[Andy B]

Went to Wharncliffe for the first time on Saturday and had a look at The Bear Pit- a good problem for anyone scared of heights but not claustrophobic! The finish was fairly obvious, as were the pockets in the roof but we couldn't decide where it should be started or what was allowed under the roof. (the hallmarks of a classic problem!). There are no holds at the back of the roof, left of the crack, so should it be started on two pockets in the roof or from the crack, and if from the crack is this (and the chockstones) in for feet?

[Bonjoy]

Iain started it in the crack, i'm fairly sure (but not totally) he didn't use the chockstone.
I like your apt description of it's merits  . I tried it a couple of times but was never excessively psyched...
What other stuff did you get on there? I don't know of that many people going there and repeating stuff, so i'm always keen to hear what people think.

[Andy B]

Cool, we were mainly starting using the crack then using it as a heel toe to reach the lip but when we tried to take it out and immediately pull into a full tuck, we kept slamming down. It seems strange to use the crack but not the chockstones.

Did Dragons Den (Classic, but it was duffing people who climb harder than 6a+), Dragon Slayer (decent obvious eliminate), Croaching Tiger (ditto), Blunted (Good with Nice moves, Ogilvy's Direct SS(Classic, I had planned to traverse off when the difficulties ended, but by the time i reached that point I decided it would be easier to got to the top), Curvaceous (Classic), Jellyeyes (a very tight eliminate I thought, but nice moves), and Fishboy -one of the best problems I have done in a while! We thought that this might get slightly easier if cleaned more but didn't want to disturb the moss. A bit of slippyness just added to the character of the problem, which left us winded with cuts on our backs. Superb!

[Bonjoy]

 Good to hear you enjoyed Fishboy, not everyones bag but a classic of a strange genre.
 Did you do the easier all holds allowed version of Jellyeyes or the rockover dyno way? The latter is very eliminate but a good hard move.
 Did you try Jorge (probably had a very wet green top!) or Sweet Release (probably unrepeated)?

[Andy B]

I did Jellyeyes the easier way with a diagonal sloping gaston for the left then undercutting the break with the right and bouncing off my right foot to slap the top, but it is possible to reach holds on both problems on either side of jellyeyes at the same time, which I thought made it a tight line. The dyno method looked fun, but I was too keen to try Fishboy at the time.

I had two goes on Jorge at the end but decided i would probably be hitting the top dynamically, and it was still a bit damp up there so gave up quickly. Likewise with The Parsons Finch which was wet and pretty dirty too. I tried to clean and dry this but it just soaked up any chalk applied. This looked pretty hard anyway with a massive reach from the top slot to the sloping lip. What was I missing?

I didn't try Sweet Release, but it looked long and hard, so to speak.

[Bonjoy]

 Me and Kim both did Jorge in a pretty all out dynamic way, but it needs a couple of dry days for the top to be in nick and regular chalk to kill the green. The Parsons Finch does a big slap from the slots to very nice sloper with RH, match sloper then campus to a gaston with LH, RF up and weird topout.

 Whilst googling for this I discovered that there is actually an Australian bird called the Parson's Finch 
 Sweet Release felt pretty tough when I did it, probably the hardest thing I had done at the time. Wasn't sure whether to give it 7c or 7c+. The into the huge flake are brilliant and worth doing as a 7b-ish prob in itself

[Andy B]

Lordy!

Didn't miss anything on the Parsons Finch then.

That is a big move to a pretty slopey sloper which didn't seem particularly grippy on Saturday, and when feet swing out from the back i bet holding it is potentially a heart breaker!

[Bonjoy]

 Cold conditions make a big difference on that fine grained sloper

[dave]

Went to Wharncliffe for the first time on Saturday and had a look at The Bear Pit- a good problem for anyone scared of heights but not claustrophobic!

Good description, a bit more diplomatic than how I'd have described it.

[fatdoc]

er............ how wet underfoot was it??? after all this rain it's looking close to the *end of the DH MTB for me for the winter* time of year and the  - lets boulder time of year - wharncliffe has the dubious pleasure of being my local MTB venue you see......

[Fj]

anyone else tried Kims span? I like to think I'm gifted in the ape index department but 
If theres not a second generation move, or you've got less than a 6'5" span, you need not apply!
Also watch out as I nearly broke my wrist when the hand jam didnt come out.

[Bonjoy]

Hence the name. I think I may have been jamming a foot in the break to get more reach

[Rice Boy]

Wharncliffe looks ace! Is it easy to bus there from Sheffield Uni / the Interchange? and would a 6 by 6 carpet tile suffice as a crash mat a la Bell Hagg? (Nunn's eliminate is sandbagged n'est pas? Felt at least 7b+)

Cheers in advance.

[Bonjoy]

 There are regular buses from Sheff, I used to get them from outside the Boardwalk, near the court.
 A carpet will be fine for some stuff like Crouching Tiger, Jorge, Dragon's Den, Sweet Release, Fishboy, Blunted, but possibly not for other stuff like Ogilvies, Curvaceous, Parson's, Jellyeyes

[Rice Boy]

Thanks for the knowledge. Will visit surely!

[Rice Boy]

Had a brief visit yesterday afternoon.

Could do with a bucket load of beta.

Dragons Den: top class.
Crouching Tiger: crimpy as, good move though, used the good foot down and right, is this kosha?

Dragon slayer: needs a mat, once left heel is on shelf do you just work up the arete or can you use the slopy pocket and high crimp?

Any of the rib problems: couldn't get off the ground!!

Curvaceous: cold conditions helpful?

Blunted: again a mat to save back, is the big foot block on the right in? seemed a bit cheeky.

Thanks kindly.

[JR]

I only glanced the title of the thread and assumed rather wrongly that it was an intelligible discussion on David Blunketts new book, My Life in the Bear Pit. I can't remember any beta on any of the problems in the thread but i can offer the beta on the book.  It is indeed shit.

[a dense loner]

even blunkett couldn't be bothered to read it

[Bonjoy]

Had a brief visit yesterday afternoon.

Could do with a bucket load of beta.

Dragons Den: top class.
Crouching Tiger: crimpy as, good move though, used the good foot down and right, is this kosha?

Dragon slayer: needs a mat, once left heel is on shelf do you just work up the arete or can you use the slopy pocket and high crimp?

Any of the rib problems: couldn't get off the ground!!

Curvaceous: cold conditions helpful?

Blunted: again a mat to save back, is the big foot block on the right in? seemed a bit cheeky.

Thanks kindly.

Soz for slow reply, have been away for the week.
 Crouching Tiger - Yes the low right footer is in. T'would be horrific without!
 Dragon Slayer - Yes the pocket and edge are in.
 By the rib probs I presume you mean Jorge etc. For Jorge - start matching break (have tried sitter but it seemed pretty desperate). Get the LH diagonal sloper edge from low smear (sometimes hidden by the long grass), jump RF up to smear on right side of arete, dyno for top.
 Curvaceous - Cold weather definately useful. The trick is to crimp the RH sloper, rock onto a tiny edge with RF and slap the boss with LH.
 Blunted - No the RH footer is not in and the prob is not nearly as hard or good if you do use it. Didn't even consider using it when I did the prob, but have heard of folk using it since. If i'd have realized in time i'd have got Ru to put something in the description, or drop the grade for doing the prob with it.

[Rice Boy]

Sorry for the even slower reply.

Ace venue, when cooler will surely be up there showing Manchester climbers the 'light'. A good day out would be Wharncliffe, Rivelin and Barrel Slap Problem.

Thought the rib problems were all about bearing down on the left hand. 

Blunted might just be the hardest 7a+ I've ever had the pleasure of being on! Either that or I'm too tall.

[Bonjoy]

 You do have to bear down a bit on that sloper, but it's all about getting your weight on the right while you gain height.
 My beta for Blunted is: Start matched on super low edge, LF on smear right foot on block in roof (slight eygyptian), slap for right arete, LF heel-toe on edge and flag RF under, LH onto arete above RH, hudge up a bit and slap LH to good hold out left.

 I'd fully recomend trying the end crux on Sweet Release even if you're not bothered about doing the whole trav. Starting at the slot on the rib and finishing up Dragon's Den is probably worth 7b in it's own right and is a crazy/unique move. Big throw left and back into gastoning the flake, then a satisfyingly powerful and precarious stepover on smears, then fall into matching the flake, brilliant!

[Ru]

Blunted - No the RH footer is not in and the prob is not nearly as hard or good if you do use it. Didn't even consider using it when I did the prob, but have heard of folk using it since. If i'd have realized in time i'd have got Ru to put something in the description, or drop the grade for doing the prob with it.

That's odd, I remember not using the RH foot either, and also didn't really consider mentioning not using it, probably becuase it didn't seem right to use it in the first place. In retrospect I should have mentioned it.

[Bonjoy]

 I think Mr Barton maybe used it judging by his posture on the blurred out shot in the guide and the fact that he thought it was easy/overgraded at 7a+.
 When I did the prob the block out right was burried under grass and I didn't even see it. But did notice it last time I was there and thought peeps might use it in ignorance.

[Rice Boy]

Like the comments in the guide book.

Although I was spanked by most of the climbs they we're of such a calibre that it was positively enjoyable.    

Has anyone done the rib/arete above Blunted, seemed like it would climb well (independently) on it's left at about middle 6 ish?

[Bonjoy]

Yeah, I did that as the finish to Blunted. Does the guide not mention it as 6b as a standup or something? It's a bit escapable, but fun if you stay left.
 There used to be a topo on UKB that I wrote yonks ago, with various minor bit's and pieces not in the guide. Not sure if Bubba has it on file somewhere.

[Rice Boy]

Ain't in guide but is now!! It's probably marked on the rock though! In amongst all the Shaz 4 Ste bollocks.

Given the amount of Sweat Release promotion  I'm guessing it's worth a go. 

[Bonjoy]

 I'm always trying to get folk to try it, generally to no avail. It's a significant prob for me, being the hardest thing I'd ever climbed at the time by miles.

[Rice Boy]

Spending a fair bit of time over in Sheffield / Wharncliffe over the next two years so after cracking the straight ups will definitely give it a go.

The contours are a little too close on the way up the hill!!

[Bonjoy]

 If you are discrete in where you park it is possible to drive in the back way and reduce the walk in to about 1min on the flat!

 This track is officially only open on certain days of the week, but in all practicality is open access every day. I've never been challenged and the area crossed is now CRoW land too. Don't be purturbed by the noisy dogs in the kennels by the first gate. I park on a grass verge on the right before the gate leading to the farm and houses at the SE end of the crag. Be double careful not to block the track or the gates.

  4000th post or perhaps  is more appropriate

[Rice Boy]

 4000!!  You could get a thesis out of that.

Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I'm car-less for now so will have to stick to the plod, does make everything at least a couple of grades harder tho.

[Bonjoy]

 Had a look in the book. The description of the top bit of Blunted is right "...climb the rib above.", but the line on the topo is off, it should swing left early on and then continue up the black rib above.

[r-man]

Moved post elsewhere - http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,6471.0.html