[Bubba]

Thought I'd best link this piccy:

[dobbin]

Cool! whos the climber?

apparently Midnight is not that hard - Jerry almost flashed it except that Ron wouldn't give him the beta and you've gotta know to do some cross at the top or summat.

[Bubba]

It doesn't say who it is - didn't Sean Myles get the first flash? I don't think it's that hard on the grand scale of things, but is apparantly hard for it's gade (V8 I think) and is pretty scary, although I suppose it doesn't look all that high in that pic but that can be deceiving.

Bet it's polished to fuck now anyway.

[fatboySlimfast]

the bottom couple of footholds are polished but the rest is ok apparently...the crux is mantelling that shelfy thing at the top to get on to the slab, with the risk of a backslap on to the slab u can see at the bottom ....
didnt adrian berry say it was E4 6b or sumting??

[Big Frank]

I bet getting off the fucker could be fun!

[Bubba]

I think there's an easy descent 'round the back - either that or a jackass style leap for the trees...

[Bubba]

The crux mantle. Nice hat.

[dave]

looks like a granite version of Tierdrop at Ramshaw, but i bet its a fair bit harder.

[Bubba]

Or, should I say "gneiss hat" in b.com speek  :wink:

[theo]

Or, should I say "gneiss hat" in b.com speek  :wink:

OMFG!!!!111

Teh Midnite Lightnin bolder problem is so fuckin' GNEISS!!!!111122

[Percy B]

Disptched 'The Lightning' as I like to call it last week whilst on hols (blatent showing off!) and it is a very commiting problem, although on quite good holds. The most recent guide gives it V9 as a hold has snapped. It is very high too, and the photos only shown the meat of the problem - once you do the mantle you commit to 12 feet of mossy slab before you get to the top. Slipping off the top-out would seriously spoil you're trip, if not kill you! Getting off is also interesting, with a spot of back-and-footing between the boulder and a tree (that was dripping with squirrel piss when I came down it!)25 feet up. However, although the foot holds are polished at the start, and its got a scary top move, it is a problem truely worthy of its title as 'most famous problem in the USA' and is still a highly sought-after tick in the Valley (ie:not yet a trade route)!
I wonder what people's choice for 'the most famous problem in the UK' would be?!?!

[Bubba]

Nice one Percy - no wonder Lynn Hill TR'd it first!

I wonder what people's choice for 'the most famous problem in the UK' would be?!?!

I reckon either Crescent Arete, NBTA, or Deliverance.

[Percy B]

Brad Pitt (just 'cos theres been so many photos of it and everybody knows about it)

Deliverance (same reasons)

West Side Story (a true classic, and still spits off hot-shots on a regular basis!)

Jerry's Roof (Cromlech)
 
Child's Play (N'humberland)

The Yorkshireman (N'humberland)


?

[Stu Littlefair]

All sooooper choices Percy.

Good effort on midnight lightning! My first effort ended at the mantle. Sadly I was all alone and had no pads so falling off made my elbow swell to the size of fifteen ripe melons. Nasty.

WSS is about as close to Midnight Lightning as the UK gets - technical vertical climbing and a bit high. Deliverance seems to be the problem that all the foreigners want to tick though. Probably the most famous UK problem by a mile.

Midnight Lightning is in a class of it's own though - it seems to be a rite of passage for every boulderer worldwide. I'm not sure we really have any problem that compares in stature.

[Bubba]

Deliverance is probably the one - when you see a piccy of it on the US sites, they all know what the name is and how they'd like to do it. People do recognise NBTA too mind.


Going off on a bit of tangent, but what is the topout of WSS like? I think a lot of people claim it when they hit the break, and don't do the top wall.... is it hard?

[dave]

I'd say deliverance too.

[Johnny Brown]

You people. Midnight lightning is shit. Nasty crimping up a wall where even the handholds are polished to glass. Its only famous cos its in the middle of the campsite - the yanks can then scream and 'spray' when they do it, safe in the knowledge that they have an audience.
The mantel and slab are quite good but such misery to get there. The only time I  did the start I was too pissed to be put off. Unfortunately fell off the top cos my head was spinning and it was too dark to see the holds. (midnight, see). Camp 4 has great bouldering but that aint it. Go do king cobra or rebirth canal.

On the subject of the uk, West side story should be most dfamous but dunno if it needs more polish. Same for deliverance. If there wasn't a boulder at the start of ben's groove at caley it would definitely be the best - go do the sit start

[Percy B]

Midnight Lightning is not too badly polished, considering the endless fruitless attempts it sees from 'spraying yanks', of which there seem to be millions. These are the guys who tell you how to do the moves, but have never done them themselves! I waited until there was nobody in Camp 4 before I tried the problems as I react very intolerantly to this type of thing! Within 2 minutes of me putting my pad down, there must have been 25 Yanks watching and telling me I was doing the moves wrong, etc. Interestly the local experts failed to repeat the thing for my education, but me and a French lad did it within 3 or 4 goes each which pissed on the Americans fireworks somewhat!
I know what you mean about ML not being the mega awesome problem that its hyped to be, but its a very good, classic, 'old school' style thing, and is very good. There are much better problems in the Valley - King Cobra, Thriller, Bruce Lee, etc - but they don't have the same feel about them as Midnight Lightning. Its still on most keen boulderers tick list of world classics, and deserves to be there in my opinion.

West Side Story gets my vote I think. Classic, hard, highball, possible for all heights of climber (way more so than Deliverance!) and brilliant to climb. Just for the sake of being controversial, all the boulderers who have done it to the break and jumped off can't really claim to have done West Side Story! The top wall is brilliant, committing, and is the top half of the problem. (Its also way easier than the bottom - about English 5c). If you ain't been to the top, you don't get the tick! Its not that scary, but just requires a bit of commitment...... :wink:

[Doylo]

I think Spare Ribs better than WSS although  easier, i just hate that slippery crimp at the start of WSS!