[scragrock]

Some crap climbing from an Auld Neep in the Highlands.
7 years on and off it has taken me to finish this off.

[Fiend]

Some crap climbing from an Auld Neep in the Highlands.

Did not deliver as promised. 0/10. Refund requested. Would not trust this user's description again 

[scragrock]

Some crap climbing from an Auld Neep in the Highlands.

Did not deliver as promised. 0/10. Refund requested. Would not trust this user's description again 

Thanks Fiend
Ha Ha......That should be my Epitaph

[cofe]

Liam - interesting stuff. I'm not taking the piss with LID (and put this vid together before watching yours, maybe LID feels harder if you're lapping it, and aren't you a ^7C^ climber anyway??). A bit of context: 7A is my usual max, 7A+ I can pull out of the bag a couple of times a year if they exactly suit me, 7B is effectively beyond me, I've done one in my life when I was at least a stone lighter and it took me 11 hours over 4 sessions in perfect winter connies. LID I nearly did in one very brief session but didn't know you could go for the much better ramp with the right hand (and I ran out of daylight), and I did it in a few goes next session, vest conditions so hardly as crisp as I usually need. I do a lot of 7A aretes and this is just another one (easier than Who Are We, for example).

However, I do take your point about morphology entirely. For me the crux was getting the right heel to stick to slap up to the good ramp. Maybe stiff 6C+ pulling into that from standing but deffo 7A adding in the start moves. If those start moves - slapping into the undercling and sorting feet - are so horribly cramped for the 6 footer that that's now the crux and adds a couple of grades, then fair enough, it can also add an extra star for being joyously easier for the short  Maybe we need to get a 5'8"-10" 7A/+ climber on it to confirm.

Anyway I'm sure there's no debate about the quality, even with the mud-slope nearby it climbs really well with great features 

Cheers for the vid psyche Fiend! You’re going well. LID felt 7a+ to me (5’ 10”). Don’t think it’s 7a. Really enjoyed it. The left arête of the wall is great too. Thought Gazelle was a bit average and probably about 6c+. Good circuit.

[Will Hunt]

The latest arthouse beta video from our resident orc lord.

Discussion points:

1. What is more offensive, that Fiend should come to my patch so many times without calling on me to pay tribute/stroke my cat/invite me to come and heckle him, or that he should spend four sessions at Gilstead. Tough one.

2. I did Photo Finish on a lamp session during the whole Stay Local thing and it was at first quite perplexing. Then Penny pointed out a hold that I'd missed which is the undercut that you move RH to after the gaston - except it also works well holding the top of it as a crimp and pinching the bottom with your thumb. I might have been able to do this off lower feet than you, but I'd say if you can get the gaston then you'd also be able to reach that crimp. This might explain why it felt tough?

3. Pull, Pocket, Pond (to give it its correct name) is a great flash. I did it first in fading light (maybe condensing connies) in 2018 and found it hard, then repeated it in May last year and thought that it felt 6C or 6C+. It looks steady, but there's something about those crimps that makes them feel really greasy! I wonder whether the pond on top feeds water down into the buttress or something?

4. The comment in the video caption is a bit misleading I think. Ruin Bank is a pretty extensive bit of rock; a 2km edge with multiple buttresses and boulders along it. The western end, where the problem in the video is, is the most popular bit as there is good concentration of nice problems there. These look green and grubby, but actually stay remarkably clean and don't take as long to dry in winter as you might think. They get a surprising amount of traffic from the locals and it's a bit of an oddity in Yorkshire, being quarried/crimpy but also good. The best highballs there (Italian Bounce and Addio Arete) have slightly slopey tops that need to be checked before committing, but this shouldn't require anything more than brushing off any needles that have fallen onto the slopers that you use going over the top. I'd hate for anyone to be put off going. Things do get a bit dirtier as you go east, but bits like the Neolithic Walls and the Yorkshire Traverse block stay clean. I need to go and clean some of the eastern stuff but got a bit sidetracked by developing some new blocks at the far eastern end.

[Fiend]

The latest arthouse beta video from our resident orc lord.

Sigh, beaten to it. Still at least he called me an orc

So yes that's some RARELY REPEATED Yorkshire stuff and it's my favourite collection yet - personal challenges, exuberant celebrations, and a variety of climbing from roadside highballing, moorland pebble-pulling, woodland crimping and urban roofs. And as an added bonus it features not one not two but 3 suggested upgrades (and some lengthy waffle in the description).

Photo Finish - I'd fondled that crimp / sloping pinch on a few occasions that I'd managed to get matched on the gaston thing and my overriding impressions were 1. it was so terrible that I was struggling even to use it to oppose the LH layback, and 2. even if by some miracle I'd managed to reach it from below, I'd be so stretched out diagonally rightwards that I'd not be able to release my left hand. I suspect I found it tough because it's bloody tough and a grade harder than LID. Also the four sessions at Gilstead have been spread out and I got a bit obsessed with it. PPP was cool and it was quite flukey I didn't ping off those crimps. Ruin Bank sorry yeah didn't mean to put people off, the stuff there does look good overall and would warrant more attention. I'd go back in a cold / dry snap.

[rginns]

Really enjoyed that Fiend, reminds me of Lancashire 
Good Font Vs V grade flip flopping too 😉

[Fiend]

LOL, thanks. Lancashire you say    And blame Nike Air and NaoB for the flipflops, they developed that bloc.

[SA Chris]

Gilstead looks a lot better than I can remember from my one visit, all I recall was slipping off graffiti paint.

Also is your inadequate looking padding a nod to your trad sensibilities Fiend?

[sirlockoff]

Fun times

[Wicamoi]

Very enjoyable video Scragrock. Seven years is a long time - hope you've something as good to replace it.

[remus]

That was cool, bum puckering top out! Strong knee-pad-on-shin tech too.

[monkey boy]

Great to see this getting some attention. I fell off with both hands and feet on the slab  . Definitely not over till it's over.

[Fiend]

Well given that "nobody watches my videos" (© T_B 2020), I actually got requests to do some Lancashire stuff. So here you fucking go. Includes some mundane honeypot bollox but also some proper underrated gems you need to get on ASAP, as well as multiple downgrades including double grade drops 





Ell's Arete / Children Of Arachne / Flywalk Slab / Snakey B / Purple Haze / Camille Claudel / Gameplay / Common Knowledge / JR's Soft Shoe Shuffle

[SA Chris]

Some crap climbing from an Auld Neep in the Highlands.

Looks great Rob, great effort need to come your way sometime and have a look at the new stuff.

[scragrock]

Thanks for the views and positive feedback on last vid. 

Just back from some quality family time up near Sheigra, Managed a little bit of bouldering/Developing.



Warning!!! this is the Chilled edit.

[SA Chris]

Affa Bonnie.

Need to get back up there, last time we were there, wife was up't duff with the first one, so must be over 11 years ago! Last time we were in Ullapool he was 1 and a bit.

[sherlock]

It's a damn sight busier nowadays, Chris. Same goes for the whole NW coast.Pick your times.

[SA Chris]

I'm sure it is. Expect that the days of just pulling in at Shiegra or Oldshoremore Car Parks and pitching the tent on the machair are long gone. As is being glad there is another surfer in the water so you can have some company.

[sherlock]

A lot of no overnight camping/parking signs have appeared which is hardly surprising given the behaviour/ sense of entitlement of some people.

[scragrock]

Yup unfortunately the NC500 has caused a great deal of consternation. Some warranted some not.

It is without question a much busier wee corner of the Highlands.

We are popping back up for the latter part of this week{Holiday Cottage in Polin Beach} i always do a small daily litter pick at the beach with my boy{nearly 3yrs} , Hopefully this shows a more positive side to the influx of visitors

 

[SA Chris]

Let's see if the NE 250 has a similar effect. Somehow has slightly less appeal than the NW though.

[sherlock]

Let's see if the NE 250 has a similar effect. Somehow has slightly less appeal than the NW though.

That's a new one on me.

[SA Chris]

Actually takes in a lot of the good climbing in the NE.

[teestub]

Not many people get to flex on Ondra, but here's Martin Stráník doing the 8B+ in Ondra's home town that Adam failed on.

Gun show.