[mark20]

Anyone got any idea how this is supposed to climb?
The two videos online I've found show people starting a bit french, matching the big sidepull, high RH gaston , then rocking onto a left foot on a good spike (pretty sure this is chipped - and therefor should be eliminated?), and slabbier ground to finish.
A photo in the guide shows Nige reaching more rightwards from the big sidepull, taking the steeper rock, but when I had a brief look there isn't really a whole lot up there?

[JamieG]

Hi Mark. Thanks for starting this thread, I was thinking about starting one on the exact same topic. One of the videos you probably found was my brother climbing it recently, which I’ve copied below. We used the chip to rock left onto the slab and I’ve only ever seen people use this beta. Seems a shame and a bit weird to eliminate it since it is right in the middle of the line and using it produces a really cool technical sequence. But this beta isn’t 7c. My brother reckons it’s only 7b. I haven’t done it, managed to pop off the chip looking for something to use. The start is also a bit reach with a high foot unless we missed something obvious. Nevertheless it is an excellent problem and worth doing. Would see more attention if people knew it wasn’t 7c this way. Probably doesn’t help that the ukc description doesn’t say anything about chips. I guess it needs two names, Stateside original (without the chip) and Stateside left (with chip). As for the original I’ve only seen the same photo as you and have no idea how it actually climbs. But imagine it is hard. The holds run out a bit up there. Sorry bit of a ramble and no new insight. 

[JamieG]

I've amended the video title and description so that it is obvious that this is the version using the chipped foothold and not the original problem. (Shades of the prow thread albeit with much lower stakes). 

[Bonjoy]

 There's a fairly detailed discussion on where Stateside goes on page 5 of this thread https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,22541.msg411882.html#msg411882

[spidermonkey09]

With the caveat that I've never done it, this sounds like a right mess and the original problem at "7C" sounds both contrived and unobvious...

[JamieG]

Cheers for the link Jon. Clear as mud now.  Sounds like the original is a weird eliminate with a jump start. I’m still not sure what your supposed to do.

[Johnny Brown]

Other than with or without chip (which seems an obvious rule to apply) these are just different sequences. I think the right-hand top out is nicer but it can't realistically be described as a different problem. As I said in the link BJ provided it's never felt 7C either.



So from this position go again with right hand to top, flip left hand to palm, match heel to palm (I think, or improvise...) and swarm up. It feels nicer because it eliminates the temptation to rock left, which you can do very early if you're just trying to cover the ground. I'd put it at bottom end 7B but I was over ruled during the grade writing as it is a bit knacky and most people seem to struggle.

[JamieG]

Okay cheers that makes more sense now. Sounds like it climbs well with or without the chip. Neither version is 7c. Probably more like 7b.

[mark20]

Thanks for the knowledge, that makes sense JB