[SA Chris]

Only bouldered in Squamish and only really did the following 3 V4's still they are all excellent!

Sloppy Poppy - Thrutchy top-out, I only just made it!
Easy in an Easy Chair - Brilliant once you get it all right.
Superfly - A frustrating move but hey its close to the road and has a flat landing!

I only bouldered for a day there and did the same 3.

[Gus]

Like Adam said, this thread is ace. Pure psyche and good vibes, frothing for 2012!! 

Top 3 UK Boulder problems:

"Hard Arete", 5 Clouds: 7a+: bit of a Nemesis from years past

"Dry Wit in a wet country", RH stride: 7a+, psyched to get the flash on this

"Bashers Problem", 6c+?, Tor: Good party crew at the crag, psyched for more limestone bouldering in 2012

Top 3 Abroad Boulders:

"Rataplat", Isatis, 7b: Amazing scenes on Adam's stag do.

"Big Jim", Petis Bois, 6c: The perfect boulder problem? Good height and committing last move.

"Lapin ou Canard", Isatis, 7a: Again good team stag do scenes.

Top 3 Trad/ solos UK:

"Clipperty Clop Clipperty Clop Clipperty Clop" E7,  Ramshaw: Very happy with this one, been unfinished business for many years, get in!!

"Yellow Pearls" E5, Pembroke: Foolishly decided to attempt this on one of the hottest days of the year, on the sunniest piece of rock in the UK, just managed to scrape my way up it and nearly melted in the process when I realised I was in deck out position!! 

"Primeval" E5, Pen Trywn: The best DWS in the UK???? It was soaking so I send westie in as sacrificial lamb, once a sequence was unlocked and splashdown had occurred I nipped in for a cheeky flash. Much easier to psyche up for this without the hangover from hell and a high tide! 

Top 3 UK Sport:

"Thormens Moth" 8a, Thors Cave: Just wow! Not enough routes like this in the UK, this one is really special. 

"Powerplant" 8a, Cornice: Psyched to get this put to bed, after a lot of faff deciphering  sequence last summer, finally decided on one and on first redpoint found myself, rather shocked, at the last hard move. a few goes later it was smashed!

"The Prow (p1 + 2)" 7c+, the tor: Another amazing long one where euro fitness actually comes in handy. Must have done this route about 5 times! Bitter about the full version and the 30 footer I took from round the lip, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory! It doesn't stand a chance in 2012!!

Top 3 Euro Sport:
Lots to choose from here, so these 3 must be really special!!

Priapos 7c, Kalymnos: Managed to get back to 7c onsights and flashes in 2011 and was glad I did as this one was beyond belief on the last day of an awesome trip. Can't believe how pumped you can get on a route with sit down rests, it just goes on and on!!

Vagabond D'occident 7c, Ceuse: Unfinished business put to bed, great route but Ceuse isn't the place for a 4 day trip, emotional. Good team campsite scenes though.

Hugo 7c+, Misja Pec: Great start to the year with an awesome crew. You've definitely know you're good mates with 3 other people if you can spend 10 days with them staying in a room the size of my bathroom. Slovenia is ace!!

Top Spankings:
Boat People 7c, The Diamond: 2 visits, both greasy as sin!! This route just won't let me climb it!!

K3, 8a+, Cornice: So psyched for this route but it's gonna take some weakness working!!

Font in general: Not ideal after a 10 days sport climbing trip but still, i's always hard work. Another weakness worker!! 

All the best for 2012 everyone, lets have plenty more waddage in this thread this time next year, get psyched!!

[i_a_coops]

Top 3 Boulder Problems

The Keel - spent all day on it, ended up with taking my right shoe off and taping up my toes. Cranking on the chip was amazing, felt like a culmination of all the training I did with my leg in a cast.

Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out - Was supposed to be in some whack comp but conditions were mint so I claimed my finger was too fucked to compete and went to Stanage. Warmed up ad down by soloing most of the VSs above the Plantation, although I felt a bit bad about running laps around the team having an epic on a VDiff, it was a pretty magical day.

Look At Me!, Cratcliffe - thought I'd have a play on this in the dark without a pad. Ended up wedged at the top of the chimney shouting for help, a pad, some chalk, and my headtorch....

Top 3 UK Trad Routes

Life Assurance - had decided not to try it, then Jacob said 'would you like to go first on this one' and the next thing I knew I was standing on a couple of pebbles and eyeballing the top jug. 2nd E6 onsight, although certainly my last bold E6.

Elegy - 1st E-grade route post foot breakage. Felt harder and scarier than Life Assurance!

Interrogation - amazing route, climbing with (very nice) strangers, had to fight a lot harder than I expected!

Top 3 Foreign Routes

All in Chorro...

Trainspotting - 1st 8a. Felt like a hero skipping the clip mid crux and committing to the big slap right at the top of the cliff! Climbed in snakeskin lycra for additional points.

Muchachito Bombo Infierno (6 pitch thing) - 1st day on it I failed to complete a single pitch clean, the exposure started getting to me and I climbed incredibly badly and even dropped a quickdraw. Really glad I came back to it to redpoint the 3rd pitch, which is the most amazing bit of climbing I've ever come across - board style moves leading to a sodding enourmous stalactite and associated weirdness, all with eagles flying underneath you.

Eye of the Storm - it's a massive horizontal roof on masive jugs and I DID A BAT HANG....

Top 3 UK Sport Routes

Vicious Delicious, Torbryan - still my hardest onsight to date, totally unexpected as it was immediately after a 3 month layoff.

Rampage/Hot Lava connection, Cheesewring - 'only' 7a+ but it did feature a 6 foot sideways dyno to avoid a wet streak, got benighted and had to RP it in the dark by headtorch to get my clips back!

Pride Evans Locker, Cheddar - got a friend to slap me pre RP to get the endorphins going.....

Only New Route

Hell Bent For Drag, Cheddar. Daft linkups are where it's at. Really pleased to get Draggin' Along and this done in the same day, felt like I was almost keeping up with Jacob!

Top 4 Spankings

Master's Edge - I think hospitalisation is the ultimate spanking.
Mexican Wave, Swanage - 7a+ and I cannot do the crux move.
Baby Chimes - have done all the moves, but can't do all the moves in the same session.
Too Hard For Mark Leach - too hard for me, more like. think I did manage the footless version though!

[Will Hunt]

Top Spanking's
Wen, Gogarth - Still managed to onsight but shook like a shitting dog as I edged along the finishing traverse, having placed my last quickdraw, not knowing the crux was yet to come...

I thought the crux was the bottom of the first pitch. Of course, the tide had just gone out and it was slimy as buggery. Worst bit for my partner however was the final traverse, I'd been so relieved to be standing on the ledge that I forgot to put a bit of gear in for him and he had to second it with 20ft of rope out *oops!*

Yes! I did the same thing to my partner! I found the crux of the whole route to be the step across to and then the final mantle onto the belay ledge. Not really any holds on the wall behind the ledge and I ended up with both feet and both hands on the ledge in a "frog" position which felt very "teetery"!

[csurfleet]

I dunno, I seem to remember some small holds just 'appearing' and I did the mantle in a kind of terrified daze. Brilliant route!

[Duncan Disorderly]

Just seen this...

Top three boulder probs, UK
Been a slim year bouldering-wise so:
Pock Block Slab 7A - Not a great problem but tried it for years and was good to finally get the tick.
Pocket Eliminate 7A on the Trackside boulder - Again tried it loads so good to clear it off the list.
Curbar Quarry 7A (got a name but dunno it) - Did it 2nd try thinking "this is hard for 6A" 

Top three boulder probs, abroad
Did a couple of 7A's and a great 6c at Drei Zinnen - Can't remember the names.

Top three sport routes UK
Now we're talking....
Indecent Exposure Direct - Big tick this as it was me first F7c and first route at the Tor... Still makes me smile.
Direct Flight @ Kilnsey - Really should have done this first go but did it 1st RP - Brilliant!
Cairn @ Harpur Hill - Possibly the best F7a in the country!!!!! - Enjoyed it so much I did it twice.

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Batman @ Forada - Bit of a seige this one but really stands out as it's so far from my favoured style of climbing (i.e. fucking steep) and was my first non UK F7b+.
Onsighted a great F6c+ at the same crag - Name eludes me right now.
Some good warmups...

Top Spanking's
The Sheep - Fell off the top too many times, never 6c+ - bastard!
Body Machine Direct - Thought I'd get on this (again) after my success with Indecent - Got spanked
Stopping Training and instantly getting injured - There's a lesson here I feel!

Good to write this all down - Some good bits some ok bits some bits I need to work on... Don't think I actually did a Trad route all year and was really a bit shit in Font. Did tick my hardest sport routes though , hoping to expand on that this year.

Hopefully next year's one of these should see some steady sport progress, maybe a trad route or 2 and a not too serious decline in bouldering ability.

:D

[Fiend]

maybe a trad route or 2

 

[Duncan Disorderly]

Stop stalking me 

[Fiend]

I've replied to nuff other people in this thread you neurotic choad. It's just none of them came up with such outlandish ideas as the one I quoted!!

[Duncan Disorderly]

 Internet stalker

[Steve R]

Running a bit low on SYKE despite the weather at the moment but reading through these has been good and so I thought I'd indulge myself.....

Top three boulder probs, UK
tierdrop - had failed on the top slap previously but no messing this year!  perfect micro climb
Powerhumps hard way, Tor - basic but satisfying, hopeful for staminahumps 2012
Desparete, Burbage - got it all really.  Moves, holds, line, height

Top three boulder probs, abroad
stuff I flashed in The Cave on a day feeling relatively strong is the best I can do here.  It's good in there though.

Top three(/4) trad routes/soloes UK
Narcissus, Froggatt - Ground upping this same day as doing Downhill Racer was quite a dream day really as I've wanted to do them for years and they didn't disappoint.  In good company too.
Jasmine, Bamford - great feeling when things come together on grit
The Axe, cloggy - Another one I've wanted to try for yonks.  A bit looser and  more rattly than expected but a quality experience. 

Top three sport routes UK
only had ~2 days sport this year due to injury so to bring out the barrel scraper: Mesmerized, The Main Motor Mile & Much Monkey Magic at Craigy Biceps (cow dale) were all pretty decent....

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
came by a more or less free trip to the Algarve so had a decent couple of DWS days.  White dove at Ingrinia was the highlight.

Top three new route/prob put up
Not sure it counts but added a sit to Grand Master Flash at Scugdale (might have been done before).  Nothing much else to report but tried some other NYMoors little projects that I hope to get done this year.
Top Spanking's
top spot definitely goes to Ben's Roof, Tor.  Total punter tactics on this.  Fell off on the cross through move 20+(?) times over far too many sessions.  Then on my last session of the season before I had to go away for work, I realised I'd been crossing under my left which makes the move about 40% harder than crossing over but was too tired to finish it by then!    My knee still feels a bit bruised even now I tried it so much.
White wand, stanage.  Was all set and keen to onsight this beauty but lack of flex and grit vision saw me barn door off the crux.  Went next go once I'd been shown the way but it was still a spanking really.
Various other things on Peak Lime like powerband, out of my tree, it's a travesty, paint it black, the list's fairly endless.....

Hopeful for a good year this year with less injury, harder boulders and a lot more trad.  All the best 

[Andy B]

I'm jealous of your Grand Master Flash tick. I always fancied it, but was told it was a bit snappy up top, so never built up the courage to push through the top wall.

[petejh]

Top 3 Boulder Problems
Hardly bouldered through 2011. Voie Normale at Craig y Llyn was nice to do after xmas day.


Top 3 Boulder Problems Abroad
Did crescent arete on a weekend holiday to Englandshire, it was very good 


Top 3 UK Trad Routes
Are You Having It About the Woolly Mammouths (winter) - the most ephemeral route I've done.  I'd watched this nearly form over many years but the Welsh winter never stayed cold enough for long enough for the hanging ice dagger to form properly. Then for two days only over xmas day and boxing day 2010 the ice dagger came into condition. Afterwards it was melting rapidly as we departed the crag. A special route because it felt like a very satisfying journey from imagination to reality, get in! (not 2011 but close enough..)
The Moon, Yellow Walls. Luverly start to the rock season in sunny spring warmth.
Really enjoyed True Grip on the Cromlech.

Didn't really get into the tradding last year but what I did was all good.
 

Top 3 Foreign Routes
Clarion Call? (I need a trip to Spain soon).


Top 3 UK Sport Routes
Alberta Rose - the reward for spending 10 days putting in a new handline across Detritus Wall whilst scring myself silly. How ironic that probably the two best N.Wales sport routes of their grade are in such a location.
Never Get Out of the Boat - the rumours were true, this is awesome! Only my second 8a and getting it first redders made it feel like I'm doing all the right things to progress.
Ocean of Emotion - didn't get it clean and haven't been back yet; but after hearing and reading about this infamous route for so long and then finally getting on it in the lovely autumn sunshine to discover it's as good as it comes for UK sport, was a good experience.


Top 5 Spankings
The Diamond - spending 7 days accessing and equipping a route on the largest wall until the realisation hit that it wasn't going to happen.
The Diamond - countless days equipping the extension to the handline when I'd rather have been working a proj (except ...see above).
Don't Die of Ignorance (Ben Nevis) - spent two weekends driving North, walking up the Ben, making it through the 'cut loose and kung fu kick' crux moves only to discover both times that the ice which is required to making the next moves wasn't there.
Clogwyn Du winter projects 1 and 2 - six attempts now to break through the roof on project 1, with lots of energy expended but its going to go and its going to be mint. Miles P bailing off from a half-in warthog near the top of project 2, below more hard climbing after we thought we were going to do it.
Red Meat - hanging in the blazing sun cleaning off a thousand years of accumulated bird shit on the mid-height ledge with a water bottle, fairy liquid and a wire brush. Pigeon fancier's lung for supper.

Actually I can think of many more proper spankings than sends..

[SA Chris]

Are You Having It About the Woolly Mammouths (winter) - the most ephemeral route I've done.  I'd watched this nearly form over many years but the Welsh winter never stayed cold enough for long enough for the hanging ice dagger to form properly. Then for two days only over xmas day and boxing day 2010 the ice dagger came into condition. Afterwards it was melting rapidly as we departed the crag. A special route because it felt like a very satisfying journey from imagination to reality, get in! (not 2011 but close enough..)

I know that feeling only too well. Not quite of the same significance as an ascent, but some coastal ice has almost formed up 10 mins walk from the house several times but never got thick enough to climb. I walked down every couple of days over that cold period and saw it geting thicker and thicker, until on boxing day it got as good as it gets and was forecast to get a lot warmer. I had phoned around and managed to find some mates who were at home and up for having a shot. Unfortunately I was denied the lead as I got a vomiting bug on Xmas day and felt kitten weak, but was stoked to see it climbed and second it.



I know it looks a bit short to actually bother leading, but we had no idea of ice quality, and were glad of rope on the top out from the ice onto unfrozen steep grass that had been insulated by snow.

So have now done trad routes, bouldering, DWS and ice climbing in walking distance of the house. Just need to bolt a couple of routes....

(apologies for the off topic posting).

[petejh]

Brilliant! A very 'British' thing to do