[Teaboy]

I noticed at least one ukbouldering luminary down at Pembroke this weekend, were many of you down there and did y'all have a good time? Seems like UK trad climbing is alive and well given the numbers down there.

[Paz]

Who was that then? I didn't see any.

[SA Chris]

May Bank used to be the traditional Pembroke trip when I lived in Leeds and Bristol. Sadly a bit too much of a hike from Aberdeen though.

[Paz]

Forgot to gloat about how good it was!

I think the numbers were due to the weather (I hear it rained in the peak on monday) and the new miniskirt babyguide.  Probably
the latter mostly. 
So admittedly we couldn't always do a classic E1 I'd done before exactly when we wanted -boo hoo- but
the crag can still take the numbers even without getting off the beaten track (I don't think I ever saw anyone down Stennis Ford and the tides were perfect).  By the sounds of it those really enthusiastic people for whom going somewhere adventurous doesn't just mean
getting some ticks on a previously unticked page in the rockfax or getting your feet wet like it does for me (they probably don't have none left), find it very rewarding. 

[Teaboy]

[

Who was that then? I didn't see any.

They obviously don't want to reveal themselves (or I could be mistaken) but I'm pretty sure I saw a very prolific poster climbing with a less prolific poster on the Monster face in the Leap.

You're right, it was a great weekend, even managed to top up my tan a little. What did you do? For my part I was reasonably successful despite slipping of Bloody Sunday in the "wet" (it must be said that many better climbers than me romped up this with abandon despite the excuse inducing dampness). I did manage Lucky Strike (as good as the hype), Merchant of Stennis (butch) and Out for the Count (liberal use of hands off rest on Too Much Pressure - does this reduce the grade?) and following a mid-week trip to Gogarth this amounts to more trad climbng in a week than I've managed in years

[Paz]

Don't know, the Castle's one of my unticked pages.  I'd say if you need a rest then take it.  The routes obviously not graded for being a pump fest so there's probably a stiff move coming up.  I certainly used them on Bloody sunday when I lead it - it felt harder on saturday trying to second it toot sweet, to get back quick for a beer than it did last summer. 

I was on Monster Face on saturday and monday but although I'm not prolific (going by number of posts not number of words) my mate isn't on UKB.  Did some more E4s including Star Wars, which is one of those `oh my god there is a god' routes until you get attacked by a sea gull or pull a hold off the blocks at the top (my first at pembroke).  I used the shake outs a bit on that too. 

[ben]

Paz - were you on starwars late on sunday (in a red tshirt?)? if so, my mate has a couple of pics of you
was a great weekend, lots of classic E1/2's and my first route down in the leap

[bronsonite]

i think he was, as i did it shortly afterwards (also wearing a red top though  )

[Paz]

Yeah, sort of mid afternoon.  To add to the confusion Adam Lincoln did it before me at Lunch time, also in red! (he was the one who met the seagull).  I was wearing a white lid though and this is the guy I was climbing with, the hardest grit belayer I've ever had:



I spoke to you bronsonite then didn't I?

[Bonjoy]

 Looks like they did a good job clearing out all the junk from the top of the leap last year.

[SA Chris]

Aye, looks mint!

[bronsonite]

aye, we used your ab rope. And you made me really paranoid about the top bit being loose quality route mind

[Fiend]

Was pleasantly bustly with some spread-out teams but no crowding this weekend. Good weather on Sunday, not too hot. Bottoms of the Ford and the Leap were pretty greasy though, can't imagine the recent deluge will help that either.

Merchant of Stennis (butch)

 

Star Wars, which is one of those `oh my god there is a god' routes