[Bonjoy]

Thanks to grim weather and a dodgy shoulder, last Saturday was spent taking a second look at a few projects in the Crattcliffe area. The best of the doable ones looked to be the finger ramp up the overhanging wall left of Martin Veale's Grimoire, directly up the slope above the Braindead boulder.
 Forgot camera this weekend so only have this pic unfortunately.

 Went back with Mr Harris and a freshly mended shoulder this Saturday to see what we could do. Initial sequences got us to the top of the ramp at about 7b+, looking at a desperate move out to the arete. However with the help of a little solo polo vision, a cunning sequence was devised to make the start easier and facilitate the move across. Andy got a quick second ascent and after some talk of 7b+, we opted for hard 7b. Another classic, if I do say so myself :D . A very satisfying sequence to work out for yourself, so don't expect any beta.

Babu Yagu - 7b - Up the finger ramp left of Grimoire to it's end, then out to a good hold on the arete.

 A very highball continuation up the steep side of the Grimoire arete looks fairly easy (english 6a?), but the landing drops away severely making it rather serious. Was too wet to try Satdy.



Other new probs wise, a couple of snippets from the last few months.
A foreign lad (Christian/Christoff?, possibly french) did a new 7a+/7b on the bottom of the big pinnacle at RHS. Also repeated by Kim T. Left of the boulder which forms Picalli's Pickle, just right of a crack problem. Sit start using a flake at the bottom of the crack, move up and right through bulge on dinks. No name given.
I did a new 6c+ at Rowtor. Yellow Meat, climbs a smart little double arete thing at the base of the crag, left of the lip traverse Hang Em High, from a sit start.

[Johnny Brown]

Pretty sure I've got this in my cratcliffe guide script as an established line:

Chess Boxer E6 6c (feb 04) Dan Honneyman (highball 7b)

Not sure whether you even get a repeat as you didn't top out...

The R-Hs line also sounds like summat Ru showed me a while back, though I think he left it out of the guide as it was lacking in line... however he may not have done the initial reach that the other dude added.

[Bonjoy]

Chess Boxer will be Grimoire on its LH side. The ramp had defo not been done, as there were fragile sticky out pebbles on the footholds which had never been stepped on. It also had a loose noggin blocking up the main fingerhold at the bottom of the flake, which rattled out when brushed. I'd be amazed if anyone managed it at anything like 7b with that in.

[Johnny Brown]

So Grimoire is the arete on the right? Bizarre. Still pretty sure the De Gaye/ Honneymunch team have done this before, I remember being shown it as a problem, not a project. Maybe Nik will be able to drop some knowledge...

[Bonjoy]

Grimoire climbs the arete on the right on its right hand side. The left hand side looks right at E6 6c (highball 7b). I'd be surprised if someone looking to do a route based around the LHS side of the arete would come in from the ramp as this is a fair bit harder than the LH side of the arete itself. Could be wrong, but doubt it.

[nik at work]

You say

Maybe Nik will be able to drop some knowledge...

Our survey says

 e-errrrrr...

I can't help with this conundrum I'm afraid, never been a huge fan of Crafcilffe/RHS so have only been a couple of times. Apologies if the last sentence is considered sacreligious by some devotees...

[Johnny Brown]

Ah well i'll have to ask around.
I have done the arete on the left 'Chess Boxer' - highball 7b seemed fair, E6 would only be earned if you actually fell, almost missed the ledge except for clipping it with one ankle and being flipped upside down as a result and landing on your head. Which isn't unlikely...

I do have a strong recollection of being shown the ramp-into-the-arete as an established problem though, done by De Gaye et al...

[Tom de Gay]

Nope, not done it; can't speak for Dan though, nor Al.

[Johnny Brown]

Methinks Tom is lurking more than we realise...

In the light of his mighty word I'm willing to put my story into the rumour bin. Its gonna annoy me though... might have to track Dan down.

[Ru]

Tom, I've PM'd you...

[Ru]

The R-Hs line also sounds like summat Ru showed me a while back, though I think he left it out of the guide as it was lacking in line... however he may not have done the initial reach that the other dude added.

I did something here but I can't visualise the rock well enough to say how it corresponds with the new problem - I think it may be to the right. I climbed a wall above a roof, on dinks with a view to starting down and right, under picallis pickle then climbing out of the undercut bowl feature in the side wall. Eventually I bagged the low start as I would have needed to make rules up for the feet as the sidewall curves round to become the floor. I'd forgotton about doing the stand up bit.

[saltbeef]

might have to track Dan down.

best be quick he's off to oz for a year tomorrow...

[Bonjoy]

Tom, I'm currently doing the script for Shining Cliff and wonder if you can help me with another rumour. Is it true that you bouldered out the direct start to Gecko Blaster? If so what grade, can you remember when, do you want to give it a name, did you continue up the route?
Cheers.

[Tom de Gay]

Nope, not done it.

Well, actually, I can't remember. I definately tried it before doing the route, which must have been in '99. I recall a particularly slopey sloper, but whether I stuck it or not, I genuinely can't say. So best to be on the safe side and say I didn't.

Hi 'JB'; yes I've got my eye on you; I liked your fell running video.

[al]

i think this is new BJ, although paul mitchel will probably claim andy barker did it in 79 with a sac of coal on his back
sexy bit of grit too  

[Bonjoy]

Texted Dan. Asked where Chess Boxer went and if he knew of the wall to the left being climbed.

Chess Boxer climbs the left side of Grimoire, from a dynamic start off a good crimp for left hand. Good luck.

 I hear oily fish are a good remedy for memory dysfunction JB... :wink:

[a dense loner]

although paul mitchel will probably claim andy barker did it in 79 with a sac of coal on his back

 

[Bonjoy]

Funny you should say that, shortly after i'd done Low Rider, I got an e-mail from Paul Mitchell (who i'd never spoken to previously) suggesting he might have beat me to it by 10 years! Turned out he had misunderstood where the line went in the end.

[Johnny Brown]

He delivered my post last saturday  :shock:

[saltbeef]

with or without the sac of coal?

[Johnny Brown]

No, that was Andy Barker, who delivers Bonjoy's beekeeping supplies.

[Bonjoy]

I need it to make smoke, to calm the hive

[webbo]

you could get mitch to talk japanese to them.

no on second thoughts talking to mitch usually winds people up.would  this be the same for bees.

[Bonjoy]

I fear the bees might mistake his brightly coloured ski jacket for a large flower, and get devoured trying to pollinate his face

[irish si]

Funny you should say that, shortly after i'd done Low Rider, I got an e-mail from Paul Mitchell (who i'd never spoken to previously) suggesting he might have beat me to it by 10 years! Turned out he had misunderstood where the line went in the end.

funny that when i did his 30 year project in the burbage south quarries (dark damp dingy as it is, its my classic anyway) he told me that this was merely an easier gap filler, and the real line was somewhere to the right.  likes to keep the youngsters on their toes......

obviously there is no other line and this was a misunderstanding also (im still presuming)