[Averageman]

Its called Milestone mantelshelf a brit 6a, a font 6b+ and no more.

here is a vid with stinging nettle to boot.

[Dr T]

is there a concenous as to where stinging nettle actually starts???

average comes in from the left (see above)

whereas Ian H comes in from the right


to me the left hand variant felt much easier than the right (which I couldn't do when I last tried a few years back))
the guide book doesn't help much and the hard sandstone facebook page has the right hand line as 7b something..

who was the first ascentionist, maybe he'll know

 

why all the questions - well it's on the list for the summer and I want to get it right although I'll probably end up having to do both versions....

[slackline]

I'll probably end up having to do both versions....

And that would be a problem because?

Surely if one variant is harder and you can do that, then the other (presumably easier) variant should be a piece of piss?

[Dr T]

no problem - it's just nice to get a handle on what's what
I spend so much time in my shed I lose my grasp on what's what grade wise in the outside world
the perils of a six day a week job in the middle of surrey
(and climbing indoors doesn't help round here as we use special craggy grades  )

[Averageman]

Sorry but Ian is using all the wrong holds (sorry Ian), follow my beta, that is the correct line and don't use the ends of either brake for your hands, especially the one where the heel hook goes, that Ian starts from. Ps finger flow on the north boulder was also wrong 

[chriss]

Oh Mr Average, this is Sandstone not peak limestone what's with the don't use the end of the break eliminate shizle? As far as I was aware this wasn't an eliminate problem, just a nice easy left hand line & a harder right hand line, now your giving us a more direct version! I know we are lacking rock & lines down south, but strewth......

[Averageman]

Oh Mr Average, this is Sandstone not peak limestone what's with the don't use the end of the break eliminate shizle? As far as I was aware this wasn't an eliminate problem, just a nice easy left hand line & a harder right hand line, now your giving us a more direct version! I know we are lacking rock & lines down south, but strewth......

Your spot on Chriss, this is not an eliminate, it is an independent line, and i just don't think anyone can claim the 7a+ if the large low break on the right is used for the hands, its easier!

[neil h]

i did it from the right, so did keith so did james, thats were stinging nettle officially start, ians beta is the right way

avergman you are wrong sorry

[Averageman]

i did it from the right, so did keith so did james, thats were stinging nettle officially start, ians beta is the right way

avergman you are wrong sorry

I don't think so, it is an Ian Stronghill problem you can ask him, prepare to be enlightened.

[Dr T]

 

[neil h]

i did it from the right, so did keith so did james, thats were stinging nettle officially start, ians beta is the right way

avergman you are wrong sorry

I don't think so, it is an Ian Stronghill problem you can ask him, prepare to be enlightened.

either way it does not matter, its a one move problem start left or right, I did it many many years ago after being told about it being a project, stronghill did it foloowed by us lot a couple of days later, we were told just to sit start, they way in ian's video is the most logical line of least resistance.


But as sandstone is limited and most the problems there are eliminates it does not matter, just do it how you feel, both about the same grade

[St Hubbins]

 

We sung a great song about this subject

[r-man]

 

Run, cat, run...

[ian h]

i did it from the right, so did keith so did james, thats were stinging nettle officially start, ians beta is the right way

avergman you are wrong sorry

I don't think so, it is an Ian Stronghill problem you can ask him, prepare to be enlightened.

Sorry to point out the fact that stinging nettle is actually a Pete Ziegunfuss problem. He is really short, on the first ascent he actually used the drilled hole for his little finger and did it static. Ian stronghill came up with the more dynamic way that can be seen in my video above.

As for fingerflow , where do you suggest that goes ? The grade in the guidebook remains for the line in the film above , as this is the line me and Ian Stronghill climbed when checking the grades for the southern sandstone bouldering section.

Cheers Ian

[Averageman]

Sorry to point out the fact that stinging nettle is actually a Pete Ziegunfuss problem. He is really short, on the first ascent he actually used the drilled hole for his little finger and did it static. Ian stronghill came up with the more dynamic way that can be seen in my video above.

As for fingerflow , where do you suggest that goes ? The grade in the guidebook remains for the line in the film above , as this is the line me and Ian Stronghill climbed when checking the grades for the southern sandstone bouldering section.

Cheers Ian

Ah, well therein lies the problem, it was Ian's beta that led me that way, but i did not know about Pete Ziegunfuss, nor have i heard of this chap. As for fingerflow, i went direct to the top using a finger lock/ gaston, in the middle runnel, and kept the line direct, whereas you break left and appear to finish on touque wrench (i may be mistaken), i can't remember where i got the beta, but it was, again independant and logical, for a short chap like me anyway.

[chriss]

Take your blinkers off Averageman, these problems are lines NOT eliminates......

[neil h]

Take your blinkers off Averageman, these problems are lines NOT eliminates......

well said

[St Hubbins]

but i did not know about Pete Ziegunfuss, nor have i heard of this chap.

I believe he's done the hardest stuff in the area? Yankee Affair? Don't have guidebook to hand 

[neil h]

but i did not know about Pete Ziegunfuss, nor have i heard of this chap.

I believe he's done the hardest stuff in the area? Yankee Affair? Don't have guidebook to hand 

and i thought andy was the walking guide book

[ian h]

Like st hubbins said

Pz climbed pretty much most of the harder boulder problems on SS

Bum dragon
slow pull
nightfall
turning the leaf / tusky
sit start to kinda lingers
yankee affair
the lemur
magnetic
Also the brenva ss which he also repeated without warming up , in bare feet after not climbing at all for 18 months.

Ian stronghill was wrongly credited with stinging nettle in the guide

Just had another quick look at the video of finger fow , does not really look as though Andy is going off left. As i remember it is quite independent of torque wrench. Although i must say i have not been down there in some time.

[Averageman]

Take your blinkers off Averageman, these problems are lines NOT eliminates......

That is what i said from the the start, they are independent lines, its interesting to note here that the new guide book shows stinging nettle coming in from the left.

well said

and i thought andy was the walking guide book

Interesting theory Neil, not sure how much thinking went into that one.

Like st hubbins said

Pz climbed pretty much most of the harder boulder problems on SS

Bum dragon
slow pull
nightfall
turning the leaf / tusky
sit start to kinda lingers
yankee affair
the lemur
magnetic
Also the brenva ss which he also repeated without warming up , in bare feet after not climbing at all for 18 months.

Ian stronghill was wrongly credited with stinging nettle in the guide

Just had another quick look at the video of finger fow , does not really look as though Andy is going off left. As i remember it is quite independent of torque wrench. Although i must say i have not been down there in some time.

Very impressive for sure, i cant believe i never came across this chap before, as for fingerflow, i started the same as you, then moved into the thin flakes and went direct to the top, keeping the flakes directly in front of me, the guide book (maybe wrongly written) does say "climb the flakes".

[ian h]

He only climbed on SS for a couple of seasons before settling down with family commitments.

Finger flow : what ever way it goes , I always considered it the best problem on the boulder , class climbing up that section of rock . Guide i would say is correct looks as though both ways use the flakes there is probably just more than one way to do the last couple of moves .

[Averageman]

He only climbed on SS for a couple of seasons before settling down with family commitments.

Finger flow : what ever way it goes , I always considered it the best problem on the boulder , class climbing up that section of rock . Guide i would say is correct looks as though both ways use the flakes there is probably just more than one way to do the last couple of moves .

Fair comment, when i tried it, i was having a few problems so i tried going left and found it very reachy, so persevered with the direct, and it paid off.
The problem to the right up the blank wall i found harder and its supposed to be easier.

[ian h]

He only climbed on SS for a couple of seasons before settling down with family commitments.

Finger flow : what ever way it goes , I always considered it the best problem on the boulder , class climbing up that section of rock . Guide i would say is correct looks as though both ways use the flakes there is probably just more than one way to do the last couple of moves .

Fair comment, when i tried it, i was having a few problems so i tried going left and found it very reachy, so persevered with the direct, and it paid off.
The problem to the right up the blank wall i found harder and its supposed to be easier.

Thats the way it is with SS i guess

[orc]

Captain Kirk, Spock and I did them both with our anti-gravity boots fifty years ago, both were easy. Stop bickering you lot.
xxxxxxxxxx

[neil h]

he's alive .................................

what you doing on this forum

[Dr T]

ok - right...

so had a yyfy moment today, well 2 to be exact.

did both versions of Stinging nettle and though I might as well put my thoughts down on paper, as it were, just in case anyone gave two shakes of a whatists dooda

The Left hand start (did this one first)

4 hand movements, before the match and top out
first 3 all relatively straight forward, followed by the crux slap for the top
with the feet starting on the left brings the foot block into play which makes life easier (for me)

The Right hand start

3 hand movements, before the match and top out
1st hand move big blind slap for a crimp, admittedly the right hand is good but the starting hold for the left hand is poor before you make the move
2nd move is simple and the slap for the top is the same as for the Left hand start
big difference is both feet are essentially on the roof (right foot was a toe not a heel so not much purchase) so the initial pull on and slap are a lot more strenuous than from the left when feet are on the foot block

so that said I felt the RHS had 2 equally taxing moves to the LHS's 1 which would lead me to say that the RHS is a half grade harder than the LHS

now admittedly I have a very dodgy lower back so pulling straight onto roofs is hard for me but those are my thought for what they're worth.

[neil h]

spot on mr t

I agree that the right hand version is a tad harder than the left, 7a for left 7a+ for the right.....

good effort for soing both and clearing things up



stay strong 

[slackline]

ok - right...

so had a yyfy moment today, well 2 to be exact.

did both versions of Stinging nettle and though I might as well put my thoughts down on paper, as it were, just in case anyone gave two shakes of a whatists dooda

Good work Dr T