[Bonjoy]

More re-equipping from Jon C at Lorry Park - 

• The Squealer
• Big Spider Small Bath
• Good Time Emporium
• Shore Leave
• Hell's Angels

 A lot of this stuff getting re-equipped round Matlock is as good or better than more popular stuff further north in the Peak. They deserve more attention. Taking into account the super short crag approach, you can get from sheffield to the bottom of the crag quicker here than going to say WCJ Cornice or Chee dale!

[JC]

word, at the upper circle we looked (visually) at Pragma, cun't see any grips on the lower bit - has anyone got any noise on this one? specifically what the fuck you do? its give a grade easier than ETR but looks tons harder.

I haven't done it but when i re-bolted this i thought it looked hard as well, but there are holds on it. I remember some small crimpy layaways!? ETR is more like 7b+/c i reckon.

[dave]

I suspect the fact the new loweroff is below the final roof has a bearing on the grade - that top roof doesn't look any easier than the climbing below, and the route by all accounts does/did originally take the top roof to a higher loweroff (though from standing at the bottom of the crag i've never managed to see it.) whcih i coudl well believe is ~7c+ or within the usual margin for error.

will give pragma a look next time maybe, looks like maybe it eases after the start at least.

[Ru]

ETR should finish over the top roof. Its definitely harder doing this but I can't remember by how much.

[JC]

Yeah i know it used to finish over the top roof, but you should be really careful because there is a lot of loose rock. When i was re-bolting i stood on the roof and a block gave way from underneath me! Shit me up   

[Bonjoy]

Apparently Moony has given permission for Hot Fun Closing to be re-equipped with all bolts rather than the current one bolt, one stuck wire and one peg. Just posting it here now so that if anyone has any opinions/objections they can express them now rather than after the fact. I would have thought that the first bolt will be left in, the wire will be replaced with a bolt roughly around the same height and the peg will be replaced with a bolt at a clippable height above the break.

[dave]

my opinion - we probably don't need the FA's permission, and its well overdue a bolting. i'd certainly be psyched to try the route.

On another topic, has anyone got any noise on The Vision at WCJ? specifically is it any good, and does anyone know what the state of the gear (or lack thereof) is? I've always fancied it from seeing a photo in that old Paul Nunn guide, so may head down there for a walk to check it out, though if its a complete pile of shit someone please stop me.

P.S. had a go on Pragma at upper circle. seems extremely poor in comparison to the other stuff there. my advice is don't bother.

[Paul B]

The Vision?

[cofe]

it's an old Fawcett E6. there's a pic of nigel smart on it in the wye valley guide (i think).

[Paul B]

Thats wye I won't have seen it then 

[Bonjoy]

I'm sure Andy Popp has posted on UKB about how good it is in the past.

[Johnny Brown]

What, life? Yeah its great in the past.

[Bonjoy]

I wouldn't know, I'm based in the distant future

[cofe]

if anyone's off to try too old... in next few days take a spanner to tighten second bolt. should be fine but could do with a turn. i'll do it when i'm back there next if not.

[Bonjoy]

Just back from bolting at Rubicon with Paul B. Have re-equipped Dangerous Brothers with 12mm resins bolts, including a proper lower-off rather than the ropey two peg and tat affair of old. Tried (very hard)but couldn't get the old allen-key bolts out with an allen key. Will try again next time i'm there, maybe with a bar and allen-key, a sharpened cold chisel or even drill them out.
 Also bolted Hot Fun Closing. Replaced wire with bolt and instead of the peg (which was in a pretty bad state) a bolt above the break. Was going to leave the old bolt in but it turned out to be loose and dangerous so hammered it out and filled in the hole. I have not replaced this, but can stick an extra bolt in another time if people want it. I figured that most folk would have the first bolt pre-clipped and that the new first bolt (at same level as old wire) is not much higher and a very easy clip, so if you are going to stick clip you may as well stick that one. Anyone bouldering it out would have struggled to clip the old first bolt and might as well do one/two more moves to the flake and clip from there. I'm not sure, what do people think, should I put in the low first bolt????

[Kingy]

Nice work dudes. No more packing the friends in the sack when thinking about trying this one. Look forward to road testing the new bolts soon! Re the placement I think that's bang on. Sticking the first new one is the way to go. Incidentally, the old Peak Bouldering guide shows Kudos finishing at the break in the days before bouldering pads (before traversing off to escape) so I reckon ppl could handle climbing up there now with pads if you don't have a stick with you. can't wait to try!

[dave]

good arrows there lads.

[Paul B]

Just thought i'd add that we are trying to keep track of things that have been done here:

http://thepeakboltfund.blogspot.com/

and that Kristian did a full assessment of the fixed gear at Rubicon, WCJ and Cheedale Cornice which has also been posted up on the blog for your perusal.

[andy popp]

I'm sure Andy Popp has posted on UKB about how good it is in the past.

The Vision is an old aid route freed by Ron in 82 on the first buttress of the left bank of WCJ. It isn't some great lost classic but is a good route that people would enjoy if it were rebolted, typical Peak bouldery thing with a long pull from a poorish hold to a mono; it was reckoned about 7c+. It was protected by three old aid bolts when I did it in the mid 90s.

As an historian I can confirm life in the past is good.

[dave]

mono

and our survey said..........EEEH-EERRRR.

[travs]

That's a tricky one. I know when I repeated Kudos and Hot Fun I clipped the bolt on the lead but that was because it was the done thing at the time. I guess it didn't even occur to us to stick clip the first bolt, probably didn't even have a stick! I think the most important thing is to place the bolts in appropriate locations that will be long lasting without detracting too much from the nature of the particular route. Hot Fun is very safe at the bottom and a bit run out ( though not very ) at the top, so I think the bolts you've placed are in keeping with that - we should be grateful that you have put in the effort to sort out the peg which sounds like it would have come out at some point, in addition the wire was always a bit of an eyesore. Nice one boys.

[andy popp]

mono

and our survey said..........EEEH-EERRRR.

Don't panic, its a nice comfy mono.

[Bonjoy]

Was back at Rubicon last night. Managed to get the allen-key bolts out of DB (with a make-shift extension bar). Had a play on HFC and figured a place where you could clip a bolt from on the lower bit so will re-instate the first bolt when I get a chance.

[Jaspersharpe]

Most people will boulder out the Kudos bit with a pad and that would more than suffice for getting to the new first bolt but I suppose to make it a proper sport route with no paddage necessary then a bolt you could clip off the Kudos flake would be nice. Looked like a very good job well done lads. As mentioned, that wire and peg looked shit from an aesthetic (not to mention protection) point of view and the route looks well inviting now. Almost makes me want to buy a new harness.........

[Bonjoy]

That was part of my original reasoning, but having got on it the moves above the normal kudos finish felt rather high and hard, like I wanted a bolt in place. There was a bolt there originally and it would make for a more balanced appealing sport route with it in. With the low bolt in place it makes the route fairly feasible as a ground-up flash/onsight without any stick clipping and onsightable 8as are a rare thing in the UK.
All additional opinions welcome.