[r-man]

After spending much of my summer on this excellent piece of concrete, I'm putting together an eliminates topo for Gravity. If anyone wants a sneak preview, and feels like giving me a bit of grade feedback, pm me your email address and I'll send you the current draft.

Also, if anyone has any quality problems, let me know. I'm trying to gather together lots of good ones at font 7a and upwards - got around 20 so far, could use a few more.

Scouse, can you give me some good names for yours? Same goes for Jeff/Simon.

[account_inactive]

 

[r-man]

This thread aint intended for people who aint interested. Go scratch your chin elsewhere.   

For those of use who don't have a car, or much money, this boulder is brilliant. It's a great little place to climb, it's improved the park and it's well used. Lots of people have said to me that they'd appreciate a guide to some of the eliminates, so that's what I'm doing.

Maybe I'm being a bit anal by naming them all, but I like names.

[webbo]

i hope you will be doing a list.

[slackline]

Is this near The Vine Inn?  I remember seeing proposals in the pub ages ago for changing some of the land between the pub and the church.  Thought the boulder was by far the best use of the area.

[Fiend]

topo

Now how did I manage to predict that from the title. I must be psychic!

[Idol eyes]

Wow, your like a ''physical chic''

[r-man]

Is this near The Vine Inn?  I remember seeing proposals in the pub ages ago for changing some of the land between the pub and the church.  Thought the boulder was by far the best use of the area.

That's the one. It was intentionally made more challenging than the other sheff boulders to encourage more of an adult presence in the park, and it's definitely worked. On a nice evening there is always a good sized group of people, from complete beginners to eliminate afficionados. I've enjoyed watching some of the local kids get sucked in and progress from battling with the easy stuff to romping all over the boulder and buying their own rock shoes.

From the people I talk to, the boulder has made a big difference. Non climbing locals all think the council has done a good job, and many of them are tempted to give it a go. Seems to me this is a great way to revitalise a park area, and I'm sure other parks in other towns and cities could benefit from the same thing. Councils take note!

[al]

r-man, i was originally going to mark some coloured font problems on the boulder when we built it (the council were keen to help the local kids have something tangible to aim for) - still plan to do this but am not sure when - as to the topo, maybe you could let me have a copy and i could use some of the better problems for this purpose? (i also have some tasty 'ups' if you want the beta for the topo)

[r-man]

Sounds like a good idea Al. I've PM'd you.

Interestingly, all the kids seem to progress quite quickly on to doing sitstarts to lines they have already managed. Whether it's because they've seen other people do it, or it's just quite a natural thing to do, I don't know, but I think if you want to give them some attainable challenges you could probably have problems starting at font 6b and up, since some of the sitstarts must be nearing this anyway.

If you want any help making up some problems or painting some dots, I'd be happy to lend a hand. I can get out during the day if needed.

I'm still waiting to see how they get on when they get out on the grit... One or two of them are planning on making a trip out "When we master the boulder." 

[Monolith]

If this is the one im thinking of (which is just inside/around some cemetery grounds) I've had a play on it last time I came to Sheffield. It's got some sort of concrete texture to it? Talk about friction, it's quite easy to leave clumps of skin on holds between moves! But yup for free, so no scoffing.

[slackline]

Cool, will have to check it out when I get back from self imposed exile in the pancake that is West Oz.

(Heading south to somewhere called Mt Frankland this weekend though for some chuffing, will make a change to the crap quarries around Perth, apparently some good bouldering as well, best be worth the four hour drive).

[r-man]

Yeah, for those that don't know, it's in Cemetery Park, on Cemetery Road, next to a pub (The Vine). Here-ish:
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=S118FR

It is quite rough, but more on your palms than your fingertips I find, as the holds themselves are often quite smooth.

[Scouse D]

This boulder is very good. Not as good as the peak obviously but very good. I've met some very psyched people here and always have a good session.
PM'd you r-man, though I'm gonna need some time to tell you my eliminates (not sure names are necessary though!).
I also did one of your traverses the other day. Very good it was too!

[r-man]

Some other Cemetery Park stuff

http://www.peaceinthepark.org.uk/
Photos from the Peace in the Park party, which I missed, but it looks like fun. There seems to be a lot going on, which is great. I was there one time when there was a sports day with welly throwing and people dressed as vikings. All good stuff.

And lots of interesting stuff about the Cemetery history
http://www.gencem.org/

Also, some of you might remember there was a petition to stop some of the park being redeveloped into private flats. Well if this is anything to go by, it seems that might have been avoided:

Save the Anglican Chapel Campaign – “Together we can restore the Chapel” Sheffield General Cemetery Trust is pleased to announce a partnership with Sheffield Music Services to restore and make use of the Anglican Chapel. The plan involves making use of BOTH the Grade II listed Anglican Chapel AND the Grade II* listed unused Non Conformist Chapel in the centre of the cemetery to form the new home of Sheffield Music Service from 2008 onwards. The plans being developed mean both chapels will be used by a wide range of the people in the day-time and evening, and still allow some opportunity for further community use at weekends and times when the Service is not using the buildings.

 

[r-man]

For the concrete addicts amongst you, the topo is in this months Gravity (issue 10), along with a short article and some photos.

Unfortunately the actual topo photos were printed at a less than optimum viewing size, so I've uploaded it HERE for anyone who wants to download it. There's a good range of stuff from ft7a-7c, and a few easier and harder things too. As the regulars know, once you get into it, you can have a really good session on the concrete.

It's been nice to see people making use of the topo recently. Cheers to everyone who helped out.   

[dave]

this is all great for those without transport etc. however it should be noted that you need to make the effort to get onto real rock if you want to earn 8a.nu ticks.

[r-man]

Rules, rules... Talking of 8a, nowhere on your scorecard do I see mention of the legendary Parryband. 

[dave]

If you like i can claim parryhang - its my fingerboard routine. or the undercut-sloper problem on my board.

[r-man]

  You are of course deliberately misinterpreting my words.

Tradition defines what is and what isn't a "proper" problem.
Doing the last move of Powerband in the accepted fashion; doing an eliminate at Stoney - these "earn the tick".
Doing Parryband*; being proud of an eliminate on Concrete - these are frowned upon.

Who cares really? Everyone climbs for themselves. I really enjoyed doing that traverse. I put a lot of effort in to it and was very happy when I completed it.  I put it on 8a.nu because that's where I keep a record of my climbing. I haven't recorded any other concrete problems, but this was a big achievement for me. And I enjoyed it more than lots of problems I've done on rock. So ner. As they say. 



*Apologies if you've also done it properly - it's just that your name always gets mentioned when this move is discussed...

[dave]

my understanding of the 8a.nu is its for recording rock climbing. i walked up ben nevis last week and enjoyed it more than some boulder problems, but I ain't putting it on. I played a game of jenga last week where at a late and crucial stage of the game when the tower was unstable and about 39 layers high i managed to get a piece out of a layer that had only the 2 outside pieces remaining - i had to push one of them towards the middle and then take the other one out. yes they said it couldn't be done, they mocked when i suggested it, but its possible. this was a personal best, i won the game, and i enjoyed it more than some boulder problems but i ain't putting it on my scorecard. of course you can use it how you want but i would hope people would quality vet what they put on. i hate it when i look at someone's shit to find "red problem at the foundry", "extradition 8c coire lagan skye" or a load of unnamed burbage south problems on.

(p.s. i also did a move just prior to the above described move in the same game where a level had 2 pieces left, the central one and out of the outside pieces. the outside one would not move, but the central on had a bit of give. i managed to slide the central piece to one side, and shuffle the outer piece over to the middle to enable me to remove the other piece. its this kind of radical free-thinking inventive play that i would like to see embraced in climbing).

[Stubbs]

Thanks for showing me the future of Jenga playing - my moves have been so pedestrian up until now 

[dave]

i may start running planetfear style jenga workshops. 500 bananas a throw. first 6 to enrol get a free egg to teach their grandmothers how to suck.

[r-man]

I once pushed an analogy too far, and the whole jenga tower came tumbling down.

Bouldering on the cemetery boulder feels as much like real climbing to me as doing Stoney eliminates. Some people might think eliminates this contrived are not worthwhile, but that's another argument. When you sit under a small overhang watching the rain pour down and a rainbow crest the trees; when the sun shines and there are frisbees and weed in the air...well, I suppose I'm saying there's a bit of soul. It feels like climbing on rock. It even looks like it, now a green streak has developed and the two pockets seep from within after heavy rain.

My understanding of 8a.nu is that it is a subversive influence, and works much like an inversion of Jenga. Whereas in Jenga you remove blocks from the construction and achieve a purity of understanding that can only be gained by careful deconstruction, 8a.nu has lead to a state of unified chaos, amplified by the way in which it is reverse Jenga'd into every thread on ukb. But there will be no revolution. 8a.nu does not pull down the establishment, it buries it beneath layer upon layer of gloriously bad spellings, problems claimed five times, areas impossible to categorise by their seven different names and mis-names, and opinion pieces labelled as NEWS. Long live the conf-

Ok, who pulled out the end of the word? It's all going to fall, I tell you, it's all going to fall...

[cofe]

my understanding of 8a.ego is that it's a load of bollocks. unless i want to see what my mate dave graham has been up to.

jesus christ.

[r-man]

Methinks you're getting the wrong end of the stick.nu. It has nothing to do with religion.

[cofe]

i don't know anyone called Methinks

[webbo]

maybe its time for a list.

[r-man]

I can't help you decide, that's a very personal decision you are contemplating.

I'll give you another example of a personal decision. Some people refuse to listen to cds. They play nothing but vinyl. Well that's fine and dandy, but some of these people will only play one song. This is a bit extreme. Again and again they play that song. Sometimes I wish they'd change the record, experiment a little, try something new. But it's got to be a personal decision.

[webbo]

i could start with a list of touchy lancastrians.

[r-man]

Oh dear. I knew I should have added some sort of smiley face. Here, have two: 

[webbo]

 

[r-man]

Posting this link just one more time, as it's been buried by all the waffle.

Click here for the Cemetery Boulder Topo

Boulder was all dry yesterday morning, despite the previous torrential rain.