[Andy F]

What is your ultimate all time nemesis of a route. The one that's spanked your sorry ass every time you've tried it. The one that you try and try and try and still leaves you walking from the crag shaking your head going "next time mutherfucker"?

Raindogs. It will be mine. Soon. I know it will. It's written in the stars. I can feel it in my bones. My time is coming soon. Or I'm going to throw my teddy off the catwalk.

[Fiend]

In terms of amount of failures, Chequer's Crack, Froggatt (4 times) or the Smoke On'T Watter, Curbar (3 times). Given I prefer to forget any useful information (other than "it was hard enough to stop me X years ago") before retrying a route I've failed on, they are both pretty long-running things. Also both pretty loathsome and I don't know what I've bothered the last times.

[andy popp]

Breakaway (Henna, obviously) is probably the only one I really regret, if only a little

[Andy F]

Breakaway (Pex) was my other nemesis, but as it's been ruined I really can't be arse to go back to it 

[SA Chris]

True Sailing Is Dead (25) at Fernkloof. Could never remember how to do the boulder problem crux on lead, totally did my nut in. Could do it on toprope, but as soon as i was on lead, would cock it up. The one time i got it right I bolloxed up the straightforward pulls on holds to the top.

[StuM]

Spotty Brit 24 Payne's Ford NZ, think its the only route i tried more than 3 times without eventually getting it. could pull through the crux section everytime, got to the final hard move which is a lock on the lip of the roof for a hidden 2 finger pocket and missed it every time, last few times i pulled several inches too far. Then the sun came out and started blinding me as i came round the lip, red mist came down... went to castle hill, where i should have been anyway.

what is it about routes that is so much more metal than bouldering, I've never felt nervous before trying a boulder problem iv worked. is it just that you use so much more energy and its more mentally draining, ie concentrating for so much longer. no wonder lots of strong types just like to onsight everything, much less stressful!

[Doylo]

OVERNITE SENSATION ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I fall off the last move i fall off the first moves, one thing never changes, i never do it!

[Pantontino]

My trouble is that I haven't got the patience to keep trying a route day after day, although strangely I actually enjoy protracted seiges on boulder problems.

The longest I ever spent a route was 3 days on Austrian Oak. I walked away in the end having not done it. I didn't think it qualified as a proper attempt though, because at the time there people spending 50+ days on routes off the catwalk! (Presumably this still goes on?)

My real psychological nemesis is actually a route I've never been on. For the best part of 10 years I harboured a deep desire to onsight Skinhhead Moonstomp on Main Cliff. Yet every time I was in a position to try it, I would switch to something else, thinking that I wasn't quite fit enough (something which was almost certainly true!).

[Bonjoy]

OVERNITE SENSATION ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I fall off the last move i fall off the first moves, one thing never changes, i never do it!

Don't let the crag police see you doing this, but there's a very well hidden and sneaky knee bar just before the tricky move at the top, which allows you to get loads back in your arms.

My trouble is that I haven't got the patience to keep trying a route day after day, although strangely I actually enjoy protracted seiges on boulder problems.

Strangley I am pretty much the other way round. Don't mind spending a few days on a hard sport route, but hate having to do multi visit attempts on boulder probs.

[Houdini]

I think I'd have a chance after all these years, but Venom at Tremadog.  Nails.

To boulderize this chuff-zone I'd add the Cul du Chien roof (without mats?) which I hate and hates me back.

[SA Chris]

My real psychological nemesis is actually a route I've never been on. For the best part of 10 years I harboured a deep desire to onsight Skinhhead Moonstomp on Main Cliff. Yet every time I was in a position to try it, I would switch to something else, thinking that I wasn't quite fit enough (something which was almost certainly true!).

I'm like that with Wall of Horrors at Almscliff. Totally psyched out by the thing. Not fear of falling, but fear of failure, I wanted to flash it so badly.

[moose]

I'm like that with Wall of Horrors at Almscliff. Totally psyched out by the thing. Not fear of falling, but fear of failure, I wanted to flash it so badly.

I reckon I'm going to be the same.  I am currently trying to elevate my trad skillz and Wall of Horrors and Western Front are the two routes that really scream at me as proper milestones.  I suspect I could do the latter in particular but dare not risk loosing the on-sight... just means too much to me (though I think I may have to bite the bullet soon as I did my intermediate target, Black Wall Elim last sunday).

[Doylo]

My real psychological nemesis is actually a route I've never been on. For the best part of 10 years I harboured a deep desire to onsight Skinhhead Moonstomp on Main Cliff. Yet every time I was in a position to try it, I would switch to something else, thinking that I wasn't quite fit enough (something which was almost certainly true!).

With these hard trad routes you just need to get a bit of fitness and go for it. There never as bad as you think there gonna be in my experience. I bagged all the ones i wanted to do in a couple of weeks a few years ago, its just confidence.

Don't let the crag police see you doing this, but there's a very well hidden and sneaky knee bar just before the tricky move at the top, which allows you to get loads back in your arms.

Cheers Jonboy but i could never find the kneebar (ain't as skilled as you in the kneebar department).

[Andy F]

Kneebar? What kneebar? I spent a bit of time on Overnight earlier this year and didn't find the slightest whiff of a kneebar 

[Bonjoy]

Right at the top. Very unobvious. It's for the right leg. Knee bars onto a nasty blade of rock, foot on smear. Marginal but good enough to get the required recovery. Found it by fluke on my successful redpoint.

[Doylo]

There is a knee bar that i use at the start in the undercuts that the birds nest in, helps you get stood, was pretty crucial for me.

[Andy F]

Raindogs. It will be mine. Soon. I know it will. It's written in the stars. I can feel it in my bones. My time is coming soon. Or I'm going to throw my teddy off the catwalk.

At long last, after 15 years, this is no longer my ultimate nemesis  Time for a few to celebrate methinks 

[bigphil]

Good effort Andy, tis a great feeling when something finally goes.  Have waddage.

[SA Chris]

Nice Andy. Now to the question on every sport climbers mind;

What next?

[Andy F]

Overnight and Grooved Arete are the next on the list. If I get either before the any of the year I'll be a very happy man 

[andy_e]

Good effort lad- time for a cigar?

[whispering nic]

Nice one youth Might have to move back south to keep up at this rate

[Idol eyes]

My Nemesis is (was) to solo Nemesis at High Rocks as a E5 6B, has been done now, but any route of high calibre on the southern sand stone is a nemesis....
did a good combo of the two probs around Super fly?, start on the left prob, span out to the rt prob an about half hight (into super fly and finnish here) actully easier than the perent problems, Good effort to the youth on his route, bottomless crack one looks great.

[fatneck]

Good effort And 

[whispering nic]

Hart's Arete (Pex). I've climbed some tricky problems but this mofo whups my ass every time...