[The Shocker]

We gave The Silver Usurper at The Silver Screen buttress, Craig Bodlyn, Rhinogau a good clean the other day. Its on good gritty rock, especially the second half of the pitch but gets dirty pretty quickly due to its aspect etc. The pegs are on their way out (origanally placed in1999/2000), 2 out of 4 are particularly poor/worthless. We rapped it to clean then backed up the pegs with various other bits of kit and led it like that, which is a bit lame but was the best we could do for now. Its a great route and worthy of the 3 stars its given, I'd say would match 3 stars anywhere, so fully recommended. Grade wise it's given E6 6b, and we thought it was at the stout end of that grade for an onsight, be interesting to hear what others think. The buttress has 4 other E6's and a E7 that all look excellent (but need a good scrub), and there's possibly a few more gems found around the rest of the crag. Fingers crossed for more dry weather now.

[El Mocho]

Emotional Rescue and Golden Boy, Elec quarry, Stoney.

Gave these a clean the other day and climbed yesterday. They are both pretty good. Emotional rescue has a cool first section up to the break after the crux. Ok rock, little run out but ok gear and the 1 dodgy looking peg can be backed up with small wires above and below. The next section is chossy but ok gear can be found in the back of the crack which seems solid. The final headwall is actually pretty good. The top out was really loose but I removed the worst (a pretty large perched block was gently levered off - was worried it might land in the sub station but felt it was better to remove in a controlled manner as it looked pretty solid from below and def wasn't! It stayed on our side of the fence.) Now a lot more solid (and good gear just below) and it's easy enough to walk round and pre place a rope if you want.

Golden Boy was better, harder and more solid. Shares the same final headwall but much more sustained to get there. Good gear can be found and the 3 pegs look ok at the moment (easy to back up the first, 2nd and 3rd bit trickier but they look the best)

Judging by the amount of fresh blocks and chopped branches on the ground it looks like someone else has been cleaning (and by the looks of it doing a bigger job than me), maybe Damocles or perhaps Brown Corner. Although there was a lot of rubble around on the ground I couldn't really see which route it had come off.

[T_B]

Nice one Ben. I seconded ER about 20 years ago. Good to have some more steep trad to go at, though I do struggle with the Electric Quarry ‘ambience’.

Lots cleaned up at Rubicon this summer as well…

[El Mocho]

I do struggle with the Electric Quarry ‘ambience’.

Lots cleaned up at Rubicon this summer as well…

You just have to embrace it, it's so horrible that I actually like it there. It's hard to imagine any other reason you would have a great couple of hours in such a place otherwise. Good long pitches on this wall and it seems to stay even drier than the left wall, and a bit less seepage too.

I did a bunch of the Rubicon routes a few years ago, great fun, got 1 to go back for.

[T_B]

It was all chalked up a few weeks ago but I believe an undercut needs re-attached. Might have gone back on by now…?

[Fiend]

Nice one BB.

[Felix14]

Good stuff.

I thought these were very worthwhile, just a shame they're rarely in a ground uppable state. Get to it!

Also reckon one 'ard move is worthwhile also. Maybe slightly more than one move with interesting climbing around the crux. Although it'll need a good scrub and the top out is maybe beyond cleaning. Lots of loose stuff!

[Neil F]

Have you led One ‘Ard Move, Felix?

[Felix14]

No, I've only had a quick play a few years ago. Don't live nearby anymore so has slipped down the list of priorities.

[Neil F]

Okay, thanks Felix.

OAM may be 35 years old (!) but to my knowledge, it hasn’t had a second ascent yet.  However, that might be about to change….?

I tried it on sight about 25 years ago, getting as far as….  (the clue’s in the name!).

Interestingly in the FA list in the Limestone South (sic) guidebook, it says Dougie did it on sight.

That’s a bit odd as there are a number of peg runners in the route, but Ian Carr, who climbed it with Doug, was heavily involved in that guidebook, so I assume it is right.  Dougie was certainly operating at that level at the time.

So presumably it was an old abandoned project?  But if Doug didn’t place those pegs, I wonder who did 

[shark]

So presumably it was an old abandoned project?  But if Doug didn’t place those pegs, I wonder who did 

Guilty.

I got shut down on the crux and in frustration made the mistake of saying I don’t care if someone else does it and left. As I understand Dougie turned up later and my comment was relayed to him (by Al Austen IIRC) and Dougie did it. I was told he went up the crack next to it to look across to inspect it but otherwise flashed it.

[Felix14]

Good info thanks both.

What a legend Dougie is, did he just never fall off stuff?

[Neil F]

Guilty.

Wow, brilliant 

Isn't it amazing when a forum like this turns up the answers to an old conundrum in a completely unexpected way.

And yes, Dougie was a complete legend.  I remember him turning up at Kilnsey one afternoon and going on one of the North Buttress routes.  Chatting to him, he mentioned they'd been into Gordale in the morning.  Oh, what did you do?  says I, expecting he might have belayed a mate on a redpoint, with Kilnsey being the main objective of his day.  Huecool says Doug.  A mere 8b...  And this was probably over 30 years ago   

Anyways, back to OAM.  I'm just off to the Electric Quarry now.  Let's see if the long awaited second ascent comes today   

Neil

ps. I'm not planning on leaving the ground 

[Duncan campbell]

Great story Neil!!

I am always in awe of Dougie when I hear stories of him and was lucky enough to meet him in Australia - he was saying that he was meant to go just before or just after he got married but something happened- maybe he broke something??

I remember thinking he would have torn Australian climbing apart back then and would have picked many plum first ascents.

Super nice friendly guy, with one of those great Lancashire accents.

[Tony]

It was all chalked up a few weeks ago but I believe an undercut needs re-attached. Might have gone back on by now…?

Yeah, the rock stabilisation work was completed a few weeks ago. I see El Mocho and team ticked. Possibly the second and third ascents.

[mark20]

Good work on cleaning up these old Rubicon trad routes.
But what's the deal with all the tat on Jaws? The top two pegs equalised with fat blue tape (as a lower off?!) is a hideous mess

[El Mocho]

Good work on cleaning up these old Rubicon trad routes.
But what's the deal with all the tat on Jaws? The top two pegs equalised with fat blue tape (as a lower off?!) is a hideous mess

Yeah I saw that - the 'new' (I've no idea when it went in) bolt belay for Plectrum Maxilla is on the ledge above just slightly to the right so is a much better option. Maybe these were placed (the pegs look new) before this bolt belay existed? Either way I think all the tat could come off.

[Tony]

I didn’t add the tat but I did “amend” some of it. I’ve not been on Jaws but have looked over at it.

The top tat (and pegs) is unnecessary now there is a bolted lower off (not sure when either the pegs or bolts were added, others of  this parish may know the latter at least). That said, I think “hideous mess” is probably overdoing it a little: I suspect climbers are more sensitive about  bits of cliff than most WCJ visitors. (Personally, I’m more offended by the fingertape scraps - which is just plain littering.)

The lower tat was added - I suspect - because the way the pegs are placed means a karabiner would put a fair bit of torque on the eyes of the pegs (due to protruding rock below). It’s probably not entirely necessary but I can’t get too excited.

[T_B]

The lower tat was added to equalise the pegs presumably? Makes sense. The pegs at the top aren’t really necessary (it’s all over by that point). I wouldn’t lower off them.

[Tony]

The lower tat was added to equalise the pegs presumably? Makes sense.

The two (lower) pegs which are equalised seem pretty bomber (not really very necessary to equalise). I changed the tat around so it also had the effect of equalising them.

[kc]

The discreetly hidden lower off and the replacement peg/bolt are roughly 5 years old. The fugly blue tat really needs to come off.

[Hydraulic Man]

Emotional Rescue and Golden Boy, Elec quarry, Stoney.



Judging by the amount of fresh blocks and chopped branches on the ground it looks like someone else has been cleaning (and by the looks of it doing a bigger job than me), maybe Damocles or perhaps Brown Corner. Although there was a lot of rubble around on the ground I couldn't really see which route it had come off.

That was me. I cleaned Brown Corner of Rose thorn from the top and around a 1/4 of a ton of very dangerous blocks out the bottom. The route was an accident waiting to happen.

Also cleaned Damocles of loose stuff from the top and veg out of the overhang. Not sure why this is not done more often. I spent a long time cleaning the bottom crack....Which brings me onto One Ard Move.

Started cleaning this last year, big job as the top is really loose. Got that stabilised and then started getting mud off the route and dusting down...Went back to it recently and started working the move which was 6c..

Tried it Saturday and again today, sadly one of the crimps blew and left a bigger hold which then blew again leaving nothing. So it can now be renamed One Extremely Hard Move. Would be better to move left into BC and make a move up the crack to give a balanced E3/4. Word of warning for everyone rushing to do it....The traverse left out of Damocles requires a bit of care......Pretty disappointing as there is no way I can do that move and I've spent a fair bit of time cleaning.

As for the 2nd ascent I'm pretty sure the BIG man has done it.

Cleaned a few other things recently but routes like Morgue and Speed Kills have really loose top outs nowadays and id be careful heading up that stuff on-sight. The Peg on Speed Kills looks done but the route Gary did to the right may protect it.

As for 2nd ascents Easy Skanking to my knowledge never had one (Unless Dougie did it) You can get a rope down it from top of LP 1st pitch.

Swine Vesicular also not repeated and looks total nails....

[El Mocho]

Which brings me onto One Ard Move...

Tried it Saturday and again today, sadly one of the crimps blew and left a bigger hold which then blew again leaving nothing.

Unlucky with that crimp, esp after all the work cleaning that section of wall. I went back today with my mum. Flash go was not so impressive - got on the crimps above break (left hand on crumbly remains of the hold) and gave up. Climbed up the corner a bit to get a rope just above and worked the move. First try left hold broke again leaving an even smaller crimp side pull but this did stay on - managed move ok so lowered down and managed a clean lead.

What's left of the crimp feels pretty fragile but I don't think there is much which can be done about it + you have to pull on it quite hard.

[Neil F]

Bon effort Ben.

What 'realistic'  grade for a lead in its current state?

Neil

[El Mocho]

I think the current grade is realistic.