[Bonjoy]

It's now reached that point where it's no longer practical for most peeps to get out in a routing way after work. This for me pretty much marks the end of the summer routing season, although this year I am going to soldier on for a few more weeks to keep up stamina for a trip to Rodellar, before switching over to full on bouldering mode?
 So how was your summer? Things go well? Stuff get done? Did you do, or even try any of the things you thought you really wanted to?
 For my part, this is what I said at the start:

Mecca - Finish what i've started, if the undercut ever dries
Gordale - Get stuck into some big stuff, maybe the Caveroutes and Supercool
Breach of the Peace - Massive exposure at Malham, footless moves on a roof at the top of a 200 foot overhang wall (it doesn't climb the whole height of this BTW)
Urgent Action or the Thumb - More big classic sport routing at Kilnsey
Positron or other of the classic E5s - Finally get round to doing some classics on main wall at Gogarth
Grinah - Get up to some of the fabled Bleaklow bouldering areas
London Wall - Has been on the list for several years now but never seem to get round to it.
Right Wall - Again another super-classic thats burning a hole in my ticklist

 Ended up doing pretty much only sport climbing, apart from a week in Pembroke and the odd peak foray. Did loads of classic sport stuff though, so I ain't complaining.
 Got very waylaid in the last couple of months with Thor's cave action, which has been brilliant, but have forgotten what everywhere else looks like and ended up shelving lots of other projects. Mind you I'm looking forward to carrying on the development next year if we get a dry one.
 Never got to Grinah.
 Still haven't been on London Wall. Perhaps the week after Rodellar for this one.

[AndyR]

My wife and I (mostly my wife, I admit)  produced a baby daughter in March - I can't remember what climbing is.

[Bonjoy]

My wife and I (mostly my wife, I admit)  produced a baby daughter in March - I can't remember what climbing is.

 Let me fill you in. It's a game played with four dice and three players. You hold the stick with the hoop on the end and I run at you waving a boilled ham. It's sort of a bit like figure skating, but without the flares. Ok?

[AndyR]

My wife and I (mostly my wife, I admit)  produced a baby daughter in March - I can't remember what climbing is.

 Let me fill you in. It's a game played with four dice and three players. You hold the stick with the hoop on the end and I run at you waving a boilled ham. It's sort of a bit like figure skating, but without the flares. Ok?

Ah yes, it's all coming back to me...

[Stubbs]

Trad: First E2 (on a rope) my first proper E3 (Charm at Wimberry on a very hot day - awesome!) another E3, ground up solo above pads (I'll bet she does or and she does at Simon's Seat, the arete one, but i guess it's not E3 cos of the pads!). Good days out at holyhead mountain and rhoscolyn, but didn't (haven't yet) get on the slate, which was a major aim. Aim for the remainde of the summer is to bag Grand Illusion at the cliff before it gets a bit too cold for fun trad.

Sports: Had a few ok days at Malham, did sycophants, which was reet good. This was followed by an awful day at Kilnsey when i didn't get up anything and decided sport climbing was rubbish. Maybe next year...

Bouldering: I would be lying if i said i haven't spent most of my summer bouldering: trips to N Wales have been highlights, but so have enjoying some surprisingly good evening conditions at the cliff.

ps excellent work on the cave Bonjoy, saw the pics in the mags this weekend - now all i need to do is get strong enough to try some of the routes!

[squeek]

Went trad climbing once and it wasn't very successful.    

Went sports climbing a few more times, but I've been busy a lot of weekends so it was limited to after work, which is a bit of a trek, and to be worthwhile we could only go when it goes dark after 9pm.  Still I did Coronary Rose and Smooth Torquer that were my first 7s, so was pretty pleased.  I've mostly been bouldering still, although I don't seem to have done anything new on that front either.  Sacked the sports climbing trip off, for a trip to Font instead as I've no more stamina than at the beginning of the season.

Maybe next year...

(but probably not   )

[dobbin]

Had a cracking start, doing Out of my tree, and rattle and hump (again) at the tor, moved over to rubbercon and got up Salar, back to the tor to do Chimes then I got walloped by a go karting boiled ham.

On return to normality, managed braciation dance at WCJ cornice and then went to Frankenjura - brilliant, brilliant brilliant. I'm fancying weedkiller/chimes, caviar and putp (and want to look at boot boys) before I hang up me ropes.

Quite looking forwards to the boulderoulders too. Change in style.

[dave]

ben's roof
a short sport 8a
banana peel, an 8 pitch granite slab 5.8 at squamish
some classic squamish problems
cosmic wheels
the thing (now we are really getting fanciful - anyone got ni beta?)
but really any shady non-sweaty climbing will do.

OK, nearly did bens roof early summer then didn't really get back on it properly when it got hot and wet, then got bored of doing the limestone drive now its got cooler. will piss it next year....

didn't do a sport 8a, but did however overachive on my previous best of like a single F7a+ by doing a 7b, 7b+, 2 7cs and a 7c+, so I'm extatic with that. Could have gone back on salar but frankly i wanted a challenge......(get HER!!):wink:

Did banana peel at squamish with me fiance - amazing.

did some proper bo squamish classics, like easy chair, superfly, viper, mindbender etc.

Didn't even get up to mallory boulder.

Don't think i pulled on the thing after making that original post.

Did loads of quality shady stuff though, really enjoyed going to the tor, beginners wall and the cornice. even did a couple of ace trad stuff like white slab on cloggy. did powerband which i didn't even think i really had any chance on at the start of the summer.

Probably my most productive summer ever - super smashing lovely great. now looking forward to retreating to the cellar for 6 months.....

[Bubba]

Had nervous breakdown (for want of better description) type thingy.

Rode bikes a lot.

Not touched rock since last winter.

But almost keen again now we've had a few cool days. Luckily my job will (some weeks) allow me to get out in the days and work evenings so should be able to do lotsa bouldering this winter.

[Jim]

led my first ever route (ie with rope and metal stuff, no soloing counted) then did another and now harness is back rotting in the back of the wardrobe again. got pretty psyched to do basic training direct but never really bothered. 2 routes are enough for any man in a lifetime.
Boulder 4 life init!

[Yossarian]

this year i have turned a wreck of a house into a supercool bachelor crib, grown a lot of vegetables, eaten and drunk too much, and failed to give up smoking.  i have been climbing twice i think, with not a great deal of success.

however, my woodie (which unfortunately dropped down the list of priorities) is now nearly finished, my training plan is fully drawn up, my road bike is now reinstalled on the turbo trainer and i am ready to get medieval.

[AndyR]

....and i am ready to get medieval.

You want to drink mead, burn down monasteries and develop a touch of the black death?

[Fiend]

So how was your summer? Things go well? Stuff get done? Did you do, or even try any of the things you thought you really wanted to?

   :cry:  :x  :evil:  :?
  :?    :cry:  :x  :evil:
 :evil:  :?    :cry:  :x
 :x  :evil:  :?    :cry:
 :cry:  :x  :evil:  :?  

No fucking climbing whatsoever. On the plus side, I painted some pretty cool lead figures.

It's a game played with four dice and three players. You hold the stick with the hoop on the end and I run at you waving a boilled ham. It's sort of a bit like figure skating, but without the flares. Ok?

Sounds like Calvinball to me.

P.S. Bubba good luck getting back into climbing this winter!

[Yossarian]

nope - i want to wear metal trousers and shag a lot of french princesses...

[andy_e]

backed off E1. top roped it. failed and had my ethical arse kicked.
on the blundering side, i had a shit-hot summer (for me, anyway) too much lancashire quarries left me with fingers that could drill and i went and did a few hard (for me) things in scoootland. before that was the South Lakes Road Trip... not much of a success but some greta climbng. get up there.

[Fiend]

backed off E1. top roped it. failed and had my ethical arse kicked.

Good. About time after the "headpointing stanage E1 and claiming it was E3" fiasco.

[andy_e]

 i'm just not a routes (or ethics, when it comes to it) kind of guy

[AndyR]

nope - i want to wear metal trousers and shag a lot of french princesses...

Sounds good - don't think it's going to help your climbing much though.

[moose]

Only had one spell of trad; 4 days touring North Yorks and "the County".  Had a great time though - doing lots of local classics I'd long hankered after.  Also became acquainted with the concept of "endurance", specifically my lack of it... although my "tiredness" may have been related to Durham Beer Festival attendance!  

Highlights: Z-climb eliminate and Great Western at Almscliff; Crystal at Crag Lough; Frensis Direct and Rough Wall at Brimham (though all the 3* VS's there are really nice); Rothley Crack; and Great Wall at Great Wanney (probably my favourite - fantastic series of cruxes).  

Now resigning myself to the winter bouldering season... a series of 180 mile round-trips to look at some damp rock before doing back to to my local wall looms.      Could be definite motivation problems if I don't find some inspiring new projects...

[Bubba]

P.S. Bubba good luck getting back into climbing this winter!

Cheers bro

[Falling Down]

I've had my best years climbing since the early nineties.. almost to this day last year I decided to re-commit myself to climbing after dicking around with it for a few years.

Dropped a stone in weight since Christmas & did a training programme over winter and into the spring.
Redpointed Daylight Robbery (my first 7b)
Onsighted/flashed a few 7a's and repointed some 7a+'s down Cheedale
Not done a great deal of trad but ticked a load of classic Peak Limestone E2/3/4's and plan to do some grit routes before it gets too cold.

Looking forward to an Autumn and Winter bouldering and hopefully break into the Font 7b grade on the grit whilst keeping fit at the wall ready for a trip somewhere warm early in the New Year.

[Teaboy]

This for me pretty much marks the end of the summer routing season

Eh? What? I was just about to get started!

On the surface this looks like it could have been a vintage year for me, trips to Seynes, Ceuse, Cloggy, Dow, Gogarth and the Pass (as well as the usual venuses) but scratch away at this veneer and you expose another year of profound disappointments, classic bumbling and a realisation that I'm not going to get better by accident!

Still I'm nicely rested for the winter and approaching it with some enthusiasm for once.

[webbo]

well,well,well.
it looks like i was the only one to keep the faith over the summer.the only time i tied a knot in a rope was to fasten my chalk bag on.

[Ru]

Got some fitness back after my exams and spent a nice summer ticking classic sport routes. The highlight was Thorman's Moth (thanks Bonjoy). Working hard now, so I'm just hoping I get enough time to put the fitness to some good use now it's getting cooler again. Also did new thing at the Tor linking first two thirds of Evolution into the top wall of Chimes via a rising traverse.

[squeek]

The highlight was Thorman's Moth (thanks Bonjoy).

It's had a lot of ascents this summer, 10+ ?  Everyone seems to say it's amazing, wish I was good enough,  next year I'll do some routes and get some fitness..  

[Stu Littlefair]

Vintage year for me. Finally got enough stamina to do some longer routes that I've had my eye on for ages, without getting massively weak in the process. I've equalled or bettered my high point in every discipline, Basically, well chuffed. Now if I could only get rid of some niggling injuries...

Particular highlights were flashing Obsession (so nervous I was going to choke on that one), Thormens Moth (again, nice one bonjoy), everything in the wonderful upside-down world of Baltzola, and Mecca.

[Bonjoy]

Good work on Mecca Stu!! Did you go for the clip or the runout to finish? I could never decide.
 Part of me wants to get back on it, but the other half that can't face repeatedly gibbering out of the groove is holding sway at the moment.

[Stu Littlefair]

I skipped the clip. I took the fall off the very last moves and it was fine. As Ru says, in the time it takes you to clip you could have finished the route.

I'm made up to have done it finally. It was a real headbreaker to redpoint as you can just slip off it anywhere. Interestingly, it gets much easier once you've done it once, so I guess the key is to relax (easier said than done)!

Was quite surprised by how hard and old-skool the moves are "upstairs".

[cofe]

stop-started a bit and dint really have any goals to begin with. however...

The press was put to bed very quick smart (now it's apparently 7b+ not 7c - Ru!!!) at start of summer after 2-3 years of 'nearlys'. also did powerhumps relatively quickly later on.

nothing of note on sport - some 7a's and 7a+'s.

did some classic trad routes i've wanted to do for a while (silly arete, suicide wall, white slab) but got bummed on another (quasar). also did the super indirect on plum buttress in cheedale with Johnny Brown which is mental and recommended as an adventure - it finishes up sirplum.

had a wicked trip to dollies with kim et al which scared the shit out of me but we did a 20 pitch HVS and scree-skied back down. plus we got caught in a blizzard on our first route. nice.

[Doylo]

started off well did salar 2nd rp, out of my tree 1st rp and staminaband (with official finishing move) in the same day. Also did the hulk in a sesh and the first moves of hooligan at the tor. Fell off the last move of Overnite at malham then next time i went it was piss wet. Flashed the moves on Zeke but never went back to it and almost did Cave Life in the Cave. So it should have been top banana but ended up getting bogged down with work and sacked with humid conditions. Next years gonna be good though  :wink:

[Doylo]

oh and nice one on Mecca Stu  :clapclap:

[saltbeef]

did one 7c at malham, and a vs on table mountain... thats about it route wise! did however do lots of bouldering, in south africa, (including an 8a! of fred nicole's... obviously my amazing peak grit technique and use of a heal brought it down to 7c!) i also ate a vast quantity of burgers, and got ripped off by car hire. don't know if i've improved or not? the routes(raindogs) will have to wait til after my exams...

[Paz]

Nice one Stu!  There's hope for your climbing when you get a job yet.

Might scan in the tick lists later, but in summary:

Naff all `up' unroped bouldering since January.  Haven't climbed indoors since March.  Consolidated beard.  Had my first double yoker.  

200 E-points (first year getting the double tonne about 50 of them depend on microroutes).  Ticked all starred routes on a few crags in the Gorge. Ticked all starred routes there up to E1. Ticked all the classic E4s in the gorge apart from Arms Race, mostly team ascents though, as was the case on the ace E4 on Lewis (Prozac Link/Screaming Abdabs), but did a fair few classic E3s in Pembroke and Cornwall and an E4 in the Leap my self.  Did an overgraded slabby `E6' onsight, maybe the first of more to come if I can find them?  maybe not, who cares.  Got to Carn Gowla.  

Wanted to do 7b in March and including soft split grades have done 6.  And 5 7b+s, 2 in a day. One of them was even mildly long with no no-hands-rests.  I even think one or two of them are not overgraded.  Need to consolidate this outside my stomping ground.  

Steve Mclure said on the grade "Climbing at this level is completely different from climbing at say, French 6a. Hard training is required. Campusing, dead hangs, weighted pull-ups, running, early nights, cake abstinence and general hard work are all essential, or at least a few of these anyway. Motivation and dedication are key. "

Well Steve you're not wrong but I accomplished the grade by having a beer at the crag!

I know I'm going on about this but I'm never going to climb more than a grade harder without a hell of a lot of work so I'm milking it while it lasts.

[Rancid]

not climbed as much as i'd have liked. only just about every weekend and once if that middweek when i should have got out every nigt as thats the reason i moved to sheffield! got distracted by moving in with bf and drinking too much.

however when i was out i managed to finish off quite a number of outstanding boulder problems id been trying for years! feeling strong and totally phyched for this autumn/winter bouldering.

st bees was my highlight and samson stones in lakes. just beautiful man.

planning getting back on a rope indoors( first time in litterally years ) this winter too which is scary and exciting all at the same time. hopefully get my stamina better for bouldering  :

planning lots of trips away from the peak next few months and winter stuff for first time.

feeling good

[Bonjoy]

Also did new thing at the Tor linking first two thirds of Evolution into the top wall of Chimes via a rising traverse.

 Just noticed this when on second read. Fine effort Ru! What's it go at? Got a name yet?

[Ru]

Name: Dunno for definite, probably Devolution, as it's easier than Evolution. 8b+ is the grade.

[dave]

did you get evol done in the end?

[Ru]

No, not been back on the full route all year ('cept for a brief play at the beginning of the year when you were there) till today. I did the link up as a way of getting the first section of Evo dialled again without getting bored of redpointing it. Was getting to the move left into the groove every go today. If I get that move, then I reckon the next point I'll fall is on the two moves before the finishing jug - or I'll do it.

[Doylo]

get it done beast

[Andy F]

Name: Dunno for definite, probably Devolution, as it's easier than Evolution. 8b+ is the grade.

Nice one Ru. Haven't got anything done outside sice the end of August, so it's bouldering for me now on.  Hoping to hit the Peak grit a bit this winter, so i'll drop you a line when i'm about.

[Ru]

Devolution, by Mr Alex Messenger.

[dobbin]

Your bicep is as big as your head.

[saltbeef]

does that imply ru has a small head (microcephaly) or  a very big bicep?
and does this new line go to the first lower off of chimes or the top?

[Ru]

and does this new line go to the first lower off of chimes or the top?

Starts up Evo, to where evo moves left to the groove (about 2/3 way up) where it breaks right and goes to the jugs half way up the Chimes of Freedom headwall, then goes up to the top lower-off of that route. (ie the top of chimes) - it's about 20m long[/code]

[dobbin]

(he's got a small head, its like one of those shrunken witch doctor things) :shock:  :wink:

[Rancid]

wahoo another old problem done at the weekend id been trying for ages! at last ive done the ramp(parachute) and the right hand slab(near the tufty problem) at eagle tor (both only b4's but hey ho conquered at last)

[SA Chris]

Never really had any massive ambitions for the year, but got to some excellent new places I have never been; Caithness, north bits of Reiff, other bits of Shiegra, got solid on HVS after a few injury/snowboarding interrupted seasons, and managed to get a few winter routes done without too much effort. NZ trip was good, got to the places we wanted to, and had a good ticking session in Castle Hill.

Bonuses were having a great summer for surfing (including a couple of dawn patrols), developing a couple of new bouldering areas and new crags from scratch.

Another bouldering spot earmarked for development over winter period, unless snows come down low enought to envelop it, in which case I will be out with axes/skis/snowboard.

[Falling Down]

The year doesn't yet seem to be out as far as sport climbing is concerned.. Malham catwalk was still in good condition yesterday and it was blazing hot at midday.. Yosemite Wall area was dry with teams on New Dawn, Mescilato & Taking the space.  The rest of the crag was in good nick too with wet streaks on Wasted Youth and Bolt Revolt and thats about it.  If it stays dry this week then another weekend clipping bolts in the sunshine might be in order.