[Johnny Brown]

I see White Gold at Chee Tor has been retro-bolted. I was keen to do this, and I must admit it has rather less appeal as a 6c+ than an E4. Anyone any thoughts, I know Jonboy did it in the not too distant past?

[butters]

Also dropped in at (the other) Secret Garden. Two large trees have fallen away from the base of the main wall leaving it really clear, clean and open. Whisper looks great. Does anyone know just how sketchy the access is? Has anyone ever been collared by the residents?

No idea on what the current access situation is (probably exactly the same i.e. no climbing allowed) but went there a few years back now with another poster off here. No sign of the residents but it was midweek and the nearest we got to the house was to have a look at the main wall and to climb the big HS\VS arete. You could probably get away with climbing at the bottom of the garden as long as you kept a low profile but the main wall which looks like it tops out in the garden proper would be pushing it.

[Bonjoy]

I see White Gold at Chee Tor has been retro-bolted. I was keen to do this, and I must admit it has rather less appeal as a 6c+ than an E4. Anyone any thoughts, I know Jonboy did it in the not too distant past?

It was quite a few years ago now, maybe six or seven. Good route but very dirty and a bit loose on the top out. I've no idea who's behind the retro-ing. I hope it's not visually obvious as the DWT seem to notice new bolts on Chee tor and it could create access issues. However it's not the most heinous case of retro-ing given that the fixed gear on the route was reputedly of the pegs in drilled holes variety! I think new pegs in the old holes (if at all possible) would have been a better solution given the access.

[Johnny Brown]

Kris Clemmow has recorded the bolts on the UKB database, though Rab suggested it might have been Zippy who put them in. Either way it doesn't appear they've consulted very widely before doing so. I only had a look from across the river, the bolts aren't too obvious though the route looks to have had a thorough clean. The in-situ gear looked like threads to me, a couple are still there. Hopefully will get to have a closer look soon.

[Bonjoy]

Had a look in the Wye Valley guide and it mentions a golo (drilled in peg) and two threads.

[fatboySlimfast]

My very distant old memory has the fixed gear back in the early 90's as being very shoddy, the golo was the only thing between you and the floor i seem to remember.
Bit full on to retro the whole thing, remember it being scary at the top as well.

[Johnny Brown]

Bit full on to retro the whole thing,

Yeah, that was my thinking. I reckon there are at least six bolts now, its certainly not going to be a bold undertaking.

[luckyjez]

Seem's a bit silly to me - it was a 'proper' E4 i.e. physically tricky and also it had a good helping of excitement due to the tiny golos that were crucial at keeping you off the ground from the crux. One or two bolts maximum would have been perfectly acceptable (to me), and kept some excitement whilst reducing the chance of injury.

[Bonjoy]

Cleaned up another one on the Repo Man wall at Dukes today - Mr Franik (E6 6b**). There was actually a bit of chalk on it (!), though it was still filthy and the gear slots all full of cobwebs, so I'm guessing it was someone else checking it out on a rope. Now properly cleaned up as per Get Rich Quick. Judging from trying it on the ab rope it seems easier and less sustained than GRQ and just as well protected except for a boldish bit on the lower wall. Can't believe it used to have four pegs as it really doesn't need any.

[Bonjoy]

Also at Dukes I had a look at the unclimbed arete mentioned previously. It doesn’t look too hard but has no decent gear for the top bit and is cursed with an exceptionally crumbly ferrous patina which doesn’t clean up very easily.
The mighty Recess Wall area is still pretty wet even after weeks of no rain, which would suggest it may never dry enough to be resurrected!

[Neil F]

I watched / photographed some of the first ascents on Recess Wall, and it looked great at the time.

I think the problem is "the drainage in the lower field" (the upper field, actually).  There is a stream which got diverted over Recess Wall, which didn't exist before.  Whether this is the outflow of a new land-drain, or a stream which used to enter the quarry elsewhere, I'm not certain.

But it could be worth investigating.  If you could channel it to enter the quarry down a nearby chossier wall, it might just be problem solved...

Neil

ps. Whilst you're on a Whatstandwell-roll, Upping the Anty in RH is very good...

[shark]

I think the problem is "the drainage in the lower field" (the upper field, actually).  There is a stream which got diverted over Recess Wall, which didn't exist before.  Whether this is the outflow of a new land-drain, or a stream which used to enter the quarry elsewhere, I'm not certain.

But it could be worth investigating.  If you could channel it to enter the quarry down a nearby chossier wall, it might just be problem solved...

Neil

Phill Dickens dug a channel to divert water down Waterfall Wall to create Icicle Repairman in the mid 80's which probably took water away from Recess Wall? If so if re-dug would be a good solution all round.

There is sample BMC Download for the Duke's Quarry section of the guidebookhere for reference for the uninitiated

[Tommy]

More good work Bonjoy - must get my arse down there now there's at least 2 clean routes.

Also - Jon's excellent "The Great Tribulation" is nicely clean and chalked at the moment from a couple of us. Great route and if you want a hard trad hit in these boiling temperatures, it's perfect. Don't forget to take a friend 4 if you do go, plus a load of small and mid sized wires.

[Marky]

Castell y Gwynt -
Cruella Deville (7b?) - 3 bolts added, now fully bolted. Large loose shield of rock removed mid way up. Super route. 9 bolts + lower-off.
Hidden Sign (7b?) - 1 bolt added to staple lower-off, in-situ threads removed from New Dimension/Appian Way/Hidden Sign belay/abseil. Another brilliant route. 8 bolts + lower-off.

No birdban at Castell y Gwynt currently then?

[shark]

No birdban at Castell y Gwynt currently then?

Bird ban 1st  Mar - 31st  July. Pete will have done the re-bolting before 1st March.

[tc]

Woth mentioning that Goat Crag in Borrowdale has had a few visits from the clean-up posse of late. DDT , Praying Mantis, Point Blank (1st Pitch), Tumbleweed Connection, The Voyage, Athanor, The Magpie, Mirage, Alone in Space have all been cleaned and climbed and I believe the old peg on Footless Crow has also been replaced.
Vlad the Impailer on Dove Crag, Sixpence on Pavey and Borderline on Scafell have also had the treatment.
Big thanks to Al Wilson and the team.

[petejh]

No birdban at Castell y Gwynt currently then?

There's a Peregrine nesting on the Central Pillar ledge so the crag's restricted until 31st July - or sooner if it successfully fledges earlier - keep an eye on the BMC RAD or a better bet is probably the limestone wiki/here. I heard a rumour yesterday that some of the Peregrines on the Clwyd limestone crags have already fledged earlier than usual this year (perhaps due to the unusually warm spring?), so here's hoping.

[Ethan]

Re-bolted Theoria at The Nook today, all brushed and cleaned up too.

[kc]

Jug Jockey and route to left now open to public.

[Bonjoy]

Route to the left? Do you mean Last Eggs or is it a new one?

[kc]

Route to the left? Do you mean Last Eggs or is it a new one?

Yes I got fed up waiting for Kieth and nicked his project!

[kc]

Only joking.
Just the super duper roof route.

[petejh]

Follow the Prof (Pigeon's Cave) is now re-bolted, it looks ace - just needs a clean and the top bolt needs checking, Neil thought the glue hadn't set on that one. Funny story really - I've been dying to re-bolt Follow the Prof for the last 8 months because it looks brill in the same mold as Stiff Upper Lip. I put the lower-off in it last September but the old bolts kept snapping on me whilst trying to clip in to them to re-bolt the rest of the route. It needed a ladder. I've been nagging people to borrow a ladder on and off for 8 months now with no success and too many other things on the go kept me from finishing it, then Doylo said he'd get a ladder and make the final push to glory but it never happened. So yesterday I thought fuck it I'm finally going to do it myself by rigging a tension line. I went to Pigeons, put the bottom bolt in for the tension line and then went into town for a brew to wait for the glue to set. I came back to find Neil at the crag... with a ladder - he'd decided to come down and rebolt Follow the Prof out of the blue.  Unbelievable, I suppose it was destined to be rebolted yesterday. Anyway get it chalked up for me.

[Tommy]

Cleaned up another one on the Repo Man wall at Dukes today - Mr Franik (E6 6b**). There was actually a bit of chalk on it (!), though it was still filthy and the gear slots all full of cobwebs, so I'm guessing it was someone else checking it out on a rope. Now properly cleaned up as per Get Rich Quick. Judging from trying it on the ab rope it seems easier and less sustained than GRQ and just as well protected except for a boldish bit on the lower wall. Can't believe it used to have four pegs as it really doesn't need any.

A few of us went and checked out Jon's cleaning efforts. Good job you've done there! 

GRQ definitely harder than MF, but less bold. Cool routes for those who like a bit of esoterica. They look dirty and damp from the ground but are fine once you're on them.

[Bonjoy]

Whilst cleaning up new things I’ve cleaned some adjacent routes. At Gardom’s Raging Insomnia (the hardest looking E3 I’ve seen in a while) and Good Kharma (not sure I cleaned all relevant holds on this one).
At Black Rocks Our Kid and Slanted and Enchanted. Someone (Hamer Bros I think) has cleaned Camel Hot. Firebird is now pretty clean after we did it, though the start is still a little green and one of the best E2s I've done in ages!