UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => chuffing => Topic started by: dobbin on July 19, 2005, 08:16:52 pm
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Routes are brilliant. Fucking Brilliant in fact. If like me you put a rope on for the first time in years this summer, then routes are what we should all be doing during the too hot for friction months.
I can speak with almost no beta of other areas in the country re routes as I haven't been (excepting Pex), but for the averagely strong boulderer there are some peaches to be had at Raven Tor and Rubicon. Here's some of my favorites (I haven't done them all) :
Raven Tor
Rattle and hump - this is just brilliant. bouldery bouldery, hard move, steady away to the belay - 8a (just)
Out of my tree - bouldery bouldery - path. Great fun again. 8a
Chimes - bimble, burl, crimp slap clip lower off - ace - 8a.
In Brine - bimble, crimp, bimble clip - pumpy - 8a
Indecent exposure - fack me its awesome! reet long and in a great position with some mint climbing - 7b+ (completely not anything bouldery mind)
Pump up the power - benchmark. Look and learn - you are that weak :wink: 8a+.
Rubicon
Salar - the ultimate in boulder problem routes, great fun dyno slap thing at the top, bimble, crimp, slap clip - 8a
Rubicon - jug hauling through the steep bit of the roof on resin bolts you could hang a lorry off - fantastic - jump from top for head training. 7a.
caviar - genius. absolute genius. Boulder, bouldery crimp bimble top - 8a+.
I love climbing.
Suggest other beauties from wherever you like, then if you plan to visit somewhere hopefully there will be some suggestions as to whats good. Innit?
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In Brine - bimble, crimp, bimble clip - pumpy - 8a
Ha ha. Just got back from a few weeks in france - Ceuse etc.
Pumpy.
Ho ho.
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At some more accessable grades:
Beginners Wall 7b+ is excellent.
Wild In Me 7c is a flava one anall.
Super High Intensity Bodybuilding 7a suprisingly good given the high first bolt and 40ft runout at the top through grass ledges.
Max A Million 7b - another good un, bouldery if you don't fuck the start up.
You could be mistaken for thinking this was a very thinly veiled attempt to list all the sport routes i've done this summer.......you'd be right.
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Entree - Two Tier - Hard fingery boulder problem, 8a
Magnetic Fields - Malham - Hard brilliant burly slappy problem, bimble, top, 8b!
Weedkiller (the route) - Raven Tor - Knarly old school boulder problem up a hanging groove, very short, 7c+
This is the Sea - Cornice, Chee Dale - Fingery and dynamic boulder problem into easy plodding up a shallow groove, 7c+
Theoria - The Nook, Chee Dale - Short steep power endurance boulder problem route, slappy on fair sized holds, allegedly like a cellar problem, 8a+
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I quite like Legal Action @ Horseshoe as far as peak limestone sport routes go and they're all pretty gash anyway to be honest
In fact the Main Wall at Horseshoe really isn't bad for mid-grade sport climbing, blow up the rest of the quarry, turf the base and import some cows a la Staden and it would be a great venue :wink:
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as far as peak limestone sport routes go and they're all pretty gash anyway to be honest
Fair comment for all things below 7a generally, because all the better routes were done pre sport climbing as trad routes.
Whilst peak sport climbs are pretty shit in international terms, some of the harder stuff is still very good. Routes like Body Machine, Chimes of Freedom, Revelations, Albatrocity, Arch Enemies etc, are superb.
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Bouldery routes I've done:
Smooth torquer (7b), Kilnsey, short problem which invloves a V4 crimpy boulder problem into jugs to the top. Although some muppet still managed to fall off one of the massive jugs clipping the third bolt and ended up on the floor.. wonder who that was :oops:
Wheels of Fire (6c), Robin Proctors scar, ledges to a balancy V3 into big jugs.
Heavenly Whispers (6c+), Gigg South, short crimpy boulder problem half way up the wall.
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Fair point Joy, if some of the classic peak lime low extremes were bolted up as low-mid F6s they'd be pretty damn good. Hmmmm....
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would it be cricket to mention/discuss the sport routes i did 10+ years ago.
a quick reply before my alzheimers gets any worse would help.
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bubba can we have some kinds filter on that automatically removes posts containing the word "horseshoe"?
we tried weedkiller the other week lovejoy, found it very mucky, and not very enjoyable.
also avoid middle age spread at beginners wall, its horrible.
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if some of the classic peak lime low extremes were bolted up as low-mid F6s they'd be pretty damn good. Hmmmm....
wash your mouth out sunshine. coming from you of all people too. tut tut.
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I could change it to horseshite if that helps?
Super High Intensity... was my first E4 - ooh, i'm getting dewey eyed! I thought Beginners Wall used to get 7a?
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if some of the classic peak lime low extremes were bolted up as low-mid F6s they'd be pretty damn good. Hmmmm....
wash your mouth out sunshine. coming from you of all people too. tut tut.
lets not forget they'd quick'y become pollished as fuck.
I'd rather see less lowgrade sports routes being developed. mainly cos most of the retrobolted quarry stuff in the peak is mainly shit if we're honest, so its then an incentive to get good enough to enjoy some of the better harder routes.
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beginners wall 7a? they must have been on crack. i think it used to be E6.
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Its a fun little route that. whats that thing called that breaks back left from the top of the pod thing (where you go right on BW)? is it 7c?
France is significantly pumpier than any climbing at the tor I'd wager.
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beginners wall is solid 7b+.it took me 3 or 4 visits to r/p it.the slap for the pocket with your l/h seemed along way to me.in fact it might have taken me three visits to do the move.
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Must just be my fucked memory failing me.
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the thing which goes left from BW is the 7c version of lets get physical, which is also 8a+ if you go straight up from the start of fossil wall. looks alright but maybe a bit squeezed in. someone should write a guide.
incidentally has anyone been on that love of money is the root of all evil thing left of fossil wall?
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and i thought i was the one with early onset alzheimer's
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incidentally has anyone been on that love of money is the root of all evil thing left of fossil wall?
Ru and I looked at it about 2 years ago, its horrible, scratchy and hard.
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as far as peak limestone sport routes go and they're all pretty gash anyway to be honest
Fair comment for all things below 7a generally, because all the better routes were done pre sport climbing as trad routes.
Whilst peak sport climbs are pretty shit in international terms, some of the harder stuff is still very good. Routes like Body Machine, Chimes of Freedom, Revelations, Albatrocity, Arch Enemies etc, are superb.
yeah i can second arch enemies, fantastic route, harder than 7c though
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Revelations looks fcuking brilliant. Remember Ru wobbling up the arse emptying run out of doom and that has stopped play until now. Is it 8b then?
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nah, it's 8a+. There's one hard move at the beginning that's about font 7c that means lots of people that have done 8b can't do it, hence 8b, but it certainly doesn't feel 8b to redpoint.
Get on it Dobbin, if you can do the move you can do the route. The run out at the top is easy, don't let my faffing put you off.
Anyone at the tor tonight???
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I'm off to Thor's Cave in a minute to try and re-bolt Thormen's Moth! Wish me luck.
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good luck. Fooking hell, that might be an epic. I still have your Mallorca cockfax BTW. Will arrange to pick it up soon.
Would love to go torwards tonight. wonder if sardine is possible with one (left) leg?
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The bolting was surprisingly unepic, considering i've never bolted a route before. Aided the route with two ropes on, tied one off to the belay and lowered off on the other, then jummared the fixed rope bolting as I went. Only had to place five bolts (in place of three manky threads and three 17 year old Pollit bolts). The end section of the route already had brand new bolts thanks to aid climbers re-bolting the end of Kyrie Elyson recently.
Was too goosed after bolting to do the route in a oner, but worked all the moves. Absolutely amazing climbing, after a tricky wall section it crosses the huge roof by linking a line of pods, pockets, huecos and undercuts. Some truly wild feet first moves and a hands off 'bat hang' rest on double foot bars, the bit to the chain involve walking your whole legs onto either side of a giant thread before spinning through 180 degrees to match hand and foot on a huge finishing bucket.
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Sounds like more fun than a barrel of mokeys! What numbers does it get?
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sounds word. got any photos?
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Nice one Joy....someone should start a bolt fund for these things ;).
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Was only the two of us at crag so didn't get any pics of the climbing. Have got some pics of the route but will have to montage them together at home before posting. But here's a pic of someone doing it as an aid route:
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/thors.jpg)
Gradewise oddly it's given E7 6b in the Northern Limestone book, but it has always been a total clip-up. It's in the E7/8a section of the grade list and I think 8a is about right, i'd say it was harder than Free Monster and Roof Warrior which are as near in style as your likely to find in the UK.
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presumably chris craggs and alan james thought it was E7 when they did it.
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Out of interest, who did the FFA?
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Andy Pollit 1988. Hasn't seen many repeats, presumably cos it stays wet most of the time and more recently cos the fix gear was rotten.
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theres a photo of someone (nadin?) on it in gordizzle stizzle's uber-book "Da Peak".
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What angle is the shot from?
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the back
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very similar to that aid shot, except the champ looks to be on a bit of a tight rope, and the second doesn't have the casual mid-fag look. Caption: Simon nadin 'the buxton stick-man', is seen flitting up 'Thormen's moth'...
for bonus points, who did the real first ascent?
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Bob Dearman, A Cornish, Jeff Morgan 1969
Jeff Morgan used to be in my local climbing club (the Alfreton Mountaineering Club)as a yoot.
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are you sure he wasn't there as a ute? was it a spohisticated-fancy-dress climbing club?
(http://martybugs.net/DatsunPix/pix/ute-chris.jpg)
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are you sure he wasn't there as a ute?
you're thinking of doug willis. he had a ute back in the day.
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/neighbours/whoswho/characterbiogs/contentimages/char_port_dougwillis.jpg)
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Dearman, the gnarly old get :lol:
I've heard him scoff about bouldering before so I'll have to remind him how boulderers have been ticking his aid routes ;)
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are you sure he wasn't there as a ute? was it a spohisticated-fancy-dress climbing club?
Yeah, I usually came as a Pontiac Tempest
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Seen Dearman do some amazing things with etriers. He can drill a vertical bolt ladder with the bolts six feet apart :shock:
Plus he spent like three weeks on a patagonian big wall climbing capsule style. The style and the environment haven't really been considered compatable by anyone before or since... gnarly old get fo sho
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Yeah, Dearman has got some right old tales - I had a little piece he'd written about getting old and the things he used to do - it's a nice bit of writing and I'll try to dig it out.
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Good scene at the cave yesterday. Thormen's got a mighty four ascents, me, Keenus, mystery polish beast Slavek and an incredible flash from the Bransby! Bransby received a big round of aplauds from the tourists on completion, but was unable to thank the crowd as he was too busy curled up in a ball retching with exhaustion!
Anyone who can, should go do this route now while it's dry, it is absolutely class. You will not be disappointed, I promise.
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Bransby 'retching with exhaustion'.
Hardly a recommendation.
What do you mean 'it looks quite far?' Evil Kenevil made it look piss... etc.
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:lol: True but, to achieve such an extreme level of knackerage you would have to be utilising all the hideous jams used by Bransby to stay on past the normal point of hands opening up fuckedness. Realistically most people drop off well before the goose really comes out. As a redpoint it's ok (as 8as go) so long as you move fast on the horizontal bit.
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It would be nothing for a man of your calibre cowboy. Get to it y'all. Bear in mind Ben was climbing onsight and as well as near terminal exhaustion he cut his wrists and ankles to ribbons with his jamming camming foot faggottry. Keenus barely broke a sweat on his final redpoint.
(http://www.zen59200.zen.co.uk//Adam/Galleries/Climbing/thormen.jpg)
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Poorly constructed montage(sp?) of la route:
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/spliced.jpg)
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:shock:
looks amazing
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Has Keenus missed any bolts out, or is that the first one? It's pretty high.
Looks very good, although I think you might need some better stitching software/practice Bonjoy ;)
Will it stay dry for a few days even it rains?
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It's steady away up to the first clip (level with the top of the lowest pic in the montage)
I have to make do with Paintshop when at work :cry:
It certainly stays dry in the rain, but is often wet with seepage through much of the year.
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Sorry, I phrased that badly, I meant will it stay dry for a few more days from now even if it rains, I'm not going to have a go, but someone else was interested.
Must be a few more lines out of the cave, non?
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Keenus barely broke a sweat on his final redpoint.
you should have seen the sweat pouring from him when he got off jim in the formula 1, when a few of us got back early :wink:
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A couple of the small pockets are likely to be damp even at the best of times. Tis dry at present and would probably stay dry for a few days after massive rain, the odd shower will have no effect I reckon.
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Hurray! Me and Stu did this today. Fully good.
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the floodgates are opened...
hope you went up to the jug and didn't just drop off at the chain... this ain't yorkshire y'know.
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Is Thorman's moth likely to be dry tomorrow? Might be heading up there for a look.
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I suspect not :( . Steve Mc was there yesterday and it was piss wet with condensation. Today is drizzle death and tomorrows forecast is poor. Not a good synopsis all in all. On the upside it does dry out quickly if there is a reasonable westerly wind blowing.
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Thanks for that.
Oh well, might still go for a look.
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It's defo worth a visit even if it's too wet to climb. Let me know what the conditions are like if you do. Cheers.
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Have you done any other routes here Bonos?
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Certainly have sir. 7b,7b,7c,7c+,8a so far. Have been keeping quiet whilst I picked off the the plum lines, although there are a couple more i'd love to do this year if it stays dry.
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I did end up going A very impressive place with potential for a lot of new lines i would have thought.
Sadly Thormans Moth was quite wet. The pockets on the first wall wre all damp at the back. The undercuts and pockets on the traverse were also very wet.
One of the team kicked a big foothold off (from the bottom of that big shield/flake feature used on the traverse). Made it no harder though.
Also looks like a handhold has recently come off the first wall, to the right of the perfect three finger pocket (next to the second clip).
Amazing horizontal roof climbing in a scary position.
Good effort for bolting it all up.
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Cheer. How wet was the rest of the cave, was everything ming or just pockets?
That big shield footer could do with gluing really. Last thing you want to do is conker some tourist with a broken flake.
Of the people who I saw on it only Slavek used any holds right of the three finger pocket, everyone else went out to an edge up and left then layed one on for the jug.
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A lot of it was quite wet, but it began to dry as there was a breeze. I think the pockets were seeping as they kept getting wet and we couldnt really dry them. All of the back of the cave was really wet and slippery.
The foothold that he kicked off nearly conkered the belayer. The piece that came off shattered when it hit the ground, the rock seemed really fragile so probably does need gluing.
The short bolted line (project?) on the left hand side (looking out of the cave) all looked dry.
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Certainly have sir. 7b,7b,7c,7c+,8a so far. Have been keeping quiet whilst I picked off the the plum lines, although there are a couple more i'd love to do this year if it stays dry.
are these in the same cave?
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Certainly have sir. 7b,7b,7c,7c+,8a so far. Have been keeping quiet whilst I picked off the the plum lines, although there are a couple more i'd love to do this year if it stays dry.
are these in the same cave?
Yes, it opens out into huge chamber at the back which is well lit due to having two big entrances.
The short bolted line (project?) on the left hand side (looking out of the cave) all looked dry.
The bolts on the opossite side of the arch to Thormens are an aid route. If you mean the line further back on the right wall of the west window it'll be Loki the Trickster 7c.
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> Loki the Trickster 7c
Is that one of yours Bonjoy?? If so, there's an interesting article on Loki in Strange Attractor #2 (a journal of odd stuff)..
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Yes Loki is one of my new ones. Went for a norse myth theme with the naming. Here are some pics from a thread on the mods board. Was keen to keep things under my hat till I'd done some of the best lines and whilst it was still reliably dry. Feel a bit safer in spilling the beans now.
Midgard Serpent 7b:
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/Midgard.jpg)
Fenris. Fenris is a giant monster wolf, currently chained in the underworlds, but due to break free and devour the earth at Ragnarok.
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/Fenris.jpg)
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/montage.jpg)
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/Lines.jpg)
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/Slavaid.jpg)
Slavek aiding the project.
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/bigline.jpg)
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/bolting.jpg)
Bolting in the belfry.
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/loki.jpg)
Loki.
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/planty.jpg)
Chris Plant on Midgard Serpent
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/Ragnarok.jpg)
View of Ragnarok from back of cave.
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/Valhalla.jpg)
Close up of Ragnarok, Escape to Valhalla.
New routes, grades and stars my opinion only as only a couple of routes have had a repeat yet. Lengths are a total guess:
Fenris* 7b 8m
Midgard Serpent** 7b 10m
Loki the Trickster** 7c 10m
Ragnarock *** 8a 21m – yellow line on last pic
Escape to Valhalla *** 7c+ 16m – orange line on last pic
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Good work. Did you bolt all of these lines?
The bolts on the opossite side of the arch to Thormens are an aid route. If you mean the line further back on the right wall of the west window it'll be Loki the Trickster 7c.
I mean on the opposite side of Thormens, right at the front of the cave. There were about 4 bolts to a ring bolt lower off. The first hanger had been removed. It looked a bit small and pointless for an aid route (i.e. more pointless than any other aid route), climbing round a bulge onto a slab.
It looks like a really good venue for a full day now, and shouldnt get busy (apart from ramblers).
Have to wait till next year though by the looks of it.
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It'd be good if you could install giant reflective mirrors that illuminated the cave - have you thought about that?
If you spent a long time working a route in there, you'd probably end up looking like gollum....
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Fortunately for me some aid climbers bolted a load of lines in there a couple of years ago. These were useful for getting about in the roof to bolt new lines and in some cases were in the right places to use on routes. On Fenris I only had to place one extra bolt and a belay, on Ragnarok I placed six new bolts and used another seven aid bolts.
Never noticed a ring lower off there. After it reaches roof the aid line heads of into the cave, i think a variation goes up to the big chain lower off too. Thought about having a go at onsight freeing as far as the top of the slab, but changed my mind after Johhny Brown nearly took me out pulling off a huge chunk when up their taking pics :shock: .
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Wow - an awesome looking place and fantastic looking routes.... and to think I've spent all those weekends at the Embankment :oops:
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good effort bonjono. do you reckon it'll dry out again this year, or am i gonna have to write a note to self to try and remember it for next year?
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I dare say it has a few good days in it left this year. Seepage hasn't really started on it yet. You just need to get there after a good westerly and hope there hasn't been any overnight fog. I am heading there Weds arvo, but forecast looks a bit 50/50. Next weekend looks a washout sadly.
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forecast for the weekend looks premiere! may well have to have some dovedale action,
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Niice! It does seem to have come good now. I'll be there Sunday I reckon. It's in the Manifold valley BTW, next door to Dovedale.
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i'll try and drag huffy along...
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Took yest afternoon off to go bolt a new one. West wind was blowing and the cave was in as good a nick as it has been all year. No sign of any fresh seepage yet either. Also the place was pleasantly quite now the kids have gone back to school.
Am watching the weather carefully and could end up going for either weekend day.
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Yesterday's activities.
(http://ukbouldering.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10110/gold.jpg)
7c+ ballpark. Have not placed lowest bolt to avoid anyone trying. Please don't let Huffy anywhere near this one, cheers. Should hopefully get it done this weekend.
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Will put huff back in the cellar with the gimp mask. he was muttering about the grit, but i'll soon slap that out of him.
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I half considered doing a photoshop of huffy in a gimp mask, the remembered what happened last time :roll: :oops:
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don't think you need photoshop, i'll ask the terrace ghost for one!
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Was the activity bolting it on doing the amazing compiled picture?? :wink:
Seriously good effort BJ, always nice to see this sort of activism...
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I have to struggle with Paintshop when in work mode unfortunately, it's a very blunt tool.
Cheers.
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Did you boys get out to the cave on Sun?
Was there Sat. Crag was in top nick, but the cold wind was a bit biting. Managed project. 7c+ but haven't got name yet. Well pleased with it.
Working on a topo at the minute, will post up later.
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obviously the gin monster got the better of me on saturday night, so no. but will be psyched for the weekend, huffy couldn't walk anyway he'd been "street running". Urban.
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Let me know if you set a day to go down, I might come over. Would be good to see some folk try the routes.
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what the hell is street running?
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Parkour, Its that effort that channel 4 have occasionaly. i think he was jumping around on bollards. I'll be psyched for sunday, will check the weather. you psyched for some thor's cave action dobbin?
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say you're walking through pitsmoor and some buster trys to jack you for your louis vuitton bucket hat and your timbs, and you leg it down the wicker, well thats street running.
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Genius, loving your interpretation Derv. Trust Huffy to be into Parkour, bet he's already in one of those gangs that hang out in gyms jumping onto crash pads and shouting RAD at each other!
Would love to be in the cave, but have got to go to Manchester on Saturday night, so will be unlikely to be not hungover/up for action on sunday. Am keen to get there at some stage, just not this weekend.
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I don't think boulderers have much right to take the piss out of Parkour :lol:
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hang out in gyms jumping onto crash pads and shouting RAD at each other!
Dave Graham at the climbing wall?
It's ok Parkour is a newer, less established activity than bouldering, so we are well within our rights to take the piss out of it :wink: