[Fiend]

F8c/+??

[Doylo]

The beasts baffle me with their numbers 

[El Mocho]

think this is sig easier than bonnie sitter (dorsal shit name) Lou is 7C+ and RA 7C for a start, also Lou is much more body tensioney which when we were trying it last year made bonnie feel really hard - both me and Neil were getting into Bonnie feeling pretty fresh in the arms but struggling getting foot out right and then the cross under move as the core is shot (Pete was fine as he had so much momentum up by then). That said I have been training a lot since then and feel a lot fitter (hence shaking out all over Bonnie!) and have no qualms taking the 8c+ tick!

[Doylo]

Fairy muff Ben. RA is hard 7c and LF is soft 7c+. I agree LF will sap more tension but i certainly think RA saps more from the fingers.  It's just not comparable to any 8b+/c bit of climbing in Britain though thats why i was confused. I bow to your experience and waddageness. You guys know better than me anyway 

[abarro81]

I think part of the issue with traverses/long boulders is whether they should be/are being graded for how hard they are (the difficulty of the climbing, ignoring everything else) or how hard they are to do (i.e. taking into account the fact that they're easier to work that a route. Is Pilgrimage F9a climbing, or F9a+ climbing but feels 9a because it's easy to work etc.
Traverse of the gods felt very comparable to the super-long 8b+s I did in France around the same time, but if you had to approach it as a route that would feel very different. Similarly, if it was a traverse I suspect Mecca would be soft 7C+. I think most stuff gets graded along these lines of 'how hard is it to do', sounds like El Mocho is keen to grade it the other way (and be harsh with his route grades at the same time!).

For reference, anything which is anywhere near Font 8B is nowhere near F8b+. Ever. In a million years. (In terms of grading it for comparing the actually climbing, not the difficulty to do it.)

[Doylo]

Yes this is why i think boulder problems should be given bouldering grades. I guess the climbing on this is comparable to a F8c/+ route (imagine sticking some bolts in it in Spain every cunt would be taking 8c+!!) but the effort required is less because there is so much less faff and hence is French graded accordingly.  Pete made a good point that RA is less moves than LF so its easier than Dorsal Stream.  He reckons this link is soft Font 8b. Scrap the French grades and leave it at that i sayYou've got to remember that despite all the beasts going to the Cave Bonnie still never gets done and that those who can seem to be able to lap it. . The Cave is god damn awesome for power endurance!

[abarro81]

Yes this is why i think boulder problems should be given bouldering grades.

in general... but....
what about stuff like Trav of the Gods and Pedigree Chum? They're much 'easier' to grade as sport grades - the only way you'd be able to give it a boulder grade would be to decide what sport grade it felt like, then take off ~3 grades and hope the maths works out about right... 

[Doylo]

Special exceptions i'd say. I'd go for a 30 move cut off point, maybe? 

[Jaspersharpe]

Anything over 7 moves is a route.

[dave]

Yes this is why i think boulder problems should be given bouldering grades.

+1

[andy_e]

Anything over 2 moves is a route.

[comPiler]

skiing and traversing
20 March 2012, 9:32 am

Had a really fun trip skiing in soll the other week, went out with a few family’s from Hathersage and stayed in a catered chalet – ooh posh. The snow and skiing was pretty much perfect for what we were after – it was a little limited and warm for my liking but it meant it worked spot on for the little uns. May was in ski school until 1.30 so we got some time blasting until then (whilst the snow was still good) and then skied with her all afternoon.



May has been skiing a fair bit in the last year – we have joined two ski clubs in Shef, Sharks ski club which is pretty fun and also PPS which is all race training. Pretty humbling when 8 year old kids have your pants down round the poles (although this is probably what I was like at climbing walls as a youth).

During the week away all the kids ability rocketed, May started to use her edges and carve turns a little – still a way off being parallel all the time but getting it on the blues and steady bits of the reds. She managed her first black on the second afternoon in a very controlled manner – big snowplow turns and then traversing the entire slope. Took a long time to get down (although we overtook a few people who had given up skiing and were sliding down on their bums) but she really stuck with it. Had a few bits of fresh snow especially on the friday (no ski school) when we all went off piste for the whole day.

Little vid containing lots of children and not much skiing!

Got back and it had been about 10 days without climbing. On the mon went straight to Dog’s Dinner to get on Pedigree Chum with the hope that with all the rest I would cruise it. I didn’t. I was shit. Even as I was going along it I was think this would be it and it would be easy. Took until the 3rd time for me to realise I was probably a little less fit. Went at it quite hard the rest of the week – 5 days on cumilating in a day at Malham on Bat Route which was ace. Took the ride from the end of the runout to the pocket (not on a link from the ground!) onto the old bolt (very rusty) managed not to scream mostly because Caff was watching and he would take the piss out of me for years to come if I had. Would be good to get some new bolts in this…

Had the weekend resting and then yesterday back to Dog’s Dinner. Different story this time around. Had a go when my foot popped and then next go did it (ish – only climbed the first 2 sections up to the point it goes up really high, it seems natural to stop here – the climbing up to this point is very continuous, difficult and close to the ground. It then gets a lot easier and much higher to then get the final tricky wall. I was never really inspired by the last section, I would be keener to push on with Steves version instead (which carries on low at this point) but this would obviously be desperate)



I think the original (full) trav got F8c+? I don’t know what this version is, When I did the last bit on its own I didn’t feel it was that hard but after 30mins of hard climbing (that’s how long it took me, I had my ipod on so I didn’t get bored on the rests) it could be pretty tricky. Whatever the grade it is probably the hardest piece of french grade climbing I have done.

I just need to transfer all this shuffling fitness to going upwards.

Source: ben bransby

[Fiend]

May looks a wee ski demon...

LOL @ the Bat Route scream avoidance.

[Stu Littlefair]

Effort on the traverse! Be interesting to see what people think of stopping at the flake. I was mulling that over too.

Agree about the bolts on Bat route. I was well afeared on it last year. I did want to re-bolt it this winter, but have never placed a bolt in my life and am a bit nervous about starting on a classic, especially after what Ru and AndyH did to the Kali Yuga belay on their first attempt...

If anyone wants to take me in hand and show me the ropes I could have a go. It would only need the bolt on the runout and the one above replacing really...

[Doylo]

I'm guessing stainless expansion bolts would be fine on BR and they are a piece of piss to place Stu. Plenty of folk in Sheff who could give a quick rundown on placing these i'm sure

[El Mocho]

Just emailed Dave Mus about getting some YBF bolts for this (and also to double check it is ok to bolt at Malham at the moment - not allowed during nesting restrictions but I don't think these are in place yet) If it is all ok I will be hoping to get the PBF drill and do this on Thursday (at least drill the holes any how...) As Doylo says resin bolts are easy to place, me and Sam did some a bit back as our first bolts and I have since hung off them all without any failures.

[Stu Littlefair]

Winner!

Give me a shout if you want a hand...

[comPiler]

kalymnos
16 April 2012, 4:17 pm

Spent 10 days over Easter on Kalymnos. It was awesome. It was a mixture of a family holiday and also climbing and it worked spot on – the crags tended to be in the shade in the mornings and then became too hot mid afternoon so there was plenty of time for chilling on the beach. I haven’t been on many sport climbing holidays since I was a kid – probably only 3 or 4 and I had forgotten how much fun and low stress it is.



Did lots of climbing, mostly on sighting stuff and also 4 quick redpoints when the on sights had failed. Nearly all the routes were great, things like Marci Marc, Gaia, Priapos and Super Themelina were some of the stand outs.



The climb which I enjoyed the most was probably the one I failed on: Irox on Telendos. Gave this a go on sight and after battling through the whole cave (which was also wet) I blew it on the last hard move up on the headwall. There was one point – part way through the roof -  when I asked to be taken but after shouts of encouragement I managed to push on for a few more bolts. It can be hard, especially when hanging on a wet tufa and looking at another one, to give 100% but you can often surprise yourself when you do. I tend to find it a lot easier to try really hard when red pointing – this is partly as the majority of my on sight climbing has been trad stuff and as much as you try hard on trad it tends to be in a more controlled manner with lots of shaking out and fiddling around.



spot the turtle.

Source: ben bransby

[Fiend]

North of centre with a red hat. I was looking for a real turtle, it took me ages  . Also top of the picture over to the left...

[comPiler]

last few months
1 September 2012, 9:14 am

Been a little gap in my posting, this was due to a few things: not done much (since Bat Route), rain, illness and 3 weeks in Canada.  The illness I had was pretty funny for a climber – vertigo. Heard a rumor going around the village that I had become scared of heights…

‘oooh he’s got vertigo, can’t even stand up…’

Not being able to stand up was true. Was bad for 3 weeks or so, 1st week was stuck in bed. Standing up or even sitting up led to the room spinning, falling over and feeling sick. 2nd and 3rd week things improved although Caff said my lead of Brimstone E1 at Millstone is the shakiest he has ever seen me.

As soon as I was better Adam Long and I flew out to Vancouver to head to the Bugaboos. Wasn’t ill there but the day I got home the vertigo set in again, not as bad this time but a week later now and I still can’t climb. Bugs were good though…

Will post a few things about it all and to start things off some of the animals.

Adam sorting the car:



At the end of the dirt road to get to the Bugaboos you come across a car park full of vehicles like the above. You have to wrap your car in chicken wire, place rocks on the bottom and sticks against the top. I met the reason for this late one afternoon starting the walk in:

This guy was just making his way to the car park for his evening meal, apparently they will eat pretty much anything they can including any rubber they can find on or underneath your car.

At the campsite we had some more hungry animals. The campsite site had metal food storage boxes – pretty understandable – and also large metal poles and hooks to hang bags of climbing gear etc from. These little critters would even eat your climbing ropes if left out:



We didn’t really have any issues although one did make off with my avocado.

On the drive back to Squamish we stopped to bivvy here:



I was a little worried but Adam the animal man said it was the mosquito’s we should watch out for and that was the only reason we were putting up the tent. I have been bitten by mozzies and it is itchy, haven’t been bitten by a rattle snake but I have heard it is a little worse. He said they were more afraid of us than us them. I doubt it.

Spent a lot of time on Bear watch but no joy, Adam was also a bit gutted to miss out on any Wolverines – apparently some had been spotted in the car park although the source is a little unreliable (Matt and Will, possibly too high to distinguish between a Wolverine and a porcupine although in the state they were in I am sure it was exciting)

Source: ben bransby

[comPiler]

diamond days
16 September 2012, 9:42 am

I have still got vertigo, but not as bad. Managed to go climbing. The tides were good so I went over to the Diamond to get on mine and Sams project. Late last year we bolted the extension to the Brute (Dyers 8b from a few years back which some skinny Aussi recently flashed) but due to winter and then bird bans never got much time on it. It was really fun on the route – gave the Brute a quick go but got pumped, was pretty happy though as I didn’t really know what I was doing and got fairly high (and had vertigo – this is gonna be my stock excuse for the next year or so) then went up the top a few goes. Did the top in overlapping halves – it is probably 8b from the end of the Brute to the top. Got worried that one of the local snakes (i.e. Caff) might nick it so put some red ribbon on the 1st bolt (of extension) to keep him off, thought about padlocking a frying pan to it but as Caff would probably just clip that and carry on decided to rely on his morals instead.



Black = Big Brute         Red = Petes project

Pete was busy trying his project just to the left of the Brute, pretty intense up to half way then a slightly easier (7c+?) finish all the way to the top. He reached a high point and then climbed from a move below this all the way to fall off the last move. Looks really good, Pete estimated 8c+.

Since Dyer has gone to Canada the position of N.Wales’ best climber has become open. Rivalry at the crag was intense:



Pete: “Ha ha you’re shit I once downgraded an E10 to E7″



Caff: “I’m way better than him, I downgraded an E11 to E8″



Pete happy cause Caff spent the day failing on a route he’d flashed…

I think it’s a draw.

Source: ben bransby

[Doylo]

World class projects 

Word on the street is Caff only downgraded Long Hope to usurp Pete's largest downgrade. Pete could claim top honours if he hadn't accidently graded Meltdown 9a 

[comPiler]

bugaboos
19 September 2012, 6:03 pm

Ever since I saw Alpinist 14 and its article on the Howser Towers I had been keen to go to the Bugaboos and so had Adam. This summer we finally got around to going. There were a few things which excited me about the trip: the climbing looked really good, the area looked really beautiful, it was nicely remote without too much stress and there were good routes of all grades. This last was to prove pretty lucky.



N.E. Ridge of Bugaboo spire, 5.8

I have been climbing now for over 25 years and for a fair bit of that time I have been seen as a ‘good’ climber. When I’ve been on trips or gone to crags I don’t normally go with big objectives but I have often got some pretty hard stuff done. I try not to let grades be the measure of success but like the rich man who says money is not important it is easy to say grades don’t matter when you are still climbing hard or improving.

Before I set out on the trip I had (as mentioned before) a pretty severe bout of vertigo, I had 3 weeks where I could hardly walk let alone climb leading right up to the day we flew out. When we were in Canada I felt like I was 100% fit and got on with the climbing. The first few days in Squamish were very hot and humid and we found the climbing hard going. No problem though, once we got up high in the Bugs the temperature would be spot on.



Access Techniques head honcho practicing what he preaches, Grand Wall, Squamish

The Bugs were great, really nice looking lines at all grades and a pretty sociable scene at the camping. It became obvious though that I wasn’t climbing as well as in the past. The main objective of the trip had been a one day free ascent of All Along the Watchtower a 3,000 ft 5.12 on the North Howser but after doing the Beckey-Chouinard on the South Howser I didn’t have any desire to step it up onto Watchtower. I was worried I would get cold and tired (doh it’s Alpine climbing…). We did go and do a big route on the North Howser in the end – Seventh Rifle a 34 pitch 5.11 – but by then I had pretty much accepted that I was getting old and starting the decline in my climbing. I was worried whether I would still be happy climbing easier routes but that didn’t seem to be a problem, one of the routes I enjoyed the most was a 5.4 – the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire.

Whilst we were up climbing Will Stanhope and Matt Segal were busy working on freeing the Tom Egan Memorial route on Snowpatch Spire. We climbed a route next to them and spent a little time abusing them. It looks hard. Here is a little vid of Will working it. The route he is comparing it to at the end is the A1 Beauty pitch of The Prophet.

Once I got home from the trip the Vertigo kicked back in. Just been to the Docs today and it seems I had it the whole time I was away. Glad I have a reason for being shit. I wasn’t quite ready to be past it…

Source: ben bransby

[grimer]

Nice stuff as always.

Can someone explain. There's been a Bugaboos blog, a Diamond blog and a Bugaboos blog. Did you fly home just for a day on the Ormes then return to Canada?

[a dense loner]

Grimer that's the most logical thing uve ever written. I'm speechless, luckily I've got opposable thumbs