[andy popp]

More Cheshire esoteria; not a new crag to a hardy few but previously undocumented and located in leafy downtown Runcorn ( ). A visit last night left initially dubious but I left having done three good problem. As you approach from the road (a strenuous 1 minute) you are find two faces at right angles to each other. The left hand one is the 'good' one. To the left hand of this wall is an obvious large sandy pocket at head height.

1. V2 Between sandy pocket and the arete to the left use the nice horizontal line of pockets to make a long pull to the top and mantel.

2. V0 Immediately right of the large sandy pocket follow the obvious line of pockets and slots up the wall. Fun.

3. V4 Immediately right again start at two holds in a faint horizontal and climb straight up the lighter brown streak/shallow runnel. A bit of a minor classic: high, totally non-eliminate and interesting climbing on some nicely featured rock.

I'm not claiming FAs (though its possible the harder one is) but these three are worthwhile on good quite unusual (in a good way) rock and worth highlighting. There's more scope.

ps. its very 'urban'

[fatneck]

Good work Andy! Am working in Runcorn next Wed and was going to go to Crag X but I'm only a ten minutes stroll from here as well so might check it out...

[andy popp]

Went back this evening and climbed the "V4" described without the ancient chipped holds (two footholds low down and the lefthand starting handhold in the horizontal seam). Climbed like this its miles better and in all honesty one of the best things I've done in Cheshire in ages, a couple of stars. I very much doubt its been climbed in this style before so I'll stick my neck out and name it

Sufferers' Slab, somewhere around 6B+/6C?

[andy popp]

'Ism and Schism'

A righthand variant on Sufferer's Slab, though it only shares one hold the way I did it; take the righthand starting hold of SS in your left, span out right to the next hold in the horizontal and climb straight up (past the right facing finger flake on SS, which is useless from this direction). A classic 'tight' Cheshire line; great intense steep slab climbing that has left me surprisingly worked. Quite tricky, I'll call it 7A.

[andy popp]

Two up dates. Went back last week and redid 'Ism and Schism' without using the starting handhold out left on Sufferer's Slab. The problems overlap slightly spatially but now share just one smear the way it felt natural to me to climb them.

New thing from today

Stonewashed 6B+ *
On the right hand side of the lefthand face is an obvious dark water streak. Climb straight up the line of the streak. Really good moves on more interestingly featured (and solid) Stonehills rock - another worthwhile addition. It felt harder than I've given but I was knackered, it was sweaty as hell and I spent ages trying it totally the wrong way so I really don't have a clue.

[JamieG]

Top work Andy,

I'm really enjoying my little trips out into Cheshire at the moment, so will have to check this one out in due course too.

Cheers Jamie

[fatneck]

After a brief visit just to have a look the other week Treebeard and I went last night and came away sore of toe and finger but mightily impressed! Superb, finger, technical climbing on some very unusual holds (for Cheshire Sandstone anyway)!!

Sufferer's Slab was brilliant climbing to a tough last move. And as for 7a for Ism and Schism, bloody desperate! But thoroughly enjoyable climbing across the board. Well worth a visit, especially when combined with somewhere else.

Nice work Andy! 

[andy popp]

I'm made up someone went and enjoyed it. Si tells me he and Owen did a couple more lines and I have another line I'd like to try; it also seems my descriptions were a bit vague so I'll try and do proper descriptions and maybe even a topo soon.

[andy popp]

Another:

Mr Krabs *
The pale wall immediately right of the dark streak of Stonewashed, via large starting pocket (RH), strange pinchy nodule (taken in LH), small positive crimps high on right arete and scary slap for the top. The rock looks slightly cruddy low for the feet but is good where you need and is really excellent higher. Climbs very well. In all honesty have no idea about the grade, 6something.