[andy popp]

Two good new problems on the wall right of 'Stigarete'in the roadside quarry (Haydn's Quarry, p. 94 of the new guide). The wall contains two square niches and faint central rib.

Slot Machine 6B*
Take the left edge of lefthand square niche with hands crossed, pull on and go up with left to the first of a series of slots up the wall.

Yates' Wine Lodge 6B+**
The central rib. The niches are out  but in fact the righthand one never comes into reach and once into the sequence lefthand one gets naturally forgotten about. A really good little problem on very good rock. There is even an interesting sitter, the first at Harmers?, that perhaps makes it 6C

A big thick branch/root runs horizontally along the way along the ledge at the topout, forming a huge jug and pretty steady topouts.

ps. the grades are probably totally wrong.

[tomtom]

Sounds like you had a good day out Andy

[BenF]

Good work Andy, I presume that wall is starting to clean up now then?

ps. the grades are probably totally wrong.

Really?  That would be a turn up.   

[JamieG]

My wife and I must have just missed you. We were in the main quarry until around half three (ish). Really lovely venue. Was trying layaway. Brilliant problem Took quite awhile to figure out some beta, then I fell off the very top and am walking wounded today. Oops. Next time! And I think I'll take a seond mat. They do get quite high . . . .

Good effort on the new problems. I'll have to have a look next time I'm down.

I remember there being a pdf for the quarry but couldn't find it anywhere in ukb anymore. Is that now defunct since the new guide is out?

Cheers Jamie

[tomtom]

I dont think there was ever a PDF - though the Harmers wood thread on UKB (use search) has descriptions and pics of some of the main lines.. Its generally fairly easy to figure out without a guide at Harmers - theres loads of things with larger holds (and the aretes) in the V0-V2 range, then most other things (small holds & mono's) are in the V4-V6 range..

Anyway - glad you like the place - it manages to stay pretty cool in summer (thanks to the trees) though can take a few days to dry after a good dousing (thanks to the trees!)

[JamieG]

Haha, I guess my memory is failing me and at only 29 too.

It really is a lovely spot, very tranquill. I'll need to investigate the problems in the other quarries too, since I really like the style of climbing. Lots of technical walls with small feet and handholds.

Cheers Jamie

[andy popp]

My wife and I must have just missed you. We were in the main quarry until around half three (ish). Really lovely venue. Was trying layaway. Brilliant problem Took quite awhile to figure out some beta, then I fell off the very top and am walking wounded today. Oops. Next time! And I think I'll take a seond mat. They do get quite high . . . .

I was there just after four. Not surprised you're hobbling if you came off up there!

Glad you liked it though. Give me a shout if you're going back, I'm there pretty often.

[JamieG]

I was pondering popping down after work one evening this week to have a rematch with layaway, but the weather doesn't look too promising. Plus I guess it will need a bit of time to dry out after the dousing it got yesterday. Will definitely let you know next time I head down, I could do with some local knowledge to limit leg bruising falls . . .

[tomtom]

I was pondering popping down after work one evening this week to have a rematch with layaway, but the weather doesn't look too promising. Plus I guess it will need a bit of time to dry out after the dousing it got yesterday. Will definitely let you know next time I head down, I could do with some local knowledge to limit leg bruising falls . . .

Heres some tall persons beta...

[JamieG]

Cheers tomtom, you made it look very smooth (a bit scrittly at the top aren't they ;-))

Yeah I have to work my left foot up to the higher foothold before reaching the highest of the sidepulls, right foot is on the first low down mono. I'm pretty average height too (5ft 10) with about 2inch positive ape index (proper monley arms), so not exactly short man beta.

The bit I fell off from was reaching for the big slot with my left from the matched crimps at the top of the rib (where you jumped off in the first attempt). I couldn't quite reach the slot, only about an inch short so tried to work my feet higher and then sack of spuds time and bruised leg. A second mat should do the trick, and give me a wee bit more confidence to stretch the extra little bit.

Seems pretty stiff for 6b+ but then I was pretty knackered by the end and my right middle finger was complaining from the monos. Need to get back and see it off, I've fallen off the last move of too many problems to let this become another one.

Jamie

[tomtom]

Yup - I think its nails for 6B+

I've found I have to re-calibrate Cheshire grades to account for gnarly pex trained crimp capability!

I lanked it at the end, but if you bring your feet higher up the rib than I did for the last move then it works well - some people bring both feet onto the rib as well - opposing. I was there a couple of weeks back, and there were a couple of very capable male climbers failing on the last move, then their mate turned up - and she flashed it just smoothly worked her way up it.. superb... There are also some intermediate crimps between the two at the top of the rib and the good finishing slots/rails...

[BenF]

A bit of foothold came off a year or so ago making the top a bit harder.  Always been hard for 6b+ though.  Much easier in cooler temperatures (isn't everything?).

[andy popp]

The bit I fell off from was reaching for the big slot with my left from the matched crimps at the top of the rib (where you jumped off in the first attempt). I couldn't quite reach the slot, only about an inch short so tried to work my feet higher Jamie

There's a small finger hold inbetween; I get my feet up, get the hold above the matched crimps with my left, feet up again and go over with right into the big slot.

[andy popp]

Anyway, isn't this thread meant to be about Yates' Wine Lodge, not Yates' Layaway 

[JamieG]

Apologies for highjacking the thread Andy. I'll go and check out your new problems next time as punishment. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.

[andy_e]

I wish I had somewhere like Harmers to train of an evening! I'd have fingers of steel by now!

[tomtom]

Just been and repeated both - really good problems, well worth seeking out if you've only been to the other quarry. Climb really nicely. 6B for LH one is about right, though a bit easier for the tall.

The rib is excellent climbed layed away to the right with a high step up and teeter for the top. I'd give it 6C myself.. I did the sit - but not all of the problem (Pah! Greasy conditions!) and I'd agree this adds an extra grade. Both unlikely looking lines that climb great. Nice one Andy.

[andy popp]

Cheers Tom. Its worth noting these problems (and the excellent adjacent Stigarete) are noticeably less highball than most things in the main quarry.

[gardinrm]

Hey, my brother (Jamie) and I went up to Harmer's today and had a lovely day out, was pretty warm but really nice. Ended up in Haydn's quarry and climbed the aretes that you had mentioned. Very nice, well worth going there. We also tried Yate's Wine Bar but were pretty spent so we came up with some variations on that wall instead. Don't know if they've been climbed before, but they went something like;

Left Square Cut Hold right across the face to the other big one, dynamically and with hilarious swing. (if it's not been climbed my brother wants to call it "One Arm Bandit"

Right side of the wall, LH in crimpy sidepull and RH in obvious hole, then dyno for the big square 'window' (to be called "master yate's")

Here is a wee video we made to show what we meant. See what you think.

[andy popp]

Nice! I'm pretty sure they've not been climbed. Direct to the right one was an obvious gap but I hadn't thought of connecting the two niches. Grades?

[tomtom]

Excellent - look fun that corner is great when its hot - nice and cool.. though the downside is it can take an age to dry...

[JamieG]

Hi Andy and Tomtom,

Thanks for the comments. We had a brilliant time at Harmers, especially in Haydn's quarry. Perfect weather for it, actually wasn't too warm later on. It is rapdily becoming one of my favourite venues.

I tried both your new problems Andy and thought they were both very good. I climbed Slot Machine pretty quickly and think 6bish is about right, as for Yates' Wine Lodge I couldn't work out the top moves but it feels significanlty harder than Slot Machine (so probably going to be 6cish), will be back to try again. Lovely climbing.

As for the two new things:

One Arm Bandit (or should it be One Armed Bandit?) Is probably around a 5, maybe a bit harder. I was quite tired by then. At first I thought it was going to be quite eliminate but actually I think it is probably the easiest way to climb that wall, so basically everthing is in.

Master Yates (so sorry about the name, I tried to discourage him but he prevailed). Robbie reckons about 6a/+, I thought it was harder since I couldn't actually do it, but i was kanckered by then. Maybe 6bish.

Cheers Jamie

[gardinrm]

Grades here were a bit confusing, because some things in the quarry seemed very hard and others quite easy. First problem we'd given a tentative 5+ and the second about 6A/6A+. Hard to say cause they were dynamic. I mean Jamie climbed layaway earlier in the day but i couldn't touch it (absolutely no mono strength), but then he didn't manage the direct dyno ("master yate's") so the jury's out. Would be great to get another ascent. Like you said, it was damp and muddy so the footholds needed a bit of cleaning. Might need another go some time soon.

[gardinrm]

The Scoop Dyno - 6c+ (ish). I don't know if this is a new problem or not. A direct dyno of the scoop direct from the good holds at the bottom to the jug in the middle of the wall. A fun one.