[Pantontino]

Had a really bad year (or at least the first 6 months) due to bad health. I could only manage about an hour's worth of easy bouldering a week until June. So no trips abroad and no routes at all.

Second half of the year started feeling a bit better and was made up to get back in the game, so to speak.

Best problems (partly because they are all things that I've disregarded in the past, but I now realise how great they are):

Sleep Deprivation 7b+ at the Cromlech Boulders - awesome problem!
Pill Thrill 7a+ at Pill Box Wall - a forgotten classic
The Heeling Process 7aish at Manor crag - another forgotten problem at a forgotten crag

Best first ascents:
The Quickness 7a+ at the Cromlech Boulders - really pleased to get such a cool problem in such an intensely developed area. I was pretty ill for about a week afterwards, but it was worth it.
Rock for Light 7b at the Cromlech again - although it turns out that this may have been done the year before by Mark Evans. Even so it was a major highlight, and one of the best, and probably the longest (27 hand movements) roof problem I've ever done.
Sleep Deprivation/CRC/Turmoil link 7b/+ - another epic captured on film by Doylo

Highlights were health improvements, developing the CRC cave at the Cromlech (obviously), doing all the moves on Bus Stop and realising how brilliant Pill Box Wall is again (even though I keep falling off the last move of everything).

[Paz]

I can't believe the number of posts during new years eve partys (were they shit?), but when Dave told me about this `best three 2006 trad routes thread' today, well wild horses couldn't hold me back, so I'm a bit dissappointed, but nevermind.  Doylo, I'm an apprentice on The Way Of The Choss Tosser (so nice one JR - did you do the original Skeleton Ridge start?  what did you think to the top arete?), and years ago I told my self I didn't have to climb Mam Tor if I didn't want to, as it's a winter crag (but I still want to).  You don't hear about the Scots doing a great deal of climbing on Creag Meaghaidh (sp?) in summer.  So please dear god let a plague of searing heat waves prove me wrong, but I'm guessing Llech Ddu is best left as a winter crag.  Plus, don't you have to walk past a bit of bouldering? Apologies and respect if you were trying a winter ascent of a summer VS. 

The first two categories I can only fill with `default' entries, repeats, and by interpreting `abroad' as `overseas' - to get to Wales from Bristol you have to go over the sea.  In fact fuck that, for me abroad is outside Bristol  .  Despite this the second one is still empty:

Boulders...Top three boulder probs, UK
Remergence (never fails to delight), Particles (worth the scramble), and the V5 crack problem right of the prince

Top three boulder probs, abroad
-none- did no bouldering in south wales.

These are the ones that I've enjoyed the most, or that were the best routes.  I think this is the important thing, so I'm including a few
failures, as they are awesome routes and this way I'm more likely to finish them off.  They are the harder routes I've done, but this not due to grade waving but due to a concerted effort to polish off the remaining starred routes at E2 and below - iced.

Top three trad routes/soloes UK,
Captain Swing (I was so happy afterwards), Motorway Madness (a bit more gnarly than Star Wars but similarly is just a really great trad route),
Steppenwolf (for letting me know I could still climb E3 after falling upside down on my head off a fence)

Top three sport routes UK
Encore Magnifique (dogged), Empire of the Sun (racking up the air miles), Bullworker (more for relenting to gritstone cheating (a toe hook) than for rock quality (it lost a jug to me))

Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Star Wars, Land Of The Giants (the best route I failed on (though Zeppelin came close) and the most impressive wall I never climbed), Ahimsa (was well worth saving the flash for, not seconding it)

Top three new route/prob put up
`King Choice (great move), Particles Right Hand (such a quality hold deserves two problems), Operational Reasons (because I love edges).

This new year will see my worst new routes yet, as long as noone's stolen them.  one of them will hoepfully be called Forgotten but not Forgiven, after the cleaning tactics. 

I'm going off on a tangent now, sorry. 
Bonjoy - you know the Science answer to the chicken egg question?  The egg came first, chickens evolved from poultry birds/foul that were closely related to hens but technically not chickens according to the pedants who classify them.  The parents of the first baby chicken (in it's fertilised egg, which was probably mutant off spring) were such birds, possibly some sort of Thai game bird or sommat, according to Q.I.

If anyone thinks Chickens were created (by something other than evolution) then they can ask God themselves for the answer.

[Bonjoy]

 Yes, i've argued for the egg coming first for the same reason. Bit of a no brainer, never understood what the fuss was all about.

[Greg C]

* Top three boulder probs, UK
Larger Larger Larger (Earl Crag), Outer Reach (Thorn Crag) and Phantom of the Opera (The Stone). I actually think Final Curtain is a better problem but I'm putting Phantom as I put more effort in and thus felt more satisfied afterward.
* Top three boulder probs, abroad
White Gold (Vall De Son Marc) Liso Belleza (Vall De Son Marc) and Gold Eye (Magic Wood) - Did loads of good things abroad that I can't remember the name of, damn my memory 

[chappers]

top 3 uk.
turbulance (woodwell). the terrace (burbage). picnic sarcastic sitter (the stone)

top 3 abroad.
toit de cul de chien. charcuterie (cuviar). jet set (sabbots)

highlights - fallinbg off "pauls boutique" on koh tao (nobody tell houdini), doing "evil empire" on koh tao. and biggest of all, moving back up to lancashire.

[Fiend]

trad: white slab - cloggy

My god dense, a man of never-ending surprises!

Arete of Ultimate Cuntitude, Koh Tao.

Nice, I like your style Houdini

[rich d]

Best Uk
T crack at Cratcliffe
Attitude Inspector Burbage
Morning Sickness Widdop - just such a great dyno.


Best abroad
Only played about while in Pyrenees    so
le bec du canard @  Le clot Cauterets http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.html?id=50773
and a 6b I couldn't do two years ago that  I managed to send http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.html?id=50786

However this year I'm off to font for the first time 
so I should have a big abroad list.

[JR]

I can't believe the number of posts during new years eve partys (were they shit?), but when Dave told me about this `best three 2006 trad routes thread' today, well wild horses couldn't hold me back, so I'm a bit dissappointed, but nevermind.  Doylo, I'm an apprentice on The Way Of The Choss Tosser (so nice one JR - did you do the original Skeleton Ridge start?  what did you think to the top arete?)

If the original start is, as you would logically assume, the one in the esoterica section of the guidebook then yes we did the original start.  The top arete was exciting to say the least and in the wind which was whipping around on the day it felt like the great sail of protruding rock could blow over at any point.  Supposedly a lot of rockfalls have made it especially interesting over the past few years, it bore no relation to the guidebook description anyway and certainly felt more like XS than VS.  And in line with your post, I am informed CUMC got rescued from the bottom of the last pitch in winter after dark.  What they were doing up there in december is beyond me (having supposedly only left mid morning), but then again we did do it on the big storm day in june with jetlag... you've got to give the crag a chance.

An awesome route but i'd be fearful in recommending it to anyone in case I was held responsible for their death.

[Greg C]

rich d wrote: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.html?id=50773

 

Sorry but the stance of the spotter is genius

[rich d]

think it's the only way the fat lad can left his arms without his belly getting in the way - he'd been "training" for the trip.
But what training he'd done I've got no idea.

[Fiend]

Ugh I dislike this sort of stuff when it's posted on UKC, but just for you Bonjoy (and because UKB is a saner place):

• Top three boulder probs, UK

Mono pocket roof problem, Churnet Valley
Gorilla, Dumbarton
Anything at the Sheep Pen Boulders

• Top three boulder probs, abroad

Didn't do any.

• Top three trad routes/soloes UK

To be honest I could narrow it down to about 30.... 3 is just a random pick:
Poetry Pink, Llanberis Slate
Capital Punishment, Idwal
Wilton Wall, Wilton 2
(I mean this really is random, I could swap any of those with Ressurrection, Mau Mau, Blue Peter, Maen Twr Og, Mathematical Workout, Brother Chris, Terrapin, Blasphemy, Pillar Of Judgement, One Step Beyond, White Slabs Bunt, Paladin, Malice In Wonderland, Powerglide, Autumn Wall, The Count etc etc *wanders off into the distance mumbling to self*)

• Top three sport routes UK

Did some nice ones but not enough to call "top".

• Top three routes abroad (any genre)

Zagreb, Ceuse
Equinox, Ceuse
Coup De Blues, Ceuse

• Top three new route/prob put up

Not that this option is for Bonjoy to show off or anything  . SOME of us don't actually put up new routes/problems. Well, I did, but only one is worth considering:
Delusion, Egerton Quarry

[Rice Boy]

But what training he'd done I've got no idea.

He's obviously been on the books, Chapter 3.ii. Spotting on Gentle Slopes, Part 2

Legs ecartes ready to receive, arms up (mind the dab) and go.

[Rice Boy]

Home best.
Wall dyno opposite Wall of Horrors start, Almscliff.
Short Shaun's, Rowtor. Better without foot block.
6b+ slab/arate/scoop next to Jerry's Arete, RHS. Wasn't expecting it's quality.

Away.
Went to Holland . .

Routes.
Flash wall VS, Kinder Outcrops. Worth the walk. (Dogged it) (on second)
Botrell's (sp?) Slab. Scarfell Main Butress.

Best/Worst of times.
Not killing StuM coming off Tourette's Arete.
Living where the sun don't shine.
Spending a warm night on summit of Scarfell Pike. First time in 5+ visits that I'd even seen the top.
Visiting L'aguille (hen cloud) for the first time.

[jfw]

best uk bouldering: mansons wall, otley wall, crucifix arete,
best uk trad: mutiny crack, joint effort(staden), wilfred prockles (kyloe out), napes needle/needle ridge
best uk sport: directissima (kilnsey)

best abroad bouldering: black 38 (some 6b slab at elephant) - topo-less day spent at cuvier reconnaissance
best abroad route: n/a

[BenF]

• Top three boulder probs, UK

Certainly not the hardest (ooh, check my ego), but most fulfilling at the time: Finally getting round to doing Mark's roof, flashing Phobia of Fishy Smells (Talfarach) and Blood Sugar Sex Magic despite all my near death experiences on or around that problem thanks to breaking holds and missing mats.

• Top three boulder probs, abroad

An unnamed but lovely 7b at El Cogul, an unnamed, ungraded and undescribed arete at Medonnet (which really helps people know what I'm talking about) and la Rhume Folle (not hard but gorgeous from start to finish).

• Top three trad routes/soloes UK

Great Slab at Alderman - perfect easy grit solo.  Anything at Pembroke (I'm getting lazy now but I'm a busy man).   

• Top three sport routes UK

Didn't do more than about four days sport climbing in the UK this year.  Most of it was barely memorable.

• Top three routes abroad (any genre)

Chapelle de la Gliere integrale - one of the best alpine warm up routes I've done, worth the slog for the razor passage alone.  Weather pissed on most of our plans for the rest of our time in the Alps but we did end up exploring the new rock routes near Barberine and some of them were very good.  Great days out actually, lots of pitches of fairly steady rock climbing on a range of angles. 

• Top three new route/prob put up

Erm... I found a wonderful new hold at Pex a couple of months ago.  It really is a lovely sloper that's well hard to use, the thought of it has excited me because I haven't managed to link it into a problem using it with my right hand yet.  Otherwise nothing new I should imagine, not since I moved back from the hillsides covered with unclimbed rock in NZ.

[andy_e]

rich d wrote: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.html?id=50773

 

Sorry but the stance of the spotter is genius

Position #37: The French Lavatory Squat

Delusion, Egerton Quarry

I've got this on video for all you doubters...

[JR]

• Top three boulder probs, UK

• Top three routes abroad (any genre)

Chapelle de la Gliere integrale - one of the best alpine warm up routes I've done, worth the slog for the razor passage alone.  Weather pissed on most of our plans for the rest of our time in the Alps but we did end up exploring the new rock routes near Barberine and some of them were very good.  Great days out actually, lots of pitches of fairly steady rock climbing on a range of angles. 

Ahh, thats a great route.  The razor passage is awesome.  I took a mate up that as her first ever outdoor climb...

[Johnny Brown]

Not a great year for pushing my grade, particularly bouldering-wise, but a great year for mileage   
 
* Top three boulder probs, UK
Just lots of good stuff, can't really remember anything to be honest. Maybe Limpet Wall at Angel bay, not really my style but the standout problem of the crag, a done with a good crew on Bonjoy's stag do.
   
* Top three boulder probs, abroad
L'Angle Parfait, Dame Jouanne and L'Angle Ben's in trainers (Jim's party piece, this one) are the standout of 50 '7s' in Font done over a couple of weeks. Black Slabbath at Squamish would have made the list if I'd got up it... damn baggy boots. Guess I'll take Viper instead, it was too hot to do much good really

    * Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Script for a Tear, Roaches Skyline. Perfect rock, final tick on the far skyline.
Wanton Desire, Craig Dorys. Perfect 'interesting' rock, final tick on the golden wall.
Pillar Chimney, Clogwyn Du. Ice not thick enough to go up the mouth, so went up the back using the axes like parallel bars, genius.
Getting Dense up Cloggy also deserves a mention.

    * Top three sport routes UK
Hmm... did go sport climbing but didn't do anything. I'll take Smitton's Wall and Realization at Crewe flats instead. Perfect summer bouldering venue in the city and, at the time of writing, still standing. Get in.
   
* Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Lotus Flower Tower, Cirque of the Unclimables. Doesn't get much better than this.
Freeway, Squamish. Couple of testing pitches, all very good, only marred by a few too many bolts.
Dream Symphony, Squamish. Highly entertaining, keep those boots clean.
   
* Top three new route/prob put up
Don't think I did any this year. New year's resolution - start keeping better bouldering records.

[The Sausage]

best british boulder probs: boysen's crack, west side story, t-crack
foreign: desert island arete, demon wall roof, fight on black
sport: gbh, gbh, gbh
foreign sport: spent 3 weeks in ceuse dreaming of cragx
trad: energy crisis (gogarth), warpath (rhoscolyn), cockblock (grochan)
new: only one - slap bass odyssey (robin hood's)... should have been jonboy's. if only he'd been an inch taller

[Paz]

Johnny Brown, Squamish?  Is this what you meant by "big granite faces"?  Where them "world advances" are being made?

If the original start is, as you would logically assume, the one in the esoterica section of the guidebook then yes we did the original start.  The top arete was exciting to say the least and in the wind which was whipping around on the day it felt like the great sail of protruding rock could blow over at any point.  Supposedly a lot of rockfalls have made it especially interesting over the past few years, it bore no relation to the guidebook description anyway and certainly felt more like XS than VS.  And in line with your post, I am informed CUMC got rescued from the bottom of the last pitch in winter after dark.  What they were doing up there in december is beyond me (having supposedly only left mid morning), but then again we did do it on the big storm day in june with jetlag... you've got to give the crag a chance.

An awesome route but i'd be fearful in recommending it to anyone in case I was held responsible for their death.

Are those holes (of Parnell's ?) for warthogs still there at the bottom?
I got to the top of the arete, and would've lept on top to aux cheval it like the photo of the lady in the guide, but I looked over the other side and saw that that side was overhanging, after the original support fell away, and it wasnt' clear what, if anything, was holding it up.  This one photo has convinced some people that it is a simple mountain style ridge traverse, when the sea cliff logisitics, the looseness, and (no shit) the chalkiness is the crux.  I wallopped a sling on a dodgy block on the top (to protect the second, not becuase I was scared, honestly) and hand traversed the top fin on the `solid' left hand side.  I was about to recommend it to someone who asked about it, then I realised they were the type of people who sometimes magically manage to discover loose rock whereever they go.  More importantly they'd never climbed on chalk before.  Saw them New Years Eve, and I think they mainly boulder and clip bolts now...  just because it's not as loose as you feared it might be, doesn't mean it's not loose. 

We didn't have perfect weather either - firstly unless the swell made the water a metre higher than forecast, I'd cocked the tides up by an hour spent dozing in the fort, which should've been spent rigging the ab.  The fucked tides in the solent means it is really hard to do the original start and traverse the whole ridge without getting wet.  Mikey R's DWS link up sounds, fun, though it is interesting to note that he is a sea kayaker of no unconsiderable ability (attempting the France to Dorset run, anyone) and he chose to swim between the needles instead of going by boat.  Secondly it was raining in the morning and even once it stopped, a freak hail storm hit the route before we got on it.  Anyway, the `other start' is called Hot and Cold. I remember some high ball crimping on in situ dodgy flints leading to a crack, which I bridged up on flints.  Then a really dodgy run out on vegetation to the ridge.  Amazingly no flints broke on me - hence why I thought `more solid than you'd think'.

Is this the new generation of CUMC climbers?  Thin wanted to ab off from their point of rescue, but I insisted on having a closer look, and found the wart hog holes and went for it.  I was doing all right keeping in touch with the younger ones there, but then they graduated.  (Or was it the old guard, Ru and Stu ;-) did you guys ever do Monster Crack like you said or did you both get happily married and write papers and guidebooks? ;-)). You are on about those from that old eastern city that has their own chalk pits to practise in aren't you- they should've done better!  I'll have to find out who that was.  Even if it was Cardiff, they've got Ogmore training.

I think you're right, it has changed a lot over the years. It bore no resemblance to the picture on the postcard I bought - the pristine white chalk was replaced by orangey brown rock scars in places.  It didn't look like a simple trick of the light.  Also, I wasn't sure at which pitch we'd joined the original route, but the guide goes on about this tower in the way, but that'd blatantly long gone. 

As for the grade I'm guessing it's probably even a bit too hard a route to only get TD.

I'd still recommend it, but only if you like that sort of thing.  It's certainly an adventure.  If someone kills themselves when I'm not there it's not my fault.  Beta may be wrong.  You've got to let people go for it, and decide for themselves.  Are you planning on doing Old Harry etc. near Swanage or any of the devon ones?

[Greg C]

I forgot the FA ones...

* Top three FA boulder probs, UK
Outer Reach (Thorn Crag), Moreau's Island (Hyning Wood), Paroxysm (Woodwell) and (what the hell I'm havin' four five  ) Railblazer (Carrock) and Grand Unification (Threshthwaite Cove).

* Top three FA boulder probs, abroad
White Gold (Vall De Son Marc) Liso Belleza (Vall De Son Marc) and Schrodinger's Cat (Vall De Son Marc).

[Bonjoy]

best british boulder probs: boysen's crack...

Try telling that to the youth of today!
 Reminds me I need to get round to devising that RHS/Cratcliff crack/grovel circuit.

 Nice one doing Fight on Black by the way, didn't know you had that one in the bag.

[Stubbs]

The Sausage dispatched FOB with consumate ease - I guess the climbing is fairly similar to woodology....

[JR]

Are those holes (of Parnell's ?) for warthogs still there at the bottom?

No but i made two more for two ice screws, i'm guessing they'll be gone by now too, and they were the only ones we placed.

I got to the top of the arete, and would've lept on top to aux cheval it like the photo of the lady in the guide, but I looked over the other side and saw that that side was overhanging, after the original support fell away, and it wasnt' clear what, if anything, was holding it up.  This one photo has convinced some people that it is a simple mountain style ridge traverse, when the sea cliff logisitics, the looseness, and (no shit) the chalkiness is the crux.  I wallopped a sling on a dodgy block on the top (to protect the second, not becuase I was scared, honestly) and hand traversed the top fin on the `solid' left hand side.  I was about to recommend it to someone who asked about it, then I realised they were the type of people who sometimes magically manage to discover loose rock whereever they go.  More importantly they'd never climbed on chalk before.  Saw them New Years Eve, and I think they mainly boulder and clip bolts now...  just because it's not as loose as you feared it might be, doesn't mean it's not loose. 

Ahh, well i was more than happy to go a cheval.  I neglected to clip the (or a) very loose block on the assumption that if god forbid i did fall the loose block was more than certainly coming with me, in fact it'd have probably gone simply slinging it and on the balance of probabilities i couldn't get any more scared so gear became a forgotten thought.  I concur that there didn't appear anything holding that bit of rock up.  There were two very old and wobbly knife blades at the very bottom of the arete, that was it for the whole pitch.  My seconds climbed a diagonal fissure in the wall cos they said they didnt want to climb the arete for risk of the gross swing, but that seemed loose and hard too and i swear i heard andy higginson cry.  I thought doing it that way wa a bit of a cop out, but they still had to do 20 odd foot of a cheval to reach the headland.

We didn't have perfect weather either - firstly unless the swell made the water a metre higher than forecast, I'd cocked the tides up by an hour spent dozing in the fort, which should've been spent rigging the ab.  The fucked tides in the solent means it is really hard to do the original start and traverse the whole ridge without getting wet.  Mikey R's DWS link up sounds, fun, though it is interesting to note that he is a sea kayaker of no unconsiderable ability (attempting the France to Dorset run, anyone) and he chose to swim between the needles instead of going by boat.  Secondly it was raining in the morning and even once it stopped, a freak hail storm hit the route before we got on it.  Anyway, the `other start' is called Hot and Cold. I remember some high ball crimping on in situ dodgy flints leading to a crack, which I bridged up on flints.  Then a really dodgy run out on vegetation to the ridge.  Amazingly no flints broke on me - hence why I thought `more solid than you'd think'.

I was just starting up the first pitch (having waded out kitted up) when the heavens broke for 2 odd hours.  We had the coastguard ringing us up to offer a rescue as he'd said already that morning that the weather would be tip top and was obviously feeling guilty.  The first pitch was still wet when i led it and having only two ice screws and a tied of piece of flint fluttered my heart to some degree...

Is this the new generation of CUMC climbers?  Thin wanted to ab off from their point of rescue, but I insisted on having a closer look, and found the wart hog holes and went for it.  I was doing all right keeping in touch with the younger ones there, but then they graduated.  (Or was it the old guard, Ru and Stu ;-) did you guys ever do Monster Crack like you said or did you both get happily married and write papers and guidebooks? ;-)). You are on about those from that old eastern city that has their own chalk pits to practise in aren't you- they should've done better!  I'll have to find out who that was.  Even if it was Cardiff, they've got Ogmore training.

Don't know who it was and bumped into some of them in mile end a few weeks ago and they denied any knowledge.  It was the NT in the battery that said they were from CUMC, perhaps it was OUMC.  A bit of clever varsity competition.  But there's enough rumours going round at the moment to not need me to add to them...

I think you're right, it has changed a lot over the years. It bore no resemblance to the picture on the postcard I bought - the pristine white chalk was replaced by orangey brown rock scars in places.  It didn't look like a simple trick of the light.  Also, I wasn't sure at which pitch we'd joined the original route, but the guide goes on about this tower in the way, but that'd blatantly long gone. 

The NT said there had been a large rockfall 3 years ago which changed the route considerably.  The girl that was there was only "aware" of our successful ascent since but obviously there have been others with MR and JL's DWS and more with the two knife blades and obviously your own and parnell's.  I hope that was in her ignorance and not because people weren't getting permission because they do grant it if you grovel enough.

As for the grade I'm guessing it's probably even a bit too hard a route to only get TD.

i'd go XS 5a/b (felt like E3 climbing the first and final pitch).  or ED if we must.

I'd still recommend it, but only if you like that sort of thing.  It's certainly an adventure.  If someone kills themselves when I'm not there it's not my fault.  Beta may be wrong.  You've got to let people go for it, and decide for themselves.  Are you planning on doing Old Harry etc. near Swanage or any of the devon ones?

I have some plans, not many down that way, but if i told you any i'd have to kill you. ;-)

[Paz]

"tied of piece of flint "  LOL!

I had a bit of hassle with the national trust because basically they're closed in winter and won't let you through.  Ian gave some really helpful advice though, (in my experience famous climbers come over much better via email in general, though I've been to his talks and he just comes over well through all mediums).  The NT said no to me so I said no to them. 

I know someone from Bristol who's possibly got contacts at Oxford.  I never did organise a varsity competition - they didn't sound up for it. To be honest I was fucking up the club enough as it was without having to deal with all that `quarter blue' status bull shit.  Plus, who would set problems?  Unlike SCUIBL, we couldn't have afforded Zippy.  But Foot and Mouth was on, so hey.