[Terrace Ghost]

Iranian climbed the gimp from lower today adding another 3 moves.  Crux catching the start hold and holding the swing.  

Grade: Iranian 8c

mosp

[saltbeef]

so humpty has climbed something, where is it? what is it? guess i'll ask him when he returns to the holyland.

[Pantontino]

Caseg Boulder, back of Bethesda.

A bit more detail here:

http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/index.asp

Loads of other stuff happening; you can tell it's getting colder. Nearly time to put those harnesses back in the cupboard.

[SA Chris]

I hear you on that one. Cold wind blowing in Clova yesterday, chilly on belays as I sat there picking out potentially fruitful boulders below.

[BenF]

Yeah it was lovely and cold at Sheep Pen on Sunday, could actually climb things again at last.

Simon, a few of us went down to that new venue in Beddgelert Forest at the weekend.  Needs a bit of a clean eh?  Mick Adams climbed just about everything that was dry (as per usual) and Tom Sugden wasn't far behind on the sharp crimpy stuff.  Consensus on the grade of "shocker" was that v7 seems a bit stingy for a hard dyno.  Some reasonable problems in that wood, but as I said, needs a bit of a clean.

And it's not sandstone is it?

[Pantontino]

I've only been to the Beddgelert forest boulders once, and then just for a quick look (didn't climb). I've just started bouldering again, after a summer off doing routes, so I'm hoping for a session there soon.

I realise it isn't quite there yet in terms of being a crag worth travelling to, but I'm sure once it is fully developed (presumably this winter), it'll give a neat circuit (about 20 lines perhaps?) with some hard problems.

Other peole have complained about Dave's grade for the Shocker. I'm sure it is much harder than V7. It struck me that there was also a left hand variation possible, i.e. instead of dynoing up directly, lurch leftwards. The lip of the boulder drops down to the left, so the distance is similar.

As for the rock type - I thought it was sandstone. Check out the geology section in the CC Cwm Silyn and Cwellyn guide. It specifically mentions sandstone in this area.

[BenF]

Hmm... I'd say the rock type was pretty identical to some of the stuff found in the pass (eg the Little Miss Dumpster block) and Ogwen (around the Bogside/Swamp Thing area).  But I'm no expert, so I'd willingly be corrected.

Didn't try Shocker going leftwards, but Mick and Tom did a line just left of Shocker.  Used two stupidly small crimps, a high right foot in the Shocker jug and then popped up to the top.  I liked the two sitstart aretes that you reach at the start of the boulders (ie about 10m right of Shocker) and there's defo potential for some good stuffwhen dry and clean.  We thought maybe get hold of some napalm to clear out all the vegetation and generally pointless trees in the area!

It was sooo cool to be out actually pulling hard on boulders again though.  The summer was great for routes and I loved it all, but I was getting pee-d off with being rubbish (well more rubbish than usual) on boulders.

[Pantontino]

The crimpy problem you describe is called Houdini. This was first done by Paul Barker who is a demon on small holds. He graded it V6, but I'm guessing this is a wind up as well, as Hock reckoned it was hard.

I reckon somebody with suitably strong fingers could do a sitter into the Shocker jug, then swerve left into Houdini.

Streaky is sending me some digi images - once I've got them, I'll post a news item on NWB detailing all the known lines so far.

The 'nice' rock you mention in the Pass is Dolerite, same as Tremadog. Possibly my favourite rock type.

The Beddgelert forest rock has uniform bedding planes; sure, it ain't that reminscent of Cheshire or Northumberland stuff, but I'm pretty sure it is a type of sandstone.

Isn't Johnny Brown a bit of a geology man - we need his 'expert' opinion.

[AndyR]

Don't know the area, but thick cambrian to ordovician sequence in snowdonia - what looks like sandstone could be well-bedded volcaniclastics (tuffs), which can often look like sandstones.
Didn't know there was dolerite in the pass?
If you like dolerite, you should go to Fairhead......

[Houdini]

Hi Folks,

Mind if I join in?  Breathe a bit more life into this old chesnut.

I've been here twice now.  First time I saw the place, I thought Fatty Foster had finally lost it... I'd already dealt with the fact that it was lashing down and these boulders needed to be awesome.  

On arrival we could see that a few spots had been cleaned - but it still resembled the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.  The dyno block was completely capped with sphagnum.  If all that visit would just clean a little, every time, this place would change into a decent esoteric venue - similar to say the Brenin Boulder, but way better.  We couldn't climb - it minged too much.

2nd time was better and we cleaned shitloads (wouldn't believe it to look at it, mind).  I'd say it's worth going there for the dyno & Ug's Wall, in fact, the bulge & nose with the rising trav is on great rock with perfect holds (they remind me of those "Pusher" bolt on's, the one's with the funky-rocky texture) and there's good climbing on this face.  The Bulge was too much for me (ditto the jump).

Geology? Hmmn...I'd like to go with this Volcaniclastic idea.

I'm loathe to over-grade (which is common and understandable) but even with the mud-mantle to finish, I would've thought V6 was plenty fair for the crimp problem.  A straight 6c, one-move (grab-&-snatch) wonder on fine holds to a jug & mantle-out ought not to be getting too much now, besides, I generally ask the other people around me & take the average when grading.  Hox nodded V6 & he's a gajillion times better than me, so ask him.

Houdini SDS is well-on, I think it'd be really funky, and would be to 'crimpy-snatchy' as The Shocker is to 'leapy-bouncy'.  Go!

And the jump really is dead fine - someone should photograph it properly.

I'd say I've been a little ungenerous about this place when people have asked, but I haven't climbed in 4 months and right now I'm thinking that this complete clusterfuck of boulders, she might be the best spot, ever!  Imagine the hi-ball wall around to the right of the prow, she is of the ming - but imagine it without all that goo & umskah.  I'm sure GroundForce will have no trouble improving that landing - is so gash!

There's more to be done on the blocks perched above too, but they look nails.  This place has potential, it just neeeds a good going over with a yard brush from top to bottom 28 times - the rock is cool, when you actually uncover it.

Most of all, you'll need to be checking out the hillside up and beyond cos there rock on that thar hill, there is.