[r-man]

There are two 7as going right from the start of Jason's roof. The one going out to both holds in the roof then up to the lip is reasonable, but where does the other one go? The guide says up the left arete. How? Have tried getting crimp with right hand and slapping up arete, but the move to slap the lip holds seems a bit hard, plus you might as well just do it the other way (via both holds in roof). Is there something I'm missing?

[Scouse D]

The one up the arete from sitting feels well harder that 7a to me (and I think Dave agrees with me). Remember there was some funky toe hooking, then we rocked onto the front face with a L heel to get the Jason's pinch with the LH then slap up arete with RH.

[BenF]

Yeah, I agree that the left hand one up the arete feels harder.  Much harder if I remember rightly.  I vaguely remember doing stuff like Scouse describes, but very slappy up the arete and don't remember using a pinch on Jason's.  But I'm likely to be mistaken.

[Scouse D]

Thing I've seen someone climb up the arete straight just cupping it and the like but that looked ever harder

[BenF]

Thing I've seen someone climb up the arete straight just cupping it and the like but that looked ever harder

Wow, that must have been someone truly strong.  Awesome.

Think I climbed it like that actually...

[r-man]

Seems like a lot of confusion. Maybe Ru will clear things up. Both methods so far sound a lot harder than 7a. Cupping the arete especially. Not that I've tried either of them, it took us long enough to figure out the easy one - wasted a lot of skin and energy before realising you can just reach straight to the big roof hold with right hand. But anyway, all other methods seemed nails...

[Ru]

Can't remember the sequence for the left arete one, soz. It's harder than the right version, but I didn't think by much. It may be stiff at 7a.

[dave]

i think the one scouse describes is 7b+ and a tad reachy, but brilliant. goes like this: start as for jasons, undercut out with keel, slap RH up right to crimp via intermediate, toes hook keel, left hand up arete then giid hold on lip, match this (bullethole), foot on bug jug underneath, slap round to jason's pinch (via intermediates and left heelhook), dab RH up arete, then get feet up and go for top. we also did this but from the lip hold finishing right as per the old B8 - this is easier and not as good.

wasn't it zaf we saw go straight up the arete? i don't think this is that hard, just a case of getting hands in right order on right holds.

[Bonjoy]

I did it straight up the arete and thought more 7a+ than 7a. If I remember right the key thing was to keep going up the arete with LH really high before you start to bring RH up.

[r-man]

Had a walk along the edge yesterday and met someone on the Terrace who showed us another method. Out to both roof holds as per rh version, up to lip and holds above, then stick a toe round arete and pull round to layback/cup the arete to the top. Looked more like 7a that way, but avoids slapping the arete on the way up, which is a shame.

Are people who are going straight up the arete using the crimp in the roof or just arete all the way?

[Bonjoy]

Out to lip as per the RH prob, then up arete. A grade harder than the RH one, so either that's 6c+ or the arete is 7a+.

[r-man]

Good stuff, it's all making sense now. So to clarify, there are two ways to start (both of which arrive at holds on the lip) and three ways to finish (out left, straight up, or out right).

So the problems are:

7b+ - rh to crimp in roof, slap lh up arete, then to hold on lip, match, then go for jason's pinch.
7a+ - both hands out to holds on roof, up to lip holds, then layback arete above.
7a - both hands out to holds on roof, up to lip holds, up to jug on right.

Lots to do. Hopefully the weather will stay good today...

[Bonjoy]

Sounds like two problems and an interesting yet contrived variant to me