[Bonjoy]

 A Bigger Belly - Dan rated it as the hardest thing he's done (had to loose weight to do it!), so it must be very hard and 8a+ minimum.
 Had a look at it on Tuesday eve, amazing in a very dismaying proper dirty Gaskins' style
There is video (poor quality phone type one) of it. Will try and get it posted.

Dan is a monster.

[Doylo]

ohhh dirty! Good effort

[Houdini]

I'd ask what crag but perhaps what country would be more appropriate for me. 

Ahem, the Devil is in the detail.

[Doylo]

Rubicon, England.

This must must be a lot harder than the Low Left Press 8a+ (jugs in comparison!). I think Smit should try it and report back.

[r-man]

Yikes! Nice one!

Just last night someone was telling me about Dan's preparation for this. A week of crash dieting and running, I heard. No mention of broccoli though.

Good stuff!

[monkey boy]

Twas very cool to watch! He crushed it! proper bo!

[Andy B]

Nice.

The stander to this on it's own is really good too. Going from the crimp being used in the picture and the dish he is reaching to, and jumping to the starting crimps on bigger tail. Nice swing.

[Hockstack]

Nice one Dan looks good and hard. Heading to the styan next week if ya Keen.

[Greg C]

Nice one Dan, guess that finger's better.

Had a look at it on Tuesday eve, amazing in a very dismaying proper dirty Gaskins' style

Oh I bet it's not that dirty 

[Paul B]

Rubicon, England.

This must must be a lot harder than the Low Left Press 8a+ (jugs in comparison!). I think Smit should try it and report back.

you're not wrong, Dan pointed the holds out the other day when i was out for a wander. 8A++

[dave]

good effort on this problem, holds so poor most of us never noticed them! monster.

[fatdoc]

so,


it's 8b then?

c'mon..... everyone says it's monster, and harder than the 8a+ just next to it.......

[Doylo]

so,


it's 8b then?

c'mon..... everyone says it's monster, and harder than the 8a+ just next to it.......

nail on the head

[irish si]

lovely

might move back for that.....

[Andy Harris]

I can confirm that the grips are mighty small especially given the steepness. I would have thought at least 8a+ if not a fair bit harder. You don't get grips that small in Switz, or Hueco for that matter.

The hold Dan has with his RH in the photo is a bit like the Revelations pocket (difficult to crimp, difficult to slope) requiring bizarre hang strength but probably 4 times smaller. However I reckon you can also gaston the right side of this hold with 2 fingers (equally horendous but in a differnet way).

A fine effort and proper dirty!

[Andy B]

The hold Dan has with his RH in the photo is a bit like the Revelations pocket (difficult to crimp, difficult to slope) requiring bizarre hang strength but probably 4 times smaller. However I reckon you can also gaston the right side of this hold with 2 fingers (equally horendous but in a differnet way).

I used it as a gaston for the standing start, Ned used the top of the slot for his thumb in a wide pinch, but I reckon both of these would be harder to link into the lower moves than a staight pull down on the slot.

[Teaboy]

so,


it's 8b then?

c'mon..... everyone says it's monster, and harder than the 8a+ just next to it.......

nail on the head

I hope this does get upgraded (not that I'm in any position to judge either these grades or this particular problem but from reading others comments.....) because I always thought the top Peak climbers shot themselves in the foot a little in late '80s, early 90s. It saddens me to read comments such as 'Liquid Amber, maybe the first 8c+ in the world' or 'Hubble, may have been the first 9a in the world' when they could have been graded as such originally and become more lauded on a world scale. Likewise surely you have to wonder about something like Superman which is in the middle of the Peak, a Jerry tick and yet has still only recieved a handful(?) of ascents (I know about the crumbling foot holds and sidepull etc but even so).

I know its minor point but it has the potential to skew history slightly, and for what? On the other hand if this problem really is 8a+ you can disregard the above , if you haven't already.

Sorry I got a bit  there, well done Dan!

[Monolith]

I always thought crash dieting and running would be the key to unlocking such projects. I'm inspired by this dedication , great effort.

[Kingy]

Great effort on this, looks well nasty!

Re Liquid Amber and Hubble its worth noting that when climbed, there were no other 8c+ or 9a routes to compare them against so it was only natural that they were given only one grade up from the existing testpieces of the day. It is only the passage of history that allows us to judge their true difficulty relative to other later famous climbs that may have been given higher grades even though they were possibly no harder. As LA and Hubble have had so few repeats by climbers who have also done the more well know European 8c+'s/9a's of the mid 90's, we are really none the wiser as regards their true grade and what amazing achievments they were for their time. As for Superman, this may have been the first ever font 8a+ when it was done in 1988 although I am no historian in these matters. Is it now 8b? I know Tim Clifford repeated it post sidepull snappage.     

[Bonjoy]

so,


it's 8b then?

c'mon..... everyone says it's monster, and harder than the 8a+ just next to it.......

nail on the head

I hope this does get upgraded (not that I'm in any position to judge either these grades or this particular problem but from reading others comments.....) because I always thought the top Peak climbers shot themselves in the foot a little in late '80s, early 90s. It saddens me to read comments such as 'Liquid Amber, maybe the first 8c+ in the world' or 'Hubble, may have been the first 9a in the world' when they could have been graded as such originally and become more lauded on a world scale. Likewise surely you have to wonder about something like Superman which is in the middle of the Peak, a Jerry tick and yet has still only recieved a handful(?) of ascents (I know about the crumbling foot holds and sidepull etc but even so).

I know its minor point but it has the potential to skew history slightly, and for what? On the other hand if this problem really is 8a+ you can disregard the above , if you haven't already.

Sorry I got a bit  there, well done Dan!

It's not really a case of 'upgrading' to 8b. Going on what Dan said, I wrote 'minumum 8a+', i.e. 8a+ or harder, yet to be confirmed. These are big numbers and I imagine he's wary of going in with a big number. What's needed is some pedigree crimpers to give it a go to settle the grade.

[Somebody's Fool]

I'd sooner see the grade confirmed by world class rock boulderers, not dog groomers.

[dobbin]

I climbed with Variable last night and he wouldnt be drawn on the grade still, but as has been stated above, it is harder than Press low left, and whilst there is room in 8a+ for variance that variable had to loose weight and train specifically, and isnt shit suggests it might be harder. Only a repeat will tell. Great effort! as a fully signed up member of the kudos wall fan club I cant wait for a look.

I too have the video. Phone camera men - dont film in portrait you ponces.

[Teaboy]

It's not really a case of 'upgrading' to 8b. Going on what Dan said, I wrote 'minumum 8a+', i.e. 8a+ or harder, yet to be confirmed. These are big numbers and I imagine he's wary of going in with a big number. What's needed is some pedigree crimpers to give it a go to settle the grade.

  and  I apologise for going To be honest I guess my point was one not specificly related to this problem but inspired by it. I was just making a general point that I think it'd be good to avoid going down the road of cramming grades at the top end (as seemed to happen with English 6c?) as I think this has happened before and it'd be good for FAs to feel they have more leeway to grade big numbers when they think they are deserved without being criticised on occassions they get it wrong (anyone remember the grading article in OTE which seemed to have Ben Moon at odds with all the rest of the top protagonists?).

Anyway, like I said I'm sorry for dragging this off topic.

[SA Chris]

I'd sooner see the grade confirmed by world class rock boulderers, not dog groomers.

Dog groomers? I thought he was referring to the Boosh? Unless they groom dogs too.

[a dense loner]

big numbers from dan. monster, tho he had no weight to lose

not wanting to detract from dan's herculean efforts, but on the subject of repeats. Dolph has done superman post hold, plus the bitch blah blah.

two monsters, but this is dan's hour