[TobyD]

Shameless request for recommendations and or beta on any higher quality 7c and above routes on Portland. I liked Hall of Mirrors, and remember Keyboard Wall seeming good when i had one go at it a couple of years ago, but otherwise haven't done much above 7a.
I am not very tall (5'8.5''!)   - as this seems to be an important consideration on some portland routes; and i tend to prefer (well be better at anyway) crimpy and sustained to powerful and cruxy.

cheers all. T

[Duma]

Shining Heart - Coastguard
Tennessee - Coastguard (Best route on portland? steep and pumpy though.) Screaming skulls next door is meant to be good too
Colours - Wallsend (7b+ but awesome)
Realm of Chaos - Wallsend (also 7b+, also awesome)
Saskatchewan Uranium Miner - Wallsend - is meant to be brilliant but I've not done it

Also, both Freaky Ralph and Vespassian have biiiig reaches on them. Fighting torque at the Cuttings is doable for the vertically challenged, but lacks the impact of the big stuff on the west coast.

Actually I'd say Portland's quality tails off above 7c, My recommendation would be head to Trad Free World Area, do that, Stalkers Zone, Jewel of the Isle, and Blue faced Booby as your warm ups, then work south - almost all the routes are great.

[TobyD]

cheers Duma, hopefully I'll get down to Wallsend / Coastguard soon, when it isn't utterly gopping. Close to Running it In at the weekend despite awfully damp conditions, thought that was fairly decent, though a somewhat tight line.

[Gus]

What about something like "king of the swingers" at cave hole??

Logistically it might be a bit of work but it looks awesome and definitely different from your average portland vertical crimp fest, and it's not gonna be ripe for the deep water solo any time soon!!

[iain]

It was unexpectedly crap at the weekend wasn't it, and  I reckon good conditions there will be a rare thing until the spring now, the sun's got too short a time on the walls.

For info Saskatchewan Uranium Miner hasn't been rebolted yet, it still has the old rusty pegs.

I was recommended Detonator and Illusions at Cheyne at the weekend, although possibly a grade harder for the short.

[TobyD]

For info Saskatchewan Uranium Miner hasn't been rebolted yet, it still has the old rusty pegs.
I was recommended Detonator and Illusions at Cheyne at the weekend, although possibly a grade harder for the short.

good info re SUM, ,guess it's a quality E6 at the moment!

are those thingat cheyne on the road rage wall?

anyone know much about any of the Portland 8as?

[Kingy]

Hombre Solaire is a good 7c going right out of Realms of Chaos, well bolted, defo the one to do until Saskatchewan is bolted. Freaky Ralph is good but 8a+ and prob a V7/8 sequence up there, desparate! Monoculture is a great 7c+, not as tweaky as you might expect. Trance Mission is a good 7c linkup of the 7b+'s at Battleship Back Cliff, long too.

[TobyD]

Actually I'd say Portland's quality tails off above 7c [/quote]



Increasing experience is leading me to the same conclusion. Breathing Method seemed like a 6b to a V8, with a rather pointless ramble up some mediocre rock to finish; although the boulder problem is on decent rock and has cool moves, it is hardly the sort of thing that 3* 8as are made of.
Belaying a mate on Freaky Ralph convinced me not to bother due to the reach involved, though it did look reasonably good.

Trance Mission is on the list: those routes and the road rage wall seem like some of the best things on the isle that i've seen. (other than the very conditions-y wallsend things)

[iain]

Belaying a mate on Freaky Ralph convinced me not to bother due to the reach involved, though it did look reasonably good.

I spent a few days on this last year and was able to get from the ground to the undercut, and from the pocket to the top (although the slab was deceptively tricky) but I could never suss out a way to get from the undercut to the pocket. (I 'should' be able to do a steep V7/8 but it wasn't going to happen.) I still reckon there's a sequence there for me, but I'd need to be stronger.

Also, not been on it but Dynomite at cheyne cliff has a rockfax comment about it being good and 8a. It's not one I've heard anything else about though.

[Pitcairn]

Id second what Duma said about Portland.  The best areas IMO are Wallsend and Coastguard.  Also, Beautiful South is a good route.  But Id also recommend a visit to the Promenade at Swanage.  Climbing here is steeper generally and really interesting.  Total seizure, shock to the system, rise of the robots, and the futurist are all 7c-7c+ and are great.

[TobyD]

(I 'should' be able to do a steep V7/8 but it wasn't going to happen.) I still reckon there's a sequence there for me, but I'd need to be stronger.
Also, not been on it but Dynomite at cheyne cliff has a rockfax comment about it being good and 8a. It's not one I've heard anything else about though.

I heard that a wad of similar height to me (5'8.5'') thought that FR felt like a v10 crux and getting on for 8b+. This is a third hand rumour, however!

Dynomite sounds interesting.

[duncan]

I am a complete theoretician at this level but if I was operating at your grades, I'd be driving the extra 10 miles and getting on this.

[Kingy]

I only had one session on Freaky and it is certainly very hard. I don't think its necessarily too dependant on reach as there is a short man's method which I tried - from the LH undercut you slap out right to an intermediate sidepull below the pocket - I think my RF was outside edge on a high slopey ramp for this move - tweaky on the left wrist! Then you move your feet to the right with difficulty, then get your right heel on a big hold out right. This enables you to use a very small crimp in front of your face for the LH to reach the pocket. this was about 5 months ago, so the detail is hazy.

I reckon it could be a solid 8a+ with this sequence, only those above 6 foot 4 need apply for the reach method straight to the pocket though. Top quality flow stone rock on the crux and a nice slab to finish, I'll defo be keen for a rematch

[TobyD]

Kingy; that sounds like better knowledge than the 'gaston the lower undercut with RH, cross awkwardly to higher one with LH, then sort of unwind out and slap for the slopy bit' (not that i actually tried this NB)

Duncan; is that Infinite Gravity? if so yes that would be ace, though quite cruxy getting others to go down there! (and i'm equally, if not more interested in doing Polaris!)

[iain]

I'll defo be keen for a rematch

Me too, if only to try your beta, then I'll know for definite whether I should just leave it alone.

Duncan; is that Infinite Gravity? if so yes that would be ace, though quite cruxy getting others to go down there!

 

[TobyD]

For anyone interested, Nightmare Senario at the Cuttings is actually pretty good for Portland!

Anyone done / tried the 8a on the right of the cuttings, which  i have forgotten the name of right now (fighting torque?) ...?

[SteG]

another vote for Monoculture, my favourite route on the island - sustained and needs some deep locks on good incut crimps/pockets but it dries really quickly and doesn't get any seepage so is a good winter project.
Breathing Method is a ramble to a boulder problem that is actually quite good in it's own right. There are two methods for the crux sadly the one I use doesn't allow me to clip so can be entertaining if you don't quite make the move... I'd also recommend Hurricane on a Millpond which gets a fierce write-up but is pretty straight forward crimping on an obvious sequence. It caches some seepage if it rains heavily but is a good winter proj if there's a strong west wind blowing and it's sunny/crisp.
I was speaking to a bloke trying Fighting Torque just before xmas and he seemed to think it was mostly reasonable crimps and not too bad. Also seems to be always dry (might have to try this myself this winter  ).
I'm with Ted's sequence for Freaky Ralph but it is tweaky on the left wrist (and there's a grim little nobble in the top undercut that drills into your middle finger tip). There's a poor pinch about a metre left of the top undercut that you use to gain some momentum to reach a good 4 finger crimp further up and right, after this you can step through and RF heel-hook a big edge to go again right into the pocket. You can get a good shake here on the pocket and a good flattie before some thinness gets you to a hands-free on the top slab before the last few moves. Weather permitting I'm also keen to get back on this over the winter if anyone fancies a team-seige sharing some beta

[Steamboat Stello]

Always thought Mind Terrorist looks pretty good in the guide but never actually tried it. Worth bothering with? Bouldering grade more appropriate?

[SteG]

Always thought Mind Terrorist looks pretty good in the guide but never actually tried it. Worth bothering with? Bouldering grade more appropriate?

nice moves and climbs well but yes bouldering grade more appropriate

[iain]

For anyone interested, Nightmare Senario at the Cuttings is actually pretty good for Portland!

Surprisingly so given how it looks from the bottom. Out of curiosity how did you do the big span from pinch to crimp, (if you did a span.) I'm beta hunting for a friend who's closer to your height I think, my method isn't working for him.

I'd also recommend Hurricane on a Millpond which gets a fierce write-up but is pretty straight forward crimping on an obvious sequence.

That's good to know, it's that or MT next I think and I'd been put off by the description. Is it morpho? I'm a little on the short side.

[TobyD]

For anyone interested, Nightmare Senario at the Cuttings is actually pretty good for Portland!

Surprisingly so given how it looks from the bottom. Out of curiosity how did you do the big span from pinch to crimp, (if you did a span.) I'm beta hunting for a friend who's closer to your height I think, my method isn't working for him.

what i can remember is from a good crimp, i got some LH sidepulls, a awful-looking but not that bad RH on a vague arete, a LH pichy sidepull thing, got my feet quite high, and went up fairly decisively for a good first joint edge with RH, matched and then up to the jug up R (and the next clip)  via some rubbish things, but with good footholds. Hope that is of some help.....

[SteG]

That's good to know, it's that or MT next I think and I'd been put off by the description. Is it morpho? I'm a little on the short side.

no, not really, there's a good variety of footholds to get through the overlap and not morpho at all once established on the upper wall

[iain]

Thanks Toby. I've pm'd you rather than spamming the forum.

no, not really, there's a good variety of footholds to get through the overlap and not morpho at all once established on the upper wall

Good stuff, thanks.

[Duma]

...pretty good for Portland!

Harsh. There's plenty better routes at that grade on the West coast and The Cuttings is not one of the best crags on the island...

Anyone done / tried the 8a on the right of the cuttings, which  i have forgotten the name of right now (fighting torque?) ...?

Yeah was my one and only 8a, but many years ago so don't remember much specific: uninspiring lower section on less than perfect rock, crimps to the flowstone undercut, crux sequence up the groove (very hazy memory of stretching up with LH for bad crimp, then pressing out right for better holds), easy finish. Good route - but I would say that. 

[Nick S]

Can I make a shameless appeal for beta on Fighting Torque?

Specifically, how do you get from the rest at the start of the crux into the twin undercuts (via the sloping pinch at the top of the left arete?) - I think I figured out the bit above the undercuts but any knowledge welcome, just to check I am not missing something obvious...

Also does anyone have the knowledge of what is in/out at 7c+/8a grade. There are rumours that using the left arete brings it down to 7c+ - but after actually having a look at the moves that all seems a bit eliminate bollox.