[andymarshll]

I did this in april (when it was a bit warm) in a couple of hours, the hardest thing i'd climbed up till then was 7a+, so this shocked me a bit (no pebble arete is 7c-ish) but if i'd been asked to grade it would have given it 7a+/b, after looking at the yorkshire grit page about and seeing the outrage at the suggestion in the new guide that it's only 7b i'm a bit hesitant to suggest a downgrade, i used a completely different sequence to any of the ones i've read about or seen since as i had no idea how to do it at the time, but it doesn't seem to be one of those problems where THE CORRECT SEQUNCE MUST BE USED, its just a technical arete with a hard start, was it my first 7c (i'm doubtful, it was just too fast and easy, even if it "really suited me") or  is a downgrade required?

And if you are one of the people who is outraged at the downgrade in the new guide please dont hurt me.

[TomP]

Good effort as it is a great problem!!!

In my opinion it deserves 7b+ if you mantle the two start holds and put your foot by your hand to balance to the arete. Pretty technical. However, you are not the first to think it is easier than the proposed grade. A few people have a different sequence (from start reach right to sloper then rock onto starting holds). This could explain the grade variations.

What method did you use?

[andymarshll]

Stood on 2 pebbles, one directly below left hand hold, one a bit higher than this and a bit further right than the right hand hold, slap straight out left to the arete from there, cross right foot over on to smear next to left pebble, step left foot into little toe hold about six inches above the ground about a foot and a half from the arete (i think), get the tip of right index finger into hole left by pebble, step right foot onto first left handhold, climb arete.

[TomP]

Sounds different to the origional but nice one for climbing it like that. I haven't tried it this way so not sure of grade. It's like many problems, over time new sequences are found and grade goes down. It's a shame as the mantle method is beautiful but if there are other ways to make it easier then I suppose a down grade is called for.

[(woz)]

It's a shame as the mantle method is beautiful

Dont get emotional Tom, I'm sure NP Wall will still go down like this. Send me a pm if you fancy a peak trip this weekend...

[andymarshll]

I feel guilty now,

[Johnny Brown]

If this is what I think it is - the left arete of the New Jerusalem block? - then good effort on finding a better sequence. I always found it desperate although we used to climb the wall by mantelling out of a vague scoop on chickenheads, as per the photo in Fawcett on Rock, in fact now I think about it the arete was out! The pebble used to allow you top out also without the arete, much harder since it went. I remember it being fine with the arete, perhaps that's the confusion?

[Jim]

how can the arete be out on a problem called 'no pebble arete'?
surely it should the pebble thats out?

[Johnny Brown]

I've had a look at the Yorks Grit site. The original hard line here didn't use the arete at all, at 7c or so. Then the pebble went, and folk started using the arete to top out as it was nigh on impossible without. Climbing the arete all the way was always much easier.

[andymarshll]

You can't climb the arete all the way, the ground drops down and you have to start on the slab, no pebble arete and no pebble wall are seperate lines, and the tinking on yorkshire grit last time i checked was that the wall without the arete now was gonna be more like 8a.