[Bonjoy]

I wear spectacles. It was like being in a sauna. Got 3/4 of the way up Summer Wine, toothbrushing as I went, with glasses steaming up. Got pumped on sweaty/dusty rock, couldn't get any decent gear in above the peg. Reversed a bit and told my girlfriend to take the rope in tight on the peg. Sure enough the gear after the peg all pulled, I fell slowly and landed in a heap on the ground. A few nettle stings. She was tied down, but had some rope burn. I think we might be going sport climbing in a couple of weeks, rather than a Brit trad extravaganza

Oops, sorry if my beta/cleaning was duff (pass that on to Rachel)! The gear looked fiddly but ok, but then I didn't have a rack with me to try any placements. I'm surprised the old stuck wire placement didn't take a decent piece (rock 2?). Friends in the flake no good? Looks are in this case decieving I guess. Used to get E4 in On Peak Rock!
I know what you mean about Cheedust. Virtually unbrushable and virtually frictionless, not what you want in jungle conditions.

[dave]

Cheedust. Virtually unbrushable and virtually frictionless

is this the same species as cragxdust?

[T_B]

I got past the peg and what I suspect was the placement with the stuck wire (looked worn), it just seemed really flared? To be honest, I took just one look at that and decided it wouldn't take anything. Tried the other tiny cracks around it and couldn't get anything in. Same with a small crack to the right. On the left, in that flake, I got a cam but knew it was shit as a) it's limestone and b) it's dusty. Placed that, and an RP above that was also in a weirdly shallow crack and seemed shit. Basically, if i'd got one decent piece in I could have gone for it, as I did reach a good hold above the flake. But I knew the gear I had in was totally crap. I spent a fair bit of time faffing around and getting more and more pumped. The cam held momentarily before popping (as predicted). It might be that through the mist of my spex, that flared looking thing was actually the key piece? My own fault for getting on it in the cons, though we did reflect on the wise m'eering decisions of a) tieing down Rach and b) me not going for it! I reckon the route just needs one more set of paws on it and it'll be fine. Same deal last summer when I cleaned Tequila, the feet felt crap until they'd had a bit o traffico.

[Bonjoy]

Much as I hate insitu wires I can now sort of see the logic behind it, if that's the key piece but the worn placement won't take repeated use. I'm still keen (though also gripped) to give it a go. I'll bring my double set of ballnuts....

[belperpete]

I'm lovin this (as well as, I'm sure any of the old traddies (like me) who might be reading this!)
If we'd had t'internet 24 years ago, when i first led this, I'd have been posting the same comments.
Yup, that's trad for you and especially nowadays, when some brilliant routes, like Summer Wine, rarely get done.
it may only be E4, but has always been afforded a lot of respect at that grade.
Try calomine lotion on the nettle stings and good on ya for trying it!

[Falling Down]

Yowzers...

When me and Brian climbed and cleaned all the 'easy' sport routes to the right they all felt about 7a until we'd given them a really hard scrub so I know what you mean about just not being able to pull, step and go. 

The Nook next anyone?

[Bonjoy]

The problem with the Nook is the two large sycamores which are overshading the crag making it very dank and slow drying. We need to persaude the WDT to cut them down (which wouldn't happen till the autumn) or allow us to cut them down.

[Bonjoy]

At Nettle Buttress the top of Esmeralda has now had its loose blocks removed. There are still a few little chunks of loose stuff up there and it could do with a brush. It makes the top a bit harder but not a lot. With the slots at the break dry the crux is easier and is basically a static jug to jug pull if you’re tall enough or a bit of a pop for average heights. I’m not sure the route is any harder than 7b.
Ed Brown and JC both linked the roof of Esmeralda with the top bit of Stung. This is a pretty obvious link up, taking in the best bits of both routes, dispensing with the chossy arbitrary finish on the former and the huge ledgy rest on the latter. Seems like the premier way up this section of rock to me. I’d guess it was 7b+, does that sound right Jon?

[Johnny Brown]

I thought Stung was 7b+? My hardest redpoint to date! Can't see how taking the rest out and adding a harder roof wouldn't make it harder?

[Fiend]

Laughing At The Rain @ Cowdale was clean last night, I finished the job by de-planting and scrubbing the very final holds. Good condition then, unfortunately I suspect the Rain Is Laughing At Us now. Despite appearances it seems like a fine route for the bouldering gent or (or dame), very bouldery start then stylish easy jug-pulling above, very well bolted.

[Johnny Brown]

Have replaced the thread on the top pitch of Menopause. Hardly crucial, but should encourage more folk - very good and a great hard finish for Our Father.

Also cut loads of redundant tat off in this area.

[JC]

I’d guess it was 7b+, does that sound right Jon?

Not too sure really, something like 7b+/7c?      Brilliant climbing though!

[Bonjoy]

I thought Stung was 7b+? My hardest redpoint to date! Can't see how taking the rest out and adding a harder roof wouldn't make it harder?

I'm not sure the roof is that much harder than Stung when the slots are dry and you get a shake out on a huge hold before pressing on into Stung. But haven't done Stung for years so not sure how much difficulty that bit adds, so 7b+ or 7c depending on that I guess. To me Esmeralda with its original finish feels on a par with Brachiation Dance which is at the bottom of 7b+.

[Bonjoy]

Have done the linkup version now and reckon it just about warrants 7c. Very good though, needs a name, Esmerunga?

[T_B]

Probably stretching the topicality (?) of this thread, but climbed and cleaned a rotten fixed wire from Tales of the Riverbank in Dovedale. Not so sure of it's 3 star 'classic' status (remember it from Cragg's 100 Classic Limestone routes in the UK?!). One for the connoisseur. You can back up the rotten peg at the start with RPs. The E5 to the right on the other hand does look like it relies on fixed mank.

Eye of the Tiger looks as though it needs 2 new threads and the 2 fixed wires removed. Considered doing it (the cleaning bit, not the climbing), but it would take a little while to construct a decent belay at the top to ab from, and, as this was a rare visit to Dovedale...

Goes into the shade at 3pm and was still dry even after it had hosed down on saturday evening.

[fatboySlimfast]

doesnt Ilam have an ab station, bits of tat or something, on the top?

edit: it has a chain belay

[T_B]

doesnt Ilam have an ab station, bits of tat or something, on the top?

Yeah, but they are positioned above the E2 groove to the left of Eye. Have to say the whole of the top of Ilam Rock seems a lot less stable than it used to be. I'm sure that's just me getting old and paranoid, but I had to launch about a shoe box sized block off from right where the ab station is that had decided to exfoliate itlsef.

[grimer]

I did the E3 crack at the back (Wrong Edge?) the other week. It's great, but the last 20 feet or so is a bit rubbly. Not badly so, but it just turns it into a great route into something slightly esoteric, in some ways. If it wasn't Ilam rock I'd say put a bolt and chain lower off at the top of the good rock, although it would be a shame to miss the summit experience on the rock itself, which is particularly fine.

[Neil F]

The E5 to the right on the other hand does look like it relies on fixed mank.

Which route do you mean, Tom?

(I quite enjoyed Tales, but I suppose it was a route of its time...)

Neil

Grimer - have you done Easter Island?  How that disintegrating series of vegetated ledges ever made it into a rock climbing guidebook, let alone Extreme Rock, I'll never know.  Gladiator is fun, tho'...

[Johnny Brown]

Gladiator is hard! I remember the start being grim, then another hard move high up to move right.

Just dug out the guide to check, turns out I'd crossed out the stars and written 'crap'!

[Neil F]

'Crap'; 'Fun'; 'Hard'...

It's all the same thing, isn't it...?

[T_B]

Which route do you mean, Tom?

Jungleland.

I actually quite enjoyed all but the final summit mushroom (of shattered limestone) on The Wong Edge.

Contrary to JB, neither Bob or I thought there was a 6a move on Gladiator (maybe the step round the arete high up), though it is sustained and pumpy for sure. Pull the 5'8 card again JB for the move round the arete

[grimer]

Hi Neil,  Re Easter Island, I'm not sure what I did. I climbed the arete following my nose, then swung up the steep diagonal flake at half height. I think that's a combo of 2 routes at about E1/2 5c?

anyway, off topic 

[Johnny Brown]

neither Bob or I thought there was a 6a move on Gladiator (maybe the step round the arete high up), though it is sustained and pumpy for sure.

I'll play the pumped card. I thought the start was quite goey too though...

[Bonjoy]

Rebolted Unleashing the Wild Physique 8a *** at the Cheedale Cornice today. Nice 12mm resins rather than the mixed bag of ancient crap that was there before. It's perfectly dry (pretty much always is, unlike the most of the routes here), clean, always shady and totally brilliant, get to it!