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Fossil Wall - Peak Limestone Bouldering (Read 11743 times)

(woz)

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Fossil Wall - Peak Limestone Bouldering
June 24, 2007, 05:52:44 pm
This buttress was first climbed on in the 70s, with some of the more obvious lines climbed as trad routes. With a bit of effort this year (getting rid of brambles/loose bits) it has turned into a nice bouldering venue. There is a variety of problems to do, with highballs, cracks, slabs and steep stuff. All the landings are fine, and the rock is sound - but covered in little fossils (crinoids) which are sharp on the hands. It dries very quickly as it catches the sun, doesn't really seep, and stays dry in light rain.

It is located beside the A6, close to the Demon's dale carpark (just up from Toad Hall). Park here, cross over the road, and go down the main path(out of the bus stop) which leads into Monsall Dale. Just after you cross the stream, take the left turn uphill. Climb the steps until the path turns at a right angle rightwards (v. short section of fence). 20 meters later, take the very vague path leftwards. Follow this (past fallen tree) until you reach the beginnings of an edge. Follow the base of this leftwards as it develops, cross the fence and you are there (total = 10mins)

Problems (Right to Left):

Avenue Q - 6c. Climb the wall right of Pterodactyl from a sit start. Finish at a high jug.
Pterodactyl - 4. The crack
Schadenfreude - 7a+. The right arete via undercuts, trending left at the top to a jug in the centre of the wall
Lost Sequence - 7c+. Sit start the wall to the right of the crack, finishing at the same jug as Shadenfreude. Sharp 7c from standing.
Death Crack - 5. Big crack.
Project. Wall via hideous crimps and monos
Sunshine - 6b. Climb the arete, then break right along the traverse line to the big hole with thread.
Flake - 4. SS the blocky flake
6b. The smooth wall just left from a sit start
6b. Traverse the slab L-R, finishing up the Flake
Chubby Arete - 7a. The very rounded arete from sitting. Also nice from standing
Homecoming - 5+. Boulder out the start to the trad route up the finger crack
4. Very pleasant slabby wall just left.
Diagonal crack - 6a. Obvious short crack at the far left of the edge.

Video (Schadenfreude, Flake, Avenue Q, Pterodactyl, Lost Sequence SS):

Lost Sequence:

Fossils:


Enjoy :wave:

Jim

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looks half decent for somewhere different to go. I may well check it out this week
you doing any tours?

(woz)

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Unfortunately I'm in leeds all week, so no guided tours. PM me if you fancy going at a weekend and I'll see what I can do. Hope you like it.

n_man

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Great effort finding and cleaning another 'new' venue. Will certainly be checking it out next weekend - may well see you there?

andy_e

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Oooh, finally released all the details! Looks a really cool place, I quite fancy chubby arete... Will you be in Leeds next monday?

Stubbs

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Nice work - Lost Sequence looks quality.

Fiend

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Nice one, looks good stuff, apart from the lack of a top-out. Like the old geezer on the flake problems.

Monolith

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Looks class, nice one Dan. Will drop you a line for a bit of a circuit tour at some point soon.

Dr T

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Looks class, nice one Dan.
Seconded will check it out if I get up peakward this summer....

cofe

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looks good. i'd heard about lost sequence but didn't know where it was. until now. and now i know where it is.

r-man

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Excellent. Looking forward to checking it out, though I've heard it's sharper than a Monday afternoon Cofe. I'll prepare by soaking my fingertips in vinegar. (Having first glued conkers to the ends.)

cofe

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who is Conkers? does he/she know Methinks?

back on topic. it does look painful. although not quite as painful as most of this afternoon's forum action.


c.j.d.

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Hideous crimps and mono's - whays the weather doing? :bounce:

(woz)

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It's not that painful (except the project), unless you have an unusually low pain tolerance, or are indeed made from cheese. I wouldn't advise going there with sore skin mind, and tape is a good idea.

Greg C

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Looks top draw Dan good work. Lost Sequence (ss) looks grand!

r-man

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Checked out Fossil Wall last Friday, in one of our brief half-days of sunshine. There were some wet patches, but as (woz) says, it seems to dry very rapidly.

I'd alter the approach details slightly, just to avoid confusion (we got a little lost) -

It is located beside the A6, close to the Demon's dale carpark (called White Lodge car park, or something similiar) (just up from Toad Hall). Park here, cross over the road, and go down the main path(out of the bus stop) which leads into Monsall Dale. Just after you cross the stream, take the left turn uphill. Climb the steps to the very short section of fence, at which the path turns rightwards. 20 meters later, take the very vague path leftwards. Follow this past a fallen tree and keep uphill of the tree until you reach the beginnings of an edge. Follow the base of this leftwards as it develops, cross the fence and you are there (total = 10mins)

If travelling from Sheffield, the quickest way is down the A621, rather than the usual limestone approach route.

The rock is more attractive that the pics manage to convey, but the holds are sharp. Lost Sequence looked excellent, but beyond pulling on, I was pretty shut down. Which move is the crux?

Also, did a traverse of the lost sequence wall - strange moves, but fun, and on comfy holds.

- ft 6c - start on jugs left of the crack and traverse right to more jugs. Same grade in the opposite direction. Fans of the Boosh will already have spotted the link to Fossil wall...

Alternate clip here -


(woz)

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Thanks for the directions update Robin, and nice one on the traverse - looks like some cool moves.

Lost Sequence looked excellent, but beyond pulling on, I was pretty shut down. Which move is the crux?

For me, the hardest two moves were the press into the pocket, and the move out left from the twin crimps high up. The SS makes the setup for the press move quite a bit harder. As for the grades, I found them absolutely nails, but crimpy off-vertical stuff isn't my thing so who can say.

 

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