[grimer]

I went over there with Ben Moon and got him to try one at least, the best looking one on the left and found it very hard. He got pushed on to the easier looking top out and couldn'y do that either.

Andi T got close to the one right of the chimley, up the seam.

Blows me away that no one with the ability ever bothers to go and do the FA of top quality problems.

Also, if anyone is interested, which the above would suggest they're not, if you drive past Nth cloud, up the hill to a parking spot just before the kettle grid, you can see a boulder on the hillside. This one's a whole hundred metres from the road, but if anyone ever did manage the walk, there's a hard sit start line on this too, on the right side of the face facing the road.

[Ru]

It was only the rh one that I made any headway on. Will check out the lone boulder.

[dave k]

"Blows me away that no one with the ability ever bothers to go and do the FA of top quality problems"

I imagine its because not many people know they are out there. There is a tendency for decent local projects to be kept out of the guide books (although they are mentioned in the Roaches guide)

Was this the reason why they were not mentioned in your guide Rupert?

I am sure that they would have seen alot more atttention from those with the ability, if 2  8a(or harder) projects had been mentioned in a bouldering guide.

[Tim Broughtonshaw]

heard a couple of mentions of a new guide? whose guide is this and whens it due?   

[cofe]

We'll (Vertebrate) hopefully have a new one out in the spring. Never heard of these projects before.

[SA Chris]

Since when were you classed as a Vertebrate?

[Ru]

Whilst there is an argument for recording bouldering that has already been done, I think there is less of one for listing things that haven't. Where do you draw the line? Do I list only well known projects, do I list my entire little black book of possibilities that I have noted over the years, do I point out every gap on every boulder?

The commoditisation of projects that would result from putting them in a guide, essentially making a classic FA available to the highest bidder (performance wise) makes me feel uneasy. I think there should be more to doing FAs than flicking though a book then trying them. There's little enough scope for doing off the beaten track bouldering in this country without documenting projects.

[dave k]

I dont disagree. From a selfish point of view i would certainly not have had any first ascents had they been included in a guide book.

However there are some classic projects (like the groove/crease at the Nth Cloud) which i for one would love a V15 super kid to make short work of.

I did find your (ru`s) description of the Nth cloud rather funny at the time. I cant remember it exactly - but the gist of it was that is a decent arete to climb and not much else. Where as the reality is that there are more projects (3), than problems (2) 

Given that the Roaches guide (which most foreign boulderers wouldn't buy) mentioned the world class projects, it did seem a bit protectionist not to mention them in your guide. Maybe you could consider a hint that they exist in the next edition or new guide (rumours have it you are involved in the new Peak guide- are you?)

[slackline]

Maybe you could consider a hint that they exist in the next edition or new guide

Something like

"There's still lots of problems out there for those with a sense of adventure and the vision to unlock them" 

[dave k]

Is that a quote from the Nth Cloud section of the guide?

[Fiend]

They're in the bloody BMC guide, which is brilliant, what more do people need??? 

[Bonjoy]

Where as the reality is that there are more projects (3), than problems (2) 

Crystal Voyager is possibly the best boulder prob there and bumps it up to three of each.

[cofe]

Since there seems to be a demand for documenting things that don't exist, I propose Hepstow Brow and Burbage East are incuded in all future guides.

[dave]

get si o'conor on the vertibrate payroll.

[slackline]

Is that a quote from the Nth Cloud section of the guide?

No its my crap attempt at wit. 

[Ru]

Where as the reality is that there are more projects (3), than problems (2) 

Crystal Voyager is possibly the best boulder prob there and bumps it up to three of each.

When I did the last guide I considered Crystal Voyager too high to be a boulder problem - i.e. I consciously left it out. Conceptions of "too high" are changing though, and it could go in the next one.

[AndiT]

Also, if anyone is interested, which the above would suggest they're not, if you drive past Nth cloud, up the hill to a parking spot just before the kettle grid, you can see a boulder on the hillside. This one's a whole hundred metres from the road, but if anyone ever did manage the walk, there's a hard sit start line on this too, on the right side of the face facing the road.

Still haven't found this despite you tellling me 6 months ago and me walking kids over the entire area for around 4 hours per week since then. So that's around 96 hours of my worklife you owe me now....err, actually you can keep it 

I think you need to show me.

Nth cloud projects. It'd be great to see them done, they seem really hard.

[grimer]

I'll take you there. I've just looked on google earth and i think it's the one on the left of the path to the skyline, after 100 metres (i walked directly up to it from the road below). It's not a 3 star classic or anything, but...

[Johnny Brown]

When I did the last guide I considered Crystal Voyager too high to be a boulder problem - i.e. I consciously left it out. Conceptions of "too high" are changing though, and it could go in the next one.

I'd say its rather too small to be a route... a few of us highballed it last year - very good, cunning moves, and not too high. I don't think it had been bouldered when the guide was done though, so I don't blame you for not putting it in.

As for publicising projects, I don't think there's any need. They may turn out to be crap. These two are pretty well known anyway - only new to Cofe apparently. For some reason staffs generally seems to be off the radar of some folk though. More fool them.

[cofe]

Shows what I know. Looks like even incredibly beautiful people like me can't know everything all of the time.

[AndiT]

I'll take you there. I've just looked on google earth and i think it's the one on the left of the path to the skyline, after 100 metres (i walked directly up to it from the road below). It's not a 3 star classic or anything, but...

Cool, I've undoubtedly 'seen' it before, but it's a matter of 'vision' no doubt 

There's quite a lot on those boulders all over that field, but they're generally not publicised for rock quality and tranquility reasons, doesn't mean they're not worth a look on a windy day though.

Crystal Voyager is mint, the next step up from the Cube in my list of great micro-routes. As for being off the radar, that's fine by me 

[Caesar Power]

There's quite a lot on those boulders all over that field, but they're generally not publicised for rock quality and tranquility reasons

yeah, there's loads on undocumented boulders on the roaches estate, but thats usually due to access restrictions, or it's a bit naff. Here's some:
Past the very far skyline boulders, but they're a bit crumbly and a bit banned (BMC request)
Between Roach End and Nth Cloud, and Nth Cloud and 5th cloud - but thought there was access issues.
The far left side of Nth cloud - some dangerous landings!
Roaches lower tier (far left). Some good stuff + 2 excellent slab problems. Unsure of access due to erosion control...

[carlisle slapper]

Ruperts secret sandbang project defo goes,

assuming i've read thing right, i managed to do all of the hard bit and got my RH on that good crimpy break when my LF foot popped and i sacked it off thinking i'd had quite enough goes at that particular 7b+!

I started just left of finger of fate, and walked leftwards along the ramp (balancy), thumb pressed a faint groove and crimped a pebble to turn the press into an awkward sidepull, then stretched out left to some cracked small crimpy sidepull, then there was a really smeary LF move as the ramp runs out to get RH to the good hold. This was 3 years ago with Rob and i was more of a punt back then. But there's your vague beta anyway.

Haven't been to n'ths but will put it on my to visit list.