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Esoteric ‘backwater’ lifetime grit tick list (Read 34827 times)

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Spurred on by a conversation I had with a friend at the weekend, we were talking about some of our favourite routes. The initial question was about most memorable climbs. I said the climbs had become secondary to the day out and the company at the moment, and while getting up a tough route for me was a bonus, it had become more about returning to ‘naive’ experiences which I find hard to get by returning to the same sport project or boulder session after session. So I got to thinking about great climbing experiences on more esoteric or ‘backwater’ bits of rock which are safe and great for boulders too as they offer short sequences of amazing moves by good protection. I’d be interested to hear what you guys think and if there’s any you could add for me to look this grit season? Criteria is generally less than 10 logs in ukc and preferably 0-5 and unlikely to be being tried by anyone else. Ones I’ve done over more recent ish years and would recommend-


Clock People e6 6c (Ron 1984)  -Millstone. Well protected thin crack and slab climbing with a font 7b crux on worn peg scars and opposing crack edges. The boulder problem start to this is a real technical gem.

Poppers e6 6c (Richie Patta 1994) - Baslow edge. Less ascents than its neighbour ‘the grand potato’. The font 7a+ dynamic start is quality but the route really kicks in after the break with fierce crimping and then a fluffable top out. Richie was crazy to give this e5! Top wall as hard as the crux of messiah?

The Lost World e6 6c (John Allen 1985)- Carl Walk. One of the more popular on the list. An easy start to a break followed by a hard press into an undercut feature and a reachy and powerful font 7a+ move off this to the break. It was a bit of an eyeballs on stalks slap for me.

Declaration e6 7a (Dave Pegg 1986) - Rivelin Needle. 6b ish moves up a thin crack to a full on boulder problem of a surprising right hold into ratty layaway crimps, feet on smears. I can’t think of anything as hard I’ve done on the edge. Much harder than big Al and Sparks.

The Children’s House e5 7a (John Allen 1986) - Cratcliffe. Climb suicide wall direct via the tricky finger crack to the small pod like cave. Rock up to a gnarly crimp layaway with your left, tension smear into high right foot. Hold a rat shit slopey beak feature, take a shallow runnel and pop for a tufa or slopey jug. Intense.

Adios Amigo e5 6b (Mark Leach 1985) - Millstone. Unusual moves out of a corner on thin holds to catch shot holes. Aliens or rolled over rock 9’s I think I used. Very strange and good climbing up these to a flake and ledge. Top end e5.

Mirror Mirror e5 6b (Andrew Woodward 1977) - amazing climbing on the block above Tetris. Move up and into an undercut arch feature split by a finger crack. Steadier than the other routes mentioned but safe and bouldery.

andy popp

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The sequence on Lost World is fantastic. New Mediterranean and Moolah would be ultimate examples of this kind of route if they weren't marginally too popular. I'm sure I can think of more.

ashtond6

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Did you find adios amigo safe? I'm never too sure on shot holes.

I know you said backwater but I've included stanage as you included millstone and rivelin.

Flight of ideas E7 7a 7B above a break
Feet neat E5 6c above a peg I think
Smoked salmon big fall, seen it done on TR can't be harder than 7B/+?
Linkline I hear this is much more difficult than E5 would suggest

Will Hunt

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Flame Arete at Hawkcliffe is very good. You're likely to be the only people at the crag. It's very safe and bouldery. There's other good stuff in similar style at the crag and there's some very bold routes that you could do a quick headpoint of too.

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Thanks guys, yeah moolah and new meditaranian are great, surprisingly tricky to fiddle that gear in at the break. Always catches me out. I’ve had a rope on flight last year Ashton, it’s surprisingly not to bad, although a bit on / off and even though well protected it strikes me as a weird fall. Has you done it? Or anyone fallen off it? I’d imagine it would be a good one for JB to os or flash. Adios Amigo is reasonably safe until the final moves then gets a bit ground fall potential on green 5b territory. Maybe test the pro in the shot holes on the left first? Pretty unique climbing. Cheers for the hawkcliffe reminder will, I remember being inspired by and old photo of that in the Yorkshire grit bible. Actually was thinking Lancashire has a lot to offer, loads of the stuff at Wilton 1 like Josser and KP nuts. May need a sensitive and appropriate garden though just in case Chris is reading 😬

tomtom

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I thought all gardening/cleaning rules don’t count in Lancs quarries ;)

T_B

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I remember really enjoying Mickey Finn at Gardoms. Doesn't seem to get done that often but it's well protected and gymnastic.

Fiend

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KP Nuts at the The Roaches too.

Lol @ Tomtom!

Johnny Brown

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The Secret Slab at Bosley Cloud is worth a visit for Crystal Voyager, a beautiful highball/solo E3 and Slender Thread - a cruxy E5 6b.

Is Speak The Truth at Hall Moor Quarry still standing?

andy popp

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The Secret Slab at Bosley Cloud is worth a visit for Crystal Voyager, a beautiful highball/solo E3 and Slender Thread - a cruxy E5 6b.

Good call.

How about The Face at Belmont Hall, assuming the cheeky peg is still in?

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I've done Crystal Voyager, it was ace. Decent gear too, don't even need two pads :)

Need to get back to Belmont Hall....

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I remember really enjoying Mickey Finn at Gardoms. Doesn't seem to get done that often but it's well protected and gymnastic.

I heard somewhere that Paul Mitchell routes don’t count? Been meaning to go to Bosley Cloud for ages! Has anyone here been to the main crag at Mow Cop. Get ready for a pagga with the locals  :boxing:

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KP Nuts at the The Roaches too.

Lol @ Tomtom!

Yeah didn’t even realise that existed

andy popp

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Been meaning to go to Bosley Cloud for ages! Has anyone here been to the main crag at Mow Cop.

If you go to Bosley you have to Hot Tin Roof as well. The only reason to go to Mow Cop was to summit The Old Man, but that's banned now.

Metaphysical Scoop at the Nth Cloud is very minor but has one ace move.

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I haven't done it (let alone top-roped it  :ang: ) but I've always thought that Camel Hot's only reason for being neglected must be that it's on the north-facing side of Black Rocks.

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Cheers Mike, I think I belated Jonboy on that when I did discombobulator. It looked fuckin desperate

mark20

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Good thread Dan, I'm enjoying your recent UKB contributions. I remember a similar thread a few years ago and there may be some stuff on this that suits - https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,24910.msg463278.html#msg463278

The gritlist is a great resource and has lots of good info.http://gritlist.wikifoundry.com/ Me and Neil were keeping this up to date when we were doing a lot of headpointing using more than 2 pads ( :spank: :sorry: etc), it would be great if you could add some info on the stuff you've done recently to it

I’ve had a rope on flight last year Ashton, it’s surprisingly not to bad, although a bit on / off and even though well protected it strikes me as a weird fall. Has you done it? Or anyone fallen off it? I’d imagine it would be a good one for JB to os or flash.
I fell of it loads and it's fine. That wasn't ground up either, it's just hard! Especially if you can't lank to the break from stood on the left foot pebble.

Rivelin quarry a good shout.
Feet Neet E5 6c is a good suggestion. Surprisingly powerful. font 7A+ ish, the peg is good.
Mr Creosote E5 6c, font 7Aish, slabby arete on tenuous smears, again a good peg and small cam to back it up.
Flex E5/6 6c, 6C+ish slab on thin edges to the pegs (2 pads fine), a sort of no-handed rockover then much easier
Bear Necessities, E5 6b, quite technical but safe arete and groove. Lovely little route
Teddy Bears Picnic E4 6b Hard finger crack

Avoiding the Traitors E6/7 6c Bamford, with pads clipped to the gear and draped down the wall it's not that dangerous. Great sequence, font 6C/+ ish ?
Gift for Grumpy E4 6b Stanage Popular - A Paul Mitchell micro gem! Dyno from a cam slot to a break. font 6c
Winters Grip E6 6b Millstone - Safe if you have a couple of short thin pegs. The crux is right next to the first one, and also protected by cams on the left. Good flatty to place the second peg from and the finish is a bit easier. 
The Cheesemonger E5/6 6b Kinder Southern Edges - pre-placed wire (impossible to place?), great sequence up the flake and pocket, a mini Strapadictomy.
Cover Me in Chocolate.. E6 6c Shining Clough - Brilliant route. Crimp up good edges then jump for the sloper. font 6C+ ?
Neptunes Tool E6 6c Wimberry - Hard start and amazing slab above on fat pebbles
My Part in His Downfall E6 6c Kinder Downfall - good thin mantel/press move. font 7A/+ish. We're getting quite esoteric now...

Not grit but I think you'd like Yuppie's Arete at Helsby. I thought the gear was bomber hence more like E6 6c. font 7Aish.

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Nice one Mark, loads to go at there! I really like Rivelin quarries and did flex a few years ago but haven’t been back for feet neat etc. I’d really like to do Earth Boots this year. The other one is chocolate swastika that looks cool at Hallam View Buttress. It would be good to have a similar lime thread come the season. I wandered up to stoney west a month or so ago and there’s some mega looking e5’s on the last buttress

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Good Clean Fun is a really cool little route (safe and bouldery E4 with the side runner, E5 without - then maybe not now, with a pad?)

Andy F

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Lancashire is all esoteric and there are a couple of hidden gems. Reputedly... ;)

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Good Clean Fun is a really cool little route (safe and bouldery E4 with the side runner, E5 without - then maybe not now, with a pad?)

Aye, exaltation looks pretty good up there too. And a nice write up in peak rock

SA Chris

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Of all the crags i went to when in Yorkshire, I always regret not visiting the proper backwater of Great Wolfrey. All looks so good.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=1992

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That does look mega Chris, Red Riding Hood in particular. And it looks like Will has been on it too.

It would be nice to visit a good crag in Yorkshire for a change to the usual cow shit, scrittle, miserable buggers and soft touches

mark20

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Good Clean Fun is a really cool little route (safe and bouldery E4 with the side runner, E5 without - then maybe not now, with a pad?)

It’s a great quality highball these days. Even better with the direct start, a nice dynamic move to the slot, then each move slightly easier than the last until you’re at the top a long way above the pad/postage stamp

I remember Nathan saying he cleaned Chocolate Swastika a few years ago but was kicked off by the landowner

I abbed and cleaned years of moss off Earth Boots a couple of years ago but couldn’t even pull into the positions, desperate crimping!

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With Earth boots it's probably worth going out one evening and cleaning it and seeing if it's dry. I went out and tried it again in the autumn after a load of dry weather and the moss at the top was back leaking down the wall. But yeah, the move in the break is just desperate!

 

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