[Bonjoy]

There's only one true guru

[Somebody's Fool]

Have you not heard Andi? Sharratt has been upgraded to Staffordshire Guru for Grammar.  He knocked you off your perch after the capostraphe in your last post.

[Johnny Brown]

Loving the wordplay there Fool. Clearly all this journo spadework is paying off.

[Somebody's Fool]

Maybe, maybe not.  In the excitement of inventing the word I failed to spell it correctly, thereby reducing the validity of my jibe.  I guess it should say capostrophe.

[Johnny Brown]

Yes I did spot that but thought I'd let Andi point it out. Are The Weekend on Sunday happy with you posting on UKB, even if it is about writing? You'll end up at Sheffield's answer to SugaRape at this rate.

[Somebody's Fool]

My dream job you mean?

[AndiT]

Staffordshire belongs to the Guru i.e. 'The Guru's Staffordshire is one of much beauty and peace as opposed to that viewed by the marauding Sheffielder'. 'The Guru's way up the Hanging Stone matters not of line, but of the position of the plaque and arete'.

If you do get banned from writing on forums, I have this for you to go throughhttp://www.incredible.org.uk/apostrophell/ so you can pick at poor grammar all day long. It's even got a compound name, just as you like it 'apostrophell'.

Cheershole,

Andi

[Fiend]

Staffordshire belongs to the Guru i.e. 'The Guru's Staffordshire is one of much beauty and peace as opposed to that viewed by the marauding Sheffielder'. 'The Guru's way up the Hanging Stone matters not of line, but of the position of the plaque and arete'.

LOL.

Okay you buggers, any idea what sort of condition The Secret Slab will be in any time soon? Like with snow, seepage, festering skank, and stuff?

[Johnny Brown]

I would say this is the best time of year to visit. I'd been mulling the idea over myself in fact...

[AndiT]

While you're up there can you shift that block under Summit Arete, completely ruins the problem

[Fiend]

LOL, you after your E5 7a tick?? 

[AndiT]

LOL, you after your E5 7a tick??

That what it said in my guidebook at the time! Incidentaly, JW originally gave it E2 6b, funny how things finally find their feet! I was also reading an old Staffordshire article in Climber aswell by Andy Popp (I think) in which Wings of Unreason got E2 6b, I still think that fits too. The time has come for a grading amnesty!

[andy popp]

Not me!

[AndiT]

Ok, will have to check who, maybe it was Nick Dixon. Although there was definitely a 2/3 page photo of 'Andrew Popp on Barriers in Time' looking very young and very big-booted! Wouldn't it be great if we could still do 'rounding up' articles like that, there was so much activity going on then. Pieces like that are really useful for sorting things out which later get confused in guidebooks, essential for setting the record straight.

[Johnny Brown]

Just give Neil Foster his column back, 'twas just about the best thing in High.

[grimer]

Absolutely agree, Johnny. It was the second best thing in High. It had a real air of knowing what he was talking about, and was really well-travelled, so was good at putting it in context. Such a shame he was deffed out.

[andy popp]

Although there was definitely a 2/3 page photo of 'Andrew Popp on Barriers in Time' looking very young and very big-booted!

Help, I think I'm going mad. I have no recollection whatsoever of any such photo - but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I'd like to see it if it does!

[grimer]

I think i remember that pic too Andi, a bit blurred, a little skinny popp wearing lots of purple and blue.

[SA Chris]

Are you implying he is an "un-skinny popp popp" now?

Sorry, that's a terrible joke.

[Fiend]

I would say this is the best time of year to visit. I'd been mulling the idea over myself in fact...

Word. Good guestimating skills, was minter than using powdered Polos instead of chalk. Bone dry, icy cold in the morning (gets sun from early PM), Crystal Voyager was perfectly clean.

I came, I saw, I went up a bit, I shat my load. I went up and down at bit more, I went all the way up, I came.  ???

Now we're talking.  Move for move this has got to be one of the best routes of it's height on grit.  It's also one of the hardest E3s.  Only one move easier than 5c on the whole thing.  At least one Staffordshire guru was reduced to quivering through the start like a dogging sheikh.

It's slightly marred by being escapable at the gear.  However once you've put the gear in you probably won't want to escape off right.  I fancy you will rather get involved in the awesome palming and bridging shenanigans that await to the left.

Recommended.

 

What I don't get is, the start bit, right... You're on big holds, your feet are about 3m up, the landing is good, so why does it feel so sodding scary at that point?!?!

Anyway, great route, great rock, the top groove is well cool, I did as properly as possible, placing gear then reversing a bit and getting into from my hands on the lower jug. Unusual moves at that standard in that much safety.

The harder routes would only need a light brush, if that.

Later went to Gradbach, had a look at Sense Of Doubt, E2 5c my arse, backed off it. Did The Gape, VS 4c my arse, E1 5b my like. Had a look at the Phantom....too scary for now.

[AndiT]

Andy: It goes on to mention how you fell off, landed straight legged and couldn't climb for a couple of weeks after. PM me, I'll post you it. It's a great article. It also says about how Simon headpointed Barriers for the first ascent and then had to watch, disgruntled, as others ground-upped and on-sighted it quickly afterwards and how he pee'd off Gibson by using side runners to protect Parallel Lines which he'd been saving up for the solo! Do you know the full story behind Sunday at Chapel? Did Nick really have gear in Ackit, it must have been high to be any use.

Fiend: Good effort on Crystal Voyager, it really is an amazing find. The Phantom is scary.

[Fiend]

Fiend: Good effort on Crystal Voyager, it really is an amazing find. The Phantom is scary.

Talking of which, having been once a year ago and spent about an hour wandering around the hillside in search of it, this time I found it easily, first go, retro-flash. Where's my medal.

(Can PM the knack of finding it, if any "outsiders" want it)



P.S. No more route queries from me right now....but others feel free to ask them....this is a general thread

[Somebody's Fool]

Good effort on getting over to do it Fiend.  I was going to wad you but then I read your polo gag.  I thought on balance, I'd leave you as you are.

Did Slender Thread look reasonably clean as well?  I gave it a bit of a clean last winter and then did it with a rest or two in the spring.  I need to go back and finish it off.

They're both stunning lines.  And as far as I'm aware I've never seen a photo of these routes.  Let's keep it that way.

The expertly described guidebook approach is perfectly adequate.

[AndiT]

Still think it needs a cat stone type string handline in order to help on the decent.

SF: Gun Hill???

[Fiend]

ST was pretty clean aye. A teeny bit of green at bottom and top but the meat of the "crack" was green. Indeed it is a superb "skyline-esque" line. I'm glad I'm not good enough to be tempted to give it a go!

I have a photo of the slab from t'other day if you want the condition confirmed. Obviously I'm not going to post it on here (nor the directions....it's a secret). There are photos of the slab on UKC however.