[Jacqusie]

Anyone completed one yet & how did you find them?

The heather circuit is my fave as its Apparent North - but did they work in your experience?

Cheers

Si

[205Chris]

I'm liking the circuits, so far I've completed the sky blue one round the plantation and the heather one at apparent north.

It's got to be said I prefer apparent north just as it's a lot quieter than the plantation. That said, I've got my eye on the red circuit this winter, just might have to sneak up midweek so there's no crowds about.

[Fiend]

How bizarre. This is quite a good topic and one I was thinking of posting myself, as I've just completed the Sky Blue Circuit in an attempt to get back into the gritstone feel (somewhat akin to pulling a tooth for me).

It took me two afternoons, almost all of it was easy as should be apart from Crescent Groovelet and Lone Slab both of which took hundreds of goes partly because of the conditions and partly because I find the former desperate.

Personally apart from a couple of hidden gems I discovered, I didn't really like doing a circuit. Too much walking around, too much just following what a book says, too much bypassing other good problems. I haven't done one in Font and that's why. When I do a circuit, I choose an area with a concentration of problems and keep moving over rock on problems that inspire me and are reasonably doable. I might prefer the book circuits if they stuck to one area (e.g. Causeway area / Counts area) and included a concentrated variety of problems. The current way is an inspired idea and might work for some people but so far not for me.

I had intended to do the Red Circuit, again probably in two parts not least due to the increased challenge, maybe I will still do that because I'm a bit more inspired by the problems.

[205Chris]

It took me two afternoons, almost all of it was easy as should be apart from Crescent Groovelet and Lone Slab both of which took hundreds of goes partly because of the conditions and partly because I find the former desperate.

Join the club, while I don't think Crescent Groovelet is any harder than 5c,  everytime I do it I always manage to fall off countless times before ticking it.

[grimer]

I suppose there is a lot of walking, maybe too much for some folks, but one of the purposes is to try to get people to veer away from always bouldering at the Plantation by at least getting them to other areas. It's easy to imagine starting a circuit and then getting sidetracked, but there's nothing wrong with that.

[Fiend]

Yeah it's definitely a good idea, particularly spreading the load.

The last two times I've been out with other people I've encouraged them up to the DIY area.

(It's the walking in between problems that personally doesn't suit me)

[Johnny Brown]

Too much walking around, too much just following what a book says, too much bypassing other good problems. I haven't done one in Font and that's why.

No, you clearly haven't done a circuit in font! The ones I've done you barely touch the ground, some of them feel like alpine routes because the actual climbing is so continuous.

[Jacqusie]

Too much walking around, too much just following what a book says, too much bypassing other good problems. I haven't done one in Font and that's why.

No, you clearly haven't done a circuit in font! The ones I've done you barely touch the ground, some of them feel like alpine routes because the actual climbing is so continuous.

...Sans bouldering mat of course