[ali k]

Nice one Duncan that’s a great list. La Crema is a lovely bit of rock!

2021 will bring more good experiences and memories and it’ll be upwards from there I’m sure.

[remus]

Some ace routes on there Duncan. Psyched to see you enjoyed Red Rag to a Bull, split rock was my local haunt growing up and did a lot of toprope laps on that lower wall. Underrated stuff.

[Duncan campbell]

Thanks both, looked like you two had good years too.

Ali - bet you rinsed Defcon!  Nice that you enjoyed just chilling in the sun after up at stoney bank.

Remus - great trio of 7c+s, need to get myself back up to two tier upper, vision of loveliness sounds ace.

I wonder what 2021 will bring. Hard to say at this moment.

[moose]

Best of 2020

Not a massively successful year climbing-wise but I feel fortunate to have emerged with a few ticks that had eluded me when I was younger, stronger, and not locked-down.

Sport - non UK
All climbs from a holiday in Siurana late January / early February.  As I recall, there were rumours of a strange flu-like disease in Wuhan, and my partner was bemoaning that half of his Chemical Engineering class were Chinese and all were going home for Chinese New Year. I wonder what happened to that mystery virus? It seemed set for greater things.

Mid-height Hole 7b Desplomilandia
Flash.  Funky sequence on small holds - short but with great moves. I was very grateful for beta from a helpful Swede who had put the draws in.
Alicia 7B+ Frontales
Flash.  Really good climbing - no real stopper moves but relentless to the finish.   Towards the ends of the holiday, so it felt less about fitness / ability (not that I had much of those after a 6 month break from routes) and more about tolerance for suffering and sweaty conditions!
Anack Sunamun 7b Frontales, Momia
On-sight.  Absolutely shattering in the mid-day sun with some unhelpful seepage. I got very wrong-handed in the middle and was reduced to panic stricken dead-point snatches between poor nubbin; a satisfying way to end a holiday.

Sport Climbing - UK
Due to Covid, I didn't really want to hook-up with randoms as usual via the Yorks Lime Faceook group, so the only "route" I did was this:
Mandela Training Traverse 8a+, Kilnsey
Sent on a rainy morning, third day on - spurred into action by days of heavy rain and the increasing seepiness of the crux pockets.  Not really a route but it has a sport grade, so I spuriously get to maintain my run of at least one f8 route a year for 9 or 10 years.  Hah, my puerile ticking spits in the face of Covid-19!

Bouldering
Young Grasshopper / Spidercrab blues, Anston 7b/+
A link-up / eliminate but the best and hardest moves on the wall. 
Reservation 7b Anston
At long last... after years of intermittent failure. The key was accidentally cutting loose, doing an accidental iron-cross, and putting my feet back on - which allowed me to turn a heel into a toe, and get a few extra inches of reach compared to previous goes.
Noisy Cricket / Grasshopper 7c/7c+??!!! Stronstrey Bank
One of those simple, pleasurable low angst days.  Roll up; find boulder; watch video of TomTom; and problems done by lunchtime.  The extension had a nice cross over move to join Noisy Cricket.  Either it was a very low gravity day, or the problems were originally graded as eliminates without heel-toes?  Whatever, never mind, I really enjoyed the moves I did.

Honourable mentions: Zendik, Ousel's Nest (felt impossible until it was easy), and Faith / Faithless LH and RH (all four variants ticked over a couple of sessions after years of getting nowhere).

Spankings
The usual suspects (as I type, I note that snatchy, "board-style" movement seems to be the common thread, I guess I now know what my lockdown training programme should focus on!).
Pit Problem, Trowbarrow, 7b
Many years of failure but at least I got nearer this  year - during my most recent visits I was hitting but not quite holding the glued crimp.  I had hopes of sending it over winter.  But Covid.
Big Marine, C-y-L, 7b
As above. Previous years of failure but a bit of a breakthrough this year - had a couple of sessions where I regularly caught the top gaston but couldn't pull through to the top. Crap; but progress; but still crap.
Launch Control, Kilnsey, 7c
Perhaps not a spanking,  as I suspect it's just not within my ambit.  There's an adjustment on an undercut that despite not requiring the movement of any limbs, is essential for me and feels like the hardest of "non moves".

[r-man]

Another World sitstart.
Adds a burly 6 moves into the standup, which has maybe the hardest move I've done. I've played on this so much over the years, been close-but-not-quite, spent time trying and spent time avoiding, spent time with friends, spent time on my own, spent time with wildlife. It came to be quite important to me, in the strange way that some challenges are. So I decided to dedicate winter training to getting stronger at these 9 moves, and the crux move in particular. Every woody session was focused on replicating versions, hanging positions. Amazingly to me, it worked. A couple of days before lockdown 1, I did it. And I was happy.



Moorland Explorations.
I got fed up with sieges. I wanted to do something apart from spend time under the same rock. As wonderful as that can be in its own way, I wanted to climb new moves, feel new shapes. So I went hunting for those things, and climbed some great problems. There was one with a bat-hang. There was one with a rose move. There was one with a nipple. And there were so many big skies and days where I scraped over the top with raw skin, and returned home feeling elated. I've still got projects at those places (hence lack of details) so hopefully later in the year I can get stuck in again.

Core Blimey
Right after lockdown 1, I toured round a few more projects in the quarries, to see if any felt good. This lowball line of improbable slopers sucked me in. I got close very quickly, but then the sessions started to rack up. I fell off going for the jug, on an easy move, and after that I'd had enough. My siege juice was dry. I ran off to the moors and had a brilliant summer. ...But I was always going to return. So when the snow was at its thickest this winter, I decided to give it a look. I was gifted a snow-quilted world and a brilliant memory.
(ok, I climbed this on Jan 2, but it feels like it belongs to the previous year)



Rodin's Requiem Sitter
Got some new beta and climbed this one in a couple of sessions, having not tried it for a couple of years. The crux is an unusual bounce into a high press, the rest is straightforward. I'm not sure about the grade, but others seem to find it hard. It was nice to do something fast for once!



TOP SPANKINGS

Core Blimey
Haha, turned into a victory!

The Amazing Arete
An arete of dreams. 30 deg. overhanging, quarried, blank. And tall! Maybe too tall. But we had dreams of being gritstone heroes. This line was good enough to imagine overcoming the fear. So we put a stake in, did much cleaning, threw a rope down... Oh dear. This thing is next level. The holds are too spaced, the friction too poor. So as the day drew on, we restorted to trying the "easy" boulder problem start. In the dark, with a headtorch, I had a hand on the finishing sloper, but the air was damp and I just couldn't match. One to come back for. 7B+ for that bit maybe. The easy bit.

The Direct
...to an old school E6. All the moves done, fierce pulls up a slight arete, and slightly steep. 7B+ maybe, a little bit highball until the gear and the E6 finish. So what does that make it, E7? Had a very enjoyable session figuring out the moves, all the excitement of creating a sequence, inch by inch. Pretty sure I could have done this swiftly. But pandemic and belayers and blah.  Another one for 2021...

[r-man]

Best of 2020

Noisy Cricket / Grasshopper 7c/7c+??!!! Stronstrey Bank
One of those simple, pleasurable low angst days.  Roll up; find boulder; watch video of TomTom; and problems done by lunchtime.  The extension had a nice cross over move to join Noisy Cricket.  Either it was a very low gravity day, or the problems were originally graded as eliminates without heel-toes?  Whatever, never mind, I really enjoyed the moves I did.

Noisy Cricket was graded for a sequence that involved bringing right foot onto the face before getting the next Rh face hold. And then Pete did Grasshopper and thought it was a grade harder. A few seem to think 7B+ and 7C respectively.

Either way, nice boulder in a scenic spot. Good effort!

[tomtom]

Nice one R-Man. I see Rodins sit had another ascent last week - and a grade vote on the other channel...

[Fiend]

Beard?



Beard.



Beard!!



BEARD!!!

Good effort on that first thing too, looks cool.

[spidermonkey09]

Did you try Honk Down at Frontales Moose? I thought that was a brilliant route, as good as any I've done anywhere in Spain. I did have to wait for shade though, which it sounds like you weren't doing! Anack Sunaman looked brilliant but those tufas were glinting in the sun and ceased to be appealing...

[petejh]

Best of 2020

For reasons other than covid and girlfriends, 2020 was genuinely life-changing. Climbing-wise the year was quiet although I still visited three different areas abroad, including a last-minute decision in July to drive the length of France and Spain with the person who would become my girlfriend, to retrieve her van from the south-west tip of Spain. Achieved my long-held dream of climbing the Naranjo de Bulnes on the drive back. The 14-days quarantine on return felt very much worth it.

New Routes
Kept up my run of doing at least one new route every year for about the last 12 years. Still developing a few areas in Wales and Ireland, including what will be N.Wales's best (only?) granite sport climbing venue, and a very interesting coastal venue in NI. It never ends and I love it.

A Right Savage, 6a. Garron Point. On the front face of the pinnacle at Garron. Nothing special but I really like it and I wouldn't be surprised if became one of the most climbed lower grade routes in NI over the next 20 years!
TreforTreforLand, 7b+. A 40 metre bolted granite adventure with a super-thin slab crux, where you have to high smear on nothing and hold balance while you slap to a sloper and then rock over, followed by another 20-odd metres of varied techy climbing to the chains. Have got more cool lines bolted that I need to return to asap. My friend did an amazing 30 metre 7a next door which includes a runout section of a flared granite offwidth, unlike any 7a in Wales.. more like Yosemite.

Sport - non UK
Early year 2-week trip to Chullia and Costa Blanca was great fun, but lost 5 days of my week in Chulilla on my back with the worst flu/cold I can remember...
Periclonica and Braso Corto, both on Pared Blanca in Chillia. Both 35m of slabby face climbing fun, probably my favorite routes of the three days I climbed in Chulilla.
Satanismo en al Alpimismo, Rumenes, in the Desfiladero de La Hermida. Traddy feeling route laybacking a steep flake system at the top.

Trad - non UK
Martinez Direct, Naranjo de Bulnes, Picos de Europa. Have wanted to climb the Bulnes for as long as I can remember and it didn't disappoint. Everything about the trip felt like we were bunking off to fantasy mountain-land to escape from the grim covid-world. Felt like the luckiest people alive to be up there. Bivvying at the base of the spire under clear starry skies was fantastic. The route starts around the back from the main face, so you get to see the whole of the Bulnes and its varied faces. The climb was fun, with lots of massive water runnels to pinch and bridge. Mostly bolted but glad to place gear on the runouts. Think my biggest concern was not killing someone by knocking a rock off on the loose descent scramble back down from the summit, and then not getting heat exhaustion on the way out. Very keen to return to climb the Murciana 78 and Rabada-Navaro routes, both look incredible and the rock on that face looks superb. I love Asturias, the cider and the rain make me feel at home..

Via Missing Link, Raco del Corv on the Sierra Toix. Wow! Amazing route. Feels like a juggy Gogarth adventure but with lots of threads and rusty bolts. All the routes we did on this cliff were top class - El Dorado (sport) which I'd done previously is also brilliant.
 
Bernia Ridge, Costa Blanca. More of a scramble and I probably wouldn't have put this in if we hadn't had the combination of weather we did - low cloud obscuring the whole built-up world of the cost blanca, leaving just the unspoilt mountains sticking out of the swirling mist. It felt like we were traversing a remote alpine mountain far away from the rest of the world. Bizarre to be so close to Benidorm! 

Trad - UK
Very quiet year, Autobahn and The Groan at Craig y Forwyn were both good, the only other memorable trad was some nice easy soloing in the Pass.

Sport Climbing - UK
I can't recall any success! First year in many I haven't finished at least one grade-8 thing that I started.

Bouldering
Honorary mentions to the problems in Breck Road area up the slope from Parisellas, and Dave Lyon's Bodafon traverse wall for providing many happy afternoons escape during the spring lockdown.

Life
In summer 2018 I was in the back of a friend's car travelling back from the alps when I overheard a message sent to him by someone with industry connections, about a tiny exploration company who'd made an interesting discovery from their maiden drill-hole in the west Australian desert. I've long been a small-time investor so my ears pricked up. Following a month researching I decided, with what I'd overheard in the car, that in a lifetime investing it's very rare to see this sort of opportunity for risk/reward. So I took my life savings of £36k that I'd saved for a deposit on a house, another £12k on a credit card*, and invested the lot. For 18 months nothing much happened. I continued researching and remained holding. In 2020 what I thought would happen, began. I watched the investment grow by thousands of percent over a 6 month period, it all felt very surreal, I'd turned 5 figures into 7. The good fortune of being in that car, overhearing that message, and acting on it, meant my world suddenly changed from fully expecting to work until retirement age etc., to being able to comfortably retire at 45 without needing to work if I choose. No excuses not to do Murcianna 78 then, and plenty of other adventures. And with the person I'd have hoped. Yay : )



* silly risk, I don't recommend this.

[tomtom]

Brave man Pete - I’ve stayed on exploration sites with a couple of small companies in N Australia... there’s plenty that don’t pay off - so well done!

[teestub]

Another World sitstart.

This is not half bad looking for a Lancashire quarry!

[moose]

Best of 2020

Noisy Cricket / Grasshopper 7c/7c+??!!! Stronstrey Bank
One of those simple, pleasurable low angst days.  Roll up; find boulder; watch video of TomTom; and problems done by lunchtime.  The extension had a nice cross over move to join Noisy Cricket.  Either it was a very low gravity day, or the problems were originally graded as eliminates without heel-toes?  Whatever, never mind, I really enjoyed the moves I did.

Noisy Cricket was graded for a sequence that involved bringing right foot onto the face before getting the next Rh face hold. And then Pete did Grasshopper and thought it was a grade harder. A few seem to think 7B+ and 7C respectively.

Either way, nice boulder in a scenic spot. Good effort!

7B+/7C seems fair enough with feet at the back, and I wouldn't even argue with a grade easier (it would still be a very good day for me).  I've given up trying to grade problems with my spectacularly variant strengths and weaknesses (static reaches between well separated crimps - YES!  dynamism, slopes, and being bunched-up - WOE!).

[RobK]

Not bad Pete 

Looking forward to all the new routes with all that time you'll have on your hands!

[spidermonkey09]

Another World sitstart.

This is not half bad looking for a Lancashire quarry!

I thought that!

[SA Chris]

but lost 5 days of my week in Chulilla on my back with the worst flu/cold I can remember...

You sure it was flu???

[petejh]

Brave man Pete - I’ve stayed on exploration sites with a couple of small companies in N Australia... there’s plenty that don’t pay off - so well done!

Yep, I’ve invested in plenty of small cap turds and lost my fair share over the years! In both Aus and Canada. I learnt the hard way.
I may have made this episode sound like a total punt but it was nothing of the sort really, I’d learnt how to do proper research by then and I had a very lucky break to get in early, I’m brave but not that reckless!

[AndyR]

Brave man Pete - I’ve stayed on exploration sites with a couple of small companies in N Australia... there’s plenty that don’t pay off - so well done!

Yep, I’ve invested in plenty of small cap turds and lost my fair share over the years! In both Aus and Canada. I learnt the hard way.
I may have made this episode sound like a total punt but it was nothing of the sort really, I’d learnt how to do proper research by then and I had a very lucky break to get in early, I’m brave but not that reckless!

Which company was/is it?

[205Chris]

Brave man Pete - I’ve stayed on exploration sites with a couple of small companies in N Australia... there’s plenty that don’t pay off - so well done!

Yep, I’ve invested in plenty of small cap turds and lost my fair share over the years! In both Aus and Canada. I learnt the hard way.
I may have made this episode sound like a total punt but it was nothing of the sort really, I’d learnt how to do proper research by then and I had a very lucky break to get in early, I’m brave but not that reckless!

The Wolf of Orme Street

[moose]

Best of 2020
...I'd turned 5 figures into 7....being able to comfortably retire at 45 without needing to work if I choose.

Crikey and congratulations.  This thread is now closed for new entries: we have a winner!

[petejh]

Which company was/is it?

(Off topic)
Greatland Gold was the biggie.
I’m also doing well with a small British company called Ilika that grew out of Southampton university research, they have patents on their solid state battery technology, and hope to be producing solid state batteries for EVs and other uses like IoT.
If/when solid state batteries can be commercially produced it will be the next evolution for EV and internet of things. The brexit EU trade deal was actually good for this - as a direct result from 2024 vehicle manufacturers must source at least 50% of vehicle parts from within the UK or EU. Because batteries are too heavy to be easy to mass transport it means the UK is rushing to ramp up domestic EV battery production. Ilika has benefitted from a government programme to support production at scale.
Nickel sulfide miners also doing very well out of the EV revolution, due to the increasing amount required for the battery cathodes.
And many believe Tin will be the fastest growing commodity in the coming EV and tech evolution due to the amount required in chip boards. Shortages currently in the US. (off topic)

[Gus]

Better late than never....
Sorry for the delay, but I've only just got round to looking at this thread, and it's got me well psyched as ever!
Well done to everyone who got anything at all done last year, it certainly wasn't easy, but it's great to look back on a genuinely tough year and see some great stuff in there!!
Ok, here we go....

Top 3 Trad Routes


Camel Hot, E6 6b, Black Rocks

Had a Great time at Black Rocks last winter, not just climbing but also and slightly randomly sword fighting and doing some safety rigging for an amazing action film!
Wanted to do this for years ever since seeing the photo in the original “On Peak Rock” guidebook (20 +years ago) which always makes things special. Bit of a consolation prize after getting well spanked on the velvet silence mantel. Seeing the stunt team inflate a huge cash mat under which nearly brought a tear to my eye at the opportunity !!


Perplexity, E6 6b, Millstone

Millstone was another crag that I focused on for a month or so, having some great days there with Henry Francis, topped off my him doing Master’s Edge as his first E7, which was absolutely worth me not doing it, as there was only time for one ascent before dark!
Perplexity itself is an incredible route with great climbing, that I enjoyed to it’s full with no fear at all.



The Shape of Things to Come, E6 6b, Curbar
Curbar E6 is always gonna feel pretty stern I guess. This is a mega, underrated route that could be worth E7 elsewhere. Absolutely fantastic climbing  but VERY spicy! The crux is runout but then the “head” crux higher up, protected by some pretty optimistic (even for me) opposing wires is seriously iffy. Had to have a few words with myself with numb hands and pumped arms, but made it count!
Dad Musgrove’s Onsight of this is absolutely outrageous (although sounds pretty harrowing!!)



Top 3 Boulders

“Opus” 7a? Almscliffe

What a corker, scary highballing with a very committing top move. Made all the better for it being a day out climbing with the one and only Dave Evans who’d driven over from Wales. Now that’s committment!!

“Monochrome” 7b, Burbage

Had trouble with this one day, then subsequently went home and weighed myself to find that I was at a record high! No wonder! After a few days of more healthy living, and a pro-style warm up at the mini works, I headed back on my own for revenge, at least 2kg lighter. It didn’t stand a chance. Honour restored!!



“Staffs Flyer” 6b, Roaches skyline
1st day back climbing after lockdown 1, this was a great day, parked at the secret spot and didn’t see a soul all day. Felt so good to be free again and was great to do the full circuit like Wings of Unreason, Track of the Cat etc too.



Top 3 UK Sport


“The Squealer” 7c, Lorry Park

Another early foray out climbing after lockdown, and to a new crag too, imagine my psyche!
Was surprised to rattle this off quickly although my lack of endurance meant that I was basically in full on pain in my forearms on the rests!!



“Rocket From the Crypt” 7a+, Cheyenne Weares

Wow, what a gem! Mega climbing, mega rock, and right by the sea which is always a favourite. A big puppy pitch that was perfect for regaining fitness after lockdown !



“Big Spider, Small Bath” 7c, Lorry Park

There’s nothing like finding a local-ish venue that you’ve not climbed at, and getting well and truly stuck in. I had a really good flash go on this but my mind and body had forgotten what to do a bit following my biggest break from outdoor climbing ever, during lockdown, just another route that I enjoyed 100% and where it felt like a great gift to be able to go outdoor climbing again!!



Top 3 Sport Routes Abroad


Felt very lucky to sneak a trip in to Kalymnos in September, although he who dares and all that, it was a proper gamble on cheap flights that could have very easily been cancelled.
The best tick of the trip by far was smashing in the 1km swim between Telendos and Kalymnos with the Boothy brothers and Rob psyche machine.
Climbing wise it was actually a bit of a spanking, with boiling temps and lack of fitness, but the best routes were:


“Puffa Puffa Puffa” 7c/+?, Secret Garden

The tufa at the top off this has broken, making it now a very hard sequence, but after a lot of faffing, managed to fathom it out

“Bourre Mais Pas” 7b+, Secret Garden

Psyched to onsight this!



“Early Bird” 7b+/c, Odyssey

Mad scenes having Odyssey sector to yourself in what would otherwise be a really busy time of year!
Think this was last route of the trip, obviously followed by ice cream, Mythos, and a swim!



Top Spankings


Managed to tick off my “RCI” instructor qualification this year. Part of this process involved quite a few days out with guru and long Time friend and climbing partner And Turner, and also Mark Sharratt who it’s been great to see getting psyched on climbing again.
We’d run through some tech shizzle, then obviously do some climbing. Unfortunately for me this involved off widths. After doing myself proud on “The Vice” at Stanage, I subsequently got spanked by everything we tried (although I was about 1% away from doing “Harvest”, so Ramshaw Crack, Harvest, Melvyn Bragg, and rather shamefully, Imposition, all go in here!



Right, that’s it. Anyone else left to confess?
It’s not too late!!


[SA Chris]

“Staffs Flyer” 6b, Roaches skyline
1st day back climbing after lockdown 1, this was a great day, parked at the secret spot and didn’t see a soul all day. Felt so good to be free again and was great to do the full circuit like Wings of Unreason, Track of the Cat etc too.



Think I remember first doing this with you, Andi, Stu and his bro Rog in the closing months of the last Millennium. Have it all on slide somewhere.....

[Fiend]



“The Squealer” 7c, Lorry Park

Another early foray out climbing after lockdown, and to a new crag too, imagine my psyche!
Was surprised to rattle this off quickly although my lack of endurance meant that I was basically in full on pain in my forearms on the rests!!

“Big Spider, Small Bath” 7c, Lorry Park

There’s nothing like finding a local-ish venue that you’ve not climbed at, and getting well and truly stuck in. I had a really good flash go on this but my mind and body had forgotten what to do a bit following my biggest break from outdoor climbing ever, during lockdown, just another route that I enjoyed 100% and where it felt like a great gift to be able to go outdoor climbing again!!

Well TURBO! 

I still don't know if I want to do BSSB because of the name, or NOT do it because of the name...