[slackline]

No need to all rush at once, but Hotel Supramonte has had a face lift.

[Muenchener]

No need to all rush at once, but Hotel Supramonte has had a face lift.

Now that is a seriously fscking impressive piece of rock. (I know this from having walked underneath it on a family hike through the canyon btw)

[jwi]

I wouldn't fancy jumaring up a 120 m freehanging half-rope....

[slackline]

[205Chris]

Removed a shedload of moss from A Little Sparkle at Guisecliff today. It's in a clean and climbable state now. Good problem and deserves traffic.

[slackline]

Aguglia of Goloritzé



Definitely a good thing, backed off the original route a couple of years ago after the first two pitches were a bit more 'exciting' than expected and we couldn't see any protection (nor did we have any large gear) for the chimney pitch. (Retrospectively we should probably have paid more attention to the guidebook description which suggested most people avoided the original route, instead favouring a more recently bolted line to the right  ).

[205Chris]

Not technically a route but I cleaned up Superbrook this morning. Great problem and well worth seeking out.

Short vid here if you want the numbers:

[leeroy]

Not technically a route but I cleaned up Superbrook this morning. Great problem and well worth seeking out.

great work

[andy popp]

Where/what's that?

[205Chris]

Where/what's that?

It's a Dan Varian problem at Wyming Brook, not far from Rivelin.

A nice little spot with the odd gem, like Superbrook.

[Bonjoy]

Had a rainy look round Wyming Brook on Thurs eve. Superbrook looked good. Also noticed that one of Dan's other probs Rhyming Brook 7a, is actually John Allen's Backwater Barracudas an E3 6a done in 86. 

[205Chris]

Had a rainy look round Wyming Brook on Thurs eve. Superbrook looked good. Also noticed that one of Dan's other probs Rhyming Brook 7a, is actually John Allen's Backwater Barracudas an E3 6a done in 86.

I actually cleaned Superbrook on Wednesday but didn't have my pads with me. I went back on Thursday and got there just as it started raining so had to wait till the weekend. Pleased to get it done as it shut me down last year. The crux is a bit like an opposite version of the crux on Big Al Qaeda at the Stride.

When I looked at Rhyming Brook last year I thought the description matched that of Backwater Barracudas. Font 7a - sounds about right for John Allen E3 

[El Mocho]

Kingfisher (not much of a clean, just cobwebs mostly - it is chalked and brilliant though) although if someone does this take a bolt hanger and spanner for the belay - 1 proper bolt and 1 stud at the moment and A Miller's Tale (both Rubicon)

Gave AMT a pretty good clean prior to doing it - it felt like a slightly harder and better version of Hot Fun Closing to me (eek old school E5!) At the moment there is just the one peg just above the big pocket/cave - can be backed up with couple of wires just to right - then it is all wires and cams etc all a little fiddly to place and felt more like E6 for the climbing and gear (I rped it after cleaning it) little spicey at the top.

If people want gear beta I can give it but don't want to spoil the on sight for the youths...

Kingfisher - I thought this was really good and pretty hard. Stick clip the bolt on Jezebel (or climb up and then you can also put a wire over the second bolt stub next to it). The 2 pegs seem ok and you have the bolt over L anyhow. Great moves up to and passing the pegs and also last fun bit moving up to base of groove (shared with Jezebel) The big flake in groove is a little hollow sounding (put a wire in and you will see!) especially the blocky bit at its top but good holds just above and then ledge. Gear on ledge and belay above. Again I didn't os this, these E5s are well hard.

[Wood FT]

Nice one El Mocho, Oli G had a right time in the muck up there on AMT not so long back.

In other cleaning news; a mate went and cleaned Powerplant up on the cornice yesterday.

[Bonjoy]

Good work at Rubicon Ben. How did the bolts look on Kingfisher/Jezebel? Do these routes have lower-offs, or would they be appropriate/useful?

On the cleaning front, I de-mossed Sleight of Hand at Cratcliffe yesterday, an E4 6a Martin Veale arete on right of Hermit's Cave. Climbs really nicely and is another good one on the highball circuit here (high end of highball but very flat landing, maybe font 6b). Everything on the P-crack block was also already cleaned and in good nick.
Also on the grit I gave Dreamboat at Froggatt a proper clean and did the obvious direct finish. I suspect this might be the same as the E2 6b done by John Allen in the 90's. It's the obvious good slab line on the block and JA did have an eye for a line, plus the grade seems in line with his typical stern grading of micro routes. I thought 7a at first, on the basis that R-man's version of the line got 7a and it seemed daft to have a direct finish with a lower grade. But thinking about it and having climbed it again I reckon it's more like 6c. Watching R-man's vid it kind of looks like the crux might be the move right which the direct doesn't do, which could explain the 7a grade. Also climbed the wall just left at 7a+, will put details on new probs thread.

[Bonjoy]

Vid of Dreamboat with new(?) finish:

[r-man]

Good work! I'm surprised it wasn't harder - I couldn't see any holds up there past the sloper, though it looks like they do exist.

I think the move out right was the crux, though if you have given it a proper clean perhaps the sloper is more positive. The 7A grade was a bit of a guess - I didn't find it too hard once I'd figured out the sequence, but mates were struggling to get off the ground, so going lower than 7 seemed like it might be wrong.

[Neil F]

On the cleaning front, I de-mossed Sleight of Hand at Cratcliffe yesterday, an E4 6a Martin Veale arete on right of Hermit's Cave.....

Er, Martin who....?

[Bonjoy]

Cheers Robin. Good work unearthing the original. I did clean the slopey break but it is still rubbish. There is a horizontal pinch just above which is more useful, then some small pockets, then a good undercut in the break. I can imagine the level of cleanness could make a big difference. The super dry conditions atm meant the moss and crusty lichen was easy to remove (unlike green which comes off better in the damp) and I gave the whole line a good going over in the hope it would stay climbable for a few seasons. Still, there’s plenty of scope for my grading being just plain wrong. It’s in top fettle now and really good, so hopefully some traffic might sort the grade question out.
BTW where does Green 45 top out, is it straight over or does it use the right arete? Am thinking of cleaning it next time I go there.


Oops, sorry Neil. I think the confusion arose from a discussion with Martin about some boulder probs of his a few metres right, in which he mentioned that SoH would clean up as a good highball. Think I put two and two together and made five. Google tells me the correct answer is :
Neil Foster, Howard Lancashire   24/Apr/97

Here's a pic from yesterday:

[El Mocho]

Good work at Rubicon Ben. How did the bolts look on Kingfisher/Jezebel? Do these routes have lower-offs, or would they be appropriate/useful?

There is a lower off at top of Jezebel (and Kingfisher) - 1 ok petzl bolt with ok biner, 1 shit downward pointing peg with old tat and rubbish biner and 1 bolt stub with nut on - went to put hanger on this today but the whole thing spun round when I put spanner on.

Bolt on Jezebel is old style but didn't seem to bad - would be nice to replace but prob not too dangerous yet ditto pegs on Kingfisher.

Cleaned and climbed Jaws today, again good. Peg a bit shonky but good small wires a move to right. No belay so traversed L to Jezebel one which was kinda ok to do.

Cleaned most of Pleximus Maximus (except bottom steep bit) and tried the original coming in from Jaws but couldn't even find holds Ondra could pull on, swung off and did the direct from a few moves in - this was good. Start could still be pretty hard to get to where I was. When cleaning peg came out in my hand so I put it back in again - it is ok as it cams in (just don't push out if you fall off) No belay on this which is a pain - I had giant baby bounce belay using Caviar and Jezebel belays along with some directional cams - it is easy enough traversing the ledge and the cams are ok but a belay would be nicer!

[r-man]

BTW where does Green 45 top out, is it straight over or does it use the right arete? Am thinking of cleaning it next time I go there.

Straight up. The top bit isn't hard. Vaguely remember there being a good hold you go up to from the lip, then it's in the bag. Great work on all the cleaning!

[Neil F]

Oops, sorry Neil. I think the confusion arose from a discussion with Martin about some boulder probs of his a few metres right, in which he mentioned that SoH would clean up as a good highball. Think I put two and two together and made five. Google tells me the correct answer is :
Neil Foster, Howard Lancashire   24/Apr/97

No problem Jon. I am just pleased that someone has done it, particularly considering the mossy state it has been in in recent years. You will also have enjoyed the experience of starting with a rubbish looking vegetated rib, only to discover that perfect, featured Cratcliffe grit lies beneath the disguise. I thought that was pretty special!

But it will go back to nature given a couple of wet winters, so unless they want to repeat the excavation folk should get on it whilst they can.

Nice pic btw...

Neil

[El Mocho]

Today's installment of the 1980's lime extremes:

Moving Buttress, Chee Dale

Climbed and cleaned whilst doing: Autonomon * HVS 5b "Good rock and fine climbing" and if you abb from the tree at the top you can get to the now unearthed (the chain disappeared into the mud and grass - couldn't pull it free - had to dig it out!) belay of Meat and Two Veg (7b+ looks good and pretty clean) and:

Gander Meat *** E6 6c "A superb finger bending pitch up a clean white wall..."

According to the guide this climbs the groove above the belay to the top of crag but it looked a bit loose and dirty so I lowered of the bolt belay. Cleaned and then climbed it. Really good sustained climbing well protected (once you get them in) by good small wires and 1 peg (seemed ok and can be backed up by wires in same break although prob v. hard to place these on lead - I had them in already)

With the gear in you are prob looking at F7b+ or maybe 7b++ (it looked harder than meat and two veg although I didn't actually try that)

[Nike Air]

More scrubbing and ledge shuffling at two tier.

Ninth Life now clean.
Jonny Garside and myself did our best.
Do take a skyhook or a set of superlights, I forgot both....... and twas spicy indeed.
Really good climbing.

[Wood FT]

More scrubbing and ledge shuffling at two tier.

Ninth Life now clean.
Jonny Garside and myself did our best.
Do take a skyhook or a set of superlights, I forgot both....... and twas spicy indeed.
Really good climbing.

good effort!