[Doylo]

 You should, can't have people cheating on your routes !

[comPiler]

The Tide is High
27 August 2013, 3:43 pm

Pete Robins has done the natural extension to the deep water solo Heel Hook Look on the Little Orme.  Pete first tried the extension moves last month as he believed it was the line of Heel Hook Look.  He watched the vid of Rob Lamey's first ascent and that confirmed that HHL went directly up from the point that he was falling.  After finishing HHL Pete was keen to return and finish the extension.  He did so yesterday adding a significant amount of hard climbing and bumping the grade to 8a+.  The route is called The Tide is High. Pete Harrison has a vid of the ascent which should pop up soon.  Here is Pete doing The Heel Hook Look last month:



Source: Doylo's blog

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The Newies Keep on Coming
1 September 2013, 7:08 pm

Significant new routes are showing no sign of drying up as yet in North Wales lime land.  Ben Bransby returned to the Diamond to make use of his 'Beast fitness' and completed another mega line.  This one also starts up The Brute but breaks out right  before the Brute curves left.  Hard moves lead to a ledge(8b+ to here) before a staminafest 7c+/8a to the top.  The top section has lots of rests so apparently the sum total is still 8b+.  It goes to the top of the crag- another 30 metre affair.  Ben's provisional name is The Beauty but i don't think this is set in stone.

A bit further inland at Devil's Gorge near Mold a keen bunch have been joining in with the dedicated locals to continue the development of this impressive wall. Pete Harrison completed a superb old project - the immaculate cleancut wall to the left of the crag classic Grand Canyon.  Underworld goes to a finishing point halfway up the crag at 7c but the extension was an obvious challenge and as an open project it was fair game.  Owen Davies got involved and started putting the time in and together with Pete they worked out the top section which added another 7c on top of Underworld.  Pete was held back with chronic back pain but Owen got his seige on and started to inch higher and higher up the wall.  Yesterday he finished the line to give North Wales another 3 star classic which is comparable in quality to those big soaring wall climbs in Yorkshire.  Owen said he hadn't done a route where it was so easy to fall off so many moves, it goes without saying he was relieved to finish it off.  He's unsure as to whether is is 8a or 8a+.  Ally Smith also got into the action linking the line into Canyon at 7c+.  The link has some nice independent moves and is called Born Slippy.

Owen on the first section of his mega line Hades (photo - Luke Clarke):



Source: Doylo's blog

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What a year!
4 October 2013, 8:28 pm

I spent the start of the year on a gas plant wondering if my project down Pigeon's Cave would dry out.  Now I'm there again with the route in the bag and I've been pondering those emotions we go through when trying to finish up these new routes.  Most redpoint seiges are stressful but it always seems more heightened to me when the route in question is a new line.  I personally always feel extra pressure with a new route, it feels part of your local legacy that you really want to get finished especially with new guidebooks coming out!  It occurred to me that quality new routes on British limestone are scarce resources that are inevitably going to dry up at some point and it's important to try and enjoy them even when the going gets tough.  Pete Robins said to me after doing Dark Energy: "you spend most of the time worrying about not doing them". So true!  When you're in that moment of stress and despondency on a project you crave closure.  But i think its important to try and cherish the whole experience.  It can be a rollercoaster but ultimately the lows make the highs.

The sport season is winding down and what a season it has been.  After the washout of 2012 we really needed a year of good weather and boy did we get it.  The amazing first ascents kept on coming.  Pigeon's Cave got the shortest 8c in the country and one of the most impressive, unique hard routes in Dark Energy.  Ben Bransby completed The Beast, probably the best 8c in the UK and also a hard 8b+ to its right.  A list of the new grade 8's so far:

Pump Up the Jam 8c, Pigeon's Cave. (Pete Robins)

Follow Your Heart 8a+, Pigeon's Cave (Ben Bransby)

Dark Energy 8c+, Pigeon's Cave (Pete Robins)

Speckled Jim 8b, Pigeon's Cave (Chris Doyle)

The Beast 8c, The Diamond (Ben Bransby)

The Pink Panther 8b+, The Diamond (Pete Robins)

The Tide is High 8a+ (dws) , The Little Orme (Pete Robins)

Cherry 8a+, The Diamond (Tommy Chamings)

Beauty 8b+, The Diamond (Ben Bransby)

Hades 8a+, Devils Gorge (Owen Davies)

Cerberus 8a, Devils Gorge (Ally Smith)

That's 11, a couple shy of 2011 which was the most frenetic year of new routing ever.  More importantly every route is 2 or 3 stars.  Cerberus is the only link up and it's a pretty good one.  The Beast and Dark Energy are nationally significant hard routes.

My own climbing has had a bit of a disappointing end.  I felt really good in early September but i hurt my finger doing Moonwalk down LPT.  It felt better a few times but always stiffened up again after getting on something hard.  I was very close on Insomnia at Dinbren in quick time and Masterclass on the Orme but work and injury have put an end to them for now.  I checked out Owen's route Hades last weekend, its very cool and the should become popular.  The first half is a 7c called Undwerworld and that is excellent in itself.

Source: Doylo's blog

[comPiler]

Fresh Meat
22 October 2013, 12:56 pm

Back in 2011 during the new route boom on the lime I was filming Sam Cattell on his project at Dinbren and thought it would be cool to go back to some of the new routes to get some footage and make a little video for the web.  I thought it would be good to showcase them in a 10/15 minute short and would give me a little project.  I started taking my camera out to the crag to document what was happening.  The new routes came thick and fast that year, development was frantic on the A55 crags and the Ormes alike.  One project in particular would be quite a coup and I spent a month filming Pete Robins and Neil Dyer on the project direct finish to Walking Mussel.  I filmed countless attempts and progress was slow.  Filming FA's takes such a big investment as you have to film every single go, sods law means the one time you're not up there the climber will do the route.  As it dragged on I couldn't continue going down there for every attempt, i had some climbs of my own to do!  Another month past and the route was still not finished.  One day I was working the finger crack of Over The Moon which is just to the left of the project headwall.  Dyer was having a redpoint so I clipped into a bolt and pulled up my camera.  Low and behold despite not filming for weeks that was the succesful redpoint and I'd got it on film! All of a sudden I had a showpiece hard route for my film.  I kept on filming bits and bobs but as time past I struggled for inspiration and ideas and my film lacked a plan or any structure.  2012 was a washout and not too many new routes occurred.  I'd edited bits and bobs such as Megalopa but my Adobe Premiere timeline was not advancing too much.  2013 brought with it some better weather and the new routes started to pick up again.  I was out filming a lot, I wanted to do justice to the lower grade stuff too as those boys are just as much part of the scene as the harder climbers.  Pete Robins did the best roof climb in the country down Pigeon's Cave and Ben Bransby climbed his Diamond project - The Beast, one of the best routes in the UK.  Capturing Ben's ascent was one of the higlights of the whole process.  It was amazing being up next to him on such a significant FA and on such a stunning route.  All of a sudden I was glad the film had taken so long, I wouldn't have captured these stellar FAs otherwise.  The structure started to come together and i had a definite plan to finish it.  It was surreal getting to the finishing point but very satisfying.  Nowadays so many people are producing beautiful slick films for free.  I would like to say my production values have moved on this my early stuff but it's not really the case.  There is plenty of crappy audio, and shaky camera going on like my other vids but hopefully there is enough good stuff in there to make up for it.  Some of the older footage is not as sharp as the newer stuff as I got a new camera halfway through and had to mix Mini DV and AVCHD on the same timeline.  My main aims with the film were to showcase the routes and to give myself a 'little' project and I think I've achieved that.  It's been a labour of love, taken 1000s of hours but its there as a historical record of perhaps the last big wave of development on these crags.  The final 'locals' version was 1 hour 28 which I realised was a bit long for the masses but even with some ruthless editing I only managed to knock 10 minutes off it, oh well!  North Wales is back on the Sport climbing map, the new hard testpieces coupled with the easier crags give enough good climbing to last people a very long time.  It's fucking amazing!!!!

Fresh Meat:

from Chris Doyle on Vimeo.

Source: Doylo's blog

[Jaspersharpe]

Nice one doylo! Can't wait to watch this....

[Gritlad]

Foooookin great film Doylo

[Pitcairn]

Nice one Doylo thats a great film.  I really enjoyed it - the footage of Ben B on the beast is an awesome finale.  Good effort 

[masonwoods101]

Don't ruin the ending! Haha

[andy popp]

Lovely.  A real tribute to the area and its climbers.

[comPiler]

Mayfair Extensions
11 November 2013, 11:33 am

A year or two ago the council gave us the go ahead to climb on the top section of Mayfair wall above the belays of The Bloods through to Mayfair.  There were two old pitches up there from the 80s, both climbed as 2nd pitches to The Bloods.  Both were Andy Pollitt routes, the 2nd pitch of The Bloods traversed right and went up a slabby wall at E5 6a.  The Senile Penile Extension went up a groove to the left at E5 6b.  We needed to sort these out for the guide as this would create 28 metre pitches on what was already one of the best walls in the area.  I was keen to start it off so in July I missioned it through neck high bracken to the top of the crag to gain access to the upper pitches.  I stuck a bolt in completely the wrong place but managed to deviate off the old belays when i got to the top of the crag.  Pete Harrison was on groundsman duty as there would undoubtedly be some loose rock coming down.  I bolted the old 2nd pitch to The Bloods which would actually be an extension to Mayfair as it was right above it.  I also bolted Senile Penile Extension.  I gazed across to the left and there was another line, this time with rusty old expansion bolts all the way up it.  I had no clue as to what it was as there was only mention of two extensions in the old guides.  I got excited and repositioned my rope.  It looked a lot harder and really good; I got most of the bolts in but would have to come back to finish it.  I also bolted the old Julio Juvenito extension that climbs from the normal lower off of the 7a up to the Mayfair belay.  The extensions turned out to be quality - the wall above Mayfair didn't affect the grade but was quality slabby climbing and now takes it to the top of the wall.  Tony Shelmerdine managed to find a way to the top of the crag at 6c+.  He added a couple of new bolts breaking right from just above the Contusion belay into the new Mayfair extension.  This is a great expedition for a 6 and should prove popular.  Senile Penile turned out to be excellent also and goes at soft 7b+.  It is directly above Contusion so that gives it a nice start.  Julio extension is fun steep climbing and bumps the grade to 7a+.  I finished bolting my new project and started trying it, I had asked about it a bit and it turns out it was a forgotten project of 90's projectmeister Phil Smith.  I struggled with the crux initially then one day I just climbed it.  It felt bloody brilliant, The Bloods is a great route to start up, then you can chill before the powerful crux moves.  It is really nice climbing involving a fantastic thin pinch and a small undercut.  After the crux you rock up the groove before easy climbing takes you to the top of the wall.  It felt great to do a long new route even though it's not really a pumpy route.  I called it Cold Blood and although it felt 8a when i was working it, it felt steady on the lead and thus I am unsure as to whether it's 8a or 7c+.  I'm desperate to get it right for the guide so really need a 2nd opinion.  I am offering a £15 reward for someone who knows the difference between 7c+ and 8a to try it and give me an opinion! :-) It's easier than Masterclass but then so is every 8a I've ever been on.  There was another decent line in between my project and Senile Penile which Pete Harrison stuck some bolts in.  He only gave it a quick go as he was off climbing with a back problem.  Ally Smith had gone to try my route and had managed it second go pretty comfortably - or so we thought!  I was there a few weeks later with his belayer Luke Owens and it turns out he had done Pete's project by mistake!  Talk about kicking a man when he's down.  Ally reckoned the route was hard 7c but it is very morpho so most people will probably find it to be 7c+.  Bad Blood seems an appropriate name for this one!

Me on Senile Penile 7b+:



Dave Evans on Bad Blood 7c/+:



A nice trundle just above The Bloods belay    



Source: Doylo's blog

[petejh]

Less exciting is the hour Owen and me spent sweeping up your trundling fun Mr Doyle. Then I bolted my great new proj thinking I'd have it as something to look forward to after recovering from back surgery.. thanks a bunch Ally!    

Good job I've found what I have!

[Doylo]

I picked up some rocks too!

[abarro81]

You should make a sketch topo n stick a photo of it up fat boy, I'm confused as hell about what goes where up there...

[Doylo]

Pantons going to do one.
It's not as confusing as I make it sound

[Owen]

You only offerred me a tenner!!!

[Doylo]

It's gone up! Desperation before winter kicks in. And you don't know your arse from your elbow either 

[richieb]

Great efforts all round. Working with the council to get the upper bit unbanned, cleaning, bolting and doing the routes. It was already a superb bit of wall but I bet these extra long pitches are a bit special. 

[Doylo]

They are really good, another reason to move back richie 

[petejh]

For fifteen quid I'll delay publication until next June. I need to get some of my projects in my own guide anyway

[Doylo]

And then it'll have to be delayed til the end of Diamond season...and then....

[petejh]

I might extend it to cover Shipwreck Cove

[Pantontino]

Pantons going to do one.
It's not as confusing as I make it sound

Tis done:

http://news.v12outdoor.com/2013/11/12/mayfair-wall-extensions-%E2%80%93-new-ground-opened-up-at-top-of-classic-limestone-wall/

[comPiler]

Bouldering Season
18 November 2013, 4:07 pm

Bouldering season is here. Here are some videos:

Old Welsh bouldering footage:

Some problems at Porth Ysgo and Talfarach:

An amazing gabbro project:

First tick of bouldering season:

from Ducko1988 on Vimeo.

Ed Hamer crushing Last Malteser 8a on the Box:



Source: Doylo's blog

[Duma]

Shaking like a leaf there Chris! Morning after a heavy night was it?