[Kingy]

I've searched back in the forums and found lots of stuff on Froggatt but zero info on Chequer's Groove other than a few ppl who have done it and that its highball, reachy and dynamic. Have tracked down this pic of Jerry on it in OTE 94 (old Marius Morstad training article - hope the link works). Anybody know if it goes directly up the groove which seems v hard (I tried and failed!) or traverses in to the crimps he is holding in the pic from the right stonemonkey.dk/artikler/marius_morstad_ote/training_strength_part2.pdf

[Ru]

Not got any beta (pretty sure Dan's done it though), but that article (especially the moaning at the end) shows how much climbing has changed in the last 20 years.

[Johnny Brown]

I remember climbing at Froggatt a lot at the time, Seb was trying this (on top-rope) a lot as a start to his headwall line. He gave up on it and and tried (did?) the line to the right instead. It looked really crimpy (skin intensive) and reachy and Jerry was not shit at that stuff. There was a story he took a mat from the foundry when he did it so probably equivalent of 10 or 12 pads.

[Ru]

There was a story he took a mat from the foundry when he did it so probably equivalent of 10 or 12 pads.

That was certainly the rumour at the time. Not sure if I'm more impressed by the ascent or carrying the mat in.

[cheque]

that article (especially the moaning at the end)

Morstad sounds like a right laugh doesn’t he? 

[Kingy]

Cheers guys. Impressive pad toting skills for sure! Bit of a mystery this one, its difficult to work on a shunt as you keep swinging out, if it were bolted it would be easier (obvs theoretically speaking). I put a screenshot on my insta in an appeal for info showing me attempting to go direct up the groove - seems tough! www.instagram.com/p/CIVK3qOjY4P/?hl=en

Amusingly, this is given the mythical English grade of 7b+ as a project in my Allen Williams 'Bouldering in the Peak' guide from the 90s. Must have been from the era when English 7c was being thrown around as a concept!

Yes, he seems quite a dour chap Marius! 

[Kingy]

BTW there is a problem to the right done by Ned in 2016 called 'X Chequer' Font 7C which climbs the wall 2m to the right (not tried it yet but will sling a rope down it next visit). The landing looks better than Chequer's Groove

[carlisle slapper]

I ground upped this in winter 06/07 i think. It felt a good deal harder than slingshot and defo took me two sessions i think, maybe 3. and the landing had a habit of splitting my legs apart with one up and one down. I think i've got a photo sequence somewhere wearing some quality bright red trousers. In fact there is a sequence of jerry on it somewhere in an old OTE IIRC with the gym mat. We had a gym mat for one session (the one where we did toyboy and some other e6s at that end) but i ended up doing it above a few old drop zones. Im not quite sure i did the exact line Jerry did, i've a feeling he might have gone more rightwards at the top and i went more direct over the bulge and up the top groove but i could be totally wrong on that, defo needs some research. Ned has done a lot of stuff on that wall now and i think Mike Adams repeated stuff on that wall too so best to contact them if you want a full history and a what goes where as its been so long since we chatted about it i cant remember specifics of what they've done. Mike might even have a vid buried on one of his compilations?

[Kingy]

Thats great Dan thanks a lot for the info. The landing sounds quite gnarly! If anybody comes across the Jerry photo sequence from OTE with the gym mat, pls post it up if poss - I don't have it in my collection (Jerry's FA was from 2000 so it would be from issue 90 or so onwards)

OK cool I'll contact Mike then and see if there is a vid somewhere. The pic of Jerry from OTE 94 is of him on the tiny crimps below the top overlap which has an obvious incut jug on the lip (seems like he is about to leap for that).

It would be cool to get this one climbed again, rope or no rope!

[carlisle slapper]

Chequed my old hard disc and its refreshed the memory. I've posted up almost the full photo seq on flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/beastmaker/? Heel toe to match the crimps on the slabby ramp really helped. it doesnt have the last move as i didnt do it that the day of these pics when we had the big mats. From memory i was struggling to get the sloping blind RH crimp well that you jump to the jug off and eventually i found a bit of a better bit that let me do that move in more control the next session when we had less pads. This was pre ladders so proper ground up. Apologies for the horrendous tk maxx fashion. Certainly an under appreciated classic IMO.

[Kingy]

Cheers for the pics Dan, thats great and makes perfect sense. I had wondered about the sequence you are using for the big reach up to the slabby ramp using the small RH fingertip undercut. Good knowledge about the heel toe, I was trying a wack method using some slopey crimps aiming for a tiny LH gaston I brushed further out left (probs impossible that way.) Psyched for a rematch now!

Great effort doing this ground up, the landing has to be seen to be believed!

[Fiend]

the horrendous tk maxx fashion. Certainly an under appreciated classic IMO.

[spidermonkey09]

Are they red cords? Fantastic stuff.

[Duma]

Chequed my old hard disc

Loving your work here

[Yossarian]

Are they red cords? Fantastic stuff.

Yah, I had the crimp like this and it was bloody hard work. I haven't pulled like that since me and a load of other Exeter freshers got squiffy in Clapham and went to School Disco at Infernos...

[carlisle slapper]

You joke but they were ralph lauren polos yah! £10 on the sale rail. Like totally a quality buy guys. gave it what ho dying them darker a few years ago and wrote off the ruddy washing machine, major bo bo, got a jolly good lung full off the wifey for that har har har har.

[T_B]

that article (especially the moaning at the end)

Morstad sounds like a right laugh doesn’t he? 

Wasn’t he ahead of his time in climbing training terms? IIRC he had Sellers et al doing laps and laps of Cabbage Crack on TR (20 years ago at a time when Nic was climbing 8c/8c+). Until a few years ago a lot of climbers hadn’t heard of building ‘Aerocap’ with lots of volume/easy moves.

[cheque]

I just meant that he comes across as quite grumpy and humourless in the article.

[gme]

He is the opposite of that. Really nice bloke and a good laugh. I would guess those comments were very tongue in cheek.