[dave]

I just gotta post and big up the illest crag in the peak - Wimberry.

Went there for the first time in a couple of years on satdy, it was stunning weather, and a bit of breeze to keep most of the midges away.

The crag itself has some of the most uncompromising lines and amazing pieces of grit you'll ever see, and more unclimbed E12s than you can shake a skyhook at. Shame the walk-in is wack.

PLus the boulders are brilliant, excellent rock throughout, and some big lines, like winsome, thoses aretes there etc. On the fish boulder also theres an amazing groove prolem, and a good clean arete.

My advice is go there as soon as you can. Feel the magic - Shazam.

[Bubba]

Jesus you are keen - we all took one feel of the heat on Saturday and headed straight to the pub beer-garden to drink cold lager. This continued for the entire day and most of Yesterday - I feel tired!

Never actually walked up to the Edge on the grounds that it's a Cromlech style walk in just to look scary routes and run away scared. Never been all that impressed by the bouldering there either, but maybe I should give it another chance sometime as everyone else seems to like it.

[dobbin]

OOOOH! the bouldering at Wimberry is without doubt some of the best grit bouldering in the country. Theres all sorts from the desparate Winsome that Dave mentioned to Think Tank and the stuff that Stu Watson added up by the Edge and as Dave says theres loads of scary looking shit on the edge itself.

I haven't been for ages but it is highly recommended.

[nik at work]

Translation as provided by "The Complete Idiots Guide To Bling Bling":

"I feel I should make you all aware of the best crag in the Peak.

At the weekend I ventured to Wimberry. Upon arrival the weather was found to be most agreeable. The cloudless sky was a delight to behold and a light breeze kept the local insect population at bay.

This crag consists of a number of very impressive butresses each containing some of the finest and purest lines on grit. The crag has yet to reach full maturity, and a number of lines await a first ascent. It is unfortunate that people are detered by the somewhat arduous walk to reach the crag.

The boulders below the crag do not suffer with the same oppressive approach, and are also very impressive.

I would urge you to visit this crag at the next opportunity, to revel in its majesty."

Got to agree with you Dave dear boy, this really is an excellent crag of the highest order...

[Bubba]

I think I've always been when it's too hot and there's sweat, flies and scallies everywhere. Also, I usually go through that bloody "Last of the Summer Wine" town which is a terrifying experience.

[dave]

The conditions on the crag were A1, and on the boulders it wasn't too bad, a few people out. The crag is worth the walk, theres soem monster lines. My advice is walk along the top of Appointment With Fear and look over the edge, thats some ill exposure.

I think the bouldering is better once you get away from the pathside chipped stuff (sugar loaf?) etc and get onto the matterhorn, fish, tank etc etc. It just a nice change and a great setting. There must also be loads of undeveloped bouldering around there i recon too.

[dave]

hey Nik that was only on a 30%-urban-bling-verbalization rating, but i can notch it up to 100% if it'll help. :wink:

[nik at work]

I was indeed surprised just how comprehensible your initial posting was...


P.S. Agree about walking out on the Appointment fin scary stuff. How brushed was the direct up the wall? I have always meant to try this since looking at it a while back, but never got round to it...

[dave]

How brushed? read my lips: very brushed.

YEah its was totally clean, every handhold and foothold cleaned. Id stick my kneck out and say it looked technically harder but less bold than AWF. seems to ease towards the top. Might be a Kevin Thaw or Honneyman project....

Actually the whole crag seems to have undergone a thorough cleaning. we warmed up with pinball wizard, every foothold had been brushed. The Blasphemy wall was green, but all the way up the crack and every foothold either side had been cleaned. looked a bit weird but probably climbed a lot more pleaseant!

[nik at work]

Well Dan did it on a rope quite easily a few years ago. I seem to remember he thought it was about 6c but no gear and used pebbles - always exciting.
I wonder who's trying it now.....

[dave]

6c but no gear and used pebbles

so a bit like winsome only with serious injury potential - ha ha ha ha, shit i think i've just followed through. :shock:

Those other LGPs look ill though, like arete right of Blue Lights Crack and the direct to Sick Bay Shuffle, anyone tried them do you know? E11/12 anyone?

[dobbin]

did you do Winsome? its my arch nemisis that problem, I think because it is a slab and there are no campus rungs on it.

[dave]

yeah i did it after a while of working out what to do. Its excellent, seemed to be mainly bridging on pebbles. its got some length to it anall which is good.

You could always campus it on pebbles if were any kind of man.

[nik at work]

I've got a vague feeling that the direct to sick bay shuffle was a Sam Whittaker project of old. It always seems to be quite brushed but looks hideously hard.
Can't think of blue lights crack right now so no idea baout that 'un, but the number of mad looking lines there is amazing.
Did you go to the mole boulder (I think thats what its called) and try the undercut slab with the obvious pocket on it? Nice slabby problem - no strength required :D

[dave]

That thing right of BLC could also be described a lef to Possesed, left of #31 in this pic.

No we didn't go to the mole - is this the problem debated in a thread ages ago, jumping onto a slab etc?

We had to shoot off really after winsome since my mate was feeling ill (not in the good sense) with a throat infection and needed to get home to smoke it off.

Is there also some other unclimbed slab there?

[Bubba]

Never seen that website before - bit of an all-rounder, Mr Thaw, isn't he?

Like this pic from Madagascar:

[Johnny Brown]

Dawes has been up there with his wire brush.
If he has made a mess I will have a word.

[nik at work]

Yup it is the slab discussed some time ago. There are rumours of an unclimbed six metre long slab 'in the woods' but I have never found it.
Get where you mean now for that other line, and yes that looks desp also...

[dave]

Dawes has been up there with his wire brush.
If he has made a mess I will have a word.

its not a mess, theres no rock damage or owt like that. it just looks a bit odd cos all the holds are totally clean bit on otherwise green walls, but hell thats the nature of north-facing crags, and at least these routes are clean enough to do now. Its just a shame that global warming, damper climate and increasing air cleanliness only contributes to crags like this getting greener.

[Bubba]

and increasing air cleanliness only contributes to crags like this getting greener.

How's that then?

[dave]

i belive shit like lichen grows more sucessfully in cleaner air.

A lad i know's dad used to climb hardcore in the 60s and 70s on places like gogarth, and apparently that green gogarth-beard that grows there is much worse now than it was back then, cos the air was more polluted due to heavy industry back then compared to present day.