[eugeneth]

Just wondering exactly where musselbound at angel bay goes? Seems to take a similar line to the V5/6 problem 7.......Cheers

[ducko]

It starts sat down and comes up with arête/bulge on the left if I remember rightly finished uptop, if I remember right it felt pretty easy

[eugeneth]

Cheers. Will have a look next time 

[fatneck]

Possibly the wrong the thread for this?

However, now my pedantic bent is satisfied....

It does take a similar line to the 5/6 but IIRC, it avoids the arete and uses pockets beneath the arete to gain the traverse into the old school face with the crux being a reachy move out right to bridge the groove. Please take this info with a pinch of salt as I've not done it but I seem to remember Rich not thinking it was a giveaway? 

[ziggytang]

Yeah I got confused with where the hell this problem went, as you stated, it does logically seem to take the same line as the 5/6, otherwise it's quite an eliminate problem if you can use the pockets under the arete, but not the arete?

Lets hope the new NWB guide has some clearer topo's and descriptions.

I do quite like Angel Bay as a little venue though, some cracking problems, Ren Arete and the Limpet are both class, wouldn't give Chaos Emerald 3* though...

[ducko]

its very eliminate without the use of the arete.

[fatneck]

Yeah I got confused with where the hell this problem went

Where's BenF when you need him?

I agree that it's a little eliminate, and that it's a great little venue but have to take issue with the Chaos Emerald Crack bit... Amazing problem! You could also try Ben's sitter involving prodigious use of the head!

[BenF]

Where's BenF when you need him?

Sport climbing usually.

From memory:  Pull on and stretch out to flattie with rh.  Heel hook and make reachy move up with lh to sharp pocket.  Hard move to get right foot out from under the roof, rh up to pocket, then again to more positive edge.  Pull up and get large hold and make easy moves over the lip.  May be utterly wrong as I haven't been to the Bay for ages because there's no bolts there. 

Personally I don't see this problem as an eliminate at all, it takes a line of weakness straight up from the starting holds.  Sick as a Dog heads rightwards from the same start, the arete problem heads just left from the start.  Three independent problems. 

Oh yeah, I'm not even going to get started about Chaos Emerald Crack.  If you don't like it, it obviously wasn't dry when you did it...  (nb it usually is gopping).

[Pantontino]

Where's BenF when you need him?

Sport climbing usually.

From memory:  Pull on and stretch out to flattie with rh.  Heel hook and make reachy move up with lh to sharp pocket.  Hard move to get right foot out from under the roof, rh up to pocket, then again to more positive edge.  Pull up and get large hold and make easy moves over the lip.  May be utterly wrong as I haven't been to the Bay for ages because there's no bolts there. 

Personally I don't see this problem as an eliminate at all, it takes a line of weakness straight up from the starting holds.  Sick as a Dog heads rightwards from the same start, the arete problem heads just left from the start.  Three independent problems. 

Oh yeah, I'm not even going to get started about Chaos Emerald Crack.  If you don't like it, it obviously wasn't dry when you did it...  (nb it usually is gopping).

 

It's a while since I last did this, but I'd be very surprised if it was an eliminate. Back in the 90s (when I first did it) there were so many unclimbed lines there was little need for eaking out tight eliminates.

As for Chaos Emerald Crack - a brilliant problem!

[ziggytang]

Seems to be some Chaos Emerald supporters here! It is a good problem and I've done it when it's dry and also when it's mingin! I just don't think it's a 3* problem. When you compare it to caseg groove for instance, both V5 and both 3* however IMO Caseg deserves 3*, Chaos doesn't.

[BenF]

Seems to be some Chaos Emerald supporters here! It is a good problem and I've done it when it's dry and also when it's mingin! I just don't think it's a 3* problem. When you compare it to caseg groove for instance, both V5 and both 3* however IMO Caseg deserves 3*, Chaos doesn't.

Actually, can't really argue with that. 

[Richie Crouch]

I vaguely remember having some trouble on this trying to keep the blinkers firmly on and it felt about fair for the grade at the time.

I'd say there is at least a 2 grade gap to Papa Big Punch though so who knows!

As for Chaos Emerald gash, it is definitely superior to Ren Arete but nowhere near as good as Caseg Groove 

[ziggytang]

Actually, can't really argue with that. 
[/quote]

Haha I don't think a lot of people could. 3* should be saved for problems that truly deserve it, and not thrown around willy nilly. Although it's all personal preference at the end of the day.

[Pantontino]

Here's some pics of Mussel Bound:





You do go into the arete. You can clearly see the two finger pocket that Danny is pulling on in the first - the sequence is very obvious. Maybe it has changed (this pic is from 2003/4 I think?) - these low bulges do get battered by the sea and holds do occasionally change, which might explain grade variances.

The V5/6 goes out left from the low boulder underneath to the obvious light coloured slopers right of Danny's leg in this shot of The Letterbox:

[Pantontino]

I vaguely remember having some trouble on this trying to keep the blinkers firmly on and it felt about fair for the grade at the time.

I'd say there is at least a 2 grade gap to Papa Big Punch though so who knows!

As for Chaos Emerald gash, it is definitely superior to Ren Arete but nowhere near as good as Caseg Groove 

So, Papa Big Punch is 7C.

What is as good as Caseg Groove though - not much? If equal quality to that was the standard for 3 star problems in North Wales, there wouldn't be many at all!