[squeek]

Has Keenus missed any bolts out, or is that the first one?  It's pretty high.
Looks very good, although I think you might need some better stitching software/practice Bonjoy  

Will it stay dry for a few days even it rains?

[Bonjoy]

It's steady away up to the first clip (level with the top of the lowest pic in the montage)
 I have to make do with Paintshop when at work :cry:
 It certainly stays dry in the rain, but is often wet with seepage through much of the year.

[squeek]

Sorry, I phrased that badly, I meant will it stay dry for a few more days from now even if it rains, I'm not going to have a go, but someone else was interested.  

Must be a few more lines out of the cave, non?

[a dense loner]

Keenus barely broke a sweat on his final redpoint.

you should have seen the sweat pouring from him when he got off jim in the formula 1, when a few of us got back early :wink:

[Bonjoy]

A couple of the small pockets are likely to be damp even at the best of times. Tis dry at present and would probably stay dry for a few days after massive rain, the odd shower will have no effect I reckon.

[Ru]

Hurray! Me and Stu did this today. Fully good.

[Johnny Brown]

the floodgates are opened...

hope you went up to the jug and didn't just drop off at the chain... this ain't yorkshire y'know.

[ned]

Is Thorman's moth likely to be dry tomorrow? Might be heading up there for a look.

[Bonjoy]

I suspect not . Steve Mc was there yesterday and it was piss wet with condensation. Today is drizzle death and tomorrows forecast is poor. Not a good synopsis all in all. On the upside it does dry out quickly if there is a reasonable westerly wind blowing.

[ned]

Thanks for that.
Oh well, might still go for a look.

[Bonjoy]

It's defo worth a visit even if it's too wet to climb. Let me know what the conditions are like if you do. Cheers.

[Johnny Brown]

Have you done any other routes here Bonos?

[Bonjoy]

Certainly have sir. 7b,7b,7c,7c+,8a so far. Have been keeping quiet whilst I picked off the the plum lines, although there are a couple more i'd love to do this year if it stays dry.

[ned]

I did end up going A very impressive place with potential for a lot of new lines i would have thought.

Sadly Thormans Moth was quite wet. The pockets on the first wall wre all damp at the back. The undercuts and pockets on the traverse were also very wet.

One of the team kicked a big foothold off (from the bottom of that big shield/flake feature used on the traverse). Made it no harder though.

Also looks like a handhold has recently come off the first wall, to the right of the perfect three finger pocket (next to the second clip).

Amazing horizontal roof climbing in a scary position.

Good effort for bolting it all up.

[Bonjoy]

Cheer. How wet was the rest of the cave, was everything ming or just pockets?
 That big shield footer could do with gluing really. Last thing you want to do is conker some tourist with a broken flake.
 Of the people who I saw on it only Slavek used any holds right of the three finger pocket, everyone else went out to an edge up and left then layed one on for the jug.

[ned]

A lot of it was quite wet, but it began to dry as there was a breeze. I think the pockets were seeping as they kept getting wet and we couldnt really dry them. All of the back of the cave was really wet and slippery.

The foothold that he kicked off nearly conkered the belayer. The piece that came off shattered when it hit the ground, the rock seemed really fragile so probably does need gluing.

The short bolted line (project?) on the left hand side (looking out of the cave) all looked dry.

[saltbeef]

Certainly have sir. 7b,7b,7c,7c+,8a so far. Have been keeping quiet whilst I picked off the the plum lines, although there are a couple more i'd love to do this year if it stays dry.

are these in the same cave?

[Bonjoy]

Certainly have sir. 7b,7b,7c,7c+,8a so far. Have been keeping quiet whilst I picked off the the plum lines, although there are a couple more i'd love to do this year if it stays dry.

are these in the same cave?

Yes, it opens out into huge chamber at the back which is well lit due to having two big entrances.

The short bolted line (project?) on the left hand side (looking out of the cave) all looked dry.

 The bolts on the opossite side of the arch to Thormens are an aid route. If you mean the line further back on the right wall of the west window it'll be Loki the Trickster 7c.

[Falling Down]

>   Loki the Trickster 7c

Is that one of yours Bonjoy?? If so, there's an interesting article on Loki in Strange Attractor #2 (a journal of odd stuff)..

[Bonjoy]

Yes Loki is one of my new ones. Went for a norse myth theme with the naming. Here are some pics from a thread on the mods board. Was keen to keep things under my hat till I'd done some of the best lines and whilst it was still reliably dry. Feel a bit safer in spilling the beans now.

Midgard Serpent 7b:

Fenris. Fenris is a giant monster wolf, currently chained in the underworlds, but due to break free and devour the earth at Ragnarok.





Slavek aiding the project.



Bolting in the belfry.

Loki.

Chris Plant on Midgard Serpent

View of Ragnarok from back of cave.

Close up of Ragnarok, Escape to Valhalla.

New routes, grades and stars my opinion only as only a couple of routes have had a repeat yet. Lengths are a total guess:
Fenris* 7b  8m
Midgard Serpent** 7b 10m
Loki the Trickster** 7c 10m
Ragnarock *** 8a 21m – yellow line on last pic
Escape to Valhalla *** 7c+ 16m – orange line on last pic

[ned]

Good work. Did you bolt all of these lines?

The bolts on the opossite side of the arch to Thormens are an aid route. If you mean the line further back on the right wall of the west window it'll be Loki the Trickster 7c.

I mean on the opposite side of Thormens, right at the front of the cave. There were about 4 bolts to a ring bolt lower off. The first hanger had been removed. It looked a bit small and pointless for an aid route (i.e. more pointless than any other aid route), climbing round a bulge onto a slab.

It looks like a really good venue for a full day now, and shouldnt get busy (apart from ramblers).

Have to wait till next year though by the looks of it.

[AndyR]

It'd be good if you could install giant reflective mirrors that illuminated the cave - have you thought about that?

If you spent a long time working a route in there, you'd probably end up looking like gollum....

[Bonjoy]

Fortunately for me some aid climbers bolted a load of lines in there a couple of years ago. These were useful for getting about in the roof to bolt new lines and in some cases were in the right places to use on routes. On Fenris I only had to place one extra bolt and a belay, on Ragnarok I placed six new bolts and used another seven aid bolts.
Never noticed a ring lower off there. After it reaches roof the aid line heads of into the cave, i think a variation goes up to the big chain lower off too. Thought about having a go at onsight freeing as far as the top of the slab, but changed my mind after Johhny Brown nearly took me out pulling off a huge chunk when up their taking pics :shock: .

[Falling Down]

Wow - an awesome looking place and fantastic looking routes.... and to think I've spent all those weekends at the Embankment  

[saltbeef]

good effort bonjono. do you reckon it'll dry out again this year, or am i gonna have to write a note to self to try and remember it for next year?