[Will Hunt]

I had a fair crack at this today with no joy. Did the first move and didn't have the beans for anything more. Would be great to see it get done as it's a good line in a nice spot. If burly arête hugging is your thing then set about it.





The rock is really good quality and the friction today was excellent. There used to be a problem that the hanging arête is suspended over an ankle deep bog. There is now a patio here and I used my mat on this with no problems. First move is either a heel on the right and a pull on slopers, or similar using a bomber heel toe in the vertical crack on the left which is great fun. Estimated grade: 7C+-8A?


Rochard Crags can be found off the track that runs across Pock Stones Moor. Approach is quite easy as you drive quite far up the track, so not much elevation gain from there. Drive to Skyreholme as you would for trollers. At the T, instead of turning left to parcevall hall, head right and follow the road until it becomes a track. Keep going until there is a broad parking place on the left with a wooden footpath signpost. You'll know you've gone too far if you get to the fork. More detailed info available by pm. I have a pdf topo for the place which I don't think Paul Clarke has made public yet.

[Will Hunt]

PS, route names at the crag are Beverly Hillbillies themed. Had thought about keeping in with the oil theme and using There Will Be Blood. Obviously that is now out of my hands!

[andy popp]

Looks good Will (I bet the rock is great). You should stick at it and get it done!

[Footwork]

'there will be mud' looks more apt 

[Fiend]

It looks literally like an arse 

[Will Hunt]

Quite futuristic and possibly impossible. Step forward Will Atkinson, please!
The companion line to Phoenix Wall at Panorama Crag. Using the right hand side of the weird double crimp hold, step out right onto a crap smear and leap/rockover/levitate up to the top of the crag or a tiny slot in a seam.
Looks entirely feasible from the ground until you get on it and realise how difficult it is to trust the bad right hand foothold.


Next up is the Prune Boulder at Yeadon Crag. There are currently only two problems on this big chunk of rock (see http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,25876.0.html ). There are at least three more lines still to go at. Going through the roof past very brittle feeling flakes will yield a right hand and a left hand exit. Round to the left, the north facing wall will go to someone sufficiently talented.

[Will Hunt]

I really must apologise for the video (everything about it), but thought I'd show the 8th grade boulderers what's out there at Cow Close Crag.

[andy popp]

Arse!

[andyd]

That looks a great boulder. Nice of you to offer that little gem up. You could twist my arm to walk out there :-)

[Will Hunt]

My climbing partner's car suffered a "catastrophic brake disk failure" in Keighley on the way to Malham. This was actually a really close run thing because I was dangerously close to doing some limestone trad. I went to St Ives instead.

It is possible to drive up to Druid's Altar on Altar Lane, from where the walk in to the Altar Circuit is about 20 seconds, and the walk to the Sunday Morning boulder about 5 minutes (guide available at www.unknownstones.com).
Cleaned and attempted a line on the Sunday Morning boulder. The footholds are slightly undercut, giving the feel of a slightly overhanging wall. Handholds are thin crimps. Nice and technical with quite precise body positioning.
The climbing I do in the video below is about 7B. The whole thing will probably be at least 7B+ if not (possibly considerably) harder depending on how the top moves are.

Given that it was raining this morning, the boulder dries quicker than you might expect for a north facing piece of rock with tree cover. Hopefully drying time will improve further now I've cleaned some lichen and removed some soil and vegetation from the top.

Have fun, wads!

[Will Hunt]

Forgot to mention that the Sunday Morning boulder is just above some cottages and you're quite visible when you're there. Land ownership is not clear and of course there is no official access agreement. A couple who live in the cottages were out in the garden today and didn't seem to have a problem with me being there. That said, this is not a place to have a lantern session or a pad party.

[SA Chris]

I went to St Ives instead.

Did you meet anyone on the way?

[Fiend]

The rest of that looks all a bit r_man 

[Will Hunt]

The rest of that looks all a bit r_man 

There's loads of climbing at St Ives and in the Harden area in general. In the grand scheme of esoterica, I'd say it scores about a 6, with 10 being Maximum Robin. Down in Bell Bank Woods there is Gritty Shaker, which is supposed to be "one of the best 7Bs on grit". I've not been to check it out yet but its supposed to be hard. Tom Peckitt mentioned to me that he went back to the crag on one occasion and couldn't repeat it! The rest of the stuff in Bell Bank Woods appears to be a bit green.

Standing on top of Druid's Altar is a local beauty spot. This unfortunately means that the jumble of boulders on the steep hillside below has become the rubbish bin for the local beauty spot. It's also such a jumble of rocks that getting from one boulder to the next isn't particularly convenient. The climbs have generally been done once and there isn't much evidence of repeats - you need to take a good brush to get the most out of it. Now with those discouraging facts out of the way, I can honestly say that the two problems in that video are absolutely brilliant. In particular, Brad Squit will make any 6B climber feel like an 8A climber when they lock and power through those holds to the top. Caesar is quite hard to start and I nearly gave up on it before I trialled the last move to the top and saw how much fun it was. Proper feet off slapping stuff!
For local climbers who enjoy rock climbing for the pleasure of the moves then it is definitely worth popping in for on a warm evening. The crag faces north, so shade is assured.

The Sunday Morning boulder is a genuinely good bit of rock in a pleasant litter free setting. Its tall and has got holds, but they're a bit crap. Tom has been and looked at it but hadn't got round to cleaning it yet. Its pretty clean now (could possibly use some more holds scrubbing). For those who enjoy the creative process of climbing a piece of rock that nobody else has climbed before, this project would be a great prize, and its literally five minutes walk from the car.

[moose]

Off topic, but which crags on your site have an esoterica index of "minimum Rob"? That is, some good problems, likely to be in reasonable  condition?  I like a bit of local variety  (Racing Raymond is near the top of my list of problems to revisit) and like a bit of "for the sake of the move, not the situation" action (spent Easter Sunday at Ravenswick - North Yorkshire's own Minus 10!). But generally, these days, I have little patience for using up precious days-off on fool's errands  (I had enough of those in the days of the first Northumberland bouldering guide - many a day spent seeking a supposedly stupendous boulder to find if was 3ft high with more greenery than Kew Gardens).

[andy_e]

Go and do Phoenix Wall at Panorama Crag. A man of your fingery lank with thrive upon it. In fact, let me know when you do head up there...

[moose]

Cheers fella - will give it a go. Though relearning the subtleties of malham is consuming most of my time at the moment... The joy of RP projects - week after week of pain and failure!

[Will Hunt]

It's difficult for me to make lots of recommendations because there are lots of crags on there that I haven't been to (the website is the work of about 4 people with a number of guest guides).
Knowing that you like technical wall climbs, my personal recommendation would be Yeadon. The Cestrian and The Arkenstone are both very good, as are many of the 6th grade problems there (Our Chapel, Battle Royale, Our Arms are all good fights).
If you like that, pay a visit to Sigsworth (The Wall of the Wild is very good). There's a pleasant sub 7 circuit there and plenty of potential for new stuff (take a stout brush if you intend to develop anything).

Worth noting that some of these things are 2 pad problems. The odd thing is a 3 padder.

If redpointing is sapping your psyche then you can have a brilliant day out at any of these places without having to climb hard all day.

[moose]

Cheers, btw are there any access details for phoenix wall online? I can't find reference to the place in a printed guide.

[Will Hunt]

It's at Panorama Crag near Pateley Bridge. Nice enough climb but the only thing there

[turnipturned]

 

Cheers, btw are there any access details for phoenix wall online? I can't find reference to the place in a printed guide.

From memory, Drive through Pateley, take the first left as you are going up the and park in a layby near. Walk to churchyard then take a right down to the crag. Phoenix wall access is okay but further right is out of bounds apparently.

*note I thought Phoenix wall was average, and there was a fire below so looks a bit junk now!

[Will Hunt]

*note I thought Phoenix wall was average, and there was a fire below so looks a bit junk now!

 
I think its best quality is that it's quite hard. The moves themselves and look of the wall aren't that pleasing, though it is a fine spot. In the same vein, Scary Canary is easier but better, Free Range is about the same quality and maybe a touch easier if you get the conditions.

Worth bearing in mind that much of Panorama isn't banned, but it gets quite traddy as you go right. Full details in the green YMC book, which I'm sure you've bought Moose...

What's with these wall climbs and bird related names?

[moose]

never done Scary Canary... been tempted on many an occasion - looks good... but, well, a bit scary to work out alone.  Might have a proper look next time I have an evening off and some dry weather (preferably forearmed with a few videos).  Not heard of "Free Range" / Hen Stones, and never been to Yeadon crag - plenty to go at... cheers for the beta.

[dunnyg]

Coz only "birdz" bother with techy walls will

[rodma]

I went to St Ives instead.

Did you meet anyone on the way?

Hehe :D

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

[Will Hunt]

It is with great relief that I offer this one up to the masses. Over the course of 6 visits I've figured out everything there is to be solved about one of the last great problems at Earl Seat - the wall left of Womb With A View (the big crack). Now it just needs doing!





The beta: take 4 pads and preferably a spotter. You could probably get away with three pads.
Wall dries fast and is of very good quality grit, as good as any on Barden. All the holds have been cleaned.
Climb the wall just right of left rib of the buttress. Step onto first smear with your right and take the good two finger undercut with your left. Smear up with your left and step through with your right.
Reach up with your right and grab the spiteful two finger crozzle crimp that sits on the vague sloping rail feature. You get this best if you twist your hand ever so slightly, so the top of your hand is pointing to "2 o' clock" or "north by northeast". Wrap a thumb over the top of the crimp.
Take your left toe and place it precisely on a smear near your left hand undercut. This smear doesn't care about you. It does not like you. It doesn't give a shit whether you stick to it or not.
Put your left hand around the rib and feel for a pebble (tick marks really help find it). Drape your middle finger over this.
Now stand up, crush living shit out of the crozzle crimp and gingerly reach your left hand up and over you for the obvious high slot. This is joyously positive.
Relax and don't drop the top. Paste your right toe onto a small pebble (when you look down there's a pair of small pebbles that work really well) and reach up and swap hands in the pocket. This is deceptively hard since the pocket is only really big enough for one hand and you have to wiggle fingers out in order to cram more in. You're still stood on the Smear of Hate and this might pop at any moment.
This is my high point. On my best go I did the hand swap but didn't get all the fingers in that I needed to so couldn't execute the last simple pull.
Palm your left hand down on the vague rail, run your feet up the wall so your right toe is on the crozzle crimp, and slap your left hand onto the top.

Those with sausage fingers may struggle on the slot. Tiny people may struggle to reach the slot and may end up overstretched on that cantankerous smear.

I'm confident that it's harder than any of the 7B+ walls that I've done. I think it's at least 7C and wouldn't be surprised if it got 7C+. Get to it, wads.

[Oldmanmatt]

There appears to be no holds.


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[Footwork]

DON'T LISTEN TO HIM THIS IS NOT AN OPEN PROJECT.

Will, you have almost done it. I've seen you basically do it. Don't throw the towel in now.

Just look at how glorious the wall looks in the pictures.

[dunnyg]

Allez will! This is yours. Also give me my sticker back yeah?

[36chambers]

What's wrong with offering it up to your mates before putting it out to the masses. Or would you rather it be anyone but them??

and more importantly, get back to it fool.

[Rob F]

Sure I did that one years ago. Bout 3rd go from memory...

[Rob F]

Hang on, hang on!!! Panics over- Seems like the projects back on!!!!!
Just checked my logbook and it appears I used the arete of the crack with the right hand to make a leap for the top. Get to it Will- gonna have to be an after work headtorcher now. Fully expecting it to be crazy busy up there next weekend...

[Teaboy]

Will, you have almost done it. I've seen you basically do it. Don't throw the towel in now.

No one give up on anything around here unless a presenter on Countryfile tells you you can

[Will Hunt]

Hang on, hang on!!! Panics over- Seems like the projects back on!!!!!
Just checked my logbook and it appears I used the arete of the crack with the right hand to make a leap for the top. Get to it Will- gonna have to be an after work headtorcher now. Fully expecting it to be crazy busy up there next weekend...

Ah, now that is interesting, Rob. Did you actually do that? Can't tell whether you're joking or not but what you've described is actually completely feasible (especially for a man mountain such as yourself). I've climbed the wall just left of the crack which is steady enough. You get established in a little dish with the top out of reach. There's a massive bucket just over the top there but no obvious way to get to it without either jumping or doing a bizarre rockover onto The World's Most Fragile Looking Pebble (it's a wonder to behold). When I found myself in the dish it was ridiculously eliminate not to reach into the crack and escape onto the chockstone so I didn't pursue it any further.

[Rob F]

Yep- seem to remember doing some kind of belly flop top out rather than moving right. Back in the day prior to filming ascents- so you didn't have to be so bothered about style and things like that...

[andy popp]

Hello Will. I don't suppose you can really declare this project "closed" but it definitely seems like you should be persisting with it yourself.

[Bonjoy]

What's wrong with offering it up to your mates before putting it out to the masses. Or would you rather it be anyone but them??

and more importantly, get back to it fool.

To be fair, this is already a well known LGP. Pretty sure at least one guide mentions it. The beta is pretty handy though.

[Will Hunt]

What's wrong with offering it up to your mates before putting it out to the masses. Or would you rather it be anyone but them??

and more importantly, get back to it fool.

To be fair, this is already a well known LGP. Pretty sure at least one guide mentions it. The beta is pretty handy though.

Indeed. I made mention of it in the Earl Seat section of the latest Yorkshire definitive guide. However there is some confusion around it because there are two LGPs at the crag. This one is the easier of the two and has been overlooked because it stands in the shadow of its big brother - the right arête - which is Lanny Bassham on steroids. It makes LB look like a jugfest.
I know that Ben Bransby has been to the crag to look at the right arête but not sure if he looked at the left hand wall. Steve Dunning mentioned to me once that some people had tried it ground up, at the time I thought he meant the left hand wall but I now suspect he meant the right.
One thing about that right hand one. I suspect it's been tried from the ground, which to me looks like it might be impossible, however I don't know if anyone has tried to traverse in from either the chockstone to the left, or the jamming crack on the right. Both would be good opening gambits and would solve the possible looking upper wall.

The only definite attention that the left hand wall has received is by Paul Clarke who tried it before highballing was a thing. He worked out an alternative line to the right of the sequence that I found and got himself ready to solo it. A high pebble snapped, he went up to his shins in the mulch at the bottom (very lucky), and could no longer link together a sequence. I suspect his method climbed the wall just left of the big crack, with the only way to do it now being the Fenton Finish declared above.

[Will Hunt]

Sorry to bump this thread but I just can't resist recounting this little morsel.

That crack with the chockstone in it is an entertaining VDiff. You scramble up onto the chockstone, and then start to slide your way into the crag, and upwards towards the light. The crag was first developed by two separate teams, who were each developing it unbeknownst to the other. The arguments over who did what first were never properly settled, I don't think. However, when the two teams compared their notes, they were shocked to discover that each of them had independently given the crack the same name - Womb With A View!

[Will Hunt]

Was mooching round Eavestone over Christmas and this caught my eye. Went back and spent a bit of time cleaning which mainly involved digging a load of mud off the top and scrubbing off lots of moss. Needs some more work after a dry spell or when it warms up a bit. Tree belays at the top to ab down.

This is the arete of the boathouse bluff which is the buttress to the left of the crevasse where the hard bouldering is. There's an E4 6c that does a hard pebble pull over on the left before shuffling along a little ledge to get to the arete. Then mantels the big rounded boss of the ledge (probably quite scary). There's also an E2 5c that hand traverses the low break and climbs the arete on its right side. I thought a direct might be a cool highball, but after a quick play decided to sack it off. It's there for anyone who fancies it.

[dunnyg]

How much for that apple munching stunners number, will?

[SA Chris]

Black and White, crop square - will look like the album cover to his new LP - Yorkshire Open Projects

[Will Hunt]

Was mooching round Eavestone over Christmas and this caught my eye. Went back and spent a bit of time cleaning which mainly involved digging a load of mud off the top and scrubbing off lots of moss. Needs some more work after a dry spell or when it warms up a bit. Tree belays at the top to ab down.

This is the arete of the boathouse bluff which is the buttress to the left of the crevasse where the hard bouldering is. There's an E4 6c that does a hard pebble pull over on the left before shuffling along a little ledge to get to the arete. Then mantels the big rounded boss of the ledge (probably quite scary). There's also an E2 5c that hand traverses the low break and climbs the arete on its right side. I thought a direct might be a cool highball, but after a quick play decided to sack it off. It's there for anyone who fancies it.

James Turnbull did this recently and graded it 7B+. Climb the arête on the left before switching back right for the top mantel (as for the E2).

[SA Chris]

Who owns Eavestone, and what would it need to get some of the trees chopped down. I've been a couple of times and it's a stunning spot, but I found you climb what's dry / not green rather than doing what you would like.

[Will Hunt]

Not sure, but I suspect that different bits might be owned by different people. I'm not convinced that much tree clearance is necessary. In my experience the stuff that gets traffic does stay clean and the stuff that doesn't get done gets dirty - same as anywhere else.
A targeted clean up and an accompanying Vimeo video of the problems cleaned would sort it out. If you want to generate traffic on a problem you have to video it with an HD camera from several angles and put some shit music over the top. People don't climb problems that haven't been videoed recently and had shit music put over the top. It's simply not done.

I actually think the next step with guidebooks might be to make them a bit more like those cheesy musical birthday cards. When you open it at a page which covers some underloved boulder that needs traffic it starts to play some sik riddims from an onboard tinny monotone speaker.

[Fiend]

I'm psyched for Eavestone to get more attention. Not really near the area now but if it helps I can choose some shit music to accompany the videos??

[Will Hunt]

To be honest Fiend, you'd have the time of your life on a day at Eavestone. If trad between HVS and E3 is your bag then all the following stay clean (despite the hollow stars in the guide):

The Alamo - E2
Oubliette - E2
Hallmark - E3 (going on E1 if you find the kneebar on the crux)
Probably loads of other stuff on the front of the Fort (like Excalibur) up to E4.
Eavestone Wall - E3, and the easiest E3 6b in the world to onsight, despite it actually being a 6b move.
Crazy Paver - E2
Eavesdropper - HVS
Wedgewood - HVS
Fat Chance - E3

That's an awesome day out by anyone's yard stick.

[SA Chris]

The Wedge is an amazing looking bit of rock, quite spectacular, but looks like it gets climbed on once or twice a year.

A couple of felled trees (or even just carefully selected branches) would really help it get some light and air.

[Will Hunt]

The wall between the crack and arete at Amphitheatre Buttress, St Ives. The pocket near the bottom of the seam is good (accessible from a good hold down and left), and you can reach from there to get a good pocket near the right arete. You can get a kneebar in under the roof to reach the high "pocket" but this is nowhere near as good as it looks - actually just a shit sloper. Alternatively there's a little intermediate dish on the LHS which can be used to access the top "pocket". From there I suspect you'll have to match and throw for the top or use a pebble.

Looks piss but probably 7B+ or above. The undercut nature of the start makes it feel quite overhung. Might be worth a star when it gets done but I wouldn't say it's going to be stellar.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLZS58XjmuM/

[Fiend]

To be honest Fiend, you'd have the time of your life on a day at Eavestone. If trad between HVS and E3 is your bag then all the following stay clean (despite the hollow stars in the guide):

The Alamo - E2
Oubliette - E2
Hallmark - E3 (going on E1 if you find the kneebar on the crux)
Probably loads of other stuff on the front of the Fort (like Excalibur) up to E4.
Eavestone Wall - E3, and the easiest E3 6b in the world to onsight, despite it actually being a 6b move.
Crazy Paver - E2
Eavesdropper - HVS
Wedgewood - HVS
Fat Chance - E3

That's an awesome day out by anyone's yard stick.

How bizarre that I missed this.
Alamo - did in 2019 after getting a friend to scrub it, varied and nice
Hallmark - did decades ago and was good fun, E2 without the kneebar.
Did the E2 on the right wall (King Of The Castle?) on the same day as Hallmark and thought the E1 bit low down was poky. Did the E1 6a further right on the same day as Alamo and that was fun.
Wedgewood - did decades ago.
Fat Chance - ditto, good line!
Last time I checked that area was getting pretty damn grubby. Maybe it's improved via regular monsoons, increase in jungle over time, lockdowns, and the death of trad climbing??

[YorkshireTea]

Good timing to see this thread, tried this wall at Bridestones recently and couldn't touch it. Maybe been done before(?) it's just next to Obscene Cleft. Diagonal striations make for some really cool but very slopey holds, out right is a very good heel toe but sadly the rock where it undercuts at the bottom is poor. Couldn't get past pulling on

[Will Hunt]

Just to the right of the eastern arete of Barrel Buttress at Attermire is a nice vertical flake-line. It's obviously been looked at before because the starting footholds have been brushed. It may even have been climbed but not recorded. It's probably mid-upper 6s. The landing isn't too bad but make sure you pad it properly and don't punt the finishing moves! A belay can be arranged at the top with an assortment of cams, wires and offsets.

[Will Hunt]

Seeing the recent exploits of the Aidanwad reminded me of that arch to the right of Cypher at Slipstones. It's so obvious that it must surely have been tried by absolutely everyone over the years. Does anybody know if anyone has got close to it or whether any of the current crop of wads have had a look at it?

[haydn jones]

low right start to the prow at caley crag.

really nice holds. good starting hold. seems to lack one hold to get into the start of the normal prow. i would predict 8B minimum

[teestub]

Seeing the recent exploits of the Aidanwad reminded me of that arch to the right of Cypher at Slipstones. It's so obvious that it must surely have been tried by absolutely everyone over the years. Does anybody know if anyone has got close to it or whether any of the current crop of wads have had a look at it?

This always struck me as a great bit of rock architecture, but maybe not one made for quality climbing?

[36chambers]

Seeing the recent exploits of the Aidanwad reminded me of that arch to the right of Cypher at Slipstones. It's so obvious that it must surely have been tried by absolutely everyone over the years. Does anybody know if anyone has got close to it or whether any of the current crop of wads have had a look at it?

This always struck me as a great bit of rock architecture, but maybe not one made for quality climbing?

agreed, looks good from afar and nasty up close.

More importantly, has anyone had a properly look at the Cypher sitter? From memory it looks almost too easy to be true.

[Will Hunt]

Really? I didn't think it looked that bad. The holds are small, but that's what you get on a hard boulder.