[abarro81]

Grades please, Barros, you bloody drama king.

I'm a zen hippie now, I don't do grades.
7C+/8A, 7C, 7B+
8A+, 7C+
8c+/9a, 8b+, 8b
8c+, 8b/+, 8a+, 8b, 8a+
8b, 8a+, 8a+

No mention of all the great hobbies he got to try while resting his finger either?

Moaning. Whinging. Pumping iron. Catastrophising. Facing the existential abyss. Running. Whining. Moping. Swimming. Pontificating.

Top 3 custom kneepads self-sewn during finger resting. 

Top 3 gaffa-tape removal experiences. Top 3 did-the-pads-too-tight-and-pumped-my-legs out experiences (top 1 was in FJ actually, whilst learning to use the Blak pad; basically BFRd my leg)...

[Alex-the-Alex]

Where Eagles Dare, Scoor, Mull
During the cold snap in April/May, a perfect day and a perfect cliff. This was my third lead of the day and year and despite thinking I didn't stand a chance collected the rack and started wobbling my way up. It was an awesome mix of controlled terror, gear fiddling and really lovely climbing. An amazing spot:
https://imgur.com/uw6SVM5

Nice to meet you that day Iain  It all looked in control from the bottom! Great shot hehehe  you couldnt get a bad one of Scoor. A magical place!

[Alex-the-Alex]

I'm quietly confident you'll think the new route names are amongst the best in Europe. Safe to say Tom?

They are incredible. You should be very proud.

[Alex-the-Alex]

Moonshine, Beinn Eighe. We weren't sure which route to finish on, so went all in for this and I got the crux pitch. I made decent progress, but had no ability to recover on the jugs. The climbing was fairly steady with a few tricky moves, then a bit of a run out the "foothold on the arete". I got this hold in my hands then got really pumped trying to get a bit of gear in a flake before committing to the move. I couldn't get it seated properly and eventually I just had to make do and go for the move, shouting to my partner to "watch me, this could be a bad one!" I almost got the move, but I was just too tired, fell off, the gear ripped and I went quite a long way before the next pieces caught me. It's a steep route and a safe fall, and the other gear was totally bomber. I was pleased that I'd managed to go for it, but frustrated that a) I could have probably just done the move and b) If I'd had more mileage I would have been able to shake out at my highpoint, rather than get more pumped. Partner didn't fancy it so we bailed.

Cor thats some flight. Glad you came out of it feeling positive! Can be very liberating experiences those big attempts. That move is such a great finale to the groove too, though i had the safety of seconding to enjoy it 

[Alex-the-Alex]

Staying Power, Yew Cogar - newly retroed. Was expecting a fight but happily did it first go after a bolt-to-bolt with power to spare. The sun came onto the crag and we left to find Roger Deakin's "tufa pools" for a swim. The water was beautifully warm.

Lovely! Any clues as to where they are from the crag ? Ive looked for them from the top of the scar before but no luck.

[Ged]

I'm quietly confident you'll think the new route names are amongst the best in Europe. Safe to say Tom?

They are incredible. You should be very proud.

It took me a while to see what you'd done there! But yes, they are bloody good names. My wife nearly divorced me after a few weeks of running potato based puns by her.

[Will Hunt]

Staying Power, Yew Cogar - newly retroed. Was expecting a fight but happily did it first go after a bolt-to-bolt with power to spare. The sun came onto the crag and we left to find Roger Deakin's "tufa pools" for a swim. The water was beautifully warm.

Lovely! Any clues as to where they are from the crag ? Ive looked for them from the top of the scar before but no luck.

I'll PM you. I've described how to get there and included a photo in the new select.

[Nike Air]

Is it wise to include that in the guide?

These places struggle to stay quiet as it is. Discretion and word of mouth is no doubt key.

[Alex-the-Alex]

Cheers Will 

Yeah that was a bit lazy of me... Not very in the spirit. Is it in any existing Wild Dipping TM guides allready? I thought there was a guy writing an entire Deakin pilgrimage guide?

[Will Hunt]

Not sure whether it's documented in any books. It's certainly easy enough to find photos and videos with a quick Google. The description given by Deakin predates the CRoW Act so his approach is convoluted, but it's fairly clear how to get there. The main thing that people get wrong when looking (as I did the first time I tried) is looking far enough from the crag; most people will be put off by the length of the approach.

[petejh]

Top two trad routes
Did various things up to E5 but none I'd call really memorable for quality or position.

The Absconder's Finish, Rhoscolyn
Probably not on anyone else’s list ever of top trad routes, but every time I’ve visited Rhoscolyn I’ve always thought this line looked really attractive and crossed some impressive terrain for the lowly grade. Previously always had something better to do but this time due to having done most other things, my level of fitness, or just looking for a low commitment day I finally did it. And very good it was. Better than many 2 or 3-starred routes as is often the way. Also honorary mention to 'Truant RH Finish' - brilliant steep chossaineering, Fiend you'd love it.

Plagiarism, Falcon Crag
First trad route of the year and it left a strong memory. Bloody hell lakes E2 can be hard, at least I found this one to be.


Top two sport routes
Not much time spent at sport crags last year.

The Long Goodbye, Castell y Gwynt
Bolt to bolted this 8 or so years ago but hadn't gone back to finish it. Finally got back on it this year and it was a reminder of how amazing the rock is on the Gwynt, as if I needed it. In terms of rock quality and climbing style perhaps one of the few limestone crags I've climbed at in the UK on a par with continental sport crags.

Altered Carbon, Diamond
One of Dave Redpath's newies from a few years back when the Diamond was his 'local' crag. Really good climbing. Didn't actually finish it - got to last hard move twice and fell. One of those routes I loved just climbing on even if not 'doing'. Thanks Dave!


Top three new routes
Didn’t do many in 2021 (5 in total). Plenty in the pipeline for 2022.

Drag Race,  Semi-secret crag on the antrim coast
A grim-looking bit of cliff but this climbs really well, classic power endurance. A gem from the rough.

Swansong,  Secret crag, NI
Genuinely brilliant first route on a cool new crag. Perfect rock, lovely holds, flowy and pumpy, beautiful location. Lots more to do here and cant wait for the next one.

End of the World,  Inishmore
Massive layback flake. Standard 2-star Inishmore baseline quality as per all the routes that aren’t 3-star classics.


Top Spankings
Motion sickness on the Rosslare to Bilbao crossing last week.
24hrs of not being able to get up from the cabin bed without feeling horrible, on the roughest boat trip I've ever experienced, perhaps what it's like being a sock inside a washing machine. Escaping the UK to ski-tour and climb in the Pyrenees is worth it though.

Trowbarrow on a hot day.
Did one of those slippery E2 cracks in the full sun as the warm up, sweated buckets and got sun-baked and dehydrated. Then tried to onsight one of those E3s on the shady Red Wall.. holy shit it felt like climbing on bars of soap with dubious gear, each good-looking hold turning out to be a rounded slippery glassy flattie and each gear placement proving less than reassuring. Downclimbed from half height and spent rest of the day belaying with what felt like heat exhaustion. The pub down the road that serves cakes was amazing after though.

Thinking I was going to die at Gogarth.
Got birded off a VS at Easter Island Gully with gf. No probs, decided I'd climb out up the neighbouring route 'Rotten Gut' - described in the guide as a 'steep yellow rotting chimney'. Turned out I climbed the wrong steep yellow rotting chimney, and this one was unclimbed. Felt about E2 5a, loose/soft rock with poor gear, scary but doable with a calm head. But then it started raining as I neared the top. Pulled onto the steep slippery grass exit slope in the rain with my last runner 5m (i.e. 3 Standard Ste Mc's) below me in crap rock and with no gear until the abseil point 20m above. It took as long for me to inch up the grass as it took to climb the route below and was literally digging holes for purchase in the steep mud with my fingers and fully expecting to slip and go all the way. But no other way out. Horrible. Called the route 'Loose Guts'.

[dunnyg]

Also love this threat, here goes!

Best 5 Boulders
Ben's Groove, Caley 7B. Never tried it before, always thought it was too hard. Got the beta off 36C and others who were on it and got it in a few goes. Boss moves, with some fear at the top.

Classic calf, Ilkely, 7B
Proved that there is still some power inside plus I burned Will off.

Calf Traverse, Ilkley, 7B +
watched a youth do it when working the above, worked it move by move to tick it during lamp sessions. Psyched off my face. Really enjoyed the process. Also ticked the 4 other Ilkely classic traverse onthe same night, best form of my life.

Trust, Guisecliff, 7B (?)
A tricky slab, not my bag, mega fun. This was the last hard boulder before I then tried the 7B in the cave behind it and knackered my pulley.

Blockbuster/Whisky Galore, Caley/Brimham (7A/7B)
Both things I have tried many times in passing and got nowhere on for years. I finally made the jump on blockbuster, and after realising I needed to guppy, went back and did it the first time I stuck the jump again. Whisky Galore I have just failed on repeatedly, but possibly some recent focus on stretching made it go fairly smoothly somehow!

Best 5 highballs

Old spice (E2/5+), Ilkley
A couple of moves long, I've stood under it many times and failed to commit. Finally gave in and dropped a rope down it for a quick brush, and then soloed it. Great to stop caring about ethics and just get on stuff. Keen to do this more!

Decurion (E1/2/6A+), Cold beck crag
Moved house and this is the nearest good looking line, a pleasant trip out with Will got me up this. High enough to be exciting, but steady. The HVS round to the right is much scarier and still on the list .

Rons Reach E1/6B, Caley
Best of the bunch, might have been the same day as Ben's groove, fell off a few times. Again, tall enough to be exciting, but good team psyche and 36C's cleaning efforts made the experience! I should repay the karma and brush up some of stuff by Syretts Saunter (The knobbler etc.)

Sonic, E3/6C, Thrope edge (Nidderdale)
FA. Went for an explore with my partner above nidderdale, and found a couple of craglets. One was already on UKC, but only the chimney in the middle had been done. An enooooormous roof (6/7 m horizontal), to a headwall of around 6m. Unfortunately the rock under the roof is a bit snappy, but the stuff above was premium quality.
Sonic sneaks up the roof on the left from a tricky hanging start. Once established, make some interesing moves up on edges to top out looking down nidderdale. Glorious. Got a load of other FAs, sent a topo to Will, but he refused to put it on unknown stones because I didn't put stars on the routes. C'est la vie!


Best 5 traddage
No hard trad but plenty of classic easies:

Porthgwarra face, VD, Porthgwarra (cornwall)
Ace, proper holiday climbing, got up this early doors then went for an icecream and a swim. Felt tropical, and felt like proper summer holiday mooching vibe time. Seems a long way from this December!

Bowfell Buttress, HS, Bowfell,
Did the big walk in in raging sun with the Mrs and followed another pair up it. Waiting around made it very chilled out, and we decided to pop over to scafell Pike and back. Turned it into a much bigger day! Managed to score some pizza and chips on the way back to Yorkshire. Knackered afterwards! More of this please.

Cneifon Arete, D, Cwm Cniefon.
A repeat ascent with my partner. This was the first multipitch we did, the first time there was tears and epic, this time she lead the crux and we moved together up the rest. Everyone had a nice day, and my partner was super psyched, great to see! End of an amazing week in wales ticking classics and just abandonning the car at the campsite for a week. Everything we did this week wa great, with Gashed crag, ampithere buttress and some of the milestone buttress routes all being part of the picture.

Oxford + cambridge direct, S, Grey crag buttermere
I love this crag. A big trog uphill in, then loads of link ups. Me and partner had a couple of mountian weekends before this, and the walk in felt chilled. We then did 5 or 6 roues in a day finishing with this one. Great climbing, in a beautiful position, followed by a mooch back over the tops, looking over at Pillar (!). Delicious.

Stickle gill, Grade II, langdale (its not a trad so it doesn't count!)
Scrambled up here on an evening. One exciting step which looked a bit improbable and some interesting ones in between. Much more interesting than walking up the path.

Top spankings
Down under, Nought bank, 7B
Got on this after doing Trust. It did bad things to my A2 pulley in about April. I didn't pull hard again until November. Absolute nob.

Barguest Direct, Trollers gill, 7a
The only hard sport I tried this year. Thought it would make a good quick tick to get back in the swing. I did ok up to the final bolt, rested once or twice to get up there on bolts as a working go. I then failed to do the top moves. Didn't tie in for hard sport again. Maybe this year. My head game for trying hard on a rope is in absolute tatters.

Gritty shaker, 7C, somewhere near bingley
Couldn't touch it. Leapt for the holds repeatedly and got nowhere.Good line but just can't see me going back.

Scotland
A mixture of weather and guts (see below) meant I still didn't climb a rock route in Scotland.  We managed to get up curved ridge and ring of Steall which somewhat made up for it, but the promise of these stonking multipitch classics was snatched away agan.

Guts (4+/8B+/8C)
After recovering from my finger injury my insides then rebelled, cancelling my climbing plans for the last 2 months of 2021. They also fucked up my first trip to Skye in the summer, where I spent a week lying in bed instead of adventuring round the on those classic multipitch.



All in all, did some great local bouldering and some great big easy trad round the UK, despite avoiding everyone for a year, and various maladies. More of all of it please!

[Will Hunt]

Got a load of other FAs, sent a topo to Will, but he refused to put it on unknown stones because I didn't put stars on the routes. C'est la vie!

I'd forgotten about this. I think it was more that I asked you to assign some stars to help users of your guide get around the crag and you refused and I never got round to arguing with you about it more. You don't have to spray stars around but there must be climbs there that are worth at least 1!

[dunnyg]

I think it's good for non FAs to star things. Bang one on Sonic and the jobs good.

[36chambers]

Remember dunnyg that Wayfinder is benchmark 3 stars. So following on from that, just being a piece of rock that exists is enough to warrant 1 star.

[cheque]

Motion sickness on the Rosslare to Bilbao crossing last week.
24hrs of not being able to get up from the cabin bed without feeling horrible, on the roughest boat trip I've ever experienced, perhaps what it's like being a sock inside a washing machine.

Around the time I turned 20 my mate “won” a trip to Amsterdam for four people. We were fucking psyched. Turned out it was basically just a way for a ferry company to get people on their off-season crossings and spending money at the restaurant, duty-free, arcades etc. I can’t remember the exact ratio of time on the ferry vs time in Amsterdam but it was heavily in Stena Line’s favour. Ferrys take ages.

It was late December and the ferry left from Newcastle. It was so windy that we were fucking about doing that thing where you fully lean into the wind and the strength of it keeps you upright out on the deck before it sailed. We got into our cabin and were laughing at how there were seatbelt-like straps for each of the four bunks…

Anticipating a need for it later in the trip I went and bought a bag of weird European Haribo the size of a pillowcase from the duty-free once we were sailing. By the time I was walking back to the cabin the ship was swaying like fuck  . There weren’t many people about and I was staggering around like something off a Popeye cartoon to avoid falling into the walls.

I got back and rather than getting ready to go down to the bar all my mates were in their bunks. Some had the seatbelts on. Little did we realise that it hadn’t even got bad yet. To entertain us on the long journey one of us had brought a battery-powered cassette deck and he put on one of our top jams, cassette two of the then-nine-year-old Telstar pop-house compilation Deep Heat 90.

For hours upon end the choppiness and extreme nausea meant that none of us could leave our bunks to change the tape but “luckily” the deck had an auto reverse function whereby it would repeat each side as soon as the other ended in an infinitive loop. After a few plays through the batteries were running out but the mobility situation remained the same so the music continued, precluding any chance of sleep, until they died.

It’s a miracle that none of us were physically sick in that cabin, particularly when you consider how much Haribo had been consumed. For many reasons I remember little about the rest of the trip but the nightmarishly trippy slowed-down sounds of Black Pearl’s Naked in the Rain, Betty Boo’s Doin’ the Do and Spin that Wheel (Turtles Get Real) by Hi Tek 3 feat. Ya Kid K haunt me to this day.

[ashtond6]

Haven't been on ukb for quite a while but Reeve reminded me this thread exists & what a great thread it is!

The various stories are really relatable and actually comforting. 2021 was the first time in my life that I've struggled with purpose and/motivation (maybe a depression?).  My climbing suffered but I seem to be on an upward trajectory through being more strict with myself!


Top boulder problems, UK

Cock o rock stanage 7A - not a great overall problem but brilliant move. However, after 10 days of sickness followed by 14 days isolation, this interesting move felt almost spiritual.

Yates' layaway harmers 6B+ - lovely proud highball line

Twister 7B - pleased to do this quickly on a perfect evening after a long winter

Sheep shagger 7A+ cave dale


Top trad routes/solos UK

Didn't do much this year...
Lighthouse arete VS - first see cliff in many years & the wifes first abseil. Felt amazing to be down there with very straightforward climbing. Saw a puffin.

Shock horror slab 6C - last light, almost dark. Felt hard and like I was floating at the same time. Not my normal type of route but I enjoyed this alot.


Top sport routes UK

Fuji hidden 7a+ - not the best of routes but it was 30 degrees and extremely high humidity - I thought I had no chance and just wanted to jump in the river. Ended up getting high, slapping for holds at the top. Being fully absorbed in the climbing is always a great experience.

Pistol whipped dove dale 7a - I enjoyed finding obscure routes in different places. I thought this was a little gem in a fantastic setting.

Ozone bozo 7c - really liked this, slappy bouldery climbing with a RP crux right at the top. I did this on the first climbing session with an old friend for 4 years (as they'd moved abroad).

Tuckers grave, intake 7a - a ladder of one pad edges on grippy rock!

Metal and dust deep rake 7b+ - sustained PE, really nice crag. Not my usual style which was rewarding.


Top three routes abroad

Gerovit 7a Paklenica - getting abroad after 2 years was special. A fine natural arch in 35 degree heat.

Knapping alien 12a - I admired this line back in 2014 when I was climbing 5.8, it felt great to come back and cruise it.

Espresso crack 11d/12a - Little Egypt in Bishop is an amazing setting of granite domes, with pines and boulders everywhere. Espresso crack is the proudest line of the area and I almost fell off the last hard move after skipping gear. Again, great try hard commitment at the top.

Middle crack 12a - sustained fingers with zero feet felt like the most fun climbing style I'd ever done! Stunning.

Everything in Yosemite Valley - after two weeks of trying hard, it was great to just spend time in the valley with my wife and put roles up for her. The highlight was probably Peruvian flake 10a, but they were all fantastic, with fantastic weather.


Top Spankings

Rimsky-Korsakov - my UK trad head really had got bad. I was like a shaking puppy on safe and ok terrain. Not sure I have the desire anymore.

Everything at paklenica - the 5s felt like 6bs, the 6cs felt like 7bs!

Double bock 5.12b - I found this really really hard - it took a few sessions to RP it. Its a famously hard size (baggy purples/very tight greens with feet in silvers) but a great learning experience.

[highrepute]

the punters (me)

1. Desparete 7B
2. Book of Tricks 7B
1. Son of Kong 7B
2. The Giant Peach 7B

1. Supercool 8a+

1. Pretty Girls Make Graves, E6.
2. Barbarossa, E6,
1. Paralysed Power, E6.

I don't think you're allowed to call yourself a punter with that ticklist Duncan!

We live round the corner from each other now. You'll have to come round for a board session.

[SA Chris]

Rons Reach E1/6B, Caley
Best of the bunch, might have been the same day as Ben's groove, fell off a few times. Again, tall enough to be exciting, but good team psyche and 36C's cleaning efforts made the experience!

Memory of playing on this for a few sessions before finally surprising myself by getting across the traverse and into the groove, fluked my way up it to get hands on the top, but finding it was green, damp and filthy. And all that was below me was one nervous spotter and a crappy wee Megagrip pad (remember those, just 2 steps up from a teatowel). I remember pointlessly smearing chalk into the green dampness and pulling up the sleeve of my fleece and trying to wipe away some of the moss and then clawing about in the grass trying to grab a big enough clump to pull up with.  Eventually teetered up enough to do a sort of forward mantel roll / fosbury flop as far from the edge as possible.

[Duncan campbell]

the punters (me)

1. Desparete 7B
2. Book of Tricks 7B
1. Son of Kong 7B
2. The Giant Peach 7B

1. Supercool 8a+

1. Pretty Girls Make Graves, E6.
2. Barbarossa, E6,
1. Paralysed Power, E6.

I don't think you're allowed to call yourself a punter with that ticklist Duncan!

We live round the corner from each other now. You'll have to come round for a board session.

Haha can’t i call myself a very persistent punter?

Oooh yeah that would be great!! Be great to see you and Ellie!

Hope you had a good year

[andy popp]

This year's thread has been an absolute corker. Well done everyone!

[moose]

Rons Reach E1/6B, Caley
Best of the bunch, might have been the same day as Ben's groove, fell off a few times. Again, tall enough to be exciting, but good team psyche and 36C's cleaning efforts made the experience!

Memory of playing on this for a few sessions before finally surprising myself by getting across the traverse and into the groove, fluked my way up it to get hands on the top, but finding it was green, damp and filthy. And all that was below me was one nervous spotter and a crappy wee Megagrip pad (remember those, just 2 steps up from a teatowel). I remember pointlessly smearing chalk into the green dampness and pulling up the sleeve of my fleece and trying to wipe away some of the moss and then clawing about in the grass trying to grab a big enough clump to pull up with.  Eventually teetered up enough to do a sort of forward mantel roll / fosbury flop as far from the edge as possible.

I had a similar experience - at the end of an afternoon Caley session I decided to have a quick feel of the holds, just before leaving for home.  Just to weigh it up as a potential future project, with no intent of climbing it. 

To my surprise, I found myself in the groove and unsure how to ascend the grot.  My pad was several metres away under the start, I had no spotter and the crag was deserted, and it was rapidly getting dark.  I spent what felt like an age weighing up the expected outcome of a deliberate fall from the base of the groove, versus the possibility of an accidental fall from higher up.  After much anguished indecision,  I eventually decided to negociate the damp scrittle and gracelessly made it to the top.

[SA Chris]

Caley seems to do that - lull you by apparent roadsideness. I had a prepads  era evening soloing there and did Angel's Wall, Rabbit's Paw Wall and was feeling good so went for it on the other classic "HVS" Solo - Permutation Rib and was faced with some precarious moves high up above a fall I didn't want to take as it was getting dark and lonely. Luckily I pressed on and made it.

[dunnyg]

All I can say is, I'm glad it had had a scrub!

[NaoB]

Nearly didn't bother with this as I was feeling naffed off with a bad year.... But reading everyone else's entries got me psyched again!

Top 3 sport

Dark Stranger, Kilnsey - the first 'hard' route I got up this year, a stepping stone to regaining fitness and bravery after busting my ankle at the start of the year. Adding my twopence to the grade debate, I'd say it's a solid 7c/7c+/8a....

Bullet, Kilnsey - phew, I actually pulled together what I needed for one day of the year!

The Roof.... Is On Fire, HADA, Leonidio - I allowed myself to try one 8a on holiday, vowing that I'd mostly be having fun onsighting rather than strapping in to one piece of rock all trip. Thankfully it went down 3rd tie in, so no sieging required. Powerful boulder with a wacky sequence, into disorientating upside down kneebar nonsense.

Honourable mentions for "If Six Was Nine" at Dumbuck and "Stingray" and "Dorado" at The Fin - my first sport routes of the year where I allowed myself to push into 'falling above a bolt' territory. Keen for more Scottish sport this year for sure.

Top trad

Er, well, this didn't go to plan.... Only had two days placing trad gear this year and falling wasn't an option!

Monkey Puzzle, Heptonstall - out bumbling with friends and actually found a pitch I hadn't climbed before. Good value for HVS, airy sideways pumpfest above the rabbit ledge.

Redex, Ravens Crag, Threshthwaite - did this in 1 pitch, the top groove was surprisingly hard and committing. Enjoyed seconding Boy Racer afterwards, that's a class line.

Top boulders

It was all going so well until I dropped off onto a hidden rock at Trowbarrow in January. Prior to that, I really enjoyed Low Pressure at West Chevin, used some detailed beta off an old ukb thread to solve its mysteries.

I've only just progressed to being able to fall on pads again in the last month or so. Scraped my way up two soft 7B+'s:

Noisy Cricket, Stronstrey Bank - suitably low ball!

Jawa Original, Manor Crag - one hard move into interesting crack climbing. Again not too high.

Top Spankings

The Keel - tickled the top pocket, then didn't get a rematch. Again. Grrrr.

La Capelle, Shucks - this requires both strength and fitness, guess that's why I failed!

Life - ulcerative colitis flare-up from November 2020 to November 2021, busting my ankle, caring for my terminally ill father, dealing with his death in the summer, flippin' covid, blah blah blah.

No doubt this year will bring a whole new set of challenges, but I'm going to try hard and have a grand time nonetheless. Bring it on!