[Bonjoy]

 Some might remember cryptic remarks about redevelopment of a neglected sport crag I made some weeks ago. Having now done most of the best projects and re-equipped the majority of the main wall I can reveal the identity of the mystery crag

 Long Tor Quarry. Almost opposite High Tor. The best hard wall climbing venue on Peak Limestone bar none.

 Originally developed in the late eighties by the likes of Andy Pollit, Steve Lewis, Ian Parsons, Mat Szabo, Malc Taylor. The crag featured in the On Peak Rock were it was praised highly and also the old peak rockfax. Following a brief period of relative popularity in the late 80s early 90s the crag seems to have become somewhat forgotten. The best feature of the crag (other than the sub 1 minute walk in) is a big smooth, gently overhanging wall, almost featureless except for a central groove and a break at quarter height. The rock appears to have been quarried in the old way, split along a natural crack, thus leaving a relatively unbroken surface, a bit like an overhanging Staden. The appearance and climbing is quite slate like, but not as sharp.

 I'd always liked the sound of the Pollit 8a Ruby Fruit Jungle and went to have another look last year, having climbed some of the easier routes around '92. The wall looked as good as ever but a huge dirty Sycamore tree was blocking out all the light, encroaching onto the routes and giving the place a manky dank atmosphere. Having no idea about felling mature trees I left with plans to speak to some tree surgeon. Months later nothing got done and I mentioned the place to Keenus who lives a few minutes away in Matlock. Next thing I hear he's gone there with a cheap bowsaw and cut the thing down by hand! Good effort yoot, problem solved in one ballsy and no doubt very tiring fell swoop!
 Since then with considerable help from Keen all the brambles have been stripped from the ledge system used to access most of the routes, all bar one sport route and a trad route have been re-equiped on the main wall and three new routes have been added. There's still more stuff to do, but it's now better than it ever was and well worth a visit by any peak based sport climber.
 For convenient recording of the routes i'm using the UKC logbook thing. So for route descriptions check: http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/showcrag.html?climb=910&q=Long+Tor+Quarry+%28Derbyshire%29

 Best of the older routes:

Orcadian Donkey's Spotted Tail - ** 6c+ Great Route with varied climbing on mostly big holds, to a big rockover crux. A good finger warm up.

Tonata Yotanka - ** 7a+ Long traverse along a steep finger break, with good handholds and well spaced footholds. Pumpy and pretty unique in the peak. a good arm warm up.

Scum Manifesto - ** 7a+ Good route on the right wall. Currently under ivy. Should get round to gardening and re-bolting soon. Very technical and varied

The Boltest - *** 7c Fantastic sustained steep wall climbing, on well spaced small positive holds. Starts with a dyno to the break

Ruby Fruit Jungle - ** 8a Classic Pollit route. Bang up the middle. A balancy bouldery start wall on big slopey holds leads to an easy section and a HUGE resting jug. The crux section is then an intense slatey technical crimpfest. Soft unless you are below 5"8' in which case it's tres hard

New stuff:

Rinsemeal - *7b The left arete of the central groove. Strangely scary climbing, finger flake, then burly arete, then rest, then thin barndoory grit style arete. 7b for climbing past belay to good holds out left. Can also be climbed all the way on the left without taking the mid height rest, harder but still 7b.

Pistol Fingers - ***8a Steep and sustained wall climbing. Starts on good holds and gets steadily harder as you go. Wickedly technical sequence. Top end 8a.

Mosey On Down The Crow Road - **8a Similar to Ruby Fruit, having a hard boulder start, an easy middle bit and an intense thin upper wall. Both hard sections are tougher than Ruby (but easier than PF), the lower one involving either a throw into an iron cross (if you have the span) or a wild crossover dyno, the upper crux involves a series of short moves on tiny holds to a hard snatch for an ok slopey edge and another slap, this time for a jug. Bolted Sunday, climbed last night.


(Picture taken before veg clearance from base of crag)

Yellow - The Boltest 7c
Green - Rinsemeal 7b
Blue - Pistol Fingers 8a
Red - Future Primitive 7b (not re-equiped yet)

 Go, you'll like it.

[jimbo]

Sterling effort Bonjoy. Looks quality.

[Paul B]

Can confirm the quality of te routes Ruby fruit is very thin, and pistol fingers is mega-sustained, good effort doing all the hard work.

[Bonjoy]

Cheers chaps

[Bonjoy]

Blue - Mosey On Down The Crow Road 8a
Red - Ruby Fruit Jungle 8a

[Teaboy]

Good effort, hopefully a new found popularity will keep the vegetation at bay.

Are you working to Andy Pollits early 90's tick list? If so can we expect a glut of routes on Vision Buttress next?

[Bonjoy]

 It was partly the quality of Thormen's which made me think of checking out Ruby Fruit. Also recently had a go on AP's route Arch Enemies down Dovedale, another neglected classic. Not sure i'm up to pulling on the monos on Boot Boys though.

[Houdini]

Some great route names Bonjoy!  Scum Manifesto, ace.  Get splits tips on this one then?

[Bonjoy]

 Scum Manifesto was done by Matt Szabo I think. Wasn't sure what it was but just googled it  http://www.womynkind.org/scum.htm  Crimminy!! Possibly fits in with with Ruby Fruit Jungle which is a novel about a lesbian in New York

[uptown]

Well done Jon and Keenus - I always rated the boltest as one of the best 7c's in the peak, and I'm sure you've made the venue much better through your hard work. I take it Mrs Jackson is no longer around to hassle you when climbing?
Take a Brownie point and enjoy a 

[Bonjoy]

 Tah Andy. No sign of the old lady, not even with all the drilling and the crash of a big tree. You'd like some of the new things I reckon, right up your street.

[Aussiegav]

 bonjoy,
fucking great effort bonjoy
is every route bolted??ie french sports crag stylee?

[Bonjoy]

 The old trad route Jade is left unbolted, although you can clip bolts out left at the start, roughly where it's old pegs used to be. The traverse is a mix of one thread, pegs (old and new) and bolts on routes it crosses, it has more bolt routes crossing it now than it used to, but on the other hand has a fair few less pegs.

[Bonjoy]

Did a new 7b+/7c on Sunday, climb up Orcadian Donkeys Spotted Tail (second route from the left) to it's final then follow the hairline break rightwards crossing Mosey, Ruby and the Boltest, to finish up the crux of Rinsemeal. I'm calling it Depravity in honour of the other big diagonals across the road at High Tor, because it's like Debauchery and Decadence but more hardcore.

[smithaldo]

Is that the same Matt Szabo who went to manchester uni late 90's to do a PhD? I was there with him and lost touch, anyone know what he is doing now? never realised he was part of the 'scene' in the ealry 90's, very cool laid back guy.

[Bonjoy]

Quite possibly, it's not a common name. His parents are Hungarian I think. Used to live and climb in Matlock area in the 80s/90s. My sister used to fancy him

[smithaldo]

aye thats him.

[Bonjoy]

Dropped in here on way through Matlock yesterday. All the routes look totally dry. There is still a couple of damp spots but they aren't on any routes. Met a guy trying Ruby Fruit, so at least one route will be chalked.

[andy_e]

Effort once again bonjoy. Tonata Yotanka sounds quality. How often is it in condition?

[Bonjoy]

 Generally it stays in condition throughout the lime season.

[Mark Lloyd]

I paid a visit yesterday on a long lunch break, good bit of landascape gardening guys.
Bonjoy, have you wandered past Scum Manifesto (about 50yds uphill) to the first part of the House of Commons crag.
There's a Simon Lee route called New Routes and Panties which looks ok, but probably needs a clean.

[Bonjoy]

Have done every route on HoC butress as it happen. But that was many years ago and I dare say it has seen little attention since. Seem to remeber it was a fun little crag and possible short enough to highball some of the routes!

[Mark Lloyd]

Your right about it being neglected, last year I had session clearing brambles from the base so its a bit more accessible now.
Not sure I'd like to top out soloing/highballing, most of the hard climbing is low down so I guess jumping
off from half way would be an option.
Some of the fixed gear is looking a bit ropey and its mostly single bolt lower offs, maybe a candidate for the bolt fund, saying that its never going to be that popular though.

[dpb]

Been here tonight and Tues.  I have the upper wall of Ruby Fruit in the bag but cant get the big diagonal hold before the break.  Im prob just under 5"8.  Any good beta for the short arse way of doing this????????

Cheers.

[Bonjoy]

 Hmmm, have seen a few people shorter than me (5.9) try it, but without success. At just under 5.8 can you not do it the standard way with extreme streching and standing on tip-toes?
 If you get totally stuck Pistol Fingers is un-reachy and the best 8a there IMO.

[Paul B]

I went on this last year (bad choice for a first route back on the lime) and struggled a lot especially on the move your on about, I cant remember quite what its like but I seem to remember a small sidepull that most people use as a shit intermediate, I think I was trying to roll over with my right hand using that for my left... however my memory is a bit hazy so I could be completely wrong! Keenus then promptly ignored the intermediate reaching straight through... before someone says he's not much taller than me check his wingspan.

[dpb]

Cheers

Shall try the roll over option.

If not, bring on Pistol Fingers.

[Paul B]

James and I mucked around a bit on pistol fingers while Jon was projecting it, I must say the climbing is fantastic and very sustained, I seem to remember using a crozzly crystal like sloper near the top which was a hard move...Great route.

[reeve]

Just a word of warning for anyone who goes to the crag, the bolt which has the rope handrail attached is pretty loose, that's the actual bolt not just the hanger. I've tied the rope off at the bolt but ideally it needs replacing by some kind hearted soul.

[Bonjoy]

 Yes sorry about that. It was a certain local youth's first attempt at placng a bolt. Nut was not on enough thread and so seized when hammered in, hence it wont come out or tighten up any further. Although it wobbles about it is not likely to fall out. I expended a lot of energy with a large crowbar and decided it was going nowhere and would have to stay put until I got a chance to bring some bolt croppers to the crag. In the meantime I was happy to use it as an anchor for a hanging access rope. Perhaps some via-ferrata style glued in rungs would be a safer less unsightly answer to the problem of gaining the RH ledge system (which can be too wet to climb up even when the routes above are bone dry).

[r-man]

Any chance LTQ will be dry, or will it be as damp as most places? What are conditions like in general?