[Doylo]

Its a beautiful day, i've got a car,  and the whole peak district is on my doorstep but i'm going down the woody to do some stamina training for a sport climbing trip. Is this dedication or am i a sad bastard?

[Mike_H]

:shock:

I'm couped up in an office at the moment, looking longingly at the beautiful day outside. Get outside and climb, forget the woody until it is

a) Either too damp
b) Too dark

[dave]

You've crossed the line sunbeam. Afterall you could always train stamina outside by doing traverses/circuits etc, which lets face it is all you'll be doing down the woody, and training on real rock is always more beneficial.

[mark]

You are so far over the line it can't be in view any longer. I nipped out before work today and it was gorgeous. It was actually too warm at Burbage West in the sun but anything in the shade would have been minty fresh.

[dave]

Its always worth getting out. We went out last night post-work to fox hagg, only got about 30mins before the sun went down then climbed till it was really dark - was much better than doing 3 hours indoors anyday.

[simes]

wheres fox hagg? is it near bell hagg?

[dave]

Theres a topo on this very site, look up right under "places".
.._
../|
/

[Doylo]

It wasn't even flaming worth it. At least my skin hasn't been sandgrated to oblivion!

[dobbin]

I'm another goes to the wall on nice days person. My excuse - I work in Leeds and I get here on public transport, therefore I can't get out even in mid summer, and it is grim.

Usually I go and smoke tabs with the staff of the wall and then come back. That'll be why I'm oh sooo good then.

[dave]

can't you get t'bus to caley or summert?

[dobbin]

Thing is, I get Flexi time, so I tried last year to save up enough time to get to a nearby crag, I asked Tim where he thought was best and he suggested Shipley Glen as theres good public transport links there. It took me an hour from work to crag, then to have an hour there and then back again = not really an option! Cos I work in town, I can get to the wall in 10 minutes. I am getting a car in April though, so it will be more viable then.

Wheres nearest crag fans?

[Paz]

I'm guilty of indoor over outdoor too but it's not like the bouldering or sport climbing within easy distance is better than that at UCR anyhow.

[T.H.]

I have been bouldering all day at Bathford.  Got some more first ascents of some quality problems (video on the way), and fell off some new amazing probs that I'll list soon.  Stuck my hand in a pocket with a bat in it aswell!

Absolute quality!

"but it's not like the bouldering or sport climbing within easy distance is better than that at UCR anyhow."

I hope you're not being serious Paz.  I can think of loads of quality stuff within easy reach of that dump.

[Paz]

It's a dump but I like it.  Where are you on about then.  

Do you really rate Bathford, I've been twice but couldn't find any of it apart form Mike's big boulder which was alright.

[T.H.]

You like it at UCR, even on a day like yesterday? Well, I guess it takes all sorts :wink: .

It's no peak district, but Bathford has got some amazing problems.  Mike's block is mostly eliminates for people who like balancy stuff.  But the over hanging end has got some brilliant problems, the traverse of the obvious break line being the best and hardest (gonna send the video of it to this site).  The wall behind Mike's block (Ben's block) has got a great traverse, a sit start dyno (which can be static if you're not a midget like me), and one of the best mantles I've ever done, a real arm scraper.

You've got the big slab near Mike's block that again is one for the fan's of balancy eliminates.

On the other side of the track from the slab there's a very low roof that's got a couple of cool probs that look nails, but are easy when you get on them.

The back wall has got two cave lip traverses, one that's quite easy and seen quite a few ascents, and one that's totally nails which I've just started working yesterday, but's gonna take me some time.  Inside the cave is a crack that runs across the roof, which will definitely go, and looks like a real corker.

There's also another block down from the cave with a really long traverse mostly on slopers that hasn't been done yet.

As the back wall gets cleared there will definitely be more stuff going up.

Compared to anything else in the Bath/Bristol area, I think it's worth rating.

Going there on saturday, see you there(?).

[Paz]

Aye go on then that'll be cool, better than trying to get to Bowles Rocks on the train or dying at Avon.  Have you found that 'secret' crag at the back?

[T.H.]

Secret Crag?  It's not really a secret is it?  It's just there lokking all craggy.

I'll be there about 10ish.  I'll be in a small silver Fiat (see the articles above - "7 Dyas")

[Paz]

Must have missed you as I still don't know where that Cave or the 'crag' is (it can't be the thing immediately behind the green traverse under the tree can it that's just too small).  Had an OK few hours from about one, despite losing a lot of skin to the sharpness.  Didn't quite manage two B3's (excellent) but I've got the 'Bat' one wired and did the B4 eliminate version of the other.  Is there seriously a travese that matches that crimp that I can get about 2.5 finger tips on?

not a particularly hardcore tick list but with that weather I can't complain, and I'm psyched to go back unbelievably.  Amazing what a guide does.

[T.H.]

Good to here you got outside.  I was there all day, but I was down at the other end.  Did a new traverse on slopers, yes, limestone slopers, whcih I reckon was about Font 7a+/b.  I called it Tim's Horizontal Traverse because its really long and I was pumped to hell by the end of it.

I also managed to work most of the moves on the hippy cave lip traverse, which is definitely the hardest thing there at the moment.

There is a traverse that uses that little pocket, but you don't match it. Is that what it says in the little guide?  I'm the only one who's done it, so maybe there was a little confusion in the way I described it.  I'm currently working on a much better, and more comprehensive topo at the moment.

You can see a video of the traverse on this very site in the next week or so.

I'm going down tomorrow (the joys of being a student), and saturday if the weather's good.

See you there again?