UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => shootin' the shit => Topic started by: 205Chris on January 01, 2014, 10:33:07 pm
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That time of year again folks, what were your highlights of last year.
The previous lists:
Best of 2006 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,6675.0.html)
Best of 2007 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,8400)
Best of 2008 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10682)
Best of 2009 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,13196)
Best of 2010 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,16693)
Best of 2011 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,19254)
Best of 2012 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,21364)
The usual categories are below. 3 problems / routes in each category or N/A if it's not your thing.
Top three boulder probs, UK
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Top three sport routes UK
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Top three new route/prob put up
Top Spanking's
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Jason's Roof - Wanted to try this for years, did it in a session, Great problem.
Roof of Baby Budda - Great find by Nodder, Hard moves on small holds on good rock what more do you want.
Freehang SS - Not the best line but i've tried this on and off for a couple of years and finally got good conditions and did it.
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Coupe De Force, Le Kracken Droite - Both really good problems, wanted to try them ever since i saw the in Out Of Sight.
El Poussah - 5th time in Font and only just got round to doing this, Real Thing Tick.
Top three sport routes UK
Only did one, Harry Tuttle at the G-Spot - Short and sweet and it gives you a close up on the matchstick edges of Violent New Breed.
Top Spanking's -
Any long Sport route i've tried. Beaux Quartiers closer but still no cigar, 4 moves further but the LH keeps popping.
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Heaven in Your Hands, Brandrith - Probably the best problem I've ever done anywhere.
Brock the Start, Cheedale - An esoteric Moffat classic. All the more satisfying figuring the beta out for myself.
Ben's Groove, Caley - Wanted to do this for ages, flashing it was a bonus.
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Rubis sur L'Ongle, Font - I had a brief scope of this when the top was covered in snow. Went back a few days later and did it first go. Well deserving of classic status.
L'Etrave a Sucre, Font - Had to clean snow off the top of it first, but still left me with a icy top out after the crux
Eden Roc, Font - Just about everything that's good about Font distilled into one problem
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Reiver, Ravensheugh - More of a highball than a trad route but I wouldn't want to fall off the top. Climbed ground up in a session. Outstanding climbing and well worth the trek up the hillside.
Feet Neat, Rivelin quarries - Trad climbing for sport climbers if you trust 25 year old pegs. Luckily I didn't test them.
Flex, Rivelin quarries - Trad climbing for boulderers. I abbed the line to clean it and got covered in sh*t as the farmer in the above field was muck spraying at the time so I had to go back and clean it all over again.
Top three sport routes UK
Caviar, Rubicon - Luckily I happened to be at the crag at the same time as Paul Fearn who gave me some awesome beta. Redpointed on my 4th session when it was chucking it down with rain and just about everywhere else in the peak was wet.
Toys for the Boys, Cheedale - Brilliant technical climbing. Took me ages to remember my beta from last year then just managed to redpoint it before it went dark.
Jug Jockey, Cheedale - Timed to perfection. Climbed the day before the cornice crapped out.
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
No routes abroad for me this year so instead I'm having:
Top three snowballs
Another vintage year for snowballing on the Eastern Edges, the snow coming late enough in the year to make after work sessions a reality.
Shine On, Stanage - Struggled for ages on the last move with my leg getting stuck under the roof, finally sent a few days before the snow melted.
Black Car Burning - Another Barker classic
Chip Shop Brawl - Flashed thanks to a constant stream of beta from Mark20.
Top three new route/prob put up
Nada
Top Spanking's
Don't feel like I've got too much unfinished business from this year, fell off the last move of Blind Ali's Date a few times though.
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Not done a right lot this year just gone, mainly for work reasons. I'm not having a year like that again.
Top three boulder probs, UK
Talk To Me Martin - horrid problem but never have to do it again.
V-Crimps & Sprung - these two at bowden in a 30 minute period of climbing quite well.
Sphinx - flashed it, shit myself.
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Fuck all
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Dubhs Ridge, Skye
Corvus, Borrowdale
Top three sport routes UK
Fuck all
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Fuck all
Top three new route/prob put up
Missile Toe (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,23457.0.html)
Sinew Stretch Sitter (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,23351.0.html)
Thing at burbage south (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,22175.0.html)
Also did Blind Ali there and back - might class as a FA assuming Pat King has more self respect than to retroclaim this.
Top Spanking's
Jellybomb at Froggatt - basically did this with the slightest of dabs on the mat, which was a bit higher than usual because of the snow. Balls.
Cuillin Ridge - fucking weather.
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Top 3 boulder probs, UK
Olicana Arete, Ilkley - Quality moves, one of the best 7As I've done on grit.
The Keel, Almscliff - Perhaps not the best problem I'll ever do, but as the hardest thing I've yet done definitely a highlight for me.
Si's Arete, Almscliff - Enjoyable problem with a good slappy crux move
Top 3 boulder probs, abroad
Pixel, Cresciano - Excellent thuggy traverse, may have the name wrong.
2 problems at Chironico that I've forgotten the names of...
No routes or solos this year.
Top 3 new probs
A good circuit of apparently unclimbed problems on a beach in southern Brittany, some harder stuff to go back for
Top spankings
Mark's Roof, Gardoms - Why I can't finish this problem off is beyond me, 3 and a half years and counting :wall:
Underhand, Almscliff - Worked the moves very quickly, declared it piss, and then proceeded to fall off on the link for the next 2 hours...
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Apron Strings, Grand Wall, Squamish ... rested on a trad 5.10b three days after redpointing my first 5.13 :-[
That was pretty funny though... ;D
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Top 3 problems local.
Gz Up Hoes Down V5. Terrible name, great problem. At North Black near Canberra.
Little Jon Jon V6. Frontline in Sydney. Very fun roof problem. Only took about an hour.
Pinche and The Brain V4. Grampians. Very fun and took about 5 attempts too many...
Top 3 solos.
The World According To Garf 21/6b+ish. Thompson's Point, Nowra. 6m sport route with not the best landing that I did over 2 pads by myself. Very polished, very scary, would've missed the pads and off another drop if I fell off the top. Very nearly did. Also good as it's the same grade as the hardest thing I've done on a rope.
Just For Fun 16/VS. Point Perpendicular. Part of my easy soloing circuit. Topped out one afternoon, turned and watched a sea eagle cruise past below me, looked out over the water to see a whale breach about 200m away. Nice day.
Top new lines.
8 Bit Hero V6. Bomaderry Creek, Nowra. Really fun problem that took far too long to work out. Have had some really good feedback on it, so that's a plus..
Chloe V6. Nerriga. Slopey overhanging prow. Took 2 sessions, the 1st being very hot and the 2nd being nice and cool.
Top Spankings...
New V7 line. Worked on it on and off for about 6 months, even fell off the last move... Warmed up one day to finally tick it... And pop goes the pulley.
Mega dws project. About 3 months work so far including some time off because of finger. Probably about 50+ attempts all ground up. Been stuck working out the crux since attempt number 1. Finally getting within reach of topping it out, yesterday managed to slap just 6 inches short of completion. Not to sure on grade. As a boulder, it feels around 7A+/B. Had a mate who's done routes up to 8b and bouldered up to 8A, look at it and he thinks 7c/+...
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Top three boulder probs, UK
- Cosmic Wheels, Mallory Boulder - great day up in a wonderful setting with Sam and Mike. Should have flashed it but a steady 2nd go. Great top out on jugs far above the pads!
- Brad's Arête (the presence of absence), Stanton - the last new climb I did this year and what an amazing one. Gripping all the way till the end and only after a dramatic horizontal deck out from near the top minutes earlier! :)
- Pilgrim, Parisellas - couldn't resist putting one cave tick on it... Although I did a few of higher quality like Flashpoint, Buddha roof, flick of the wrist, Nazgul's trav and Special K, I still derive great satisfaction from horrendous sieges of Pumpy link ups in polished manufactured caves!
Top three boulder probs, abroad
- Fightclub, magic Wood - consolation tick number 1 of a chastening trip of failure.
- Neanderthal, magic Wood - consolation tick number 2 of same trip, a crap lowball into a green slab
- Exclusive, magic wood - consolation tick number 3 of the same day after having given up trying to climb anything of note!
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
- hunters Walk, pex hill - fun highball /short route locking between big jugs
- Hallt Fono, Tanygrisiau - creeps in at micro-route height in my book! Fantastic rock and setting
- nothing else was quite as gripping, though I could probably put Barking Direct here on the Mallory as nothing else felt quite this exposed!
Top three sport routes UK
- Pisa Wall Traverse, pex Hill - a long term goal finally realised. Felt like the pumpiest thing I did all year and definitely has more moves than most uk sport routes?
- Left Wall High, Sellas - another one that I had wanted closure on (and involving no rope) but I'm taking it anyway :tease:
Top Spanking's
- Diesel power, Cromlech - fell off the lip about 10 times over first 4 sessions and then split my left middle finger on the credit card hold every time I went back to finish it off, getting barely 1-2 attempts before splitting. Felt so close on session 3 and it never happened. Needs closure!
- Louis Armstrong - managed 3 good sessions on it this year eventually Doing it frequently in 2 halves but keep getting spanked on the crux from the start. Rolls over to 2014.
- Dark Sakai, magic wood - got it in overlapping halves in 2 sessions this summer then split my skin and couldn't get any further in the 30 deg+ heat.
A grand year for failure! :spank:
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Boulders UK
Enchantress, Forest Rock - after so many sessions working it with damp holds
Magician, Forest Rock - possibly the best set of moves I've ever come across
Taylor Made, Dinas - I remember seeing someone on this several years ago and being blown away by how hard it looked, being able to do it in a few goes now was a great feeling.
Boulders abroad
Immodium Assis, Font - my first ever ninja kick dyno.
Magic Bus, Font - because everyone else had gone home and the sun finally came out!
La Baleine? Ariege. allegedly 7A granite traverse thing that I found utterly desperate.
Trad routes uk
Big Greeny (with a no hands kneebar)
Western Front
The Grand Illusion (flashed/onsighted all those in a day, then barely used my rack for the rest of the year. More trad next year!)
Sport routes uk
Pioneers of the Hypnotic Groove, Foxhole - best route in the uk?
Comedy - so good it made up for me being terrible on Northern limestone.
Academic - not iconic by most people's standards but I have a soft spot for esoterica, quarried rock and weird moves.
Sport routes abroad
Le fantasme de lizard, Ariege - 7c+ granite levitation slab. Couldn't pull on in about 4 different places last year, did it second go this time with better conditions and improved footwork.
Masha et Moko, Ceuse - more people should do this, it's incredible. Nearly did it fourth go, but then had a bit of an saga as it seeped, I went away, I came back, my digestive system seeped, it hailed, it seeped again….. then I finally did it and it felt piss. It's like doing a 7A Malham esque boulder problem on spinal column tufas, then a Cascade 7c, then a weird slab crux. Got everything!
Big Bug, Boffi - I love this rock, I love this crag, I love climbing out of big caves, I love that I got 1050 8a.nu points for it.
Minette a la Plage - I topped out Ceuse!
New routes
Fingersmith, Venasque - project line at Quinsan. (I've tried to find out if this has been done or named before, so far it doesn't look like it.) So cool to do such an old school shallow pocket fest just down the road from Buoux! 'Fingersmith' is the name of an erotic novel I was shocked by just before I did the route, and seemed appropriate given the crux is on a mono….
Dark Magic, Forest Rock
Ungradeable gymnastics. Love it. (nb the line on the only online topo is in the wrong place)
Also did some new things near Holywell Bay in Cornwall. Wouldn't recommend the area though, very tidal, very seepy and not much non-choss
Top Spankings
Raindogs. Must have fallen off above the last bolt about 30 times. :(
6c sandstone slabs at Venasque (Spormidable and Ouvrez le Feu). Had to red point both of these, both desperate. Like doing sandbag 6As in Fontainebleau on a rope!
Needing a poo on the Quarryman. Shit myself a little bit.
Wellington Crack + hangover + lack of fitness = doom pump!
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My excuses this year are... baby + injured back in the spring, then broken heel in September. On the upside, I've enjoyed training a bit more methodically and did have a few days in Northumberland climbing well in primo conditions...
Top three boulder probs, UK
Dark Art, Anston. Esoteric and soft, but only my second 8A
Yorkshireman Sit Start, Kyloe In. Classic.
Pockets Traverse, Back Bowden. Has felt impossible in the past.
Top three boulder probs, abroad
First time in about 30 years I've not been out of the country! 2 little kids, plus a cancelled Font trip in October due to broken heel.
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Face Route, Gordale.
Dogging across Vlad at Dove
.. that was the only trad I did.
Top three sport routes UK
Well Hung, Gordale. V traddy feel.
Big Apple, Stoney. Soft and sharp, but worth it for the final move.
Green Alternative, Tor. Nearly on-sighted it.
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
N/A
Top three new route/prob put up
Managed to traverse off left after the dyno on Adrenochrome at Lulworth ::)
Top Spanking's
Mark of the Beast at Lulworth. Too scared on my own :-[
County Ethics. 2 pads, no spotters. What the F was I doing? https://vimeo.com/75025057
Vlad the Impailer. E7/F7c off the couch? What the F was I thinking?
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Impropa Opera, Bowderstone: Via the left hand start after some fatty pulled the jug off. Very satisfying to feel some improvement at one of my favourite UK venues.
McNab, Lord's Seat: Kind of forgot about this for a few years, worth the walk!
Pixie Tits, Crookrise: Lovely setting, great move which I thought was really hard for the grade, followed by a topout insecure enough to make you remember how far from the road you are!
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Get Carter, Bishop: Slept in our camper next to the boulder, warmed up whilst making cups of tea out the back of the van, got it done just before the sun came onto it. If only everything on the trip could have gone as well, but this was as close as I got to hard climbing in Bishop.
Cover Me In Flowers, Pollen Grains, Bishop: A very nice consolation prize after getting too scared on Suspended in Silence with only one pad!
All Washed Up, Joshua Tree: Post injury, climbing was very painful, but this Bachar classic was worth it.
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Top three sport routes UK
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
The only reason I've put my harness on this year is to hang weights off it whilst fingerboarding!
Top Spanking's
Jason's Roof: quite a few sessions last winter, fell off move to jug due to a wet hold on last session, then it got wet/snowy for about 2 months and I lost interest! This year hopefully.
The Flakes, Earl: I cannot do this problem, it may as well be 8C...
Bishop Trip: Strained a muscle in my side 5 days into a 3 week trip, the first day trying something remotely hard. Opening car doors was painful, let alone climbing overhanging granite. Slightly disappointing...
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County Ethics. 2 pads, no spotters. What the F was I doing? https://vimeo.com/75025057
I love how you opted for someone filming over spotting. That shows commitment.
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Getting a family, work and climbing balance was a big tick this year for me. Our little one is now 15 months old, time flys! He's been out to plenty of places bouldering with me, I'm a very proud Dad!
This year I feel I've continually progressed and got plenty of firsts!
Top three boulder problems, UK
Red Sky Wall SS (7A+) - Clogwyn Y Tarw - First 7A+, ticked in the last weekend of 2013. So happy to get this 3rd go, 3 star wall climb! Suited me down to the ground.
Robert Duvall (7A) - Pantymwyn - First 7A in March, took a couple of sessions and had a bit of a battle with conditions on it. i.e foot holds on the tensiony moves were always wet!
Toe Dragon - (6C/+) - Sheep Pen - An anti-style for me. Powerful moves on open handed pinchey holds. Great problem, felt hard!
Top three boulder problems, abroad
La Nescafe (6A+) - Font
La Moreau - (6A) - Font
Dalle à Poly (4+) - Font - Loved this ~10m solo on jugs!
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Tearg Wall (E2 5c) - World's End - Only trad route I did, enjoyed it but not enough to do more trad.
Top three sport routes UK
I Punched Judy First (7b+) - Dinbren - First 7b+, took 7 sessions. Started to get in my head I couldn't do it around the 4th session as I found the moves nails in isolation. Something ended up clicking and when it went it went easy! Video: https://vimeo.com/72119456
Axle Attack (7a+) - Pen Trwyn - The Orme is now my favorite venue, this route is just absolute quality and a complete classic!
Ice (7b) - Dinbren - A hard test piece of the crag. Very powerfull climbing and has about 7 undercut moves in a row!
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
None - Sport trip planned for when the little one can be trusted at the crag!
Top three new route/Problems put up
Force Majeure (7b) - Denbigh Castle - My first and only FA , I tentatively gave it 7b as I had never actually climbed at the grade at the time. It's now had about 5 repeats all confirming the grade, happy!
Video: https://vimeo.com/61452253
Top Spanking's
Font - The whole trip spanked me, logistics were difficult with our 1 year old and some places I picked to go weren't the best for a child.
I found all the problems I tried nails and found myself throwing myself at stuff that was too hard. I have the beta for this year now though and I know what grade range to aim for and what to get better at.
I also went out on our last day of the trip sans family and it pissed it down. Went to 4 different parts of the forest and got soaked...
As a whole I enjoyed the holiday and chilling out with family side of it though!
Horny 'Lil Devil (7a) - Lulworth - Found this nails! Steep juggy stuff is my enemy and I'm currently working on getting better at this stuff! Must have ended up in the drink about 10 times.
Although I ticked it, "Ice" at Dinbren seen me off completely. I fell off after the crux first session and on the day I sent it I actually slipped off the rest position after the crux which was after my previous high point...!
Top Belay
Got an 8b first ascent belay tick when I held the rope for Doylo on his Pigeons Cave route "Speckled Jim". Effort pal!
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Top three boulder probs, UK
And For My Next Trick - Thorn Crag - Great day and out of the blue really. Well pleased!
Pick Pockets Crack - Widdop - A nemesis ticked!
Red Edge Traverse - Widdop - send trained with TomTom, good day!
Also, just great to get the wife out loads this year! She's really got the psyche and climbed her first V2 the other week.
Top three boulder probs, abroad
This (http://bleau.info/95.2/2223.html) - 95.2 - Brilliant move unlike anything I've ever done before.
Can't remember anything else of note I did on the trip...
Top three trad routes/soloes UK - N/A
Top three sport routes UK - N/A
Top three routes abroad (any genre) - N/A
Top three new route/prob put up
Heath Ledger - Runcorn Heath - Quality 6b arete and my first FA of any note! Thanks to Andy Popp for leaving it for me!
Top Spanking's
Where to begin...
The weather - made Font difficult and has ruined multiple days out especially for the wife.
SS to Really Cool Toys - Ysgo - again and again and again...
Tantation - 95.2 - Really close to this a couple of years ago and total shut down this year.
Loads and loads of other stuff everywhere...
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Bit of a trad-centric year this year!
Top three boulder probs, UK
Malc's Arete, Torridon. Brilliant problem done in the middle of a week of great winter climbing conditions. Scraped through the top out the first time I made the big move.
Hockstack and Two Broken Toothbrushes, Carrock Fell. One of the best problems of the grade in the Lakes.
Red Clover SS, Dow Crag. Not many better located blocs than this. Great new venue.
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Saxon, Scafell. Brilliant conditions for trad in the Lakes this summer. A route that lives up to the hype.
Cruel Sister, Pavey Ark. Fantastic intricate climbing in a very exciting position. Felt like I was climbing well.
Western Front, Almscliff. As good as it looks!
Top Spanking's
Tourniquet, Kentmere. Loads of sessions, close but no cigar. Rubbish weather recently definitely didn't help.
Silicon Slave, The V Crag. Really thought this one was going to go.
The Yorkshireman, Kyloe. Next time...
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County Ethics. 2 pads, no spotters. What the F was I doing? https://vimeo.com/75025057
I love how you opted for someone filming over spotting. That shows commitment.
Have you seen the size of my wife? She never spots me!
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Top three boulder probs, UK
- Cosmic Wheels, Mallory Boulder - great day up in a wonderful setting with Sam and Mike. Should have flashed it but a steady 2nd go. Great top out on jugs far above the pads!
- Brad's Arête (the presence of absence), Stanton - the last new climb I did this year and what an amazing one. Gripping all the way till the end and only after a dramatic horizontal deck out from near the top minutes earlier! :)
- Pilgrim, Parisellas - couldn't resist putting one cave tick on it... Although I did a few of higher quality like Flashpoint, Buddha roof, flick of the wrist, Nazgul's trav and Special K, I still derive great satisfaction from horrendous sieges of Pumpy link ups in polished manufactured caves
North Wales is good isn't it ;)
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All board problems.
Bradbury's Bumhole (left hand)
Chase The Lace
Bag of Adders
On rock, the highlight of my year doesn't even warrant discussion. Depressing in the main! Let's see what 2014 brings.
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See below
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North Wales is good isn't it ;)
I love it. If I had to choose only one region in the uk to climb in forever, It would definitely be n Wales. (With the occasional trip abroad to touch dry rock! ;))
P.s. I completely forgot about 36 and 22 chambers too.... So much immaculate rock, so little time! :)
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Sauvito (Peak)- flash ;D
Brass Monkeys (Peak) - felt so close, then so far, then so easy
Tale of the Talbots (St Bee's South) - two moves, love it
Top three boulder probs, abroad
All Font
Pierrot (http://bleau.info/marion/12373.html) - Probably the best problem I've ever done!
Welcome to Tijuana (http://bleau.info/envers/9895.html) first 7c... and it was in the forest - well worth the three sessions...
Gargantoit (http://bleau.info/houx/539.html) - almost flashed it, damn my lack of mantling skills
Top Spanking's
Peak limestone - period....
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Bad Moon Rising, Thorn Crag - been wanting to get this done for a while, went pretty easily after I finally marched up the hill!
The Keel, Almscliff - never thought I'd be able to do this but got it in a session :D
Little Women Stand Start, Kentmere - hardest flash to date!
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Does the Chere Couloir on the Tacul count as a problem?! Not been bouldering abroad this year unless yorkshire counts?
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Only did one day in wales :(
Top Spanking's
Middle bit plus at longridge, far to long and pumpy for me!
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Pretty good year despite injuries (7 weeks off in middle of summer) and consequently not a lot of volume. Finished my film too :boxing:
Top 3 boulder problems uk
Didn't do a lot of bouldering last year
Hatch Life High, Parisellas - Wouldn't be on the list in a normal bouldering year but I'm scraping the barrel. Megos thought it was worth 8a+ though :P
The Lotus, Pass - Got some nice tall beta and it went quick. Old skool Welsh testpiece.
36 Chambers SS , Tremeirchion- Awesome piece of limestone. Been on the wishlist for a while.
Didn't climb abroad
Trad comeback not happened yet, 10 years and counting
Top 3 Sport Routes UK
Oyster, Pen Trwyn - Old Moffatt testpiece that rarely gets climbed despite it's relatively amenable grade (8a). Satisfying.
Underworld, Pantymwyn - Half of a 8a+ testpiece but brilliant in its own right. Great crimpy climbing up a smooth concave wall.
Senile Penile Extension, Pen Trwyn - I re-equipped this old Andy Pollitt route then did the first ascent for a long long time.
Top 3 Routes Put Up
Speckled Jim, Pigeon's Cave - Probably my favourite new route on account of the aesthetics and funky climbing. Was special to do a quality 8b FA on the Orme. Means a bit more than doing them on the A55. Was a windy mint day and I felt so good, rare moments.
Cold Blood, Pen Trwyn - A reward for bushwacking to the top of Mayfair Wall and bolting up the old extensions. This was a brilliant surprise as i didn't even though it existed. The hard climbing was so good too, nicer moves than the other hard routes on the wall. Felt so good.
Blood Lust, Pen Trwyn- Another Mayfair Wall FA, my reward for pulling a big flake off. Some nice crimpers and quite tenuous.
Top Spankings
Masterclass Masterclass Masterclass. I know it's extremely technical and vertical but despite being able to do it in two the redpoint still aludes me. Unfortunately i have to move my right foot in the middle of the crux and i just lose tension and fall. Even bought new shoes for it,got to finish this year.....
Roof of a Baby Buddha -Struggled to get a doable sequence on this in Spring. Did the moves in a session before Xmas so should go now.
Top Belay
Robins on Dark Energy - what a route!
Top Shag
Definitely Dense, he's huge.... :lets_do_it_wild:
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hmmm. Best of 2013....
Top 3 boulder problems UK
Never made it there.....
Top 3 boulder problems - Local
The Sheriff - first ascent of a stellar line :)
Through the Looking Glass - first ascent of a another stellar line :)
Sweet Home Alaska - 2nd Ascent
Top 3 boulder problems - Non-Local
Slider - HP 40
Zen Flute - Bishop
The Dali - Mt Evans, CO
Top 3 Sport Routes
Howl of the damned 8b/+ FA - Old Local project
Also the only new sport route I did this year....
Top Spankings
Mandala - Fell off last hard move 5 times....
Mandala - Popped Tendon
Mandala - Overall failure....
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2013 turned into a non-event after a promising start.
Top 3 2 boulder problems uk
2 days bouldering in 2013?
Regeneration and Smackhead RH on the first day. Don't remember the second day, probably nothing.
Didn't climb abroad
Top 3 Trad Routes
Barely climbed all year, but:
Fay and Pacemaker on Lower Sharpnose. Lovely routes, setting, company and trip.
Rainbow Bridge. Just grinning the whole way.
Top 3 2 Sport Routes UK
Hardly started etc.
Braichiation Dance. Went with the intention of flashing it and did, which is satisfying and it's a cool route.
Empire of the Sun - for the same reason
Top 3 4 New Routes
Underworld, Pantymwyn - 'Half of a 8a+ testpiece but brilliant in its own right. Great crimpy climbing up a smooth concave wall.' Thanks Doylo!
Lateo. Just what trying hard on a new route is all about. A long-time challenge to get conditions, a top quality challenging line, on a great crag, with a great partner. Didn't think it'd go down until it did.
Adam's Rib FWA. Beautiful classy winter line, this would be a classic in Scotland. All the more special to think a bit outside the box, go scope it, then go and do it on a perfect alpine-like spring day on a cliff that virtually no-one ever goes to. Part of an unforgettable 5-day spell of winter FA's in amazing spring conditions.
The Burner - it's a drytool M9+ but anyone who gets on it will recognise a classic whatever the genre.
Top Spankings
Solo aid bolting The Glory Hole project - 25m horizontal roof inside a mountain. This fucked me up.
Hades. Flogging myself to death to try to get the FA when my body was shouting at me to stop. Should have stopped earlier.
The first 3 weeks following back surgery. Fucking hell, never again I hope.
Dog with a new stick :bounce:
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Top trad routes of the year for me were Pebble Mill at Burbage South (a long wished for solo done shortly before moving away from the grit) and Darkinbad the Brightdayler at Pentire Point (an iconic route with brilliant sustained climbing).
Didn't do much bouldering or sport climbing, but Piss and Empire of the Sun respectively were both good.
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Vitruvian Man @Trowbarrow 7C - Superb line.
DIY @ Stanage E3 6a / 6B - The perfect highball?
Touch @ Hen Cloud E6 6c / 7B+ - Watched my mate sketch up it, shat myself (damn him) then pulled myself together an ended up cruising it.
Top trad route
Wings Of Unreason @ The Roaches E4 6a -My first lead fall, no messing about second go. I really needed that fall!
Top three routes abroad (DWS)
Bisexual @ Cala Barques 7a - Three stars in anyones book surely?
Afroman @ Diablo 7b - Ok so I fell trying to match the last hold a couple of times, but its still my fav!
The Tortilla Traverse @ Cala Serena 7b - Fell from the optional 7b exit so had to swim 80m back to the start and climb back up the 14m dripping wet... EPIC!
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Its been a pretty good year. I've climbed more and better than in a while, and I've enjoyed it. I didn't get out of Cheshire much but that's OK, its been great to see the area getting yet more development. I'm looking forward to this year now.
I didn't tie on once, nor I did I climb outside the UK, so I've made up a couple of categories of my own:
Top three boulder problems outside Cheshire
And for my Next Trick (Thorn) - satisfying tick on a visit early in the year. First indication there was still something there.
New Rose (Farleton) - getting this very quickly convinced me more would be possible. And a great problem in a lovely place.
Higginson Scar (Porth Ysgo) - what a way to end the year. New Year's Eve, my first ever visit to Porth Ysgo, a surprise two hour window of golden sunshine, and climbing with my brother for the first time in years. And what a problem!
Top three boulder problems in Cheshire
Tweedledee (Harmers Wood) - this has always been wet since I first went to Harmers but this summer it dried. Turned out to give superb climbing, the best of the aretes at the crag. Possibly not done without top-rope before.
Kid Block (Harmers) - satisfying to nab an instant second ascent of the reinstated version of my own problem. And it climbs better now.
Alec's Arete (Runcorn Heath) - I didn't think I was going to get this but success really drew the year to an end. I think this could be 7B+ for me. Hardest tick of the year.
Top three new problems
Blasted Heath (Runcorn Heath) - I like the way the powerful locks on this steep wall are atypical for the area.
Ism and Schism (Stonehills Lane) - I enjoyed the development of this scruffy little urban crag. Sufferer's Slab is undoubtedly the better problem but Ism and Schism meant a bit more somehow, and not just because its harder.
The Midnight Bell (Harmers) - probably the highpoint of the year. Flawed but still rather magnificent.
Top three most esoteric new Cheshire problems
Nestling (Helsby Woods) - less than head height and climbed as a joke ... but the moves are actually quite nice.
Grand Canyon (Helsby Woods) - actually rather embarrassing.
The Sleep Over (Runcorn Heath) - sitter on a totally obscure lost piece of rock somewhere in Runcorn. But it climbs really well, I think.
Can't really say there were any total spankings, as in seiges. That said I was definitely defeated by Tomtom's Reign of Debris. True, I haven't done the sit to Alec's Arete yet either but it feels like I will and I've only had two quite brief sessions on it. We'll see, plenty of potential for an epic.
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Top
three one boulder prob, UK
Virgin Traverse - Only really done one all year, but i did really enjoy it. Guess that shows me i need to get bouldering more!
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Great Wall - Cloggy
Zeppelin - Mother Scarys
Regent Street - Millstone - Just quality gritstone trad
Top three sport routes UK
Only managed 5 all year, so these are there by default.
WYSIWYG - maybe not the best route, but my hardest UK flash to date and a good fight.
Open Road
Smooth Torquer
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Vagabond - Ceuse - Great
Kekets Blue - Ceuse - Also great
100% Collegue - Ceuse - A good onsight cruise.
Top Spanking's
Privilege - Ceuse - Off right at the top at least 10 times.
Suicide Wall - Cratcliffe - from cruising E3 to falling off HVS via 3 months not trad climbing…
Hueco - Volx - I can't do tufas!
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Sauvito
Gritstone Megamix
Tombstone (cheddar)
Top three boulder probs, abroad
not one of my most productive font trips, but L'Arrache Coeur was a standout moment that I'd wanted to do for years.
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
I don't really trad, so going to use this for snow/highball.
Shine On
Snowblind Mice (very much a boulder prob with snow, but great tenuous mantle)
Toltec Twostep - highlight of the year for me, long time aim, and done on a day when I also managed Alan Smith in about 30 min on the comeback from a finger injury.
Top three sport routes UK
not much sport, but I enjoyed
Valley of the Blind and
Circus Circus at cheddar, and
King George vs the Sufragettes at shipwreck cove was good too.
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
none
Top three new route/prob put up
actually did one - Shoehorn at huntsham
Top Spanking's
not as such, but I stubbed a finger on Ames Low on the 1st June and it's still giving me gip now...
Top Three DWS
magical mystery tour
rainbow bridge
cavewoman
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Malcs arete - torridon https://vimeo.com/63157472
Born lippy - bowden https://vimeo.com/79595492
The crack - bowden https://vimeo.com/80722491
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Unleash the beast - ardmair
Edgehog - glen nevis
Neart nan Gaidgheil - ardmair
Top three sport routes UK
The tribeswoman - tunnel wall
Fated path - tunnel wall
Crescendo - orchestra cave
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Pren nota - siurana
Extratosférica - siurana
Ramadan - siurana (all being well tomorrow!)
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Top three boulder problems UK
-Melvynn Bragg, Ramshaw. Who knew blood could taste so sweet. Immense fun.
-Blockbuster, Caley. A classic and I finally burnt off Handyside!
-Not to be taken away, Stanage. Great line.
Top three trad routes UK
-Western Front, Almscliff. Best of the big 3.
-Time for tea, millstone. Always wanted to do this.
-Scar, Baildon. The start of getting back into E trad grades.
Top three sport routes
-Melody Nelson, Ceuse. I had to fight fucking hard to stay on the flash.
-Super Mickey, Ceuse. Was having a terrible time on the crux so just started screaming.
-Retour en Afrique, Ceuse. Some of the best fun i've had on a sport route.
Top spankings
-The bulb, Almsliff. I can't do the last move even though I can. Frustrating.
-Gigglin' crack, Brimham. Chewed up and spat out a lot. Also the undercut pull into the crack is nails.
-Seventh Aardvark, Malham. Don't know if I actually tried it this year, but I never did do it. I am shit.
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Can't believe it's time for this thread again! Get in, what a year for lots of folf by the looks of things, good scenes!!!!
No bouldering trips abroad this year so a slightly tweaked, DWS focused list, it was that kinda year:
Top 3 Boulders UK:
"Art Nouveau" E6 6c/7a+ Roaches: The last major tick on my skyline quest, been missing this for years, was great to get it done on a day that included Wings of Unreason, and Nature Trail again which I'd reccommend to anybody! Smashed Art Nouveau in the day before being told I've got a knackered hip and probably should avoid doing that sorta thing. If I'd known about the hip I might not have done it!
"Crystal Voyager" E4 6c/ 7b/+ Nth cloud: Went to try this with full psyche but knowledge of my cod hip really got in the way mentally. Unfortunately had to go back with a rope and do some sequence inspection, but was still great to get it done, flippin awesome, unsung gem!
"Touch" E4 6c/ 7a+ Hen Cloud: Done with the quality west side crew of Eddies, Andi T and Aniseed Dave!! All the above represent what I love about bouldering, proud highball lines that take bottle as well as physical ability, so the cod hip can go f*ck itself as I'm not stopping for no one!
Top 3 DWS Abroad:
"Ejector Seat" 7c, Diablo: Yes yes yes!! At last! Seriously though this might never happen, a tough tick if you're not long and represents why "soup up" DWS is so special, you can't just say "take" and work the move, if you get it wrong its a 13 metres splashdown, rinse and repeat. Celebrated with 100 shots in 100 minutes, ouch! Done on my (if I do say so myself) epic awesome 2 weeks stag do!!!
"Superguapa" 8a, Cala Serena: Bit of a holiday grade tick but all good, not your usual Mallorca DWS fare, crimpy, techy and a bit scrittly. Like staffs grit above the sea!!
"Captain Black" 7a+, Cala Sa Nau: Quality new addition at a well known crag. No chalk, grease, and 3D tufa onsight weirdness and power shouts. That's what it's all about!
Top 3 UK DWS:
"Mark of The Beast" 7c, Lulworth: Phwoar!!!! What a route, soup up DWS is really the only way to experience this if you've got the minerals! Dropped the last move on the flash 2 years ago and, whilst a flash of this would have been a great prize, you kinda have to take that fall at least once. Smashed it in first go this time with a streng team (8 ascents in about half an hour) on my boiling hot birthday weekend!
"Once a Dogger" 7b+, Long Quarry Point: Another little known gem! High Quality, spicy bouldering above the soup. Not high but hard graft and you've got to want it and slap a bit!!!
"The Barrel Traverse" 7c, Berry Head: Another one of those wicked weekend missions. Tons of folk in the crew, loads of fun and this ticked at the end of the day. Wanted to do this ever since I saw Private Pennels styling across it some years ago!
Top 3 Trad Routes UK
"Power of the Darkside" E6/7/8 6b, Matlock Bank: Wow, imagine finding this line in a quarry just up the road from your house!!! Who cares what grade it is, get some pads under it and get it smashed in. Classy!
"Thumbelina" E6/7 6b, Inas Rock: I Can't big up Andi T enough for this amazing route. It's been on my list ever since I belayed/spotted him on the first ascent quite a long time ago know! My dodgy hip was really playing on my mind and holding me back but then I thought about how much I wanted to do this route and why, which gave me the necessary motivation. Flippin papped myself on the top mantle though, this aint no boulder problem! Eeeeek!
"The Driven Bow" E7 6c, Hen Cloud: Part 3 of my mission to repeat some very good friends' very good routes. This time Jon Read supplies the class. Knackered skin and split tips were proving a barrier, and I was struggling to justify a lead, with a heavily taped crucial finger, but again thoughts of how good it was and wanting to do it in props to the first ascentials gave me the psyche. This is another totally awesome route at a totally awesome crag, in a totally awesome county!
Top 3 Sport UK
"Release The Hounds" 7c/+, A55 crag?: This one's a bit special too! Got the full exeprience on thisfrom it not having much chalk on it and totally spent myself working a sequence (the best holds on it you basically can't use for your hands!) Ended up having one final "last go psyched" all or nothing attempt, and topped out wih slapping and embarrassingly loud power screams!!
"Why Me" 7c/+, Two Tier: Why me indeed, should be called "why not me?". Hard work this, but good when it all comes together. Was feeling strong when I did this which is always a nice feeling!
"This is The Sea", 7c+, Cornice: Another great power problem, with a wild, wild move on it. A bit worrying as when I came back a day or so later the bolt I'd been hanging on had a big chalk cross next to it and some cracks around it. Hope this got/gets sorted?
Top 3 Routes Abroad:
"Lactic Shock", 7c, Kalymnos: This was a really special experience, manly because, after alot of patience, teamwork, and coaching, my wife Sara was 100% confident belaying me, using a gri gri, and I was totally happy with her belaying. It let me give it 110% on the onsight, which ended in a big, safe fall a move or two from the finish, but was a great laugh. I was so spent I nearly couldn't redpoint it afterwards, but all's well that ends well!
"Gegoune", 7c, Galatiani, Kalymnos: Another big fight. This time for a successful flash ascent. Beta from Gaz Parry who I climbed with loads on this trip and learnt lots from. Loads of lactic acid, and a big smile at the chains!
"Marci Marc" 7c+, Odyssey: As polished and used as this route is, it's still pretty amazing. Done on my last redpoint 20 minuted before having to get a ferry/plane home. I love pressure!! A 2 day hangover from The North Face festival party didn't make things easy. Waddage!
Top Spankings:
Nothing to get depressed about but K3 at the cornice was definitely a close call, gutted. Never mind, fingers crossed for another cornice summer in 2014!!
Right sorry if I've rambled on. Everyone feel free to do the same, I love this thread and reading about other people's waddage!
Smash it in!
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And Eddie, what about Art Nouveau as one of your top trad routes?? That was a streng effort!!!!!
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I thought id added it to the top of my bouldering list to be fair!
Mark Sharratt laughed in my face when I tried to claim the trad grade! Anyway, what does he know right?
Yes Art Nouveau was my fav line of the year, and your stag do was the best trip by far :thumbsup:
Gus a pat on your back this year mi ewd, you've had a streng year despite the cod hip :bow:
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Top three boulder probs, UK
The Bulb - It's rather good, and I couldn't let Jacob burn me off now could I. Great day running around Almscliffe doing as many classics as possible.
Press Low Left - Got to have something from peak lime on there.
Final Curtain - Fun weekend in the Lakes driving around the lanes with the Todd Edwards essential mix blasting and clambering on the bowderstone with good mates and perfect weather. Late spring/early summer rules.
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Went to Font. Got ill. Got rained on. Realised I was a sport climber not a boulderer.
Triple Axel - Wanted to do it since watching between the trees
Megalight
Pince-mi
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
I think I did a spot of grit soloing on a couple of days, other than that no tradding this year
Top three sport routes UK
Pilgrimage - Fuck the haters. The piece of climbing I'm most proud of in my life thus far.
Kaabah - Really enjoyed the couple of weeks I had putting this together. Felt solid on the successful go - it's hard, but it's not that hard... Good crew at the crag that day with plenty of sending. Celebrated with a fine dose of ice-cream from Calver sweetshop.
True North - What do you do when you're too weak to do the crux solidly with the normal beta? You invent some funky toe-hooking, hand-shuffling radness that makes you feel like a badass, and is WAY more cool than the normal method. The coolest toe hook sequence I've done with a rope on by miles.
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Last of the Bohicans (RRG) - So close to onsighting. Pathetically egotistical mindset stopped me sending Ed up first, and probably would have flashed it if I had done. Stupid. Still, I love trying hard on long onsights and being engrossed in that mental space. Awesome experience.
Random 7b at Siurana - Last route of my Easter trip. The route itself was probably quite average, but I remember sitting threading the belay with the sun going down thinking just how awesome climbing is and just how awesome trips are. Seriously, I freaking love trips and I miss being on the road in my van so much!
Paradise Regained (RRG) - Great last day in 'the red'. Basically two brilliant 7c+/8as with a ledge in between where you can stop and shout abusive things in mock American accents at your new Yank friends. The top is half stuck-on choss, but is amazing, airy, fun choss. Climbed all day until my elbows wouldn't stop pointing skywards on the biggest of jugs. I LOVE TRIPS!!!!!
Top three new route/prob put up
N/A. I am a parasitic leech.
Top Spanking's
Evolution - Every time I pull on the second crux it feels like a 15 stone man in stilettos is stamping on my pulleys. Not that I can get through the first crux anyway.
Font - It swiftly became all too apparent that my ability to climb Fonty sandstone did not nearly match the arrogance of my expectations.
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Top 3 Boulder problems
Didn't do a huge number
Jerry's Arete - Failed on this a few years ago, was good to put it to bed.
Dry Wit - Always fancied this.
Art of Japan
Top 3 (4) sport routes
I spent a lot of time sport climbing this year while ticking very little!
The Bloods and Bloodsports - pleased to flash one and get the other second go. Great climbing.
Tin Of - Not my favourite route by any stretch, but had sacked it off for the day when Shark suggested I leave the draws in for "one more go". It was hot and humid, I was tired. I had a disproportionately hard time on it, but nailed it by the skin of my teeth. A great experience.
Whose Line is it Anyway? Pleased to put this to bed too, in very humid conditions and just before the Cornice crapped out.
Top 3 trad routes
Unfair on quite a few routes here. I did hardly any bad trad routes all year, and loads of total classics. Best ones are the ones which were significant to me:
Great Wall - Actually took a whipper on the first pitch having not warmed up, but the second went like a dream.
Grand Plage - This has been on the list ever since I first saw a picture of it when I started climbing. The picture just looked like what I imagined climbing was. A great route, and one which I wasn't sure I'd do after rockfall made it harder.
Tough choice for the third one. I think the Asp has to take it, as another route I'd always wanted to do, but thought I'd have a hard time on. Best of all I was just out walking the dog and had put a harness and shoes in my bag on the offchance, and I bumped into some folk, borrow their gear and dispatched the route more easily than I expected!
Other highlights
DWS - only one route, Electric Blue. Didn't think I'd even get on it!
Snowball - Archangel, I'd totally written off ever doing it, thank God for snowdrifts.
Top spankings
Body Machine. Put a lot of time into this, made a lot of good progress then hit the wall. Had left it too late in the year to be able to train to get past the block. Hopefully as soon as it's dry in Spring it'll get done. Had a lot of fun trying it.
Ceramic - Got totally baffled by the crux section, climbed it totally wrong and took the ride. In my defence it was pretty dirty at Chee Tor this year.
I didn't try many harder trad route this year, and got up virtually everything else at least second go, which was good, but clearly not pushing myself as I could!
So last one is a boulder problem - Sean's Arete. I really feel I should be able to do this, and I keep making micro-progress. Maybe it'll just clock one day?
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Well, possibly not the most inspirational list but I thought I'd include mine to add a little Scottishness to the goings on.
Top 3 Boulder problems
Lawrence's Crack 7A, Ardmair crag. A much over-looked gem.
Birtram Dickson 6C+, Achnashellach. Funky shin-bar beta on a lovely block of sandstone hidden in the woods in the middle of no-where, where no-one else will probably ever go.
Worry Bomb 7A, Torridon. Trademark Torridonion wall of crimpy reachiness on perfect sandstone.
Top 3 sport routes
The Shield 7b, Am Fasgadh. The aim for the winter sport season and great fun to be part of the psyched little North West highland scene.
Dale Dura Negra 7b, Chulilla. Gotta love holiday redpointing.
'Ave it 7b, Moy Rock. OK, so it's a grotty little route, but it's the local crag and it's got some good techy climbing.
Top 3 trad routes
Where Seagulls Dare E3, Pabbay. This year trad has been pretty thin on the ground and I landed the big main pitch at a point when my confidence was pretty low. 45 metres of steep jugs later, miles above the sea, I was a happy bunny.
Prophecy of Drowning E2, Pabbay. Lives up to it's reputation.
Pale Diedre E2, Beinn Eighe. The only proper day in the mountains this year and a cracking long sustained pitch.
Top three new routes/problems
Show You're Working, 6C Torridon. A nice leaning wall up the hill. Cool to add to the growing list of quality in the glen.
Birtram Dickson 6C+, Achnashellach. As above.
Gurt Lush 6B+, Achnashellach. The same woodland block as Birtram Dickson, on the same day. Snow on the hills, sun in the sky, a light breeze in the pines, sticky sandstone. Paradise.
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Top Four Boulder Problems Uk
Walk on By 7C+ - Great thin wall climbing, a proper Peak classic.
Fluide 7C - A perfect little boulder problem tucked away in the woods, an absolute gem.
Underworld 7C+ - A Yorkshire Moon classic, managed to send it very quickly in a session, well chuffed.
Curious Yellow 7C+ - Another Yorkshire Moon classic. I had tried this on a number of occasions and always found it impossible, the key to success was going out the night before and getting absolutely wankered. Nice to tick off one of last years Top Spankings! :)
Top Three Trad Routes UK
The Devil Is In The Details E7 7a (2nd ascent) - Great to get the 2nd ascent of this, a proper wild route :bounce: https://vimeo.com/60344453
Marrowbone Jelly E7 6c - A headpoint ascent above pads, great technical climbing, a Yorkshire classic.
https://vimeo.com/59855883
Gaia E8 6c - Hard Grit - THE gritstone classic :) I'm glad I didn't go for the flash.
https://vimeo.com/79040700
Top 3 Sport Routes UK
Grooved Arete 8a+ - One of the best at the grade!, I fell from the last bolt on my first redpoint and then kept falling in the same place over and over!, great feeling clipping the chains.
Caviar 8a+ - Gnarly Peak limestone at its best. A true Peak classic.
The Dangerous Brothers 8a - The only other UK sport I did, good little route if you like the crimp.
Top 3 Routes Abroad
Inesperance 7a+ - Immaculate rock, brilliant climbing, beautiful setting. Perfect.
Cent Patates 7b+ - My first ever route at Ceuse, managed to on sight it as a warm up in between showers.
Sous la griffe de lucifer 7a - My first proper big climb. 450m. You know you're high up when somebody base jumps past you. I remember looking up after 3 hours of climbing and thinking we haven't even made a dent on it. Topping it out in the full July sun without any water left. Such a good day.
Top 2 Routes/Probs Put Up
Hired Goons E8 6c - So happy to have got the FA of this. Needs a second ascent!
https://vimeo.com/64967928
Will's Dyno 8A - One of the best and hardest dynos I have done. Very happy. Also needs a second ascent!
https://vimeo.com/79523931
Top Spankings
Ceuse walk in :sick:
Any hard sport route at Ceuse, I'm so unfit.
Looking back at 2013 it's been bloody great, I've not done loads of climbing compared to previous years but I have definitely done some more quality climbing. I hope everyone crushes their projects in 2014!
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Top Three Boulder Problems Uk
Weedkiller Traverse - Managed it in a quick session, my first of the grade. Good psyche all around the crag!
Millers Tale - God this took forever (somehow?!)
Pete pinched my arse - A problem on our woodies, house psyche!
Top Three Trad Routes UK
Tried one, decked out. Mission unsuccessful.
Top 3 Sport Routes UK
Tufa King Hard - What a route!
Countdown - First good peak route I've done, really enjoyed it!
Seventh Aardvark - First of the grade and what a battle I had!
Top 3 Routes Abroad
100% Collegues (Ceuse) - Went bolt to bolt and got it second go. Never been so pumped in my life. Thank god you got a hands off rest before a balancy finish!
Welcome to the Circus (Chorro) - Bit of a siege on this but an amazing route!
Artisan (Pinos, Costa Blanca) - Flashed for a warm up. Absolute battle for me!
Top Spankings
Petit Illusions (Ceuse) - Fell off the finish on the onsight (current best is 6c+) and then couldn't get past the second bold on all the following attempts!
Mixed Feelings (Wales, somewhere) - Fell above the roof and ripped out my bomber (well, maybe not) gear and hit the deck. Luckily not badly injured. Followed by a drunken night in denbigh, hobbling around covered in cuts and blood!
Costa Blanca - Fell off the last (easy) move of too many routes!
Injuries - Wish they'd fuck off.
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Higginson's Scar, Porth Ysgo - so good I went right back round and did it again.
Not My Stile, Caley - a nemesis ticked off. Had to work out a different sequence to get to the top and then a sequence for the topout!
Fist Fight, Brimham - grim, dirty, offwidth udging...brilliant!
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Kim's Arete, Lindfield, Sydney - one of numerous top climbs done on a snatched day during a month long work trip out.
Scarface, Cuvier Rampart - just a lovely feature and great moves.
Laser - Cuvier Rampart - 'cos I'm a grade whore and it felt like 7a to me.
Top three trad routes/solos UK
Spent my summer on an offwidthing odyssey so:
Castle Crack, Brimham - psyched out of taking the sharp end, really struggled on the second...really want to go back for the lead.
Boterrill's Crack, Ilkley - done early in the morning on one of the hottest days of the summer. Great fun.
Overhanging Groove, Almscliff - last route of a post-work 12-star routes session, topped out as the sun set...even the lottery etc etc
Top three sport routes UK
Ha!
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
All the solos I did old-skool style above a Hilton Hotels hand towel at Lindfield. Great place.
Top three new route/prob put up
N/A
Top Spankings
Terrazza Crack, Stanage - thought I'd wander up and piss this. I was wrong.
Demon Wall Roof, Almscliff - brief moment of promise when the heel started working one day which I've never been able to repeat.
Northumberland. In general but particularly Kyloe-In-The Woods.
All the above achievements were very satisfactory, but pale in comparison to finding out in 2013 I'm going to be a Dad for the first time. One month to go at time of writing and counting!
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Top
three six boulder probs, UK
C3PO - Roaches
Underhand - Almscliff
Ringpiece - Ilkley
The Storm - Stanage
Troll's Arete - Faerie's Chest
North West Overhang - Pex
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
The Sloth - Roaches. Have wanted to do this for years. Its piss!
Fern Hill and Five Finger Exercise - Cratcliffe. Classic! Whenever I climb an E2 it feels like a surprise for some reason.
The Alamo - Eavestone. A great route at a spectacular crag.
The Superdirect - Dinas Mot. Another big scalp. Glad I didn't get the hard pitch, thought it was very hard at the grade.
Vector - Bwlch y Moch. Definitely the stand out route of 2013. Just awesome
Top three sport routes UK
Puddle Jumper, Hartley Hare, Consenting Adults - Malham. My only day sport climbing this year.
Top three new route/prob put up
Bread and Dripping (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,22218.0.html)
The Dusty Windowsills (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,22517.0.html)
Exit Ophelia (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,23148.0.html)
Top Spanking's
Snowballing - Split tips quite early on in the session so got spat off just about everything.
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Have re-found my enthusiasm for bouldering over the last 12 months so would seem appropriate to record my best of 2013.
Top three boulder probs, in Devon and Cornwall
Monster Tide Extenstion (aka Mike's Start) - Lynmouth, superb stuff worth seeking out http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,22118.msg417551.html#msg417551 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,22118.msg417551.html#msg417551)
Wet Bootie - Upton (Bude) - Really good quality, never did it back in the day when the roof was still there - shame the roof is buried now there's really nothing else there to get excited about.
Varmint - Duckpool (Bude) - Cool arete that's well out of the way, finally made the effort.
Top three boulder probs, abroad up country
The Nose - Burbage West - a classic I had never tried until December 2013, funky toe hook!
Pete's Slab - Mynydd Dinas - really enjoyed this, very pleasant venue.
Scoop Dragon sit - Ogmore - day after my cousin's 40th at Port Talbot golf club (the only golf club I know of that dispenses with the first 18 holes!), hung over.. The Trench is ace!
Top three two new route/prob put up
Flesh and Blood Gods 7bish - Lynmouth West, a technical, slabby low traverse of the Giza block, will mean nothing to most on here but it's brilliant.
Midnight Marauders 7a+ - Lynmouth, lip traverse to hideous mantel, gym junkies will hate it!
Top Spanking's
Red Quinnie - Northcott - Still haven't done it and now, FFS, there's a block under the problem making it impossible, hopefully all these storm swells will shift it.
Jerry's Arete - RHS - Have always wanted to do it, had a one day chance ,the finger jam ate my southern softie finger and I sacked it. Consolation was doing RZA Roof for the first time.
Congrats TTT :beer2:
All of the above was achieved with child number 1 reaching the age of 3 in November and number 2 baking nicely to arrive 3 months (and a bit) from the time of writing.
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Flying Arete - almscliff, mainly because It was such a long battle just glad its over
Shortarse - Blackstones edge, Had written it off and given up on it for the day but went back for one more go and pulled it off. lovely move sit start with you heel above your head on a poor hold.
Crescent arete - Stanage, Icey cold on a snow balling day finally the moves made sense and I was at the top.
Top three boulder probs, abroad
Summer Vacation, Squamish - only a V0 but bloody brilliant high ball. You don't notice through the steep jug pulling how high you are until you do a balancy but easy top out.
Fissure Morin, Bas Cuvier - So good I did it twice.
Ca dérape sec, Canche aux Merciers - Again did it twice because it was brilliant.
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Red and Yellow and pink ... - Rainbow Slab, Second trad route of the year after not doing any bold trad in months felt amazing to be so high on the rainbow climbing there for the first time with no gear.
Loooning the tube - Australia, Great route. so happy to get this done.
The Thorn - Beeston, A brilliant route on probably the shitest day of the year for me.
Top three sport routes UK
Puddle jumper - Malham, As its my only uk 7 this year
Just realised how little sport I did this year.
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Jam Sesion - Bruixes, First 7b RP6 taking great falls, I got it first red point on the third day.
The Butt Lite - The Cheif Squamish, Great moves in a fantastic situation amazing views, brilliant end to the day.
Zoe - Murrin Park squamish, Really nice warm up if the whole route was a difficult as a the start.
Top Spanking's
Hartley hare - malham, A few sessions on this but did something to my knee on this which has hurt since
Superfly - Cheif boulders squamish, Three sessions with good beta and just lost skin
Le surplomb du lepreaux - L'Elephant, After being confident of an easy 6A being so close last year. This year went much worse and left me lost and confused.
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Beach Ball, Secret Garden. Less than a week after my first 7A (see below) I headed back to this, pretty much the only other boulder problem I’d tried all winter. Conditions were baltically great but I sanded my skin away failing at the same point over and over. As it was going dark, the snow was properly starting and the crag had been deserted I stood miserably drinking a last cuppa but decided to have one last go before packing up. Sent the fucker. ;D
Gorilla Warfare, Curbar. A full-on siege with many visits, the last three of which had me heading to the pit certain I'd do it. Got way stronger climbing this.
Trackside, Curbar. In contrast to GW I'd had a few casual goes on this each time I'd been at the crag for years, making only a little progress each time. After a blustery December day on the crag circuit I tried it again as the sun set and made quantum leaps every go, culminating in a very satisfying result.
Top three trad routes/soloes UK
Easter Island, Dove Dale. This was a route I’d had on my list ever since I’d started climbing, but only this summer did I have the confidence to try it. For some reason I picked one of the hottest days of the year, when every possible way of trying the crux seemed greasily improbable. Only after I’d realised that my crap wire could actually be replaced with a bomber one of a different size did I sketch my way through it to romp up the rest in delight. My mate had a complete breakdown seconding it and ended up abandoning a cam in the top crack in order to get off the route ASAP. Total ascent time: >3 hours! :-[
Night Riders, Pembroke Range West. A fantastic 45m steep bridging corner that would be famous if it was in Range East. As we were gearing-up the guy who’d just led it gave me dire warnings about how loose it was so I climbed in complete fear of breaking massive bits off- turned out that only the top 5m is dodgy (so no different to anything else in Pembroke!) and he was just trying to scare me off so his mates could climb it. :wank: With hindsight this just made it more enjoyable. :ras:
Bamford Wall, Bamford. Just a lovely solo on a nice walk late in September.
Top three sport routes UK
Quality Control, Chee Dale Two Tier. A great route in my opinion. Great to find a good Peak lime route without crimps! Getting this on my second session made me realise that 7a wasn't a super-hard grade for me any more.
Rose Coronary, Malham. It took me 6 sessions over 18 months to get this- harder than Consenting in my opinion. On my first visit to Malham I was absolutely destroyed after dogging it once but on the day I did it I top-roped it clean to warm up and led it straight after. :strongbench:
Pocket Rocket, Masson Lees. It’s a pretty crap route but doing this second go was the point when I first got confidence for leading routes back. It was also the first evening climbing of that sweet dry spell in the summer.
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
Amarillo Sunset, North 40, Red Rover Gorge. Undisputedly the best 11 in the Red- a smooth, blank 15% overhanging wall punctuated by honeycomb-style sinker jugs. The twist is that hardly any of them work in the direction you expect so the chances of getting both pumped and wrong-handed are very high. It's goey. Add "sporting" bolt placement and exposure twice the length of the route for a breathtaking combination! Taking an 8-9m whip from the last hard move onsight just added to the satisfaction of cruising second go.
Manifest Destiny, The Solarium, Red River Gorge. First 7a in the US. The crux is a roof and it was cool to powerscream through it. I thought this was soft as I did it so quickly but my mate had a nightmare on it and opinion seems to be it's solid at the grade. 8)
Random Precision, The Gallery, Red River Gorge. The Gallery is my favourite crag over there- such amazing rock architecture and variety in styles of climbing, including this, one of only about five decent slabs (it's an 88 degree wall really...) in the entire area. I got on it in my smeary shoes at the end of a day and got spanked, came back with the right attitude and footwear and had a blast. Probably the hardest route of this type I've ever done.
Top Spankings
Archangel, Stanage. Tried to snowball this but simply couldn’t do it- . My deficiencies at the time in both laybacking and keeping my head together when moderately high up were cruelly highlighted by everyone else at the crag waltzing up it first go while I gibbered, shook and plummeted off from higher and higher up. Just as well I hadn't tried it without the snow...
Too Many Puppies, Left Flank, Red River Gorge. Such beautiful rock. I was so psyched to get up on the arête of this thing but it turned out that it was guarded by a fierce crimpy boulder problem start and I could barely get off the deck, let alone up to the meat of the route. :'(
Reverence, Wallsend South, Portland. Couldn’t even top-rope this. Felt mentally hard!
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Top
3 6 boulder problems UK:
Gale Force, Laggan - amazing high arete
Brin Done Before, Brin - amazing highball roof
Le Toit Du Col Du Mouton, Glen Clova - amazing pure roof
Romancing The Stone, Reiff - amazing technical wall
Autumn Arete, Achray - excellent burly prow
Pyramid Lip, Glen Ogle - excellent graunchy lip
Top 3 sport routes UK:
Axe Grinder, Creag Nan Cadhag - fierce and rewarding
The One And Only, Brin Rock - full on slap above bolt
The Ticks Ate All The Midges, Moy Rock - steady good fun
Top 3 sport routes abroad:
DNA, Kalymnos - a rare limestone ambition, as fun as it looks
Calliope, Kalymnos - skin of teeth desperation
Studentweg, Pfalz - very cool varied climbing
Top 3 30* trad routes UK:
The Purr-Blind Doomster, Cambusbarron - the perfect challenge
Triode, Glen Nevis - beautiful slab climb
Colder Thank A Hooker's Heart, Creag Dubh - easy bold jug hauling
On The Beach, Glen Nevis - brilliant super-sketchy slab
The Final Solution, Creag Dubh - more great bold wall climbing
Lady Charlotte, Dunkeld - intense and very intricate
Neart Nan Gaidheal, Ardmair - perfect pumpfest
Nijinski, Auchinstarry - good line and complex climbing
The Prow, Cummingston - great fun roof
Wall Of Flame, Diabeg - stunning immaculate slab
Economy Drive, Cambusbarron - super-intense sustained wall
Bratach Uaine, Creag Dubh - wild crux and great runouts
Cocaine, Rosehearty - good burly power climb
Aesthetic Ape, Cummingston - excellent cruxy route
The Tube, Back Bowden - classic mini-adventure
Wally 2, Ratho - crisp bold wall climbing
Exasperated Escapologist, Ardmair - steady and delightful
Pettifar's Wall, Ratho - lovely slab moves
Dark Island, Orkney - awesome bold but steady rib
DIY, Stanage - superb technical solo
Hunky Dory, Roaches - perfectly balanced route
No Maybes, Orkney - great steep climbing
On The Rocks, Whisky Cliff - wild dyno crux
Old Fashioned Waltz, Rosehearty - excellent thin slab
The Essential, Rosehearty - more good power climbing
Deimos, Glenmarksie - intricate slab delights
Wally 1, Ratho - intense and excellent route
Rigormortis, Castle Rock - great varied pitch
Brave New World, Diabeg - amazing line, amazing climb
Bogie, Diabeg - underrated lovely slab
Top 3 trad routes abroad:
Breaking Strain, Morocco - brilliant line with a desperate fight
Infinity, Morocco - best pitch in the area with big wall above
Rotewand, Pfalz - long, varied and exciting, up a mighty wall
Top first ascent:
Multipitch Is For Fat Weak Cunts, Morocco - genuinely great little compression bloc (https://vimeo.com/57017785)
Top 3 spankings:
Scoobie Dubh, Gruinard Bay - lunged for the wrong bit of the top because I'd decided not to check it out while walking off - NOOB
The Ivy League, Limekilns - wimped out of a 5a move to a hands off rest - WTF
Freakshow, Goat Crag - trusted guide description and got so pumped I couldn't see straight - NO CHANCE
Best year's climbing I've had. Less UK exploration, less mileage, more focus, more falling practice.
* - sorry, struggled to get it down to 30...
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Boulder problems UK
Boyager, Burbage North - good crack with a few folk, 2 sequences emerging for the tall & the short and 2 grades for the grounded and delusional. Ended up 1-1 all round.
Triangle Wall, Burbage South - looks like it should be so easy, tried briefly many times without success but much frustration. Late one day, a quick look, tired but the gears whirred and the method became apparent. Had to go back another day but got it at last.
Low and Hard, Back Bowden - Last day of a week in the County, we meet folk for the first time and show interest in this. "Totally nails" they tell us... "one move 7B..." "desperate..." "can't touch it". Got the move fourth go and topped it out in about six. Look at me.
Boulder problems Abroad
Clin D'oeil - first day, sun shining, forecast dodgy for all week. Had a quick look and sussed most of it then took my turn to herd kids, Went back after Lunch, had just warmed up again only to be told we were about to leave (kids getting tired and bored), had one shot and had to make it count....
La Cle Droit (or something) 6am at Cuvier, men in suits walking around looking furtive, surprised to see me and disappearing quickly. A topout about as atypical as they come, like dry humping, which seemed apt.
L'Oblique - had three short sessions previously trying the throw move and watching a succession of Brits dabbing the floor and/or the rock behind, wondering what the world has come to. Last day, mixed weather, tweaked sequence, closing in but it rains, then I do the throw but my mate's spot is a bit keen. Think that's it but manage to pull it out of the bag from somewhere.
Trad
Sergeyenna - First time at this particular Tor. I'll just warm up on this.... Oh dear, watch me here... here... and here...
Flakes Direct & Scoop Wall. - lead on same day and both awesome routes at a much maligned venue, had seconded SW 20 yrs previously but remembered nothing.
Ai No Corrida - snowball of course. Absolute quality though
Sport - bad year, nothing extraordinary springs to mind.
Spankings
while not really spankings having only had one quick go on each but disappointed not to finish Incredible Shaking Man (sit) and Headbanger after doing the disproportionally hard first move on both.
training - got it all wrong over summer chasing 8a and still paying for it now.
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Not my most productive year!
Top three boulder probs, UK
Top three new route/prob put up
All in Clochindare Bay
Police Squid SS - 6b - wall left of Secret Policeman's Other Ball
Silence of the Clams - 6b - morpho sitter on boulder in south side of bay
Raging Pool - 6c - Great climbing up highball wave of rock. Didn't technically do FA, but found, cleaned and gave away to mate wjho was out with me that day.
(grades TBC, can't grade to save my life)!
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Top three routes abroad (any genre)
A toughie this year...
Primrose Dihedrals - We didn't have a 4x4 so we had to walk-in. The first day we walked in it was blazing hot. The second was fairly similar. About halfway up the route (after a good argument) jamming clicked for both of us and I don't think I can communicate just how much I enjoyed the upper pitches. Amazing, AND a parois tick too.
The Leaning Tower - You can only learn so much from reading books / the internet. This was proven on our first attempt at the tower that was basically a comedy of errors. We sorted all of that out and I f*cking loved being up there, pulling on gear.
Igor Unchained, CA Needles - Wow. We picked this as a warmup on our first day at the Needles and it set the tone for the quality of climbing we'd encounter for the entire week.
(an honourable mention goes to Sunset Strip in Squamish, a new route which we both found thoroughly enjoyable. The pitches are really good up until it meets Crap Crags. Find Jade was also very good. Too many other to mention).
Top three new route/prob put up
NA
Top Spanking's
Lurking Fear - Baked off the wall on round 1, round 2 someone ditched all of our fluids and round 3 the valley filled full of smoke. All enjoyment was slowly sapped out of the route by the aforementioned issues. We climbed the height of El Cap without actually climbing El Cap on this route. :shit:
Reg. NW Face - Two shots at this, round 1 turned out to be memorial day which was a major error as it was a) heaving and b) ze germans were hauling the route with zero care. A LOT of rock came down, we bailed. Round 2, it'd been hot in Yosemite (the van was unbearable even at night) and thus we went up to half dome with less bivi gear than usual the night the weather turned. It was freezing and we spent possibly my most uncomfortable night yet at the base. We awoke at 5am to get cracking and uncoiling the rope Nat came rather too close to a large falling block. We bailed. :shit:
Both of these still sting.
Top Omissions
Levitation 29 - it was just too hot in Red Rocks for anything S. Facing.
All in all (wedding etc.) a very good year.
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Top three boulder probs, UK
Shirley's Shining Temple Font 7c, Stanage - well worth seeking out
Ben's Wall Font 7c, Curbar - a long term project no longer in the future
Barry Sheene Font 7c, Gardoms - possible at 5'10"
Top three Snowball solos UK
Archangel E3 5b, Stanage - so easy once committed!
Shine On E7 6c, Stanage - boulder problem Font 7a+
Weather Report E6 6c, Stanage - so good did it 3 times
Top three sport routes UK
Mecca Extension 8c, Raven Tor - a lot of work
Idefix 8b, Malham - a multiyear project slain! Been trying on/ off since 2009
Bricktop 8b, Cheedale Cornice - who says its not worth trying 4th go?! Especially when the crag turns into a waterfall the next day and ends play for 2013
Top three routes abroad (any genre)
French Connection 5.13b, Smith Rock, Oregon - only crux and easier top bit of To Bolt or not to Be
Ramadan 8a+, Suirana - a nice fitness wake up call after Christmas indulgence
Darkness at Noon 5.13a, Smith Rock - my first 7c+ onsight, excellent. Go try it!
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Primrose Dihedrals - We didn't have a 4x4 so we had to walk-in. The first day we walked in it was blazing hot. The second was fairly similar. About halfway up the route (after a good argument) jamming clicked for both of us and I don't think I can communicate just how much I enjoyed the upper pitches. Amazing, AND a parois tick too.
Is this the same route that Airlie Andersen had a foul mouthed tirade on while climbing with Aid Burgess for a BBC2 show?
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Primrose Dihedrals - We didn't have a 4x4 so we had to walk-in. The first day we walked in it was blazing hot. The second was fairly similar. About halfway up the route (after a good argument) jamming clicked for both of us and I don't think I can communicate just how much I enjoyed the upper pitches. Amazing, AND a parois tick too.
Is this the same route that Airlie Andersen had a foul mouthed tirade on while climbing with Aid Burgess for a BBC2 show?
Oh yeah remember that, might even have it on VHS.
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Barry Sheene Font 7c, Gardoms - possible at 5'10"
Any advance on 5' 8"?
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When you stop walking like Liam Gallagher you're taller than 5ft 8
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True. I'm almost 5' 8.5".
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Is this the same route that Airlie Andersen had a foul mouthed tirade on while climbing with Aid Burgess for a BBC2 show?
I don't know, but I'd love to watch it if so. Airlie was featured in another hilarious story I was told the other day re: a one day push on Zodiac.
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Is this the same route that Airlie Anderson had a foul mouthed tirade on
Pretty sure it is yeah, well worth digging out.
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Her most infamous media appearance was on the TV series The Face. First she accused the legendary macho mountaineer Al Burgess of being a ‘wuss’ (for only ever having taken a single leader fall) during a beer-fuelled interchange in the pub, then proceeded to swear profusely when she found herself out of her depth in Utah on Moses Towers’ Primrose Dihedrals (E4). It provided some of the most memorable TV climbing footage of recent years!
Source (http://www.mountain-heritage.org/entity.php?ID=119).
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Is this the same route that Airlie Andersen had a foul mouthed tirade on while climbing with Aid Burgess for a BBC2 show?
I don't know, but I'd love to watch it if so. Airlie was featured in another hilarious story I was told the other day re: a one day push on Zodiac.
Just trawled my old VHS collection and it appears I have this along with the accompanying book! Unfortunately I haven't got a way of transferring it onto DVD / interweb but can lend you the VHS if you want?
Quote from the book:
With as much self doubt as she could muster, and with the help of every swearword related to male and female anatomy, sado-masochism and the sexual encouters of deviants, Airlie arrived at the top of the second pitch
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Not a bad year in retrospect (maybe, just, maybe, life isn't shit). Main focus was consolidating my relatively recent embracing of the dark art of red-pointing. Capped by a late rediscovery of the delights of things diminutive and grit-stone.
Top Routes - Home
A potted history of highlights:
- the "Kilnsey campaign": seeing off Comedy from last year (really pleased with that as it's my anti-style); then The Ashes (sweating and shaking my way to the belay was a near out-of-body experience, every move from the last clip was a throw more in hope than expectation), finishing with Lapin (my favourite sequence all year: an extreme bit of flagging to make an oddly scarey clip, followed by a sweet pivot and rock-over).
- Serious Young Toads - bit of a watershed for my approach, a succession of poor holds with no rests, made me realise that I'll only ever climb harder if I move faster and faff and worry a bit less.
- New Dawn - done as a quick consolation after a weeks of failing elsewhere... God knows why I hadn't tried it earlier: brilliant route.
- Phantom Zone - although any route from Chapel would be worthy of inclusion - such a good crag for F7s.
Top Routes - abroad
Didn't really work anything on my two trips, just lots of on-sighting / half-session projects. The routes that stuck in the mind more than the rest were:
- Black Moon and L'homme a l'Envers in Antalya - the on-sight of the latter being possibly my longest, most draining sport route experience ever - scorchio heat, my glacial climbing style, and a south-facing tufa wrestling epic - not a good combo!
- Guill-at (Margalef) and Xerinola and Aye Mamita (both Siurana Valley).
Bouldering
- Highlight for me was getting around to visiting Anston. Not so much the problems themselves, more the experience of going somewhere unfamiliar, walking down wooded paths clutching a photocopied magazine article, peering anxiously through trees for chalk-dabbed rock. Favourite problems probably Alpha and Beretta
- On grit, no big projects but was happy to polish off some unfinished business over this festive period - namely, the low level eliminate of the South Cave Traverse at 'cliff, No Red Tape Traverse at Brimham, and Who Are We If Not Moon at Baildon. Nowt desperate (or nice, come to think of it) but all problems that had thwarted me in younger, stronger days.
Spankings
- Rain'f'in'dogs....... went from being a conveniently dry training route to an obsession. Highlight / lowlight was my foot slipping whilst I near statically reached for the belay. If I don't manage to get my route-fitness back to pre-winter levels, my gravestone epitaph will read "I touched the krab".
- Man With a Gun ..... thought I was in with a chance of an end of season RP then tore a finger tip off on the start. Not sure if I will be back in the Spring - can't quite decide which side of the satisfying / horrible borderline it lies on (and so technical and involved I would effectively have to start working out the sequence again from scratch).
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Bit of a weird year, dogged by various injuries (ring pulley, torn bicep, strange 'twanged fingers', old forefinger knuckle injury returned intermittantly and then a knackered knee). Too injured to boulder during Jan – April period, but could manage winter climbing. Luckily we had one of the best seasons ever, with amazing conditions, especially late on running into April. Once the snow melted I didn’t really tie on much after that (Rhoscolyn, Ormes and a bit of new routing); spent my time mostly researching the new NWB guide. So lots of mileage, interspersed with bouts of FA obsession.
Best routes
Route II with new direct finish (Glyder Fach) – a deeply memorable experience that will stick me forever. Really atmospheric day, no visibility, ostensibly a second ascent, but following our noses and picking off an amazing new finish. Full on heavy duty conditions; crag was buried in snow. No-one else around apart from some other mates further along the crag lost in their own adventures. We couldn’t see them but occasionally when the wind dropped there voices would drift across. Main pitch was incredible; I recall topping it out in a state of disbelief. A long trip up the never ending exit ridge left us on top in the dark in a blizzard. Stumbled about the summit boulder field then marched out missing the descent route and had to keep going until we could find a way down (tracks in the snow disappearing fast as the blizzard took hold). All very epic. Eventually got back to the road miles from the car – more marching, then finally managed to hitch a lift.
Grey Ghost, second ascent of an excellent VI 6 put up on Glyder Fawr by Mr Harrison a few days earlier. A real 'grab it while you can' moment. I lead the techy mixed pitch then Chummer dealt with the thin, bold ice pitch (just enough ice to make it possible). Once again, heavy duty conditions – thought we were going to get avalanched on the way down.
Colin’s Gully and Mask of Death in Cwm Silyn. Last day of the season and managed to grab two stunning ice routes. My torn bicep was pretty bad at this point so these felt quite challenging. http://news.v12outdoor.com/2013/04/08/mask-of-death-vvi-56/ (http://news.v12outdoor.com/2013/04/08/mask-of-death-vvi-56/)
Seconded a mate on an amazing new E5/6 thing on a crag x. One of the most perfect rock climbs I’ve ever had the pleasure of climbing. I tried a similar line to the right but didn’t have the right sized cam. Crag then got wet and we never went back – must return this year.
Gambit Climb, a super classic multipitch severe on Clogwyn y Ddysgl with my wife and son. I’d soloed it before but it was great to go back. Beautiful day and just at the right level of difficulty for the team (who all coped splendidly).
Slanting Buttress Ridge on Lliwedd – soloed this on a long hot summer’s day then finished with a loop of the Snowdon Horseshoe round to Crib Goch, followed by an ice cold beer in Llanberis on the way home (pub was full of lots of old friends which made it hard to leave!). One of those days when everything just falls into place.
Bouldering
Phil’s Roof, Craig y Castell – big diagonal 25 move 6B on immaculate tremadog dolerite. Guidebook research work is occasionally quite wonderful. This sits in the scree below the crag – go and do it if you are ever passing.
Finally sussed out Fachwen and realised its true charm. Some great problems here, admittedly dotted about the place. For example: The Ramp sds up at the left side of Lion Rock for example is a brilliant 6C+ish thing.
Various 7A+ and 7B links on the Gwynant roadbloc. Can’t believe I dismissed this all those years ago – it’s ace! http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/upload/members/Gwynant%20RoadblocV6.pdf (http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/upload/members/Gwynant%20RoadblocV6.pdf) http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=663 (http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=663)
Didn’t climb outside of Wales much this year but did enjoy Slim Shady low start at Shaftoe – been going to Shaftoe for years (as it’s within striking distance of my mam’s house) but never walked in from the main road, so had missed this. Great problem and right up my street. Also dabbled a bit in North Devon while on holiday – always good to see new areas.
FAs
Lunar Block – developed this new dolerite block in the Ogwen Valley in the spring. I was really weak and injured when I started but slowly crept back, picking off incrementally harder lines as I went. Finished with a superb trio of FAs: a 7A, a 7A+ and a 7B. Very satisfying. http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=666 (http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=666)
(http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/upload/gallery/Steep%20Arete%203%20600_0694.jpg)
Cwm y Foel – top quality dolerite boulder field below Cnicht first developed by Huffy back in the mid noughties. Fantastic day up here climbing various excellent new problems. Amazing 8A/+ish project if anybody fancies a go and doesn’t mind a big walk in.
Cwm Glas Bach, Llanberis Pass – spent a lot of time here researching for the guide, then inevitably sussing out and doing several excellent FAs. Handrails of Crib Goch 7A+ was such an obvious challenge – very pleased to crack it first. http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=672 (http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=672) Cockney man Witch 7A+ - was an extremely absorbing traverse – 30m long and with a super tenuous crux section. Felt like doing a route. http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=682 (http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=682) Hardest thing I did in this period was an intense 7Bish line following a curving crack line – I haven’t reported this (or a few other things) yet as there is still some major unfinished business here.
Started to get involved with Porth Nefoedd towards the very end of the year. Some really exciting developments down here, including an as yet unreported 8A (obviously not by me) which I have a film of the FA. Here's a pic of an impressive new 7A+ done by Owen Hayward in December:
(http://news.v12outdoor.com/wp-content/uploads/Hang-em-High-2-600_2887.jpg)
Spanked on
Didn’t try seiging anything, stayed checking or trying more do-able stuff so had lots of success and not much failure. A couple of face slaps though:
Secret Fachwen traverse project – quite a few sessions working this out. So close but no cigar. The one day I could have done it I was driven away by midgies! – looking forward to trying it again in the next sustained dry period.
Nicorette – new Cwm Glas Bach 6C+ done by Ray Wood. I just can’t do it, I’m not sure I ever will…
All in all, an interesting year, despite the annoying injuries. Be good to stay injury free in 2014 and travel a bit more.
PS Glad to see a few folk bigging up Higginson Scar at Porth Ysgo. I did this a few days ago for the first time in about ten years and was (once again) blown away by how good it is.
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HS is probaby the most memorable prob from my day there. I loved Porth Ysgo, shame it's so bloody far.
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Such a sweet (and at first, unlikely) bit of movement when you shift left into the scoop.
I guess it would be better if it wasn't (typically) about an hour's drive from my house - but then again the remoteness delivers that special Lleyn immunity to rainfall.
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Hour from your house - that's back doorstep by comparison! Some people don't know they're born etc.
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Such a sweet (and at first, unlikely) bit of movement when you shift left into the scoop.
I guess it would be better if it wasn't (typically) about an hour's drive from my house - but then again the remoteness delivers that special Lleyn immunity to rainfall.
I'm contemplating Ysgo this Saturday. Si, you're lucky only being an hour away! It's 2 hours 20 mins from Wrexham...
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Hour from your house - that's back doorstep by comparison! Some people don't know they're born etc.
:)
I remember once when I was in America and this bloke was describing his local crag to me - I asked him how far it was from his house and he said 4 hours drive!
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Such a sweet (and at first, unlikely) bit of movement when you shift left into the scoop.
I guess it would be better if it wasn't (typically) about an hour's drive from my house - but then again the remoteness delivers that special Lleyn immunity to rainfall.
I'm contemplating Ysgo this Saturday. Si, you're lucky only being an hour away! It's 2 hours 20 mins from Wrexham...
Saturday looks like a nice day down there (especially for photographs). Not much wind but at least it'll be cold. Better conditions on Sunday though (windy and turning overcast).
Hopefully I'll be down that way on one of these days (and possibly tomorrow).
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Barry Sheene Font 7c, Gardoms - possible at 5'10"
Any advance on 5' 8"?
Any tips/tricks? I'm prob half an inch taller than you and could only just tickle the hold at full extension of the undercuts. I suppose it did feel like it may be possible, but wanted to get more stuff done that day
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I can't remember, tried it a few times last weekend with no joy, using a slight drop knee on the right leg. I do remember getting very frustrated with it back when I did it. Getting the hold isn't too bad, matching it is grim. Far inferior to the the original for the short.
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Keep banging that drum.
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Keep banging that drum.
Is that a little drum I keep hearing? ;)
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A continuation of 2012 trends really. Became even more of a developer hermit, did even less sport climbing and didn’t get a rope out once for tradding. I’d love to have done some trad but it seems hard to get partners for sub big-numbers classic pottering these days. Oh yeah and turned 40 and become even more of a grumpy old man (see above).
UK Bouldering
Haven’t got much classic local amenable stuff left to try these days and spent much more time doing or trying new things. So don’t have a huge selection to choose from.
Jason’s Roof – Crookrise. World class. I remember biviing under it in its pre-ascent, unchalked state. Wonder if I had a dream about going back there more than twenty years later and having a cracking time on an insanely windy day with some top blokes.
The Knife – Stanton-in-the-Woods. Proof that small boulder problems can be as amazing as big ones. Had always dismissed it as a crappy tall man’s pull-off-the-ground-and-quickly-slap job (a la The Joker via the campus beta), but after a lot of effort managed to figure a lovely tenuous static sequence. Very satisfying.
Blackfoot – Rowsley Wood. Thought I’d bagged me a classy new 7c prow. Turns out Dan Warren beat me to it by five years. Lots of crimping and heels, very eatswood.
UK Trad
Didn’t get a rope on for this at all in 2013, but did do some DWS and snowballing
Shine On – A lovely bit of climbing, all the nicer for having a soft landing
Nefertiti – On my own in the rain on the last possible snowball day. Grey skies, wet holds - felt like the circus was packing up and leaving town. Moody.
Hornier than Thou – Great boiling hot long weekend in prep for Mallorca. Did a selection of the classics, all great but this one probably was the most fun if a bit lowball.
UK Sport
Did next to bugger all.
Body Machine Direct – Tor. Felt the need to re-climb the route in its treeless state.
Rub-a-dub-dub – The Diamond. First visit to the Diamond. Could this be the best route at the grade in the UK? Then tried Non-tidal Screamer, another superb route, but proper old school terror!
Bloodsports – Mayfair Wall. Have always loved Mayfair Wall.
Foreign routes
Banditto – A great intro to trickier DWS stuff. Still hadn’t fallen in at this point so adrenaline was high on the slap at the top.
Foreign bouldering
Did some nice problems in Brittany in the Kerlouan area, but don’t know what most of them were due to the topo being unfathomable. Enjoyed the shrimping even more than the climbing though to be honest.
Bouldering FA
This accounted for most of 2013 so I’m having double my quota.
Panopticon – Howshaw. Took a lot of walking and thinking, mostly on my tod to find a way across this beast of a roof. One of my proudest finds. Good to see and hear about other folk getting up there and enjoying it.
Broke Beak Mountain – Howshaw. Super steep beasting on proper holds. Very un-grit.
Green Lipped Muscle – Cratcliffe. No doubt destined to never see any attention as it is A bloody desperate, B a traverse, C wet much of the time. Crying shame as the crux section is a deviously sublime game on the nicest of holds Cratcliffe has to offer. Very grit.
Mother Goosed – Mother Cap Quarry. Had great fun revamping this dishevelled local venue. I really rate the circuit here and was pleased with this find.
Any of the probs - The Loafstone. Another decent local mini circuit I’d been meaning to clean up for ages. Seems to be moderately popular now. Great place for a picnic with the kids in the spring when the Bluebells are out.
Dad’s Arete_A Belly Full of Brad Berries – Endcliff – Bit of a one prob venue but near Stanton so no great detour. Short, overhanging, 7b+, fontesque, slippery, sharp, arete, bon.
Spankings
Nemesis – For at least the third time in a decade I put in a session or two on this only to be thwarted by the whole crag crapping out for the season. Aptly named.
Ejector Seat – Yep I’m still rubbish at dynos. At least it pushed me into some proper DWS lobbing.
The Fly – Always waste at least an hour on it every time I’m at Crookrise.
Rarest and least likely to ever be repeated climb of 2013:
The Legend of the Peanut – Bull Stones – Worth one star but really not worth the huge walk in with pads. Had trudged in with Gritlad on the strength of some photos I’d found on google. Sadly the feature was not as good as it had looked and there was literally nothing else of merit at the crag.
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Rub-a-dub-dub – The Diamond. First visit to the Diamond. Could this be the best route at the grade in the UK?
Can't think of a better one!
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Barry Sheene Font 7c, Gardoms - possible at 5'10"
Any advance on 5' 8"?
Yep, 5' 8" span.
Any tips/tricks?
I bridged across, getting loads of weight on my right foot, to make sure my left (undercutting) arm was directly under the crimp, deadpointed to the crimp (leave matching space) to give me full extension, and as I pulled it into a crimp my feet came off. Put one foot back on, then I found matching OK, and once you have the Sloper to the right it's over. Unless you're Steve Royle, then the crux topout is still to come.
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as I pulled it into a crimp my feet came off
Wow, you know how to train then Duma! Open hand a shit edge and then pull it into a crimp. Footless.
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Surely a useful climbing skill/strength in general...
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It can't have been that impressive or memorable at the time, cos you were there Adam.
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It must be the way you tell 'em Andy.
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Bonjoy
Blackfoot – Rowsley Wood
Curious about the location, any other stuff there ?
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I’d love to have done some trad but it seems hard to get partners for sub big-numbers classic pottering these days
I have the same problem. Always keen for this stuff, you know who to call!
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Mark - I'm just about to put something on a new probs thread
JB - Good stuff. Hope all my cams haven't seized up.
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Top thread - great reading about all the diverse stuff that people get up to.
And Bonjoy, loved that term 'developer hermit', have a wad point.
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Pretty sure it is yeah, well worth digging out.
Seen this now, although it was all beeped out!
I remember finding that bit (where she has the outburst) tricky and having a bit of an outburst a few metres higher when I realised firstly that the pitch wasn't over (it didn't even finish at the next logical point either), and secondly that I didn't have any suitable cams left.
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The Stevie Haston episode was the best, slagging of British mountaineers for doing their training in the pub.