[ksjs]

i hope someone on here can do better than UKC...

am heading to Siurana shortly and hoping to redpoint 8a (it would be my first). i understand Anabolica is the classic at the grade but also that it may be 7c+. ideally id like to not have any doubts as to whether my first 8a, if i manage it, is actaully 8a.

so,

- can anyone confirm Anabolica's grade?
- any other 8a suggestions (stamina style)?

thanks

[Yossarian]

i can confirm that it's not particularly easy. but then i can't climb 8a...

i always fancied that pinchy one to the left of bistec du biceps, but it's certainly not a stamina route!

[north_country_boy]

Un Rato en Cada Postura, absolutely outsanding route!!! 

[Paul B]

ideally id like to not have any doubts as to whether my first 8a, if i manage it, is actaully 8a.

that'll be the problem with holiday ticks. 

[ksjs]

thanks for replies - have done a bit more delving and it seems that the consensus is solid 8a for Anabolica (based on UKC posts http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/info/search.php?forum=0&dates=1&name=&topic=&body=anabolica and votes on the rockfax database http://www.rockfax.com/databases/r.php?i=7826). will give it a go and see.

Un Rato en Cada Postura sounds a notch up from Anabolica http://www.rockfax.com/databases/r.php?i=7823 so may give that a miss for now...

[niall mcnair]

Hi,

Why not go up to the Raco de Misa, Montsant? Half an Hour from Siurana and 1/2 hour walk  There are about 4 8as (including the first pitch of the mighty Hydrophobia), all about 30 m long and are homogemous pocket based, pure stamina climbs- i.e. not very many rests but no real hard moves either -they just keep coming and coming at ya.

Really though, asking for recommendations on stamina routes on a bouldering forum...

BTW, The locals only consider Anabolica 8a if you dont scuttle off left to a rest after the crux at half height

[ksjs]

would love to get to Monsant (those 8as you mention sound ideal), El Falco and other areas in the vicinity but wont have a car so need something central to go at. thanks for info - if i make it will try to steer clear of the rest on the left.

yeah, i suppose stamina routes and bouldering arent so synonymous but i get the impression that a few people on here would cruise Anabolica. never been to Siurana before and cant wait - really looking forward to onsighting more than redpointing but definitely worth having something lined up to work on.

[Doylo]

anabolica is ace and 8a. Quite a burly crux involving a high undercut pocket.

[Stu Littlefair]

Anabolica is 8a, although not hard for the grade, the local bollocks about not slinking off left is just that; it is a good rest but if you can get there, you aren't gonna come off. It's also really, really good. Stay well away from El Rato...it's class but god-damn it's hard!

Stay away from L'olla for 8a, all the 8a's in the rockfax guide are 8a+. The 8a's at Raco de Misma are great ones to go for. Siuranella N has two brilliant 8as but I can't remember the names, sorry. The local guide has them in... There's also two good 8as on a detached, overhanging block on the walk in to Raco de Misma - again the local topos will see you right....

[ksjs]

just back from Siurana - what a stunning place. got slapped about a bit by the climbing though - plan was: get used to the style, try and do some 7b / + onsights and then redpoint something a bit harder. i didnt get past stage 1 and spent quite a bit of time exasperated about why i couldnt onsight 7b; consensus seems to be that onsighting at your limit is not so straightforward there and certainly i didnt see anyone, apart from those who've attained Godlike status, onsighting anything hardish.

theres a great atmosphere at the place (despite it being exceptionally cold for this time of year: sub-zero many nights) with quite a few of the worlds best doing stuff there. id love to go back (with new improved attitude next time) and totally recommend the place especially if you have a desire for technical climbing (some of the cruxes though involve pretty stiff pulls sometimes with potentially skin eating pockets).

[whispering nic]

As a rule, to onsight 7b, the best practice is to onsight plenty of 7a+s and lots of 7as and hundreds of 6c+s. It's a pyramid thing and if you are consistently onsighting a given grade then you should have a 50/50 chance of getting the next grade up, which you can improve by choosing suitable routes. It's not really a mystery formula just a question of applying yourself and having a little patience!

[ksjs]

As a rule, to onsight 7b, the best practice is to onsight plenty of 7a+s and lots of 7as and hundreds of 6c+s. It's a pyramid thing and if you are consistently onsighting a given grade then you should have a 50/50 chance of getting the next grade up, which you can improve by choosing suitable routes. It's not really a mystery formula just a question of applying yourself and having a little patience!

that was the weird thing: no trouble on 7as and managed most 7a+ or if i didnt get them (the 7a+s) onsight it was an easy to correct mistake so the 1st redpoint was or would have been enough for the tick. i should, based on the (entirely logical) theory you suggest, have onsighted 7b but, for various reasons, i didnt; more than anywhere ive experienced, Siuarana seemed to have a significant difficulty gap between 7a+ and 7b or at least it felt like that for me. i think my experience would have been relatively typical but i managed consistent 7b and 7b+ onsights earlier in the year although it was a very different style (physical, steep, positive, obvious and sustained). regardless, i still expected to be able to get some 7b onsights in Siurana. maybe youre right though, better selection of routes could have made a difference...

[Tim Broughtonshaw]

Hi ksjs,
 were your 7b and 7b+ onsights Kalymnian? If so i think this may explain the discrepancy between the difficulties. Although lots of the grades have been amended there, they are still generally steep with big holds and rests and easy to read.


Cheers
Tim

[ksjs]

Hi ksjs,
 were your 7b and 7b+ onsights Kalymnian? If so i think this may explain the discrepancy between the difficulties. Although lots of the grades have been amended there, they are still generally steep with big holds and rests and easy to read.


Cheers
Tim

yes and thats why i was so keen to onsight at or near the same level in Siurana ie a totally different style. generally, i was surprised by how many stronger climbers didnt attempt / were unable to onsight at their usual level in Siurana or stuck to redpointing only.

as for Kalymnos grades, the jury is still out for me: either the grades are just easy (and i dont think i was doing the mega soft touches) or the style played to my strengths (but even allowing for this, the gap between Kalymnos and Siurana seemed marked - ive onsighted 7b outside Kalymnos).

[whispering nic]

I think the Kalymnian grades are quite specific - I found them tough cos I was on honeymoon and my all round body fitness was poor, and finger strength only partly helped. Buoux, Ceuse, Rodellar or Mouries will all give you a very different take on a given grade. My philosophy has been to be able to cut the mustard at a given grade at a variety of venues before claiming to be able to OS that grade - but you can always choose a venue and route that suits your strengths and take the tick.

Having said all that I think 'Bistec du biceps' is a very reasonable 7b+ which should suit the UK climber...

[Ged]

I did my hardest onsights at siurana, think because they're quite "british"; nasty little crimps and stuff, quite cruxy, but usually fairly obvious what's to be done.  That brilliant 7b+ Arbones classic (muerte de sponsor i think), and another 7b+ on campi qui pugui on the left hand side, left of cleptomania.  I didnt onsight bistec, probably because i'm shit at bouldering.

[ksjs]

I did my hardest onsights at siurana, think because they're quite "british"; nasty little crimps and stuff, quite cruxy, but usually fairly obvious what's to be done.  That brilliant 7b+ Arbones classic (muerte de sponsor i think), and another 7b+ on campi qui pugui on the left hand side, left of cleptomania.  I didnt onsight bistec, probably because i'm shit at bouldering.

  i hadnt really thought about Siurana being a bit british in style until your post but i think you might be on to something. there are a few exceptions though like Bistec which i fluffed; i didnt try much else at L'Olla but did do the 7a+ (2 routes right of Bistec i think) which was very good and again more powerful/bouldery in style. likewise, Delicatessen 7a+ at Can Piqui Pugui was a more 'typical' sport route and superb throughout. really wanted to try the 7b+ ('Gato Lerdo' i think) that takes the overhanging corner system in El Pati: looks incredible and think its maybe more on the typical sport side of things too - next time...