[Jaspersharpe]

After nearly getting blown off (fnarr fnarr) at The Eagle Stone yesterday I retreated to the shelter of Trackside and between the showers worked out a sequence and did the traverse from the arete into and up Strawberries. I spent a while trying to match the sloper in the break but I was way too bunched up and eventually (after thinking this was a problem for the short) realised I could lank through this move (although it still left holding the swing on release which needed some nice foot trickery). Quite a good problem I thought and fair enough at 7B this way. Then I tried linking it into Trackside and got shut down on the bit moving right from the Play Hard sloper. Seemed desperate and I think this only gets an extra + in Ru's guide? Bit harsh I thought.

Having done a quick search on here the only info I could find was the thread about Jon's graded list where he was proposing an upgrade for both problems including "no crack for feet at the end". This just confused me even more as I couldn't see how using the crack for feet would have helped for finishing up Strawberries (and it would seem stupid to eliminate it if doing the continuation). 

So. What's the sequence for the end bit of the traverse into Trackside? What's the usual sequence for finishing up Strawberries and how does the crack come into it. And what grade do people think these problems (and variations thereon!) actually are?

My head hurts.

[dave]

I think the "crack" refers to the old B2 crack (if you ask dense this is called playhard), i seem to remember having a play on the moves spanning from the pocket to the strawberries crack and it seemed that sticking a foot way over in the crack, or on the bottom bit that leads to the crack would help hold the swing (but not that bad without), as the footholds round there otherwise aren't great and not in the best places. I would have thought 7b a bit stern though, i dont think i worked out a way to really get into trackside from that direction.

no idea about the extension, not seen anyone on it, i'd be looking for good nick and trying to milk everything out of heel-toes in the bottom break.

[Jaspersharpe]

Ah I see (re the crack). I got my RF on the decent Strawberries slopey little edge foothold and then flagged behind smearing with LF which meant I  could release the LH with no swing. A really nice move.

I think the "crack" refers to the old B2 crack (if you ask dense this is called playhard)

 

[travs]

You lanky b*****d - now go back and do the problem the correct way!

[Jaspersharpe]

I knew the shortarse brigade wouldn't like this but I did try it the "proper" way and was just too bunched up matching the sloper. Trying to keep my legs off the ground was proving to be the crux. It would certainly be easier to do this move if I was shorter so I think it evens it up being able to do it the lank way. So there.

[Kingy]

Why don't you just excavate a trench in the wood chippings so you can get your feet lower? I saw Sean Myles pissing the tracking/trackside link years ago. 

[uptown]

There used to be a pebble which helped us shorties get into strawbs, alas this is long gone now and as such quite hard for us. Ron used to cruise along this quicker than it took for me to boot up.

[Dolly]

I've done it in a similar way by lanking into the bottom hold on Strawberries. That means I ended up doing strawberries the wrong way  - ie r hand at the bottom and l hand higher up.  Is that the same way you ended up doing it ?
Isn't there a pebble on the traverse into Trackside as well ? - I've tried it but got nowhere. Needs to be pretty cold I would think

[Jaspersharpe]

I've done it in a similar way by lanking into the bottom hold on Strawberries. That means I ended up doing strawberries the wrong way  - ie r hand at the bottom and l hand higher up.  Is that the same way you ended up doing it ?

Yes. Did the fiddling about with feet to prevent the barn door then twisted body round to face the other way, get the higher hold with LH and then get LF up.

Isn't there a pebble on the traverse into Trackside as well ? - I've tried it but got nowhere. Needs to be pretty cold I would think

Didn't see one. The closest I got was backhanding the sidepull down left of the Play Hard sloper and then matching it to go down to the arete of Trackside. Felt rather hard. There's also another poorer sloper (to the right of the Play Hard one) which I was trying to use to get LH on the sidepull but this also felt pretty desperate. Conditions were good but not mint. As Dave said maybe some sort of heel toe shenanigans is called for?

[Andy B]

I have another question re. Tracking.

Is the big pocket that straddles the break in? This may seem like a stupid question, but I had a play on it a couple of years back, but was told the pocket was out, so I sacked it off as a crap eliminate.

[Jaspersharpe]

Did whoever say it was out demonstrate how it was done without it? 

I certainly used it and can't think of how it would be possible without it. Well, definitely not at 7B!

[etjoset]

I too did tracking the lanky way by missing out the sloper. The crux then becomes getting established into Strawberries when you're completely wrong handed (and in my case, pumped). I thought 7b was fair for this method and I took the posts on Jon's thread where he proposes 7b+ to mean doing it using the shortarse method with the sloper. Quite a bit harder since the loss of the pebble some years back. I also thought the comment about avoiding the crack with your feet referred to the old B2 crack as Dave mentions above.

No idea about the extension. It's on my list of 1001 dodgy eliminates that every Peak-based ticker should do but then it's been there for nearly 10 years and in that time I've never felt compelled to take a closer look.

What about the "Not a Jerry Traverse" on the boulder in the field below? Anyone got any views on how worthwhile/worthless that is? Gritty and usually wet in my experience. A couple of easyish (~6c) up problems on there too.

[dave]

think banks checked NOJT out a while back.

if we're talking about the pebble a cople of inches off the ground under the sloper, i think i may be guilty of knocking that off, if we're talking early this century.

[Kingy]

I have another question re. Tracking.

Is the big pocket that straddles the break in?

This is a question I have pondered in my more bored moments. As the guide is fairly against eliminates on grit in the Peak, except for the obvious exceptions mentioned in the text, I would go for saying it is in. Why would a pocket on the level of the break be out without a specific mention in the description? Its not as if the problem is easy with the pocket. All previous guides to the problem do not say it is out. Its frickin hard without the pocket and not 7b. Only a few people at the crag have said to me its out, usually ppl who have not done the problem. Therefore, I conclude that it is.....IN!! 

[dave]

I think we all know where I'll stand on this issue.

[Ru]

The way I did it was not an eliminate.

[Andy B]

What about the "Not a Jerry Traverse" on the boulder in the field below? Anyone got any views on how worthwhile/worthless that is?

think banks checked NAJT out a while back.

I went on a mission from the lower track to find NAJT one or two years ago, and found the whole buttress to be overgrown with brambles, filthy, scrittley and not worth the effort it would take to clear and clean it unfortunately. I'll probably go back eventually though.

[tomtom]

Good problem... (jasper pointed me at this page).. and I got close today - but no cigar!
Some great moves crossing through on the big pocket then the long move to the strawbs crack 
Managed to do all of the bits (didnt try heading up strawberries - but that bit looks 'interesting' changing body direction around... so hopefully this will go on my next visit!

[dave]

I got close today

Managed to do all of the bits

didnt try heading up strawberries

 ???

[tomtom]

OK, OK, I had done strawberries earlier (twice) so wrestled with the switching direction move a couple of times... and didnt see the need to head up for a 3rd time..
 

[dave k]

Not managed to do do either- but did see Ron F traverse the entire thing and finish up Trackside only a few years back- I was suitably impressed. I seem to remember he matched the workhard sloper and made the whole traverse look like he was moving on jugs!!! We have much still to learn

[Jaspersharpe]

Matching the sloper's the easy bit. It's what to do after that that I couldn't fathom. 

[tomtom]

OK, OK, I had done strawberries earlier (twice) so wrestled with the switching direction move a couple of times... and didnt see the need to head up for a 3rd time..
 

Got this done today.. took a good few efforts but got there in the end. Good problem and my first 7b