[r-man]

Assuming the sun comes out tomorrow, will it be a good day for Blackstone, or will it be either too green or ridiculously cold?

[GCW]

Hi mate.
I'd suspect it'll need a good drying day before a decent visit.  The last forecast wasn't great either.
If you go there'll be some stuff to do, and feedback on the topo will be useful. 
Have fun!

[webbo]

went up there a couple of weeks ago.topo works well graham.
we did a couple of things not on the topo on the back edge.mike grey did a sit start just left of the flake,its probably really a sit start to the flake going of a pocket and undercut to a tiny side pull but he avoided the flake and went to the top.andy swann did a sit start to 6b+ left of this niks arete i think.

[GCW]

Who's Graham?

Send me details/ post them here and I'll (eventually) add them to the topo.
Nice that people are getting up there.  What did you think of topo grades?  Some are doubtless miles off.

[webbo]

sorry gareth.a monday morning moment.the grades seemeed ok to me.when you say details do you mean names, grades etc.the s/s to niks arete is about 7a.the s/s up the wall of the flake is probably 7bish.

[GCW]

Nik's arete and the LH variant were both sitters anyway, but I don't remember them being anywhere near 7a.  The sneaky heel-toes were the secrets!!

[webbo]

you don't describe n.a. as a sitstart in the topo.it felt about 3 grades harder than niks groove that is in at 7a.

[GCW]

We did it from a sitter, I'll change the topo.  3:55 on this vid:

[nik at work]

Wierd, because I felt Niks Groove (not my naming policy by the way ) was way harder than the arete. Sneaky right foot heel toe on the arete makes the sitter pretty reasonable whereas the groove felt desperate to me. We were starting sat down, left foot way under the low roof, right heel hooking next to hands, slap left up to poor sloper then right up to side pull. I thought it was hard. Oh well different strokes and all that...
Nice little venue though docha' think? Shame it's a bit spread out and the boulders are generally a move or two too small.

[webbo]

we climbed the groove direct.right toe on the lip,left leg flagging underneath,hands matched on the crimp go with either hand for the side pull.it required a bit of epileptic twitching to get lift off for me.
yes it is a nice venue but as you say it just doesn't quite achieve what it promises.

[nik at work]

A-ha, I couldn't reach the side pull so had to use the poor sloper. Did you try/do the fridge hugger project?

[webbo]

with the arete it wasn't the sit start that was the problem for me.it was the reach for the little pocket that kept throwing me off.
andy and mike tried the fridge,they reckoned that using your knee was key but they couldn't stand the pain.at one point andy was trying with a towel tied round his knee.he looked like reject from a adam and ants video.

[nik at work]

Awesome, I personally think there is a distinct lack 80's homage amongst modern boulderers...

[nik at work]

Just briefly resurecting this thread to mention that I climbed the Fridge Hugger Project today. I'm proposing a grade of 7B+ but with the caveat that it felt harder to me but I'd already done a fair bit of climbing so could be easier. Also I think my technique will be nails for the tall.
Beta:
Right and left hand on good starting hold, left hand out to not so good hold just left oof right arete, right foot on dimple under roof, left foot on obvious foothold on face just right of left arete, wild hip dislocating slap with left hand to hold on left arete just above left foot. Slap right hand across to right arete and push down, rock hard onto left foot, bring right foot up next to right hand, stand up and reach to top holds.

Name, Fridge Hugger even though i didn't do a single fridge hugging move!

Right this thread can sink back to obscurity....

[r-man]

Nice one, Beaumont. Your sequence sounds thoroughly unpleasant though!

Will have to get back to Blackstone one of these days. I'm sure there are still one or two projects left...

[GCW]

Ape Hour (7a+ felt more realistic, very conditions dependent)



Gumming to victory

Went up there today, cold as fuck but ice on a lot of stuff so not great conditions.  I had a look at Ape Hour- I can reach the upper LH sidepull to pull on, not that it makes any difference.  I was stepping on, RF on a higher (rubbish foothold) and slap LH to the icy top.  Admittedly I didn'r do it but it's a cool move and felt 7a/+ but would be hard if you're any shorter.  I will be heading back sometime, still a few things to go at.

[GCW]

Oh, forgot to say that the way R-man and I originally tried this was without the hold on the right- we were basically trying to laback the holds you use for the left hand.  We obviously had our blinkers on that day.

[GCW]

Back up there yesterday in the mist with a small group, including Bruce Goodwin and Gordon who have climbed there for 40 years.

We had a good compare of notes, and general chat about first ascents.  It seems a lot of what Nik at Work, R-man and myself did is new.  Nick Conway was active up there a long while back, having climbed what is now referred to as Nik's Traverse and Ape Hour. 

Repeats of Nik at Work's Fridge Hugger:



I've got some footage which I will put online soon(ish).

[r-man]

It was a top day, despite the clag. A team of 7 at Blackstone Edge! Think that might be unusual, but perhaps I'm wrong.

Cleaned and climbed two things that may or may not have been done before. Either way, they are worth adding to the circuit.

The wall left of the 5+ curving arete (behind the hueco block) - a sitter to this would be tough, but looks almost possible
http://peakbouldering.info/problems/3707

The wall just right of the arete on the Lower block.
http://peakbouldering.info/problems/3708

Liked Fridge Hugger. Just re-read Nik's beta and it sounds like a completely different method to mine or Gareth's, left facing rather than right facing. Nice that it can be done so many different ways.

Beta:
Right and left hand on good starting hold, left hand out to not so good hold just left oof right arete, right foot on dimple under roof, left foot on obvious foothold on face just right of left arete, wild hip dislocating slap with left hand to hold on left arete just above left foot. Slap right hand across to right arete and push down, rock hard onto left foot, bring right foot up next to right hand, stand up and reach to top holds.

[r-man]

Nick Conway was active up there a long while back, having climbed what is now referred to as Nik's Traverse and Ape Hour. 

Any idea what year/era?

Also, Bruce pointed out a tough looking move from a slopey shelf beneath the trig point - originally done static, though looks like a nice little non eliminate dyno. Will be interesting to check this out sometime.

[GCW]

I tried that dyno, hard not to dab.

[rginns]

Aye it was a quality day out, I'd forgotten how much stuff there is to do there, so much stuff to go back and do! I'd forgotten all about this thread actually, so thought I'd add a vid I did on a visit last year, anyone who's not been yet, it's definitely worth a visit

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/12131271" width="400" height="320" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="">Blackstone Edge bouldering</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1109686">Rick Ginns</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

[r-man]

I walked past that scoop you were both dyno-ing on. Was one thing I wanted to go back for - to me it looked like a funky rockover/mantel job.

[GCW]

Tried it briefly as a mantel-rockover thing.  I was nearly sick.

[tomtom]

Give me a shout next time you're out there gents, keen to have a snoop around.. T