UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => chuffing => Topic started by: Paul B on April 07, 2011, 04:29:35 pm
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Continuing on with my quest to learn how to climb in the direct reverse of what is sensible, I'm looking for some suggestions for E4's, currently on grit as the weather is behaving itself.
Ideal candidates would have protection and shouldn't essentially be highballs. I'm still in the process of ticking off some massively glaring omissions (mostly at Millstone as part of the bigger picture of learning how cracks work) from my list but aspirational list making has taken over and I'm noting a severe lack of 4's.
Any help is greatly appreciated. Any humurous suggestions that leave me in a gibbering wreck are not.
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Are we to presume you would prefer well protected routes? ;)
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Chalk Storm @ Roaches :whistle:
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Moon Walk, Usurper, Forbidden Planet, Hurricane at Curbar
Caesarian, Chameleon and Borstal Breakout on Hen Cloud (oh my god, what a trio)
The Lawrencefield cracks behind the pool.
Saucius Digitalis at Shining Clough (desperate), Calamity Crack at Running Hill Pits, Bob Hope, Dovestones
(last three good for hot weather alternatives.
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:agree:
Moonwalk is really good. If you're at Millstone then Coventry Street and Tea for Two?
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Grand Illusion at the 'Cliff
Wellington Crack
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:agree:
Moonwalk is really good. If you're at Millstone then Coventry Street and Tea for Two?
Oh Jesus, Tea for Two, that's a cheeky one :-)
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Moon Walk, Usurper, Forbidden Planet, Hurricane at Curbar
Usurper you say? (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,3961.0.html)
I've also had a Curbar slapping.
Calvary is one of two grit E4s I have got up, so it can't be hard. I know not everyone is convinced by the gear at the top but it seemed OK to me. Bizarrely, Ramshaw Crack is the other, but this is possibly specialist taste. If Grand Illusion is now E4 then that is definitely a good call.
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Ha ha! grimer you cunt:
jesus all them curbar E4s are fucking bastards - usurper, forbidden planet, hurricane, dark entries. You get a right sweat on with those.
(http://i.ehow.co.uk/images/a05/7b/ss/sand-bag-exercises-800X800.jpg)
:lol:
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Moonwalk is escellent. Potential long fall form the top but you wouldn't hit owt.
I fluffed Usurper and backed off but it is safe and I'm told it's good.
The three around Billy Whiz, of which one is now down to E3: I've only done one but mates have done others and given very good reports.
Flute of Hope on higgar? Not done it but looks brilliant.
Auto Da Fe at Rivelin - I found it really tough but it was pretty safe and very good.
Chameleon at Stanage? another one that spanked me but safe I think.
Actually, I'll stop now. There seems to be a theme that most of the safe but harder E4s spanked me. I'm suffering here from having historically been crap but bold. Praps I'd better try some of them again and see if I'm less crap yet.
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In the Amber Valley I humbley and bravely recommend Whisper E4/5 at The Secret Garden (Chasecliffe) and Master of Suspense at Turning Stone Edge and Bristol Dream at eatswood Rocks. Apparently there is bouldering at eatswood too these days :)
Indoor Fisherman at Froggatt and Rasp Direct at Higgar haven't been mentioned are ace and fit your bill.
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The three around Billy Whiz, of which one is now down to E3: I've only done one but mates have
Boulevard was E3 6a when I did it (over 20 years ago) then went up to E4 and then down it seems to E3 5c! I think the confusion is because it's next to Billy Whizz which is actually a harder route despite getting E2 5c. Nonsense. Boulevard is a very good route whatever the grade.
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Another vote for Wellington Crack (Ilkley)
It starts from a high ledge - from which the first piece of gear can be placed at arms reach. Then there is plenty of gear all the way.
Oh, and crux low down just to make it more appealing for anyone with low balls to guns ratio
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Of those which have been mentioned both Moonwalk and Calvary are brilliant but a bit on the scary side at the top.
Autumn Wall at Wharncliffe is brilliant with spaced but solid gear.
Profit of Doom used to be on everyone's list, but I'm not sure what shape the nut slot will be in now (I preplaced a wire for a friend about 12 years ago and it was worn but OK then).
How about Nectar? Hathersage Trip? No More Excuses (OK it's a highball-ish start and an easy finish)? Deborah (might have to wait for proper summer)? Traveller in Time? Gypfast?
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Auto Da Fe at Rivelin - I found it really tough but it was pretty safe and very good.
Yeah I found this hard too. Hard but good.
Moonwalk is a great route, and essentially safe.
The strangler at stanage is also very good, airy but again relatively safe.
Calvary never appeals to me - i belayed a mate on it once, climbing on it didn't look that interesting, and the rock is not the best.
Wings of Unreason?
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Autumn Wall at Wharncliffe is brilliant with spaced but solid gear.
I nearly recommended this but remembered the start being pretty bold. Good gear after that though.
How about Nectar? Hathersage Trip? Traveller in Time? Gypfast?
I've not done Nectar but did wonder. HT was certainly safe but didn't know if it was classic enough to recommend. TIT gets E3 nowadays so I discounted it but is a good recommendation if Paul will stoop that far.
The strangler at stanage is also very good, airy but again relatively safe.
I was never sure the Strangler was safe. Falling off the last move would be uncomfortably close. Has it been tested?
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Indoor Fisherman is a great recommendation. One of the best E4's around. Most of the recommendations given so far are spot on actually, you won't go far wrong. I would put another vote in for the Millstone ones, especially since if you end up at home on the cracks and the general style there the E5's feel the same as the E4's e.g. Coventry Street and Jermyn Street.
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Few more that spring to mind. Sforzando on great tor, derwent feels wild but is safe and good for hot weather. Chameleon, stanage popular is safe and not a bad route - prob want it reasonably cool to enjoy it though. Diet of Worms and Rat Scabies would be good to do with moonwalk when at curbar - all 3 are medium bold I'd say. I would say downhill racer but it doesn't fit the bill (considering it's a quaried slab it is amazing and steady pulling down on positive holds all the way though....)
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Grand Ilusion, Jet Runner and Wings of Unreason are all safe and fairly soft. I would particularly recommend Wings - the leap for the top is great.
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(mostly at Millstone as part of the bigger picture of learning how cracks work)
Sentinel Crack :P
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skip E4- they tend to be much bolder propositions than a some clip up E5s like -
moonshine - curbar
moon crack curbar
strapo wotsit - froggatt
london wall - millstone
jermyn street - millstone
goosey goosey - stanage
will also vote for indoor fisherman though
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All the classics accounted for there. Nettle Wine's E4 in the new guide, and seems to fit the description. Goliath?
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"Traveller in Time" at Ramshaw is a good un, that was one of my firsts along with wings.
Someone mentioned "flute of hope" at higgar, quite tough that, even though it used to get e3!!
"Old Friends" at stanagwe high neb might not fit the bill as it's super bold, but it is awesome, and in the shade in the afternoon onwards
"moonwalk" at curbar is pretty perfect
Give me a shout if you need a belayer dude!!
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Mostly good recommendations so far, though Grimer’s suggestion of Hurricane at Curbar is a very cheeky sandbag indeed! Great route though.
My contributions:
Snug as a Thug, Stanage – Tough but brilliant. Safe if you can place cams properly (also bomber wire on crux which isn’t super obvious). Worth bringing mat for the moves up to first gear.
Nettle Wine, Cratcliffe – Tough end of E4 (used to get E5) but very safe. Essentially a really excellent F6c-ish boulder prob just above a break full of bomber cams.
National Power, Turning Stone Edge – Safe fun roof moves on curly crimps. A bit scrappy before and after the good bit but would make a brilliant day out if you did this, Shark's recommendation of Master of Suspense and then nipped over to Cocking Tor to do Cyclops’ Eye and Jelly Ache.
Licence to Run, Roaches – Safe and fun though you’ll prob end up spending more time placing gear than climbing
Silent Spring (pitch 2), Burbage South – Requires abbing into the ledge and belaying off the rope but well worth the hassle. About as out there as you get on grit whilst still being safe. More satisfying if you also do the short and rather bold first pitch but the real quality is on pitch 2. Could also be extended into Offspring which has more super safe ‘out there’ climbing at E5
Off With His Head and Chameleon, both Stanage Popular end – Tough safe bouldery stepped roofs
Autumn Wall, Wharncliffe - Quite soft. Excellent safe wall climbing
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Remergence at Burbage North? After all those years doing the start as a bouldering warmup it might be satisfying to top it out.
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Give me a shout if you need a belayer dude!!
Cheers dude, ditto if you fancy a soft landing!
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ignore wings paul,its a good climb but you will walk away thinking the walk along the skyline is harder.
as per grimer,the big 3 at hen cloud are all stunning.all falloffable but none a path.
ceasarian is top end e4,tricky move from an undercut to the first big break,good finger locks and jams and some typical hencloud roundedness
borstal is just a little sequence move on small edges
chameleon is safe but feels exposed
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Autumn Wall is easy E3, easy highball then good gear and steady crimping, nice tho.
The Strangler is hard E3, bold but bomber gear good fallout zone.
Jet Runner is easy E3 (but hard 6a), one move next to loads of good gear.
Cavalry is hard E3 but excellent, proper wall climbing for grit.
Gypfast is hard E2, big crimps and loads of pro.
Conversely...
Demon Rib @ Black Rocks is more E4 than all of the above. Serious start but very good overall.
Jellyache @ Cocking Tor feels more E4 than most of the above. Very good proper grit route.
Moonwalk is very good.
The Phantom @ Gradbach Hill is very good.
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if Paul will stoop that far.
Stoop? I'm trying bottom up i.e. the logical way, TBH good consolidation E3's are welcome. I'm still to get on Billy Whiz and Nat isn't keen on the title of this thread as it is :worms:
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Moonwalk is good, but i thought Borstal Breakout was similar in style but better; they're both ace though.
A Yorkshire vote for the All Quiet / Western Front link; safe, burly, pumpy, brutal for E4 but absolutely brilliant. Incidentally, has anyone climbed the link All Quiet / WF / Grand Illusion in a oner?
Nectar, climbed as one pitch up the corner and through the roof - hard for E4 but safe.
If you enjoy the Higgar style, and have done the routes already suggested, a 'collector's' tick that i thought was amazing is Arnold Schwartzanegger Stole my Body, more independent than it appears and great moves.
Nettle Wine is great.
Profit of Doom is amazing, protectable with a wire / alien combo iirc, but should probably be E5.
Tons of amazing E4 s in the lancs quarries: Adrenaline, Masterspy, Loopy, Isle of White ....
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If you enjoy the Higgar style,
Not really...
Thanks for all of the suggestions so far.
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Tons of amazing E4 s in the lancs quarries: Adrenaline, Masterspy, Loopy, Isle of White ....
amen to that
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They're a bit far for after work raids unfortunately :'(
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Jetrunner and Wings are the two that I've done and although they are the hardest graded climbs I've done they are certainly not the hardest!
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Wings looks tiny.
Could I be so bold (or more appropriately, timid) and extend this down to lowly E3's... (preferably in reach of Sheffield after 5 ish).
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To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if Jetrunner went down to E3 in a forthcoming guide. If you trust the small wires (which aren't that small) then its a doddle. I haven't really done a great deal above E1/E2 but Archangel is definitely worth pushing the boat out for and, while certainly not a highball, should be more than manageable for a gritstone bouldering aficionado.
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Wings looks tiny.
Could I be so bold (or more appropriately, timid) and extend this down to lowly E3's... (preferably in reach of Sheffield after 5 ish).
Two Super Safe but stiff E3 options...
Saville street - Millstone
Gates of Mordor - Millstone
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I've been really enjoying Millstone... Ta.
Whilst I understand your motives for recommeding Archangel it doesn't fit the bill in this instance.
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E3s
Stanage: The Asp (best after a dry spell), Censor (ace but scary), Telli and Tippler Direct to get started.
Rivelin: Angst
Wharncliffe: Autumn Wall (well, if fiend thinks it's E3...)
Wimberry: Charm
Gardoms: Crocodile, Waterloo Sunset, Sleeping Sickness, Stormbringer, (not Landsick Direct, it's horrible and I never managed to do it)
Roaches: Appaloosa Sunset
Hen Cloud ?? Dunno, they all look desperate.
Gradbach Hill: Crystal Voyager (finding the slab is harder than the climbing!)
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Did Black Hawk Bastion on Sunday, seems a bit of a gift at E3 but quite a nice sequence.
Also at Stanage, Guillotine should suit your stature.
At Millstone there's also Twikker and Time For Tea but I have an inkling that you've done them?
Boulevard at Lawrencefield?
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your inkling is correct. Some of the grades in this area have left me utterly bemused with just how inconsistent major classics can be.
Boulevard at Lawrencefield?
That and high life are pretty high up on my weeks priorities, strangely they even seem in front of getting any useful work done?
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your inkling is correct. Some of the grades in this area have left me utterly bemused with just how inconsistent major classics can be.
It does seem amazing that such a fuss is made over new route grades being found to be slightly awry when routes that have hundreds or even thousands of ascents can't yet be nailed down correctly.
Boulevard and high life are pretty high up on my weeks priorities, strangely they even seem in front of getting any useful work done?
High Street?
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probably.
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re Gardoms E3s, I bit my
tongue chin whole face off on Stormbringer so I'm not sure I would recommend it. Others where good although I thought Croc pretty bold.
Ascent of Man and Smear test at the Roaches are very good.
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The Swan too
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As this has kinda become a listing of three star E3s and 4s, could you remind me again, Paul, specifically what it is you're after?
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Curbar sandbags of course.
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As this has kinda become a listing of three star E3s and 4s, could you remind me again, Paul, specifically what it is you're after?
A set of BMC definitive guidebooks of course :tumble:
Safe (Peak, as I'm picking them off in the evenings) grit E4's originally. The Mrs. baulked and asked that I take her up a few more 3's first. TBH the list is likely too big for this year already.
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Ah, why didn't you say. I could start you off with a box of Wye Valley Limestone guides :)
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I'll get back to you on that one...
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Ah, why didn't you say. I could start you off with a box of Wye Valley Limestone guides :)
As long as they don't have V grades in then I'll take them.
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FFS it's 2011. Ab down for your gear and make the missus lead some nice safe HVS 5bs.
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Ah, why didn't you say. I could start you off with a box of Wye Valley Limestone guides :)
As long as they don't have V grades in then I'll take them.
We'Fonte had someone at the factory put a little sticky square oFonter eFontery instance of them so you should be ok.
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FFS it's 2011. Ab down for your gear and make the missus lead some nice safe HVS 5bs.
And what do you think happens when Paul B's missus can't get up a route, the gear is left in-situ for the next person? ::) :slap: :ras:
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Stormbringer is hard and could result in a nasty clatter into the slab. Did it last year and after the crux there are still a few moves to gear and was very dirty after that. Probably shows how few people make it past it. Didnt think much to the gear on croc but you can get loads in. Waterloo is also bold but safe and not too hard
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As far as E3's go, another vote for Telli...safe, bouldery, if a over a bit to quick - even I've lead it so it can't be that bad.
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Better route that telli is moribund in the same area. Safe but hard climbing and ment to be e4 if you are genetically inferior (short). Cant remember what you said about the white stuff but adjudicator wall in dovedale is a must do hard e3
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Thanks for all the input, I think I should probably leave it at that (before we encroach on BMC definitive territory ;) [usually marked with pink spray paint])...
I just hope the unseasonly hot (take heed Dobbin!) weather allows me to keep playing on the Grit for a little longer.
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FFS it's 2011. Ab down for your gear and make the missus lead some nice safe HVS 5bs.
And what do you think happens when Paul B's missus can't get up a route, the gear is left in-situ for the next person? ::) :slap: :ras:
Then Mr B goes up and gets it out. Or one of the above abs down. Have I just been trolled?
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FFS it's 2011. Ab down for your gear and make the missus lead some nice safe HVS 5bs.
And what do you think happens when Paul B's missus can't get up a route, the gear is left in-situ for the next person? ::) :slap: :ras:
Then Mr B goes up and gets it out. Or one of the above abs down. Have I just been trolled?
No, you were stating the bleeding obvious. :slap: :hug:
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Well I was replying to someone who seemed to be basing his gritstone route choice on whether his second would be able to get up it or not -a barbaric concept which is soooo last millenium. :ras:
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The Lawrencefield cracks behind the pool...
...should be E4, E3 and E5 in that order from left to right in my opinion.
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I thought Indoor Fisherman was HARD...fairly bold start (imo) too...