[Bubba]

Not necessarily the hardest, but the one that took forever to get. I know FatboySlimfast took about half a decade  :wink:  to get West Side Story.

My worst was probably the Green Traverse, but then that probably was also my hardest at the time.

[Avoiding the Traitor]

Leading Fireman Direct (not sure if this is right name) B9 at Wright's Rock .. The crux is sickly 1 finger hold on the roof  :shock:

[dave]

for me recently probably just the obvious ones, like deliverance, blind date and to an extent WSS. Also at time other stuff like Pock Man, NTBTA.

currently there are some ongoing ones that are taking forever, like the press, submergence etc.

I was actually quite inspired by FBSF's tale of WSS, although the figure he told me was nearer 15 years if i remember right!

[dobbin]

The powerband. The devils own problem, I spent ages doing all of it and being unable to link the final drop down. I did it once but didn't step round the pillar properly so its kinda a half tick.

I can't do any of it this year though as I am a fat weak old man (and the pocket hurts my poorly finger).

[Big Frank]

Nice arete at Earl, made no impact at all on it last night.

I think the main problem is we always end up there at the end of the sesion.

[(woz)]

there's a dyno i spent 5 days with a 7m fall every time. couldnt get out of bed the next day!  :?
amazin problem tho when i did it, definatly worth it

[Bubba]

with a 7m fall every time.

I think you may be confusing bouldering with routes  :wink:

[Scouse D]

Jerry's Roof in the Pass. I spent all last summer working it only to fail at the final jug about 3 or 4 times, which resulted in very nasty falls. One time I actually matched the jug only for everything to blow when starting to move my feet up....arse.
The Pinch at sheep pen also took me 3 visits. I could do the pinch move almost every go from about my 4th try but just couldn't link it. Went back 3rd time and put my feet where everyone else does and iced it first go! If only I listened to peoples advice...

[(woz)]

I think you may be confusing bouldering with routes

most of the 7m was down a grass bank into the cow pies at the bottom!

[dave]

If only I listened to peoples advice...

I won't say "I told you so"..... :wink:

[Scouse D]

you're still always wrong dave. Your sequences are always wrong- they just work.
I personally enjoy the challenge of using a duff sequence-especially one that makes you look buff.

[dave]

Your sequences are always wrong- they just work.

Its such a damned inconvenience!

[dontfollowme]

There's an arete at Galt Yr Ogof that gets v4 in the guide but I found it a bit brutal. There were two guys from Shefield there, one of whom did the v12 on the back of the block who struggled with on it slightly i.e didn't flash it.

[Scouse D]

I know that arete-and I can vouch for the fact that it is tricky. Did you try the ramp-quite soft at V6 but a good problem.
By the V12 do you mean Sway on? Don't think this gets V12 any more but is a brutal problem none the less- a real Davis special (and way too hard for me I reckon).

[nik at work]

Blind date - can I even get close to doing this, can I buggery. Stoopid fuckin' problem anyway... :evil:

[dontfollowme]

Yeah I did the ramp, seemed ok once I had my feet sorted. The condidtions that day were perfect. Have you done the v7 variation where you start with both hands low? It was too arkward for me

[Scouse D]

The V7 isn't too bad-just gotta get brutal. Smackhead V8 next to it is well hard. my mate Jim did it the other day and was made up and that bot ain't shit.

[dave]

....and that boy ain't shit.

Thats not very nice. Shame on you Scouse.

[Doylo]

Millenium Drive on Pen Trwyn took about three sessions but i was spurred on by the 2nd ascent. Danny's problem at Stanage took a couple of visits too. Longest ongoing project is Lou Ferrino in Parisellas. Its taken about three years and i still ain't done it. Bugger.

[Pantontino]

The Ramp at Gallt yr Ogof is going in at V5, and V6 with hands matched on the low undercut. The V4 arete on the left is desperate, unless you are a dwarf (IMO).
Who was the mysterious Sheffield strongman who did Sway On?
Mr Gaskins repeated this a couple of weeks ago and reckoned hard V11. It has been suggested that some people are getting confused between this problem and the V7 to the right. (I guess that's my faiult for producing such shoddy topos in the last Northern Soul - don't worry though, the book proper will lead even the most spatially challenged individuals in one breathtaking fast-track move to the exact starting holds of any problem in N Wales, allegedly.)

My own personal bugbears are Johnny's Wall on the Cromlech Roadside face and The Minimum on the Barrel. I guess I just need to put the hours in, and accept the odd split tip. I always get about 2 or 3 goes into an attempt and my skin starts to go, so I think, fuck it, time to go and pull down on some slopers. I did manage to do Slim at Split Infinity this winter. I have been trying this off and on for about 7 years; it is similarly finger trashing to JW and The Minimum, but it is about 2 grades harder.
In a way, the problems that don't suit you can be sweeter to get, even if the grade is quite modest. Although there is always an ever increasing number of new problems at my local crags, I have cleaned up just about all of the obvious stuff that suits me (i.e. steep, sustained and slopey) and now I am  faced with the tricky painful stuff that I have avoided for so long. To my surprise this winter season I bagged a load of things that I deemed too far outside my style to be worth trying seriously. It's funny, I'm 35, and finally I seem to be developing finger strength! Mind you, we were blessed with 3 months (Jan, Feb, Mar) of extremely dry cold weather, when I may have normally been spending more time pulling on plastic or driving up to Scotland to go winter climbing.

Anyway, without wishing to come on like some Gresham style training pep talk, I reckon there is a lot to be said for diversity.

Cheers, Simon.

[Stu Littlefair]

I can't think of a problem harder than Deliverance. It took me threee or four years of trying it EVERY TIME I went to the plantation (which believe me was not a rare event). Finally I latched it in front of a huge crowd, which was nice  :

Sadly, the next time I tried it, I broke my fucking ankle. That problem cracked one of Big Rons vertebrae too.  Buy more pads.

[hongkongstuey]

without a doubt the BIG dyno at the Roaches - was visiting this probably two or three times a week to try it for a 3 month period before i finally snagged it

the joy of latching the hold was overwhelming (that ' finally i can go and try something else feeling - along with the 'fuck me, i'm good' one of course!)

this one (3mb vid clip) is the current bugger that i can't nail, fortunately i'm the keeper of info for HK so i'm bumping the grade to V7

[Bubba]

nice video Stu - that looks nails for V5 !

[dave]

yo stu, (don't want to get bogged down in semantics here but) whats the concunsus grade for the BIG dyno? when we were there we reconed about font 7a, but I'm sure i've seen V8 or V9 mentioned but don't know if thats true. Its a great problem, very addictive.

If it makes you feel superior, apparently a well known "E10" climber was spotted failing on it a few weeks ago....... :

[hongkongstuey]

last time i went there i was told by a few locals - AndiT etc - that the grade appeared to have settled at Font 7b+

which seemed fair to me but then i spent bloody ages on it!

Bubba -

i agree with you about that prob being nails, the girl climbing is soooooo strong but suffers from being only 5ft tall. fortunately for her the holds on this prob are tiny and its crimpy as hell (i.e. stereo typical girl problem),

one of the guys i climb with - who's flashed High Plains Drifter and other V7's - still hasn't bagged it either so i'm guessing its at least that hard and upgrading it