[abarro81]

Have places like Malham and Kilnsey given their hardest lines now? Not including ridiculous traverses or whatever.

There's stuff to be done, but there'll be a fine line between what is/isn't doable due to the fact that you can't get bottom-to-top difficulty out of many of these things so they'll be very bouldery.
There may be some very hard ways through the big Kilnsey roof, but I'm not sure if they'd go or not (obvious gaps, but maybe a couple of holds short of doable?)... Possible extension to Northern Lights, but would have a very good rest at the chains and no idea whether the top would be easy/hard/impossible. Magnetic North may or may not be doable since all the holds fell off.. Brandenburg gate.. Multiple cornice projects (e.g. direct finish to Malcolm X - there are holds but it looks like font 8hard, hard enough to put me off bolting it) so there may well be half a dozen bouldery 9b or 9b+s to be found, or there may be nothing.. but it won't be obvious whether there is or not until someone very strong puts the time in to finding out.. and if I were a 9b+ climber (with the sponsorship, opportunities, and pressure to produce good looking "content" that that entails) I doubt I'd be fucking around with those vs flying to Flatanger, Santa Linya, Jumbo Love etc! I suspect those project ideas will have to wait until someone with the required level (e.g. Bosi) gets old and still lives in the uk therefore has to create something new to keep themselves amused.

[abarro81]

On the Irish stuff - it looks cool, but I very much see where Gav is coming from on this:

Why head over there when Spain/France is easier.

If it's going to take travel/holiday then it's not like LPT, Kilnsey, Tor etc. where locals (or weekend regulars) are going to bolt it extensively.  I guess if it hits a certain level of development (e.g. a bunch of good 8s) then maybe it will start to become a "destination", and hard stuff will get done. But since it's out of the way for most of us, it's got to rival Spain/France/Flatanger to attract interest from most people, rather than to rival Malham/Tor. Pity it's not in the peak, that's for sure!

[gme]

Travel wise and location it sounds very much like flatanger so if the climbing really is as good and futuristic as there I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Flatanger truly is a special crag and place and the isolation adds to it. If Inishmore is as good it will get developed as it sounds a similar place to stop.

[petejh]

Yeah it will certainly become a destination that UK folk will travel to, I think it’s a certainty. As Barrows says it will take a critical mass of 8s to attract better climbers but that activity is progressing and the number is only going to go up. I have a world-class steep PE 8a proj to do there which just need to hit with some fitneess, and could bolt new 8s every time I go but I tend to concentrate on mid-high 7s to try to get stuff done on a visit. Other Pete keeps boshing out high 7s and low 8s each visit like a sausage machine, twat.

For travel - with the right logistics it’s cheaper and quicker than Flatanger, on a par with Spain I reckon. And probably quicker than either, certainly than flatanger.

[gme]

If you want more folks to come now is the time I guess with normal travel being disrupted for this year at least.

Always sounds like it’s being kept secret though. Other than Steve’s post I have not see any pics or heard much about it.

[SA Chris]

Plus you can get some amazing County Clare surf in along the way.

[Wood FT]

Yeah it will certainly become a destination that UK folk will travel to, I think it’s a certainty. As Barrows says it will take a critical mass of 8s to attract better climbers but that activity is progressing and the number is only going to go up. I have a world-class steep PE 8a proj to do there which just need to hit with some fitneess, and could bolt new 8s every time I go but I tend to concentrate on mid-high 7s to try to get stuff done on a visit. Other Pete keeps boshing out high 7s and low 8s each visit like a sausage machine, twat.

For travel - with the right logistics it’s cheaper and quicker than Flatanger, on a par with Spain I reckon. And probably quicker than either, certainly than flatanger.

Would love to hear those logistics, Pete.

I've been following the Instagram page and love the sound of the place. I should get off my arse and find out more about getting there but may as well ask you first.

[remus]

To save anyone else searching, there's a guide here with access details https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RhJ7f-AgRttXYDD-aDfK-Lx_gEnXBa91mRSO7olecF8/edit#

[Bradders]

Maybe a venue could be built that could generate the same thing. I love the idea of having just one problem on a section of wall but can’t see how it’s commercially viable.

I think this does exist in a few places already, after a fashion. Personally I can think of a few problems on the Leeds Depot's 50 that will be lifetime achievements for me, as much as any outdoor boulders, when(!) I do them.

Likewise I went to Ravenswall in London earlier this year which had a permanent set. It's not much of a stretch from there.

On the topic of new venues for Brits, for the boulderers you still don't see many people heading over to Fairhead despite it being probably THE hard bouldering venue in the UK, that isn't just a load of link ups in a cave (sorry Parisella's fans). Lines like Spindle are surely up there with the very best in the world and yet people still flock to Magic Wood every summer instead.

[Wood FT]

To save anyone else searching, there's a guide here with access details https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RhJ7f-AgRttXYDD-aDfK-Lx_gEnXBa91mRSO7olecF8/edit#

Let’s go!

[teestub]

On the topic of new venues for Brits, for the boulderers you still don't see many people heading over to Fairhead despite it being probably THE hard bouldering venue in the UK,

Too scary for me and the cheese is better in Swizz.

[El Mocho]

To save anyone else searching, there's a guide here with access details https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RhJ7f-AgRttXYDD-aDfK-Lx_gEnXBa91mRSO7olecF8/edit#

Having been for 1 week I can confirm that the rock is some of the best I've climbed on, immaculate limestone with good friction. From the 1 new route I did and the 7 or so Robbins managed in the same time period I don't think we had to remove a single loose hold or even really brush a single hold. It's a lovely spot. We were sticking to the more vert walls and these didn't really suffer from greasy rock that much. Prob less than Pemb and way less than lpt. The caves (where the 9b-c mega routes would be) do stay greasy/wet a bunch more. Camping is nice and guinness is nice. It was a slight ball ache cycling to the crag with bunch of sport gear + trad gear for anchors/prospecting + ab rope + drill + bolts (I think we stashed the stuff after the first time).

I repeated a bunch of the routes in the 7s and they were all really good. Had a bit of a traddy feel in the way they climbed (except you weren't having to place gear, not that there would have been any). You could probably do 1,000 new routes on the island.

sorry, slightly 

[Duma]

Was going to put this in the thread I started about comp wads crushing outdoors after lockdown, but it fits here too and this thread has got more traction.
Second female 8A+ flash
https://www.8a.nu/news/le-mur-du-son-assis-8a+-flash-by-charlotte-andre

[abarro81]

Traddy feel? Meh, I'll stick to Ramirole or Santa Linya

[Fiend]

There's stuff to be done, but there'll be a fine line between what is/isn't doable due to the fact that you can't get bottom-to-top difficulty out of many of these things so they'll be very bouldery.
There may be some very hard ways through the big Kilnsey roof, but I'm not sure if they'd go or not (obvious gaps, but maybe a couple of holds short of doable?)... Possible extension to Northern Lights, but would have a very good rest at the chains and no idea whether the top would be easy/hard/impossible. Magnetic North may or may not be doable since all the holds fell off.. Brandenburg gate.. Multiple cornice projects (e.g. direct finish to Malcolm X - there are holds but it looks like font 8hard, hard enough to put me off bolting it) so there may well be half a dozen bouldery 9b or 9b+s to be found, or there may be nothing.. but it won't be obvious whether there is or not until someone very strong puts the time in to finding out.. and if I were a 9b+ climber (with the sponsorship, opportunities, and pressure to produce good looking "content" that that entails) I doubt I'd be fucking around with those vs flying to Flatanger, Santa Linya, Jumbo Love etc! I suspect those project ideas will have to wait until someone with the required level (e.g. Bosi) gets old and still lives in the uk therefore has to create something new to keep themselves amused.

Good post. As a complete punt who occasionally spends time at these and other crags, I can see possibilities and blank bits and obvious gaps and obvious mega-links. Not king lines by any stretch but the rock is there for the investigating, unfortunately I think in the UK that investigating probably involves a lot of scrubbing, excavating, stabilising, dealing with seepage, etc etc to discover that yes you've just bolted a 9b but it's a 3 bolt V15 9b linking two 7cs and a bird's nest-filled break and condenses any time the wind changes direction etc etc. Still if you're chasing pure difficulty....and Hubble is a classic, right?

P.S. I'm pretty sure Ireland must have some fucking stonking cheese??

[Bonjoy]

Have places like Malham and Kilnsey given their hardest lines now? Not including ridiculous traverses or whatever.

There's stuff to be done, but there'll be a fine line between what is/isn't doable due to the fact that you can't get bottom-to-top difficulty out of many of these things so they'll be very bouldery.
There may be some very hard ways through the big Kilnsey roof, but I'm not sure if they'd go or not (obvious gaps, but maybe a couple of holds short of doable?)... Possible extension to Northern Lights, but would have a very good rest at the chains and no idea whether the top would be easy/hard/impossible. Magnetic North may or may not be doable since all the holds fell off.. Brandenburg gate.. Multiple cornice projects (e.g. direct finish to Malcolm X - there are holds but it looks like font 8hard, hard enough to put me off bolting it) so there may well be half a dozen bouldery 9b or 9b+s to be found, or there may be nothing.. but it won't be obvious whether there is or not until someone very strong puts the time in to finding out.. and if I were a 9b+ climber (with the sponsorship, opportunities, and pressure to produce good looking "content" that that entails) I doubt I'd be fucking around with those vs flying to Flatanger, Santa Linya, Jumbo Love etc! I suspect those project ideas will have to wait until someone with the required level (e.g. Bosi) gets old and still lives in the uk therefore has to create something new to keep themselves amused.

There's some potential mega lines in Dove Holes cave in Dovedale. All peppered with fairly new aid bolts. Only one line has been scoped out as a free line to my knowledge. I solo aided it a few years back and can confirm it will defo go. Someone had glued up a hold on it but have no idea who.

[abarro81]

Is that The Bat or something else?

[Bonjoy]

I don't think The Bat will go. The one I aided is The Wicked, you can see the line in the background in pic 7 at this link: https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/dovedale-962/the_bat_variation-444252#photos&gid=1&pid=7

The other most likely line is probably Middle Stump, a long line starting in the back right and working out to the apex via a hanging wall and other features.

[Bonjoy]

The righthand groove in the background on pic 2 is the start of Middle Stump.

[Ru]

I don't think The Bat will go. The one I aided is The Wicked...

I think that's the one that Ben Moon tried/bolted/cleaned a long time ago.

[haydn jones]

Have places like Malham and Kilnsey given their hardest lines now? Not including ridiculous traverses or whatever.

There's stuff to be done, but there'll be a fine line between what is/isn't doable due to the fact that you can't get bottom-to-top difficulty out of many of these things so they'll be very bouldery.
There may be some very hard ways through the big Kilnsey roof, but I'm not sure if they'd go or not (obvious gaps, but maybe a couple of holds short of doable?)... Possible extension to Northern Lights, but would have a very good rest at the chains and no idea whether the top would be easy/hard/impossible. Magnetic North may or may not be doable since all the holds fell off.. Brandenburg gate.. Multiple cornice projects (e.g. direct finish to Malcolm X - there are holds but it looks like font 8hard, hard enough to put me off bolting it) so there may well be half a dozen bouldery 9b or 9b+s to be found, or there may be nothing.. but it won't be obvious whether there is or not until someone very strong puts the time in to finding out.. and if I were a 9b+ climber (with the sponsorship, opportunities, and pressure to produce good looking "content" that that entails) I doubt I'd be fucking around with those vs flying to Flatanger, Santa Linya, Jumbo Love etc! I suspect those project ideas will have to wait until someone with the required level (e.g. Bosi) gets old and still lives in the uk therefore has to create something new to keep themselves amused.

There's some potential mega lines in Dove Holes cave in Dovedale. All peppered with fairly new aid bolts. Only one line has been scoped out as a free line to my knowledge. I solo aided it a few years back and can confirm it will defo go. Someone had glued up a hold on it but have no idea who.

I looked at this on the weekend as I'm keen to find a mega project but someone had removed the hangers from some of the bolts (maybe I wasn't looking hard enough and there's other bolts also it was pisswet. Definitely a 3star line if it's dry though

[Bonjoy]

The lowest hanger or two was missing when I aided, this was 3 or 4 years back. I assumed it was something the aiders had done. I just stick clipped past. Given the line was aided prior to any free climber investigating it I would say the route is fair game as an open project, especially if no one comes forward to claim otherwise.

[Duncan campbell]

Interesting that Steve McClure hasn’t given this some attention... what’s it like? Steep and bouldery?

[tomtom]

Somehow this article seemed fitting for this thread 😃

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jul/15/competitive-hotdog-eaters-nearing-limit-of-human-performance?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

[MischaHY]

There's some potential mega lines in Dove Holes cave in Dovedale. All peppered with fairly new aid bolts. Only one line has been scoped out as a free line to my knowledge. I solo aided it a few years back and can confirm it will defo go. Someone had glued up a hold on it but have no idea who.

I remember looking at these caves around a year after I started climbing and thinking there must be some mega lines going through them. Are they super compact with few features? Or what's the reason for them not getting attention? That sort of terrain is comparatively so rare in the area, you'd think it'd see loads of interest.