[Jim]

I have to agree about getting new ticks, Got two new ones at curbar t'other day and was well made up & feeling pysched (nothing hard tho but good new ticks all the same) all I need now is for my skin to behave itself

[moose]

I'd suggest giving the old projects a break. Nothing improves psyche better than sending new problems. Go somewhere else for a few sessions, do some new things, then come back and get on those projects in good conditions--you'll be well pleased!

cheers for the advice - on recent experience I suspect you're right.  Recently went to Shafoe for a couple of hours damp bouldering and almost immediately managed some stuff I had given up on in frustration ages ago (Long Reach and Font Classic if any locals are interested! - quality problems).  Forgeting how to fail seems to be the key!  Only problem now is finding some new stuff to distract me... Caley and Almscliff are where my "bete noirs" are - are Earl and Shipley Glen climbable in winter?

[dave]

hey you might know this, did that project on that massivle turtle head prow thing ever get done? the one that is just right of a great B4-ish slap problem?

heres a photo of said project:

[moose]

i suspect it might have been done as Turtle Rock Problem (f7b) - but I cannot get the clip to play:

http://www.northumberlandbouldering.co.uk/shaftoe.htm

Is it a big dyno direct to the finishing boss of Soft Centre (the V3 that slaps up to the left and traverses the lip to top-out on the boss)?  Remember seeing some fellas repeatedly trying it in the summer - looked nails (a long way up and backwards).

[dave]

yeah that looks like it! nice. that soft centre problem is also superb.

when we went ot shaftoe thought a lot of it was a bit shit, bit this bolder is amazing, just a great shaped bit of rock and impressive. think theres also supposed to be some 8b project on it somewhere.

[dobbin]

All tha needs is a door frame. If you can do 35 chins on a first joint edge you can climb 8b+ - revolutionised my training. I never go anywhere now, its just chins chins chins.

[moose]

I used to think Shaftoe was a bit shit too - but its local and not too far from sunderland wall so it became my "probably gonna rain" venue.  Rather fond of the place now - there's lots of good stuff (up to V5ish) on the Font Boulder, Arete Land and the Neb Boulder, there are photo topos at:

http://www.climbonline.co.uk/shaftoe_photo_diagrams.htm

The hideous, holdless, loose and dirty topouts are a bit of a concern though... especially when you are on your own, the sky is darkening and the cattle are looking "sinister".   May have to give Rothley more of a chance this winter...

Never really got the appeal of Bowdon for bouldering myself though - few definite lines and I cannot tell from the guide where any problems begin or end (which I suspect might be quite important!) - perhaps need to get a tour from a local.

[dave]

we did a good problem at shaftoe that wasn't in the OTE topo we were using, but will have been done before. Its in that big jumble of rocks (smith's rocks?) just north of the turtle head thing. in the middle of them theres a sort of gully thing with a vertical backwall of one of the blocks. can't remember much about the climbing, but it was good.

[Fiend]

Mmmm nice, Areteland looks good (and proper grades too - the very concept of having a grade with the letter "B" attached must be jinxed, it's failed twice already =)).

[moose]

aye - arete land is good - Classic Arete is short but very rendered very burly by the sit-start.  The Long Reach is just plain ungradable - but very satisfying when it goes.  Watch out for those topouts though (especially on the problems on the left side-wall)... tipping off backwards in a shower of sand and moss is an annoyingly common occurance.

[squeek]

Only problem now is finding some new stuff to distract me... Caley and Almscliff are where my "bete noirs" are - are Earl and Shipley Glen climbable in winter?

Earl is going to be just as climbable in Winter as Caley, they climb there in winter in Stick It.  I went to Shipley Glen is quite sheltered, and becuase there's no leaves on the trees after autumn the rock does receive some sunlight.

[SA Chris]

Other good Yorkshire winter bouldering spots are (in no particular order) Widdop, Bridestones, Slipstones, Crookrise. Shipley is nice and sheltered if its really blowing. large bits of Earl stay dry, but not all. A you are basically restricted to weekends in the winter you may as well travel a bit further and leave Caley and the 'cliff for when you are pushed for time on weekday evenings.

[hongkongstuey]

Seem to recall the Slipstones being a nice little sun trap for a spot of winter bouldering

[squeek]

Other good Yorkshire winter bouldering spots are (in no particular order) Widdop

Just as a quick note, I went to Widdop two weekends ago and pretty much everything on the lakeside boulders was wet or damp after all this rain we've been having, not helped because they don't get much sun.  Not too bad though because Bridestones isn't too far away.

[SA Chris]

Given a dry day or two, widdop should be fine though. Also worth remembering that Bridestones is good for sub zero days as all the boggy bits freeze over and you can keep your boots dry!!

[moose]

cheers for the advice - I've been to Slipstones a few times and guess I should revisit - kept away of late as most of the stuff i haven't done is either too high without a spotter (well, someone to drive me to hospital) or too damn hard!  

Widdop and the Bridies are both good too - just a bit far for day trips (looks like my friends in Huddersfield will be seeing more of me this winter than they expected).  

Mainly though its looking like Shipley and Earl... now just got to hope for dry weather, crimp strength for Manson's wall, and some bigger balls for commiting to those scarey barn-door-stylee aretes....grrrrr bring it on!!