[Bonjoy]

Looking on 8a.nu, noticed three new probs at Birchen, FA Dan Warren. Cabin Boy 7a, Birch Prow 7a+ and Arete 7b. You on here too Dan? Any more details, pics etc? Anyone else know anything about them?
 Also on 8a.nu, either David Mason is a master boulderer, consistently onsighting at his limit, or somone needs to tell him what the red, orange and black boxes actually mean :wink:   . Big hats off to you David if you really are that much of a technical genious :shock: .

[Stubbs]

Ditto this one http://www.8a.nu/cgi-bin/scorecard/show.cgi?view=7218&page=2 (boulders), otherwise it's a pretty awesome list of boulder problem 'onsights'.

[Bonjoy]

Onsight - 2nd go. How does that work  :?

[cofe]

Onsight - 2nd go how does that work  :?

ask JR.

[Pantontino]

I flashed it when I did it.

[dave]

A JR flash is when you do it in one visit to the crag. Of course if you go to the roaches and stay in the cottage a flash ascent can theoretically last several days. :wink:

[(woz)]

Hey, I am the Dan you speak of.

Didn't know if the problems had been done before + needed a name for 8a.nu.
Birch prow is the arete just right of scrim net from a sitter. I think 7a+ but may be wrong.
Cabin Boy is in 'the cabin' - cool little quarried wall behind scrim net (i.e. the other side of the pinnacle) Dyno from the very thin crimps in the break to the top - 7a
The Cabin - just right of CB with sidepull 6c
Arete - the tiny and totally shit looking square arete left of scrim net from a sitter - actually has v. good moves 7b
Howships Lacunae - sit start to a HVS left of poop deck crack from a pocket 6c
The Pirate 6c-7a Highball bulge just right of poop deck crack

Also check out the cool right hand arete of orpheous wall from a low start in pockets 6c+, Project right of obstuctive pensioner, Hornblower 6c+, Oarsman 6c, Dyno just left 6c and eliminate dyno on the top boulders 6a ( i think done by dave and his 'unit')

I've graded all the problems myself so its mostly guesswork, and im sure most of them have probably been done before (in EBs and a flat cap)

Strangely i also know dave mason from uni. he didnt onsight those problems, although he is pretty good at onsighting (does well at comps etc) Not sure why he has put that he onsighted all those problems.

[Bonjoy]

Cheers (woz). Will definately have to have session up there soon. Is the project right of OP an overhanging wall with a big move off an undercut to a sloping break? Think I looked at it some time ago but never tried cos didn't have a pad with me. Have you tried it?

[(woz)]

Thats the one! had a quick go when i was knackered and felt harder than it looked, but definatly doable - 7c/7c+ maybe? Let me know how it goes.

[Bonjoy]

Do any of your problems sound like these?

[(woz)]

The V6/7 sounds like a sit start to the 6c dyno left of oarsman, but i cant picture the other one. Just out of interest, has anyone done Gritstone megamix? what sort of font grade would it get? looks like a good highball.

I submitted 'The Pirate' to UKC newroute database cos it is about E1/2 but they havent put it on the website yet.

[Offwidth]

Grimer put me on to this. As one of his volunteer minions I am helping collect this sort of information together for the forthcoming masterwork. Any contributions are welcome, especially important new problems at Birchen or views on that difficult border of what should be a boulder problem and what should be a route. Of course V grades are preferable otherwise we have to translate.

[Falling Down]

Stranger in a strange land

Weren't you moaning about daft UKB signature files on UKC when Mick posted up his phoney 'news' item about the demise of bouldering last month??  

[Offwidth]

Dear Mr Falling

I also said "Sigh! Only in my early 40's and already an old fogee!"

My real concern was bandwidth and space eating features. This site is a bit slow on my home machine on dial up and the replies take up more space. On the plus side the information quality of replies is often better here than over there, even if judged from my old lurker status.

I am still seriously interested in any new Birchen problems and comments on existing ones for the new BMC guide.

[Falling Down]

I was only having a gentle dig... anyways since Bubbs has reversed back to the old forum software performance is way better than earlier this year....

Funnily enough I was looking at the Hathersage book about an hour ago this morning...

[al]

always thought birchens is great - megamix is class, and ok if well padded out and sticky (reachy V5?) - those probs up by scrim net have been on the go for a good while, although not sure about behind crows nest.
hornblower is nice if you traverse in from left crack, low level, and the nose right is definitely a worthy boulder problem - V6ish? (think gets an E grade in book), as is wall left of hrnblwr, using evil seam.
have heard mark katz did an 8a further right well past trafalgar slab, on the wall right of the classic steep arete (can't remember the name), but it doesnt seem clear where it goes - there is an obvious line up the ribby wall above the roof, but not sure if he climbed this (if not, is an ace proj)
also some nice easier things below horatio's horror (last blocks on right of edge)

[Bonjoy]

have heard mark katz did an 8a further right well past trafalgar slab, on the wall right of the classic steep arete (can't remember the name), but it doesnt seem clear where it goes - there is an obvious line up the ribby wall above the roof, but not sure if he climbed this (if not, is an ace proj)

Is the arete Obstuctive Pensioner? Roofy at the bottom with flaky ribby holds above?

[JR]

have heard mark katz did an 8a further right well past trafalgar slab, on the wall right of the classic steep arete (can't remember the name), but it doesnt seem clear where it goes - there is an obvious line up the ribby wall above the roof, but not sure if he climbed this (if not, is an ace proj)

Is the arete Obstuctive Pensioner? Roofy at the bottom with flaky ribby holds above?

what you describe bonjoy is obstructive pensioner i think.  good problem

i think i flashed it.... ;-)

[JR]

Hey, I am the Dan you speak of.


Also check out the cool right hand arete of orpheous wall from a low start in pockets 6c+, Project right of obstuctive pensioner, Hornblower 6c+, Oarsman 6c, Dyno just left 6c and eliminate dyno on the top boulders 6a ( i think done by dave and his 'unit')

numbers are prob about right for them, maybe a tad harder for the dyno.  i did it in '01, definitely done before then i would have thought

[cofe]

have heard mark katz did an 8a further right well past trafalgar slab, on the wall right of the classic steep arete (can't remember the name), but it doesnt seem clear where it goes - there is an obvious line up the ribby wall above the roof, but not sure if he climbed this (if not, is an ace proj)

Is the arete Obstuctive Pensioner? Roofy at the bottom with flaky ribby holds above?

what you describe bonjoy is obstructive pensioner i think.  good problem

i think i flashed it.... ;-)

how many attempts did it take though?

regardless:

[JR]

17 plus a power spot and a french start IIRC...

thanks for the medal, itll look good next to the purple heart...

[Bonjoy]

have heard mark katz did an 8a further right well past trafalgar slab, on the wall right of the classic steep arete (can't remember the name), but it doesnt seem clear where it goes - there is an obvious line up the ribby wall above the roof, but not sure if he climbed this (if not, is an ace proj)

Is the arete Obstuctive Pensioner? Roofy at the bottom with flaky ribby holds above?

what you describe bonjoy is obstructive pensioner i think.  good problem

i think i flashed it.... ;-)

 I know what I described is OP  :roll: . I wanted to know if this is what Al was refering to. Then i'd know if the proj/Katz8a is the ting i am thinking it is, capeeesh?!

[cofe]

have heard mark katz did an 8a further right well past trafalgar slab, on the wall right of the classic steep arete (can't remember the name), but it doesnt seem clear where it goes - there is an obvious line up the ribby wall above the roof, but not sure if he climbed this (if not, is an ace proj)

Is the arete Obstuctive Pensioner? Roofy at the bottom with flaky ribby holds above?

what you describe bonjoy is obstructive pensioner i think.  good problem

i think i flashed it.... ;-)

 I know what I described is OP  :roll: . I wanted to know if this is what Al was refering to. Then i'd know if the proj/Katz8a is the ting i am thinking it is, capeeesh?!

sorry lovejoy, think you're missing JR's point: he flashed it.

Caprice?

[dave]

is there any chance that theres some confusion about this problem, and JR actually climbed an adjacent problem to the top then reached across to gain the final holds of the problem in question? :wink: :roll:

[a dense loner]

my money's on dave being right :D

[al]

think mark's problem is 'the brigand', but still not sure where it goes, or where I got the 8a number from! (it gets E something 7a in the book)- (the arete i meant was fo'c'stle arete/broadside, which is great from a sitter)
also meant 'obstructive pensioner', when I mentioned a nice V6 right of hornblower - really exciting but a definite boulder problem (as opposed to E4 6c in the guides)

[Bonjoy]

Aaah, so the project right of OP remains to be done.

[Offwidth]

Things which are really boulder problems will go in the new BMC guide as boulder problems, in the same style as the new Roaches guide.

[al]

Aaah, so the project right of OP remains to be done.

think so, not heard anything - nice smooth rock!

[andy_e]

good old JR flashing.... does it count if you stay at the crag for more than one day?

[Bonjoy]

The decription off the UKC database (which generally uses the exact wording of the FA) makes it sound like the brigand goes up the right side of the wall.

The Brigand E4 7a  Mark Katz solo May 1997  

  The ground right of Broadside over the overlap to a poor pocket and bottomless crack to the top. Hard start. Start by stepping off a block, the short may need to use a cheating stone as well. The tall may be able to miss out the block by using a sidepull when doing the rockover. (10m)

 This sound to me like the line just left of the corner.
 If so the wall to it's left is a quality unclimbed hard project

[cofe]

me and scouse had a pleasant evening at birchen tonight. scouse did the sitter to focsicle/broadside which is excellent and also what we reckon is a new prob - a blank wall just left of moby dick in a steep gully. involves a morpho reach to a nano-hoist - hard to grade; he flashed it but i could barely span it. midgets would have to freestyle.

also, has anyone done gritstone megamix - looks like an outstanding highball? and has the brigand been repeated? a good line - would be good to get an idea of font grade.