[(woz)]

 ...is no more. After being shut for several months it has finally been knocked down. Often quoted as being the the first indoor wall in the country (1964), and the training ground of many top climbers (Syrett, Bransby etc). I first saw it on Tv with Al Manson training there before going out to Caley (and getting on Marrow Bone Jelly), and have climbed there over the past few years. Those polished highball (and nails!) problems in the corridor will always have a special place in my heart.



RIP

On a lighter note, the uni have kindly offered to build us a new wall which seems to be some form of high toproping slab. Brilliant.

Edit: here is the link to some other pics:http://www.ukclimbing.com/databases/walls/wallinfo.html?id=376

[dobbin]

You never know - it might be the training for Duel you needed. Is Collegiate wall still there?

[(woz)]

I don't think that any amount opf training could get me up duel ! Have never heard of this 'collegiate' wall of which you speak, unless its the one out by becketts park?

[andy_e]

 

Couldn't they have waited another year, at least so i could have experienced it?

[(woz)]

I still have a couple of holds from the newer bit which I kept as momentos, although perhaps it would be unhygienic for anyone but me to 'experience' them.

[Monolith]

absolutely gutted. was the prime stomping ground of my university life. Where do they propose to build this slab effort? Does the uni intend to build some new student flats there or something?

[Control freak]

Thats a big shame. The newer wood/bolt on section was shit but the old skool corridoor was nails. There were some proper hard problems in there on brick edges

[(woz)]

absolutely gutted. was the prime stomping ground of my university life. Where do they propose to build this slab effort? Does the uni intend to build some new student flats there or something?

The old building was knocked down to make room for an arty centre (Bretton Hall has/is being closed down). I'm pretty sure the new wall is going to be built in some old squash courts inside the main sports centre, and is due to be finished sometime before christmas. In the meantime us students will have to make do with the classic henry price building (anyone know if the full trverse has been done?) and my new board in hyde park

[andy_e]

Wahey, guess who's got accomadation at Henry Price in september? (although I've heard the place is a dump) What's this new board like?

[(woz)]

Henry price is actually quite a good place to climb - think minus ten, or by the looks of things crewe flats. Its also being refurbished over summer so should be slightly less of a s**thole
My board is currently in production in chesterfield, so at the moment it is like a sheet of ply

[webbo]

 In the meantime us students will have to make do with the classic henry price building (anyone know if the full trverse has been done?) and my new board in hyde park

i believe mr manson did this back in the day.he seemed to virtually live there at one time.
the traverse has got easier over the years due to people gouging out the cement.

[(woz)]

wow, I'd give him several wad points for that! French 8b?

[Monolith]

man how I miss henry price, very jealous of you andi!
After our Sunday morning 8 am hungover football sessions on the astro, back to price for a few hours kip before a heavy bouldering sesh.
I was told that the traverse went at around v5. Could always set yourself the rule that no use of gouged out holds is allowed. There are so many face holds though that that wouldn't be a problem I'm sure.

[andy_e]

Shit picture, but:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.html?id=6325

is it over on the left, in the shade? Surely that can't be it in the middle...

[Monolith]

Can't see that picture too clearly, but the bouldering is the wall at the back (facing university) of Henry Price flats.
Think this is what you wanted to know? 

[andy_e]

Yeah dude, that's the knowledge. Anybody got any proper pictures?

[Monolith]

have got quite a few that my uni friend has of us bouldering on there. will email them to you if he sends them.

[(woz)]

Dave Mason on HP:



The full traverse isn't V5. It can't be . Maybe V5 for one of the sections, but the full thing? at least v10 in my opinion.

[andy_e]

Oooh, looks crimpy 

[(woz)]

Yeah, and it tears your skin up a bit. Which along with smart arse comments from smart arse students is why I don't climb there very often. Still, there are hundreds of problems at all grades there, and usually someone else to climb with.

[andy_e]

Ho long are we talking, the entire length of the building? Cripes...

[andy_e]

Finally getting my arse in gear and going to HP for an hour or so today, so I don't feel I've wasted the entire day!

[(woz)]

nice one. Most of the harder problems are on the tallest left hand section (good dynos, crimpy stuff, and a 7b+ ish mantle). a bit further right there are some sideways dynos to the pipe, and the legendary unrepeated backwards double dyno to squeezing one of the big white hanging sections (prob still chalk marks) that uber wad joel did a couple of years ago.
And then there is the traverse (second section from left is easiest, left is hardest)

[monkey boy]

nice one. Most of the harder problems are on the tallest left hand section (good dynos, crimpy stuff, and a 7b+ ish mantle). a bit further right there are some sideways dynos to the pipe, and the legendary unrepeated backwards double dyno to squeezing one of the big white hanging sections (prob still chalk marks) that uber wad joel did a couple of years ago.
And then there is the traverse (second section from left is easiest, left is hardest)

Tut tut daniel not unrepeated, i did it once!! haha! but banged my head very badly, joel had it dialled! Tis good place for getting those fingers working, shame that everytime i go i forget what holds were used for good problems oh well!

Enjoy it anyway andy

[monkey boy]

  Infact this is what i did as i held the squeeze!

[Mark Lloyd]

The R-L low traverse on the left hand wall is a good un if you like bunched up climbing. First four bricks and below I think

[(woz)]

i did it once!! haha! but banged my head very badly

ah, I thought you fell off when you hit your head.

[andy_e]

wow, 45 mins later and I'm still pumped. I can't believe I've never been before! Really good problems, crimpy as fuck, I flashed the easiest traverse then got halfway through the next one along befpore pumping off. There's a decent problem starting low matched on a crimp, left up to a crimp, right to a pinch, left to a crimp, rock up, right into a poor undercut, brdge and pop for the top. I couldn't quite hold it but probably V4/5 and definitely fun! This problem is opposite he end of the perimeter wall at the left hand end. Did a few nice dynos too.

[monkey boy]

I banged my head many times before getting it!!! Doh! There used to be an amazing dyno as well from the top of the letter 'E' to the roof edge above it, very scary! Not sure if its still a doable one now they have done the place up!

Good to keep Henry Price climbing going, Andy Swann used to use it and i think so did Al Manson but that just might be my imagination!

Anyway keep enjoying

[webbo]

al manson found it.

[andy_e]

al manson found it.

God save Al Manson.

Some dude asked if he could photograph me today for his graphics project. Cue crimpy rockovers and wierd body shapes. 

(I was topless of course)

[Stubbs]

Was the project concerning malnutrition in students?   

[Vitamin K]

Tony Mitchell used to train on HP - doing the full length traverse with a weight belt. He always looked immaculate and had a look of studied detachment and disdain when encountering lesser mortals - funny, his white socks never seemed to bunch round his ankles.

The old corridor wall was could be very character building, especially the brick edge problems and the scary mantle in the middle of the long wall. Some great times were had on that wall and it's a pity it's been knocked down.

Nice to see HP is still getting some hammer though - the pump to be had there was legendary.

[Somebody's Fool]

He always looked immaculate

I hope he wasn't doing any stretching when this opinion was arrived at.  Wonder if the passing student girls had the same look of 'studied detachment and disdain' whenever the boys popped out of the barracks?

[(woz)]

He always looked immaculate

I hope he wasn't doing any stretching when this opinion was arrived at.  Wonder if the passing student girls had the same look of 'studied detachment and disdain' whenever the boys popped out of the barracks?

Are you referring to the "stretching" pictures from that oldish book (Rock Climbing in Britain?). They deeply scarred me as a child ???

[andy_e]

Was the project concerning malnutrition in students?   

No, but if you see my body photoshopped opnto a charity poster campaigning for undernutritioned children in africa...

Nice to see HP is still getting some hammer though - the pump to be had there was legendary.

I sat through an entire lecture today whilst pumped.

[Somebody's Fool]

By whom?

[andy_e]

By whom?

Who are you talking to, me or (woz)?

[(woz)]

By whom?

If it was me, I'm pretty sure it was Dave Jones (google says 1984) although I dont have it to hand. It was TM stretching in the corridor of the uni wall, in some extemely short shorts.

[Vitamin K]

We like short shorts.

I'd forgotten about the pics in that book - god, that seems so long ago it seems like a different world of climbing. I'll shut up now; I'm showing my age

[andy_e]

Fuck me.

I just did the first 11/12ths of the Henry Price traverse, falling off on the last tricky section before the end- arse!