[tommytwotone]

I certainly got a lot more than I bargained for that's for sure!

As a side note, I camped in Malham and went to The Listers Arms for dinner Thursday night, partly as I'd read so much about it on here.

Noticed a rope bag hung up on the coat hooks with no obvious owner, so assume this is a) Shark's and b) the sport climbing equivalent of having your pool cue behind the bar.

[Nibile]

Mon - fingers, weights.
Tue - rest.
Wed - fingers, weights.
Thu - weights.
Fri - rest.
Sat - weights.
Sun - rest.

Will be more precise when I'm back from Cote d'Azur.
 

[Fiend]

Tomtom I found the MancDepot yellow arete and concur. There is one on the right side of the main island arch that is a piss V3 after a stupid morpho foothook start which will be fine of you can span between the arete and the good left-hand hold and is a frustrating POS start to a blue-level problem otherwise. HTH. Why the fuck I was trying I don't even know!

[Yossarian]

Was intending to resume Oak campaign on weds as forecast looked promising. However, forecast looks crap now so not sure.

What was your (abridged if you prefer) sport history when you launched this campaign? Did it start as something you quite fancied and then developed into a fixation? Or were you set on it as a lifetime tick before you started?

[Rob F]

Wait for the book!!!!

All will be revealed in Chapter 4. Currently we are on approximately Chapter 150...

[shark]

What was your (abridged if you prefer) sport history when you launched this campaign? Did it start as something you quite fancied and then developed into a fixation? Or were you set on it as a lifetime tick before you started?

Good question, it’s made me think - thanks for the interest.

My sport climbing history started when sport climbing began in the late 80’s and progressed to doing Zoolook in 94 where I felt I reached an impasse as it fell after a major siege despite being a route that suited me ie technical and vert-ish.

I felt that the next level routes which I aspired to such as the Groove would be beyond me being that bit steeper with harder (for me) moves. For example I couldn’t dog the moves on Raindogs at the point.

Raindogs became my next big project which I eventually despatched in 99. With better strength at that point I was then able to do GBH as my first 8a+ in 03.

To consolidate on a harder short 8a+ I moved onto Overnite Sensation which also has the advantage of being one of the routes least prone to seepage. That eventually went down in 2007.

The Oak is two routes to the left of Overnite and the same length and was rated as a hard 8a+ or easy 8b so didn’t seem absurd as a project at that point.

Looking back a strategically better decision at that point instead of going on the Oak I should have gone on Predator as it would have been an 8b route that suited me.

As I went on the Oak I have stuck at it because I have never given up on a project. I am still motivated to push my limit, I still enjoy going on the route (the moves are amazing) and still love going to Malham.

I was unlucky not to tick the Oak in 2015. Whilst on the Oak over the last 12 years I have still progressed in other ways with my climbing. I did K3 in 2010 which remains my hardest redpoint and have improved my bouldering grade from 7A+ to 7Cish (West Side, eatswood Reverse and Bens Roof almost). I have also bagged my first (soft) 7c onsights on short euro trips.

[galpinos]

M – AeroCap @ -40.7kg, Max Hangs @ +15kg
T – Rest
W – AeroCap @ -40.7kg, Max Hangs @ +15kg
T – Bouldering at Depot, fingery problems on the 30 was the plan but quickly lured onto new purples. Flashed a few, worked a few.
F – AeroCap @ -40.7kg, Max Hangs @ +15kg
S - Rest
S – Max Hangs @ +12kg (on portable hangboard in the mother-in-law's garden whilst my wife's family took the piss)

Life got in the way of actual climbing this week, as it will for the next month at a minimum so fingerboard and the depot is all there is for the foreseeable.......

[spidermonkey09]

Brief interjection to say that Le Toit de Cul du Lee is a superb problem name! EDIT: Oh wait, the post has gone. Now I look mad...

[Bonjoy]

Sorry, rewatched video and decided to delete comment. The beta is different to how I started but is on the line. Initially I thought they were starting further right on Le Toit.

[nai]

There's a different start?  Have I let myself be sandbagged by copying Tom's beta?

[tomtom]

Eh? whats happening? have we been doing Chiggers wrong?

[nai]

Now I've read the pdf it says to start as for 5, mentions a tight pocket. 

So I guess it'd be like this up to 28s, tight pocket for RH is 5cm left of where our LH starts. Big move for the the square cut hold you use your heel on, cross over for the thin crimp then into the same place we come straight into.

[T_B]

Pretty sure I did the same sequence as you for Chiggers. The tight pocket is not necessary for the start of UTGT anyway, as you can reach off the break using it as a sidepull.

On UTGT I use a hold in the roof that Jon doesn't in his OG sequence, but unlike the Chiggars slot (which fair enough, is out to the right), it's right above the holds you climb up on.

Sequences change.

Good effort anyway, especially getting it dry. It was soaking by 6.45pm last Thurs!

[nai]

Pretty sure I did the same sequence as you for Chiggers. The tight pocket is not necessary for the start of UTGT anyway, as you can reach off the break using it as a sidepull.

Good effort anyway, especially getting it dry. It was soaking by 6.45pm last Thurs!

Cheers, it does seem the logical way to start it.

That's amazing re the conditions, it was absolutely mint when I was there, 11-1ish and had been on Tuesday too.

[Bradders]

you can reach off the break using it as a sidepull.

I've been doing them all starting this way. Felt most logical.

unlike the Chiggars slot (which fair enough, is out to the right)

Strangely, I actually think doing UTGT with the Chiggers slots is harder than the normal version! The move dropping into the RH undercling feels nails that way.

That's amazing re the conditions, it was absolutely mint when I was there, 11-1ish and had been on Tuesday too.

That's so weird, I was also there on Thursday but arrived to a slightly damp crag at 3pmish and left with it condensing fast at about 6pm

[JohnM]

Awesome effort Jim and a great write-up! I have been enjoying following your progress on this thread and it was turning into a great will he/won't he story! I only used to follow this thread to read about Shark's progress on the Oak and even that was starting to get a bit stale  , so it has been good to read about some other sieging (if it counts as a siege  ). You have come a long way since our trip to St Leger back in April!

[nai]

That's so weird, I was also there on Thursday but arrived to a slightly damp crag at 3pmish and left with it condensing fast at about 6pm

Odd, humidity was lowest when you were there, thought I had a handle and this predicting conditions lark, but obviously not


https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/IHOPE14/table/2019-09-19/2019-09-19/daily

[Bradders]

Put it this way; I had to set up my fan (best thing ever!) to get some airflow going over Mr Creosote whilst I was warming up, to stop it feeling smeggy and horrible when I got on it.

The endless mysteries of peak lime!

That said, I am a bit over-precious about connies. If it's not bone dry, cold with a nice cool breeze I'll be whinging.

[SA Chris]

Recommendations for a fan? Is it strong enough to vanquish sea smeg?

[Fiend]

Is ANYTHING, short of nuclear fallout, enough to banish 'Deen smeg when it's in full effect?? 

[tomtom]

Recommendations for a fan? Is it strong enough to vanquish sea smeg?

I've had two sessions at Lees Bottom - where dual Ozito Fan Power(tm) have brought conditions from unclimbable (condensed) to 'alright' within 30 min or so. They're no silver bullet, but have enabled me to climb on half a dozen occasions now when I would have gone home with a wasted journey.

[Will Hunt]

Interjection. When I saw the Lee's Bottom conditions thread I just assumed it was some rank grit/lime wall in an arsehole of a quarry somewhere. More fool me. Chiggers looks amazing. Not since Little Font has there been a less aptly named crag.

People interested in that should have a look at Alcove Buttress at Attermire. A small venue but with some challenging things at that grade level. Would be interesting to know how Chiggers compares with Bull Rider.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzbsdknDIsw/

[SA Chris]

Is ANYTHING, short of nuclear fallout, enough to banish 'Deen smeg when it's in full effect?? 

Sunshine? I know, nuclear fallout is probably more likely. I know i's not possible for a whole crag, just a cavey spot i like to climb at which is often a grease fest.

[Bradders]

They're no silver bullet, but have enabled me to climb on half a dozen occasions now when I would have gone home with a wasted journey.

Seconded.

Alcove Buttress at Attermire.

Been meaning to go there since seeing your post on Insta but haven't got around to it. Does look good.

[SA Chris]

Just looked at the fans, carrying 1 of those on top of the pads etc on the sketchy approach would be enough to topple me into the sea!