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Doylo

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#175 Re: Doylo's blog
April 18, 2011, 10:15:29 am
Saw this pic of bombe bleu on the 8a forum, hard 9a apparently! Still a proj
« Last Edit: April 18, 2011, 10:31:11 am by Doylo »

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#176 Re: Doylo's blog
April 18, 2011, 10:18:26 am
Another Anastazi velcro hard ascent...

Doylo

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#177 Re: Doylo's blog
April 18, 2011, 11:26:54 am
Ye i forgot to mention he moved to Australia

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#178 Re: Doylo's blog
April 18, 2011, 11:33:51 am
As George Costanza says, always finish in a high note.

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#179 Re: Doylo's blog
April 18, 2011, 12:47:39 pm
Cracking picture that. I've never seen anyone on it.

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#180 Re: Doylo's blog
April 18, 2011, 02:10:04 pm
Andy Pollitt in his own words (and very unedited...).  Requires registration.

Great set of articles Doylo.

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#181 Praise the Bestmaker
April 20, 2011, 01:01:16 am
Praise the Bestmaker
19 April 2011, 9:46 pm

I had 3 fingerboard sessions last week in work and felt much better at the weekend.  No more arms turning to jelly after 5 minutes.  Saturday i went out with Danny C.  Danny has hardly climbed for a few years now which pains me as i used to love watching him beasting it.  Its not that he's completely lost interest in climbing.  Its more the case that he's so flippin laid back he just doesn't get around to it and get organised.  Anyway he was 30 minutes late at our old pick up point and wasn't answering his landline or mobile so i drove to Denbigh, crept up to his room and poured a cup of water over his face as he slept.  That taught the little shit a lesson.  I took him to one of my crags and i got on my last bolted line there.  A nice line with flowing moves through a hanging corner system and a very cool headwall.  Danny puked into the river as i set off on redpoint.  I didn't do it but was close.  Danny tried my diagonal groove 7b but failed after spending 5 minutes trying to jam his arm in a crack.  Was very entertaining to watch.  Sunday i went to the mill despite the beautiful weather, beautiful weather doesn't make you strong!  Was expecting the worst after hardly being able to pull on last time i went but was pleasantly surprised to do 3 7as first go.  7a isn't hard but it does require pulling with your fingers and arms.  I was happy as i'm 12 stone and haven't been training much.  Need to keep going back now, such a good facility.  Finished off my project from Saturday, yesterday.  Its called Strawberries Man after a 5b chubby fella who once told me he'd toproped Strawberries.  I didn't believe him.  The grade is 7c, vid here: (usual boring tripod scene)

It was quite hard to concentrate as there were loads of kids screaming and shouting in the river.  Kids only seem to be able to speak with the volume on max.  I forgave them when one said i was cooler than the climber he'd seen yesterday.  Was good to know.  Almost finished bolting the last two lines here which is very exciting as i think they'll both go.  One is a big roof with a hole in the middle of it leading to a hard lip encounter and the other is the line of the crag.  A traverse across a steep break, funky roof exit, hard lip then nice headwall. Can't wait to try them properly.  Read an interesting article by Malc in a old mag about dieting.  He says crash dieting can be counter productive and that its better to reduce your weekly calories gradually in order to make weight loss sustainable.  Shocking the body isn't necessarily a good thing as it is likely to go into defence mode and you could lose equal amounts of muscle as well as fat.

One of the first appearances in a mag for the Ormes:



Source: Doylo's blog


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#182 Re: Doylo's blog
April 20, 2011, 07:52:11 am

Its called Strawberries Man after a 5b chubby fella who once told me he'd toproped Strawberries.  I didn't believe him.

The fat punter was Sloper, the Strawberries he was talking about was the one at Trackside not Tremadog, he was admitting to top roping a 4m gritstone boulder problem and I claim my £5.

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#183 Re: Praise the Bestmaker
April 20, 2011, 09:08:35 am
Praise the Bestmaker
19 April 2011, 9:46 pm
Read an interesting article by Malc in a old mag about dieting.  He says crash dieting can be counter productive and that its better to reduce your weekly calories gradually in order to make weight loss sustainable.  Shocking the body isn't necessarily a good thing as it is likely to go into defence mode and you could lose equal amounts of muscle as well as fat.


Source: Doylo's blog

Surely you knew this?  ;)

This is a good read if you are interested in weight loss:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Weight-Matt-Fitzgerald/dp/1934030511

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#184 Re: Doylo's blog
April 20, 2011, 11:07:52 am
I must admit to being clueless and not having done my research. Cheers for the link.

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#185 Re: Doylo's blog
April 20, 2011, 11:16:32 am
Fair enough, unlike me you probably spend your time climbing rather than reading about it or 'training'  :P

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#186 Re: Doylo's blog
April 20, 2011, 11:21:30 am
Its a tricky balance, need to do both!

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#187 Praise the Beastmaker
April 20, 2011, 01:00:07 pm
Praise the Beastmaker
19 April 2011, 9:46 pm

I had 3 fingerboard sessions last week in work and felt much better at the weekend.  No more arms turning to jelly after 5 minutes.  Saturday i went out with Danny C.  Danny has hardly climbed for a few years now which pains me as i used to love watching him beasting it.  Its not that he's completely lost interest in climbing.  Its more the case that he's so flippin laid back he just doesn't get around to it and get organised.  Anyway he was 30 minutes late at our old pick up point and wasn't answering his landline or mobile so i drove to Denbigh, crept up to his room and poured a cup of water over his face as he slept.  That taught the little shit a lesson.  I took him to one of my crags and i got on my last bolted line there.  A nice line with flowing moves through a hanging corner system and a very cool headwall.  Danny puked into the river as i set off on redpoint.  I didn't do it but was close.  Danny tried my diagonal groove 7b but failed after spending 5 minutes trying to jam his arm in a crack.  Was very entertaining to watch.  Sunday i went to the mill despite the beautiful weather, beautiful weather doesn't make you strong!  Was expecting the worst after hardly being able to pull on last time i went but was pleasantly surprised to do 3 7as first go.  7a isn't hard but it does require pulling with your fingers and arms.  I was happy as i'm 12 stone and haven't been training much.  Need to keep going back now, such a good facility.  Finished off my project from Saturday, yesterday.  Its called Strawberries Man after a 5b chubby fella who once told me he'd toproped Strawberries.  I didn't believe him.  The grade is 7c, vid here: (usual boring tripod scene)

It was quite hard to concentrate as there were loads of kids screaming and shouting in the river.  Kids only seem to be able to speak with the volume on max.  I forgave them when one said i was cooler than the climber he'd seen yesterday.  Was good to know.  Almost finished bolting the last two lines here which is very exciting as i think they'll both go.  One is a big roof with a hole in the middle of it leading to a hard lip encounter and the other is the line of the crag.  A traverse across a steep break, funky roof exit, hard lip then nice headwall. Can't wait to try them properly.  Read an interesting article by Malc in a old mag about dieting.  He says crash dieting can be counter productive and that its better to reduce your weekly calories gradually in order to make weight loss sustainable.  Shocking the body isn't necessarily a good thing as it is likely to go into defence mode and you could lose equal amounts of muscle as well as fat.

One of the first appearances in a mag for the Ormes:



Source: Doylo's blog


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#188 Something for the Yorkshire Hombres
April 20, 2011, 01:00:07 pm
Something for the Yorkshire Hombres
20 April 2011, 11:56 am

Some footage from 2003 of Pascal trying Zoolook at Malham, looks nails!



Source: Doylo's blog


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Ormesmen of the Week- Gary Gibson, new route fanatic
24 April 2011, 10:30 am



During the new route boom on Pen Trwyn during the 1980s it was inevitable that the country's leading new routers would be attracted to the area.  Gary Gibson must be the most prolific new router in Britain ever with thousands of new routes to his name and he wasted no time in leaving his mark on the Orme.  Although he sometimes courted controversy his contribution to new routing is undeniable.  Gary's first new route was The Violater, a now banned E3 up the left side of Mayfair wall.  Gary then turned his attention to Black Wall and completed most of the lines there.  These routes were properly bolted in the 90s which caused one young man to write in to the mags: "take care lads because the time for agreement is over.  As far as i am concerned your licence to bolt has been revoked!" 1984 saw perhaps Gibsons most classic Pen Trwyn addition.  Homesapien 7a+ is a great thin technical testpiece.  Gary left his mark on many of the sectors on Pee Trwyn establishing three easier classics down LPT which were destined to be popular.  Other significant ascents included Plagued by Fools, Capturing the Coelacanth, Barking up the Wrong Tree and Two Ton Cainman.

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#190 Time Off
April 28, 2011, 01:00:04 pm
Time Off
27 April 2011, 11:18 am

Been loving having some time off with the bank holidays.  Last week i was cursing the heat though.  After spending the winter complaining about the cold and wet i should have been pleased to have some nice weather but i was greasing off so complained instead.  Ridiculous for April! Been to the Mill a few times and even managed a 7a+ so things are looking up.  Been doing some nice easier routes on the new crags and trying the projects.  Making progress but i've finally hit big 8 land with a few of them so more effort is going to be needed.  One of them is a big roof with a solitary hole in the middle of it.  Every move is a burlfest, must be the burliest 8a-8b in wales.  Definitely a cool style but i can't do all the moves yet.  I met up with the Sellars clan who were over from Sheffield for Easter.  I showed them Llanddulas and some nice routes were bagged.  Nic was one of the UKs top sport climbers in the 90s so i picked his brain about fitness training.  I tried my roof project and after some experimentation i thought i had cracked the hard start.  That was until the hold fell off, doh!  Nic did a good onsight of Mudjekeewis.  He cocked up the crux first go but hung on in there and did it.  I went back to the roof another day and glued the hold back on, hopefully it will stay put.  I had a prolific day yesterday bagging 4 new routes! 3 were shorties that i bolted in winter but they were all fairly pleasant with nice rough rock.  One was quite a peculiar route.  Its 6a+ to the last move which is a english 6b/c move off quite a small crimp.  Quite unbalanced but a bit different.  Really hard to grade something like this though. 7a or 7a+ probably.  I called it Off With Their Heads cos i don't believe in hereditary priviledge.  Then i did a route i bolted up on Monday.  It was a right effort bolting and cleaning it as its 17 metres and the crag is very loose in its natural state.  It turned out to be another cracker.  The first bulge is the crux but its still tricky until you reach a really good rest before some more fairly tenuous moves above.  Its either 7b+ or 7c and the name is Big Kohoona Burger. I wish i'd bolted it better, its fine for a redpoint but a bit shit for the onsight, oops.  Development on this crag is almost complete and i think people will enjoy it as its a good length and nice routes.  I asked Norm the other day why he didn't develop LPT earlier back in the day.  He said everytime he went there the tide was in so for years he didn't realise it actually went out.  Thought that was pretty classic!

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Ormesmen of the Week Mel Griffiths, He came, he went and then he came back!
1 May 2011, 6:54 pm

Mel Griffiths burst onto the Orme scene in 1981 with the first ascent of the iconic route Axle Attack on Mayfair Wall.  Axle Attack is an Orme classic which was an incomplete aid route.  Pollits guide states that: "it was this route before than any other before it, on Trwyn, that gave a realistic impression of the wealth of new climbing waiting to be done."  Mel and fellow first ascentionist Leigh McGinley famously trained for the ascent using the axle of a train.  Mel had ten years off climbing and was partaking in activities such as cave diving.  When he started climbing again he got back into the Orme scene and started new routing and re-equipping on both Ormes.

Well that draws and end to the Ormesmen of the week series, i've enjoyed delving into the history of the area and the men who shaped our crags.  It is a area with a rich history and with mnay routes that are of national importance.  I've undoubtedly missed some Ormesmens but i am only young so please forgive me.  Finally a big up to these guys: Billy Wayman, Pete Bailey, Ben Moon, Ron Fawcett, Mark Pretty, Mike Owen, Phil Smith, Rob Shepton, Ed Stone and Nick Jowett

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#192 Osama Bin Bin Bag
May 02, 2011, 07:00:12 pm
Osama Bin Bin Bag
2 May 2011, 4:45 pm

My time off is drawing to an end.  Have done loads of climbing, lots of nice easier routes and few projects done and bolted.  Thursday i headed to Three Degrees Crag with sausage, Gav and Panton.  I tried my proj there, some progress as i got to the crux on top rope but still struggling to get my feet up on the undercut.  More burl needed.  Sausage got on Pete's 8a+.  I was interested to see what he thought of it as it took Pete 3 days and he's no slouch.  He did the moves pretty much first go then lowered to the top of the ramp and linked them first go.  He still didn't get the redpoint though as the holds (which are very small) heated up a bit.  Conditions are quite important on this, seems Pete was wise doing it in winter.  Anyway Sausage reckoned 8a+ was right, a similar proposition to Pas de Deux he said and he'll return in cooler temps.  Me and Mule went for a random mooch on the Orme on Friday.  We abbed into Seal Point for some reason??

I had been down to do Crigyll Outlaws in 2000.  The rock is nice down there and the sport routes look good and the bolts aren't fucked yet.  The hangers have rusted a bit.  Then we went to check out Tony and Colin Goodeys mini crag on West Shore side of the Orme, this is under the road above some concrete slabs.  I'm sure its destined to be quite a popular venue as its nice rock and non serious.  We soloed a few diddy routes.  

I took Jonny boy out to new crags on Saturday.  I tried one of my best projects and finally made a breakthrough with the beta.  Sould be on redpoint next time.  Jon put in a good effort and flashed my groove route.  He reckoned it was 7a+ for real men who can jam.  I think the grade of this will divide opinion!  Today i did a new 6c+ at a non limestone venue which i named Osama Bin Bin Bag, watch this space about this one, some impressive shit.  I really feel if i didn't have a few hard projects then i'd be happy to have a break from trying to beast it this year.  Just going out and doing routes and quick redpoints has been mega.  Its a better life of this i am sure!

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#193 Stiffer Upper Lip
May 04, 2011, 01:00:26 am
Stiffer Upper Lip
3 May 2011, 6:37 pm

Pete robins has done the extension to Stiff Upper Lip at 8b at pigeons.The original is a cool roof line but it finishes in a rather random place as the first ascentionist George Smith lowered his original lower off as he was struggling to get it done.Above georges chain is a cool boulder problem to the top of the crag. When stiff upper got re equipped last year so whole line was bolted by Pete Harrison as we weren't sure what went on.Jordan has already bagged the 2nd ascent.This makes a trio of mega 8bs on the orme alongside Melancholie and Youthanasia. If you like things a bit shorter and sharper then Carinthian Groove awaits a second ascent still.

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#194 Orme Bouldering Heaven
May 09, 2011, 07:00:09 pm
Orme Bouldering Heaven
9 May 2011, 9:49 am

Mule's new bouldering area on West Shore has finally been revealed.  I haven't been yet but have heard some good reports.  There's quite a bit of bouldering dotted around the Orme now.  Here's a quick rundown on it:

Parisellas Cave

Say no more

Split Infinity

15 problems 6a+ - 7c+/8a

A classic warming up spot with a hard traverse and some good up problems.

Best problem: Belpig 7c

Breck Road

15 problems 6c+ - 7c

Great independent up lines and some good links and a mega traverse.

Best problem: Swing of Fire 7b

Normans Wisdom

5 problems 7a - 7c

Direct starts to routes and a cool traverse.

Best Problem: Snout 7c

Pill Box Wall

30??? problems

6c+ - 8a+

Pristine crimpy lime and link up heaven.

Best Problem: Ain't No Party/Mr Whippy?

Pigeon's Cave Boulders

35 Problems?

V0 - 7b+

Smooth boulders with more easier grades.

Best Problem: ?

Sea View Walls

6 problems

6b - 7c

Some amazing higballs off a tidal ledge

Best Problem: Flashpoint 7b+

Badger Cave

5 Problems

Steep Cave.

v4 - 7a+

Best Problem: Brock Direct

West Shore Boulders:

30/40 Problems

6a - 8a

Cool boulderfield

Best Problem: The Spray 8a?

There's also Clutch, Plumbline Traverse and that easy sunny vertical stuff above the road on West Shore side.

Some interesting musings on hard grades on Paul Robinsons blog.  He's travelled the world and done most of the hard shit so i'd say he's got a pretty good idea on what goes on.  Its interesting reading about his grade calculations.  Maybe we should use them to sort out the contentious problems over here.  It sounds like East Coker and Silk Cut would both be 8b on the Robinson Scale.  East Coker is 8a+ into 7c+/8a ands Silk Cut is 8b into higball 7a+, not big enough link up numbers to warrant 8b+ in his book.  We don't need world wads to come and repeat our problems we just need to read their blogs!

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Someone at Malham please convince Ondra to pop over to LPT.
15 May 2011, 12:28 pm

This week was a mixture of training and cragging.  I went to check out a very cool project with Neil Dyer, a line up a short but sustained red wall.  It was very ansteys-esque and very hard too.  Probably 8b+ or 8c, come on Neil pull yer finger out!  He probably won't try it for another 3 years or so.  I went to the Dulas with Heason and we hung out in the roofs.  Ben tried Temple making quick progress.  Since i did it everyone has used a easier more efficient foot sequence just before the last crux which seems a bit less draining.  Ben also did the first crux some mental foot above yer head in a hole method, pretty different really! Looked cool.  I worked on the end sequence of my proj and made good progress.  The finish is a bit weird as the right wall comes in at the end and your feet go on a slab.  This doesn't feel like it detracts from the route when you're on it but looks funny from the bottom.  Its bad cos it means its not quite as cool as Temple but good cos its makes it do-able.  The moves are all good anyway, i need to experiment a bit more.  Ben had a quick go and even got a double knee bar in.  I don't care what grade it is, the easier the better as long as its cool.  We will see.  I went for a quiet and gloomy mill sesh with Nodder (the electricitys off!).  He's training religiously at the moment and not getting distracted with routes like he did last year.  Its probably what i should be doing but i don't have the self discipline at the mo.  I realised thats its time to stop complaining about being shit as i'm not actually that weak.  Hopefully there's much more to come though.  Yesterday i went down LPT with Pete Harrison, amazingly my first time down there this year.  It felt good being down there, its such a good social crag as everyone has to go down at the same time.  I even did a new 6, the short but good Bosch Bastards.  Then i tried Life's a Beach, this is a previously neglected 7b that's become quite popular with a couple of new bolts.  It is also probably one of the hardest 7b's on the Orme.  An initial tricky wall leads to a ledge but the final slabby headwall is the crux and even though you're fresh when you get there it has a very tricky move.  I did the move first go but then was losing purchase on the crimp on subsequent goes.  Boooo i can't do slabs.  It was raining though.  I had no plans to try Bad Boy before i went down as i thought i'd get too pumped but was pleasantly surprised to not get that pumped.  That route always draws me in, its such a joy.  Then we headed up to the Cave's.  Pete recommended a 7b+ called The Damage Religion that he'd done recently.  It's one of those routes that you walk under on the way to Breck Road but never glance up at.  It should get more attention as its well bolted and has a very nice bouldery crux sequence.  I got the beta off Pete and set off.  I utilised what he'd said but also did what felt natural and ended up climbing it a bit differently and managed to flash it.  I wasn't kidding myself as it felt pretty steady, even 7a+.  Its probably 7b though for most of average stature.  Kind of summed up my climbing these days, shut down on Life's a Beach then flashing that in the same day.  I'm really keen for some other routes round these parts especially The Mask and Taipan if anyones keen? It's been a good week which has helped my confidence a bit.  You don't really know what the state of play is just climbing on your own routes.

Pete Robins went back down Pigeon's and extended Koo to the top of the crag this time.  This takes it from 7b to 7cish.  I'm quite keen for this as i've always enjoyed Koo.  It needs a lower off putting in for it to become popular.

photo by Calum Muskett:

Ondra's back at Malham, still dreaming that he'll come over to these parts.  He needs to crush the Orme and do the old aid route at Dulas 9a+.

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#196 Line of the Cave Goes Down
May 16, 2011, 01:00:05 pm
Line of the Cave Goes Down
16 May 2011, 9:47 am

Pete Robins linked Lou Ferrino into Bonnie last night in Parisella's Cave.  This has long been admired/touted as the visual line of the Cave but it has never really seen much attention until recently as Bonnie is such a tough little cookie on its own (Font 8a+).  Pete first climbed Bonnie in the winter 09/10 after a bit of a seige and at that point the link seemed some way off.  After Ben Bransby climbed Bonnie Extension and Neil Dyer did Bonnie in quick time the spotlight was back on the big link.  Neil was looking like the main contender making quick progress and looking very strong.  This was all the encouragement Pete needed and he got stuck in and soon found himself falling near the end.  Last night he completed it thinking it to be of similar difficulty to the other two mega link ups he's done in there, Silk Cut and The Incredible Bulk.  That would make it around Font 8b or French 8c+.  The breakdown of the numbers would suggest that this new line is perhaps the hardest of the three.  Bonnie is a power problem with hard moves which makes for a very spicy link.  The line follows the two ramp features of the Cave.  All we need now is for someone to finish this link up the extension for a mega boulder/route hybrid for a 9a combination.

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#197 New Mega Sport Line Above A55
May 18, 2011, 01:00:18 am
New Mega Sport Line Above A55
17 May 2011, 10:49 pm



A few weeks ago i went up to the old quarries between Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan with Gav Foster.  I had heard of Gav's project up there that was supposed to be very good so i was keen to check it out.  Gav bolted it a while ago, he spied the line after walking up there in hope of finding some bouldering potential.  Working away and his house building project meant that getting consistent days on it was proving tricky.  After slogging up there i was hoping it was going to be good as people had suggested.  I was not disappointed!  The line is quite striking and i was immediately impressed.  The route takes a curving overhanging prow before finishing up a immaculate headwall.  We got to work and after an initial scare pulling some loose blocks off the start (probably a result of winter freeze thaw, luckily the holds underneath were perfect) Gav soon got the moves again.  He was kind enough to let me have a dog up it.  The start is steep and keeping tension was tricky as a result of the low friction and slopey holds.  After 8 or so metres of amazing slopey compression the line eases and leaves the arete for the headwall which leads to the chain.  Gav had some redpoints and was falling just shy of the easier top section.  I knew he just needed to get back ASAP and he could do it.  Today he went back with Mr P and finished his project.  It really is a stunner and anyone who climbs around the grade 7c/+ in Wales (visitor or local) really need to get up there and get on it.  I really think it is one of the best sport routes in Wales.  It has the quality moves and rock that you find on the best routes but what sets is apart in my eyes is the unique line that is really quite rare.  Its not just another bit of overhanging limestone (in fact its not even limestone).  I can't wait to get on it again.  The name is Release the Hounds (a reference to the people chomping at the bit to get on it).  I thought 7c after my brief dog up it, Gav's not sure but thinks maybe even 7c+ so 7c/+ will do til the repeats start rolling in.  In the bay to the left is a new 6c+ that i put up which will be a good warm up for the meat.  In terms of access details i'm sure Mr P will have them online soon enough and as he's much better at such things than me i'll leave it to him



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#198 Release the Hounds
May 19, 2011, 07:00:29 am
Release the Hounds
19 May 2011, 12:22 am

Me, Jonny Boy and Alex went up to Craig Seiriol today to give Gav's route a proper go.  I had worked out that Jon was going up from a coded Facebook status and luckily for me he didn't mind me inviting myself along.  It was cold and windy up there and we all took a while to warm up.  Alex warmed up on Osama Bin Bin Bag and then had a respectable flash burn and me and Jon were soon on redpoint.  I managed the 2nd ascent, then Jon bagged it and finally Alex completed the clean sweep.  A great route that is destined to be a classic.  All it needs now is the strong boys to go up there and give it its first onsight.  We all agreed the grade is solid 7c.  Some footage:



Source: Doylo's blog


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#199 Mcclure Blitzes Mayfair Wall
May 23, 2011, 01:00:30 am
Mcclure Blitzes Mayfair Wall
22 May 2011, 6:38 pm



Team Marmot Europe are in Wales this week so expect some good ticks if the rain holds off.  Today Inspector Mawsons and Steve Mcclure were on the Orme ticking on Mayfair wall.  Neil finished off Masterplan, first redpoint.  He struggled with the crux of this when he tried it just after i did it but he's an 8c crusher these days so it went down ok.  Steve then pulled off the first flash defying those long reaches.  He then onsighted Masterclass (first onsight???) putting the clips in thinking it to be one grade easier than Masterplan.  I'm always confused with the grading on this wall as for me (and others i'm sure) Masterclass is harder than Masterplan.  This is due to Masterplan being a modern bouldery style and Masterclass being old school and technical.  It's good to have confirmation that the grades are fairly accurate from someone not affected by styles at this level.  Of course these are not surprising feats by Steve buts its still nice that a good climber came along and did them first go. Shame he didn't do Oyster for the full sweep.

I did a lot of climbing this week, six days on in fact!  I did some training and ticked some nice routes.  I went to Pantymwyn earlier in the week to have a bash on Grand Canyon.  I've been going to the gorge for years.  There is a picture of me asleep under the bouldering when i was 7 or so, i shunted the slabs back in the 90s and of course i've been there bouldering loads of times but to my shame never climbed on the steep side.  In my ticking frame of mind i was keen to do the classic 7b+ Grand Canyon so met Lee down there.  There's not really a decent warm up route there so i thought i'd give Canyon a bash to see how high i got, a stategic error!  Its not your average North Wales 7b+, its steep and pumpy and i was soon boxed and off.  Unfortunately the pump was terminal so i couldn't really do much more and left without doing it.  I returned later in the week to finish it.  Its really good- involving pumpy big moves!  Only the Diamond and the Gwynt really compares for pump factor.  Yesterday i went back up to Craig Seiriol with Lee Proctor and Paul.  Rob Pitt and Lee Roberts were working Hounds.  I did a new route that i'd drilled last time but not bolted left of Osama.  Its called Gadaffi the Diplomat and is about 6c+.  Its nothing special but is worth doing.  Lee climbed Osama with a different sequence which he reckoned was more like 6c.  Jonny Boy had been up to do the groove left of Hounds.  This is another stellar line which suprisingly went at 6c/+.  It is another classic, great positive holds the whole way up, ace!

Lee on the hunt:



Source: Doylo's blog


 

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