[Monolith]

It is recorder in the lore of The Caller that if a child were to be born at the Tor and that child bore the mark “HFF” (Hands for Feet) on their crown that they would be the 2nd coming (of Moffatt). The child would inherit the finest traits of those few that have given to the Tor without compromise. Namely but not exclusively:

the youthful keenness of Sharples
the ability to find a new line on any old bit of rock (Pretty)
the ego of Moffatt
the unrequited love & devotion to the Pinches Wall (Harris)
the staticness of Smith
the talent of finding the hardest possible sequence (Moon)
the ruthlessness to down grade all new routes (Barker & Welford)
the facial hair of Fawcett (a bit unfortunate if it's a lass)
the bat hanging magnificence of McClure

Is Johnathon's reputed lapping of Hubble not list worthy!?

[a dense loner]

on a top rope. what do you think?

[davej]

 The child would inherit the finest traits of those few that have given to the Tor without compromise.
the barnet of Gaskins?

[tomtom]

Dear Deidre,
Having read many of these posts - I have a dirty confession... I have never bouldered on Limestone - except at Wetherby (does that count? or is it the equivalent of a quick fumble..).

If I were to think about having a try, where would be the best place for my indoctrination   virginity loosing introduction, given my normal Grit bouldering is around the high 6's and low 7's?
Yours nervously
T

[Johnny Brown]

New Zealand.

[davej]

New Zealand on the night of the fullmoon

[dave]

unless, like some wags suggest, you can drive to castle hill after work, I suggest you look closer to home. crags like rubicon and raven tor have good problems in the mid-6 to low 7s, but don't go expecting anything to give up without a fight, its not like that. most of these crags reward persistence and most people who just turn up just once and expect it to be like any other bouldering will go away empty handed. here's a few problems to look at:

Tor:
finish section of bens roof ("too hard for mark leach") about 6cish
left had version of the above - similar grade
Chimes start - 6b+ish?
weedkiller traverse - 7b
bashers problem - 7a/+
Little Extra start - 6c+ish
Boot Boys start - 6cish
rattle& hump start - 7a+ish
Wild In Me start - 6cish, bit harder from sitter
Super High Intensity start - 6cish
Saline Drip - 7aish

Rubicon:
top warmup traverse - 6a+
middle warmup traverse - 6b+
low warmup traverse - 6c+
Bank's undercut problem - 7a+
bigger tail - 7a+
kudos traverse 7b
millers tale 6cish
miller tale sitter 6c+ish
whitebait start 7a
dragonflight traverse 6bish

[nai]

crags like rubicon and raven tor have good problems in the mid-6 to low 7s

I climb similar grades on grit and have just started dipping my toe in the lime recently, so far I've had more success at Rubicon than Raven Tor.

don't go expecting anything to give up without a fight, its not like that.

Quite relieved to hear this, I thought I was just being shit.

[Johnny Brown]

Yeah, every move you have to battle against your rapidly waning motivation. Not only that, its cumulative within the session. I usually last about four goes before getting distracted by something more interesting, like staring at some tarmac for instance.

[Jaspersharpe]

Dammit Dobbin get him into the fucking box for God's sake!

[dave]

Yeah, every move you have to battle against your rapidly waning motivation. Not only that, its cumulative within the session. I usually last about four goes before getting distracted by something more interesting, like staring at some tarmac for instance.

that sounds like quitters talk to me.

i recon you might get more out of it if you experiment with climbing in rockshoes rather than trainers though...

[T_B]

Yeah, every move you have to battle against your rapidly waning motivation. Not only that, its cumulative within the session. I usually last about four goes before getting distracted by something more interesting, like staring at some tarmac for instance.

  Powerband/staminaband is a worthwhile objective for the tradster who doesn't like pulling down too hard on nasty broken crimps.

Or wot about highballing Pump up the Power or Caviar?

[lagerstarfish]

[Nibile]

one day, one day i will touch the lime.

[Johnny Brown]

Powerband/staminaband is a worthwhile objective for the tradster who doesn't like pulling down too hard on nasty broken crimps.

Your definition of worthwhile is clearly different to mine.

Or wot about highballing Pump up the Power or Caviar?

A) I can't do the moves on either and, B) I don't consider a highball to be something that maroons you on a hold that has to be abseiled off.

[dave]

i've got to agree with the showpony on this one, you'd have to be an idiot or quentin fisher to try and highball caviar. PUTP is fair game though.

[dobbin]

How would you get down? Are you Dave Thomas? I suppose you could do some death defying grass traverse to get off the right hand side but fun and safe are not words I would associate with such an exercise.

Rest assured idle watcher of these pages, that Johnny Brown only speaks so ill of that which is white because of a remarkable metamorphosis he undergoes when he arrives at either crag. The venerable Mr Johnny Brown, Sentinel of Stanage and Plantation Penetrator becomes Ian Dawes. Ian is not like Johnny. He doesnt climb well, and is oft found in the summer months gazing longingly at car parks, roads and other tarmaced areas.

For many years the caller of the lime has attempted to place him in protective packaging until the brown rocks are in season again and for many years the caller has found better things to do (climbing for instance). This situation continues unresolved until the end of days.

As a once great man said : "May till september - white rocks remember"

[Jaspersharpe]

i've got to agree with the showpony on this one, you'd have to be an idiot or quentin fisher to try and highball caviar. PUTP is fair game though.

 

I can still remember the sound of Quent hitting the deck from a silly height on an attempt to solo Caviar. It was like a truck hitting a wall.

However.......

[T_B]

i've got to agree with the showpony on this one, you'd have to be an idiot or quentin fisher to try and highball caviar.

 

Jeez, what a bunch of wimps!  It's only 3 minutes with a barrow load of pads from your car...............

[dave]

why carry a rope when you can take 20 pads eh!

[dobbin]

And there speaks the spirit of the trad!

[stom]

i've got to agree with the showpony on this one, you'd have to be an idiot or quentin fisher to try and highball caviar. PUTP is fair game though.

I think this is most peoples reaction.... However I was at Rubicon at the end of March an there was a  bloke there doing exactly this!  He was getting to just below the jugs before coming off onto his single pad with only his girlfriend spotting/taking pictures.  10 minutes later he was trying Piranah above 1 pad and fell off twice from the move to the break!   

[dave]

what was he planning to do for the top half of the route though, which i can assure you ain't trivial?

[Andy B]

you'd have to be an idiot to fail on the top of Caviar. 

[stom]

what was he planning to do for the top half of the route though, which i can assure you ain't trivial?

No idea for Caviar, posibly just jump seeing as though he seemed to have legs of steel?   For Piranha his plan was to traverse right to the top of White Bait reverse down a couple of moves and jump onto his mat which he'd get his girlfriend to drag across.