[r-man]

Bradley quarry boulders look like they might be fun

http://www.esotericrock.co.uk/

There are a couple of 7as, and C'mon tiger looks like a great 6a. Anyone ever been here?

[webbo]

i have friends who consider peak grit in general esoteric.

[(woz)]

This probably won't surprise you robin, but my dad has been climbing there for the last 30ish years! (Not very regularly mind, and he does go to good places aswell). I have been once, and always meant to go back - Is that another day hacking through undergrowth and soloing up water flumes I can smell?

[Bonjoy]

Once went to Bradley Quarry. Didn't climb and haven't been back. I know Mike Adams has climbed there, infact I believe he may have broken an ankle or something falling off one of the probs on the obvious boulder.
 The Chasecliffe boulder is good. Me and Crome climbed all the lines in the topo bar the full traverse here in about 93/94. Have told lots of folk about it in the past (including two mentions on a sub-forum of UKB) so that's not a surprise retro claim and i'm happy for the names in the topo to stay as is when I write the crag up for the new BMC book.
 Birchwood Quarry is news to me. I have an old guide which describes some amazing huge routes it used to sport prior to it being filled in in the 80's. Always wondered if any of it was left un-burried.

[r-man]

This probably won't surprise you robin, but my dad has been climbing there for the last 30ish years! (Not very regularly mind, and he does go to good places aswell).

No, doesn't surprise me in the least! The only thing that surprises me is that there is still rock in the peak that your dad hasn't fully checked out. Which only goes to show there is more rock around than it's possible to comprehend...

This probably won't surprise you robin, but my dad has been climbing there for the last 30ish years! (Not very regularly mind, and he does go to good places aswell). I have been once, and always meant to go back - Is that another day hacking through undergrowth and soloing up water flumes I can smell?

Sounds grand - always keen! 

[fashionguru]

Hi,
JB was right both me and Mike have been there on a few occaisons.

Mike did nakker his ankle on the bottom boulder try one of my new problems straight up the middle of he block (V8/9) leftward treaning ramp on this block is around V8 as well.

Mike climbed what is probably the best line there on the 1st boulder you come to as your walking into the crag. It is just on the start of the hill with the small cave and overhanging arete.
The problem itself is starting on the low wall in the middle climb up to gain and climb the hanging arete. V9 (climbing is about V8 but the landing is oh so scarry and does not put you at ease even when you have taken it I will tell you)

Go have a look there are some good things to be had and some great problems.

Tony

[Bonjoy]

 Am writing bits for some of the crags round this way. Will try and make sure the Bradley Quarry boulders get a proper write up.

[Mark Lloyd]

Bradley quarries a tad green at the moment, nothing a bit of agent orange wouldn't sort out.
eatswood was ok though, not much to warm up on there consequently got spanked by the traverse
thats my excuse anyway.
It looks like its shed a few holds as well, do you say high into the bottom of the crack
or drop down and across to a lower set of holds ?

[Bonjoy]

Stay low right to the end and finish in the big green break on the slab

[r-man]

It does look like it's lost a lot of holds (maybe 4?) so I'd imagine the sequence must have changed. Anyone done it recently?

[Mark Lloyd]

It might need some of Bonjoys magic glue to keep it all in place.
Was there also a small flake/sidepull just after the start thats come away
cos it seemed like a long reach to the jugs for a short arse.

[Bonjoy]

When I was last there (1 month ago) two holds had recently come off/been chipped. One was a horizontal crimp rail on the lip halfway along (the start hold on Westwood), this had changed from a juggy crimp to a slopey crimp. There was also missing rock near the end, at the lip roughly on the arete, this hold was not used on my sequence on the trav anyway. What if any other holds have been damaged?? ??
 BTW there is no missing side pull on the move to the jug. It has always been a big shoulder press/fall leftward.

[BenF]

On the esoteric Peak grit tip, anyone else slogged up the hill to Alderman?  It's the pointy hill opposite the turn off for Dovestones Reservoir (ie Wimberry). 

I went up there the other week and did a bit of reasonable bouldering as well as soloing a whole host of great easy routes up to about E1.  On the main crag, the classic VS Great Slab is excellent and all of the routes I thought were well worth doing, but probably only as solos.  Most were pretty short (apart from the two pitch ones) and basically highballs really (although, to get the full tick we climbed mat-free of course).

If you head westwads from the main crag (the pointy bit) there are lots of short routes to do, some are very pleasant, but again they're not very hard.  Just a little high with slopey landings.  Then on the far left/west of the rocks there are a few boulders worth climbing.  Mostly easy stuff under v4 but with one excellent little bay that has a fine looking highball arete with a poor landing (very slopey and with a few rocks).  This arete is obvious from a distance and wouldn;t look out of place at Bridies or Gorple.  I climbed an indirect problem onto the final part of the arete but wondered whether anyone has tried/climbed the arete directly? 

Overall, I felt Alderman was a cool little venue to visit along with other Chew Valley stuff and a keen follower of esoterica will definitely manage a few hours of soloing/bouldering in a beautiful setting looking across the moors.  I'm going to head back soon anyway.

[Rice Boy]

I've been up a few times mainly for picnicing, mincing and rambling but have climbed a bit on the rocks.

The side wall of the arete (perhaps of which you talk) is a good little frightner. But as for the arete, it must of been climbed! Such a beautiful line albeit the shizze landing which IMO could be managed with a load of big spotters.

A mate climbed a nice little Ft 6c ish sit down to a pancake-like arete closer to the Alderman. One of the best tussles around.

The walk in is more of a battle n'est pas?

Great slab?? Overdoing it a bit methinks, still good fun.

[BenF]

The side wall of the arete (perhaps of which you talk) is a good little frightner. But as for the arete, it must of been climbed! Such a beautiful line albeit the shizze landing which IMO could be managed with a load of big spotters.

Yeah, I reckon the arete is well do-able and I intend to see if I'm right.  But I'll take about four spotters and mats.  As you say, the various lines climbable to its left are all reet bo.  Lovely grit and slightly scary finishes.

A mate climbed a nice little Ft 6c ish sit down to a pancake-like arete closer to the Alderman. One of the best tussles around.

I know of what you speak.  Real nice and close to a cool little slab too.  Bit gritty though.

The walk in is more of a battle n'est pas?

No, for some reason I love that kind of thing but my mate moaned like f*ck all the way up.  Rushing back down at full speed was well cool too.  Best part was not breaking an ankle or two on the hidden rocks.

Great slab?? Overdoing it a bit methinks, still good fun.

Yeah, more like Pleasant Slab, but a nice two pitch affair.

[Rice Boy]

I know of what you speak.  Real nice and close to a cool little slab too.  Bit gritty though.

The grittyness added to the quality. Perhaps the only climb where this phemomemonom occurs?

The big prow / arete was a tad gritty as well but would be worth every bit of a cleaning effort. Did a move (maybe two)  into the start . . . no fickle mistress here, she wants to be climbed.

[BenF]

The big prow / arete was a tad gritty as well but would be worth every bit of a cleaning effort. Did a move (maybe two)  into the start . . . no fickle mistress here, she wants to be climbed.

Indeed she does and I shall give it some effort soon.  But maybe we should keep quiet about it eh?  Not that I think people will be dashing up that big hill, particularly since Wimberry and West Nab are close by and have much easier access.

[fashionguru]

R but you forget Ben, Mike is allways on the prowl.

Merry Xmas

Tony

[BenF]

Hi there Tony, how's it going?

Yeah, obviously Mick is always on the prowl but the steep hill may at least hold him back for a while.  It would be a good line for him to climb actually.  I may even tell him about it, if you haven't already done so.

Merry xmas to you too.

Ben

[paul hesketh]

ugh, yeah the prow type arete at alderman was climbed ages ago by kevin thaw

apologies if i'm repeating anything there

he gave it E3 6c in old money

you can see a pic of it at http://www.chewvalley.bravehost.com

[Houdini]

Nice, Mr. Hesketh.  Nice.

No remote linking, j...tight wads.  Ha ha, but I can do this!

So fine it's just reached Arete Quest status.  E3 6C.  So fine a grade;  a 7C for yesteryear, if you will. 

[paul hesketh]

well houdini sir, you be wary, that landing ain't for the faint hearted, take pads, spotters and ropes if necessary...

master thaw did it direct, a cheval apparently...

theres a nice slabby wall over right as well, called ditch diggin too, better landing on this one

[r-man]

Now that the calling of the calling of the grit is in the air, I feel a divining rod twitch in my fingers, luring them from esotericrimp to esoterisloper...

Let's have some more tales from boulders less traveled. For starters, doesn't this look good:


SS Pinchy the Lobster 7a *** FA Lee Robinson, Standing Stones, Chew Valley

a crag full of history and mystery with a giant sloping boulder with an 8a project nobody has claimed

http://betaguides.blogspot.com/

[Johnny Brown]

Looks tiny. While we're on the subject of chew, has anyone done this tasty number of Kevin Thaw's at Running Hill Pit 8? Got shut down...

[slackline]

Looks tiny.

No its just far away