[slackline]

Hopefully it won't be the preserve of the strong as kids can benefit greatly from these and having pockets that can be eliminated in favour of the crimp by the strong means it gets used by everyone in the "community".

Going to the Sheaf this evening so will check them out.

[SpanishJuan]

wow.... does look very crimpy though

[Jaspersharpe]

Awesome!

[lagerstarfish]

anyone know what the rules are?

obviously heels and toe hooks are out

thumbs should be out - including thumb-reinforced crimps

is it half crimps only ? no full crimps?

sit starts only

got to get these sorted out so I feel better about being burned off by 5 year olds in wellies

[Bonjoy]

Hopefully it won't be the preserve of the strong as kids can benefit greatly from these and having pockets that can be eliminated in favour of the crimp by the strong means it gets used by everyone in the "community".

Going to the Sheaf this evening so will check them out.

Let the "community" eat slabby cake round the back. They already have a boulder full of jugs in Healey. Bring on the shit slopers and minging crimps I say.

[SA Chris]

Hopefully it won't be the preserve of the strong as kids can benefit greatly from these and having pockets that can be eliminated in favour of the crimp by the strong means it gets used by everyone in the "community".

First time I've ever heard of artifical boulder makers being elitist. Admit, you just want some things on it that you can do!

[lagerstarfish]

Is this new boulder going to be Heeley North and the old one Heeley South?

In my mind it is already labelled Sheaf View View Boulder

[slackline]

Hopefully it won't be the preserve of the strong as kids can benefit greatly from these and having pockets that can be eliminated in favour of the crimp by the strong means it gets used by everyone in the "community".

First time I've ever heard of artifical boulder makers being elitist. Admit, you just want some things on it that you can do!

True I would like to get up it too, but its community money that has gone into it and it should therefore be available to all the community and not the few who made loud noises at the consultations about having hard problems only (its not the makers, but those who guided them).

I think the artificial boulders are ideally suited for everyone in this regard because the "jugs" are pockets which don't protrude like bolt-ons at the wall do which get in your way.

Its not hard to eliminate such jugs when you want to bone down on the crimps as they don't protrude. 

I just don't think that such a facility has to be all of any one type of hold.

[Bonjoy]

What about a wheelchair ramp too?

I'm being flippant, but really I don't think it would be a great injustice if half of one of Sheffield's many artificial boulders was just a bit more hardcore and aesthetically pleasing than the stultifying logic of catering to the LCD demands. I disagree re pockets, they are only marginally less intrusive than other hold types, not to mention being inviting apertures for scrotes disenfranchised younger members of the community, to deposit broken glass and dog-eggs.

[slackline]

No problem with there being harder sections as long as there is still stuff for everyone to use & enjoy on the new stuff (and yes I am shit, but always trying to improve).

The boulders are great as you do get lots of kids taking an interest, particularly at Heeley.

I guess being intrusive is better than being extrusive as its only the willingness to go for the hold you intend to rather than having to reach round a blob.

[Jaspersharpe]

Bonjoy is right. One side of one boulder being slightly elitist hardly affects the whole facility and can only be a good thing. Especially if it looks as nice as this appears to.

[fatdoc]

Looks superb.

[al]

think we're going to really upset slackline - it's mainly dodgy slopers and crimps up overhanging walls, and even the slabs round the back are thin (although there is a way down the bigger slab)
we had a great brief for this; make it elite and go for it, make sure kids can't easily get up it, or hang out ontop.
i've done over 15 boulders in the uk and this has been the only time that a client has taken such a risk, and sheffield maybe the only town that could work?
as bonjoy says there are plenty of easier boulders in town, especially the one 50m away which caters for a much more varied user - the consultations and the funding stipulations also backed up our instinct for something harder, although the proof will be in the pudding or whatever the phrase is
I'll post some pics over the weekend if I can get it together...

[r-man]

its community money that has gone into it and it should therefore be available to all the community and not the few who made loud noises at the consultations about having hard problems only (its not the makers, but those who guided them).

There are a lot of neglected artificial boulders around the country, which were designed so that kids could get up them. Kids did get up them, then got bored and never came back. The key to making these things popular is attracting keen climbers.

Imagine having a boulder with genuinely inspiring problems... Or a boulder as good as a woody for training on... Or a steep linkups venue like a mini hollow mountain cave... Or a 30m traverse wall with a line of slopers, a line of underclings, a line of crimps... Or a boulder with replicas of the top thirty problems in the world...

I mean, imagine having artificial boulders that climbers would dream of, rather than just make the best of. It's never happened before. Perhaps this is the beginning.

[slackline]

And how regularly does the boulder at St Mary's get used?  Kids don't travel to play.

[al]

And how regularly does the boulder at St Mary's get used?  Kids don't travel to play.

the kids have got tons of stuff in this park to play, we need to play too

[lagerstarfish]

just been down and caught Al stroking the holds and trying to work out whether they slope too much

the steep side looks great

standing underneath it, I felt like I'd want to have a pad under me for the top-out

the main lines are... well, actual lines

looking hard enough without having to eliminate holds (including the slab)

even the descent looks to be Font 4

the arêtes are very cool

looks more Cresciano than Font or Peak

I forgot to chuck a few rocks to test whether it is an actual stone's throw from The Sheaf View

[al]

we're down monday finishing off so if anyone can make it pop down and give us some feedback on holds and whether we need to adjust anything with a chisel and hammer 
got a couple of pics from flickr:
[/url]
heeleyboulderfront by allenwilliams, on Flickr[/img]
[/url]
heeleyboulderback by allenwilliams, on Flickr[/img]

[Wood FT]

we're down monday finishing off so if anyone can make it pop down and give us some feedback on holds and whether we need to adjust anything with a chisel and hammer 
got a couple of pics from flickr:
[/url]
heeleyboulderfront by allenwilliams, on Flickr[/img]
[/url]
heeleyboulderback by allenwilliams, on Flickr[/img]

bloody hell good effort!

[dave]

Those two aretes in the middle are two close together, you'll have crack climbers turning up.

[Bonjoy]

Looks great. Reminds me of the Yoghurt Hypnotist bit at Rowtor.

[SpanishJuan]

I want one, do they do a BMC discount?

[al]

we had a test climb today, and all seems ready to go - think the fence is down tomorrow (friday)
pads are advised and feel free to wirebrush or scrape the holds if they need it - its pretty rough, but will wear down fairly quick, a bit like ricky hatton 

[SA Chris]

Those two aretes in the middle are two close together, you'll have crack climbers turning up.

Or even worse, people using kneebars.

[SA Chris]

al, how much do these things cost, and can I pay for you to stealthily drop it in the middle of Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen?

Seriously though, Duthie Park in Aberdeen is in the middle of a large restoration project, how do you go about getting these things installed? Do you approach the councils or do they approach you? Union Terrace Gardens is (possibly) getting a big uplift project too.