[Andy F]

Pex isn't a shit hole. OK it's a hole but not shit.

It's not Font I'll grant you that, but it does have a unique style of climbing with some top draw problems which stand up in terms of quality to many in other parts of the country, and many of the problems are "6m high on small crimps and non-existant slopers", which is what he was asking for 

Plus, ever heard of sarcasm? I know you have as your an exponent of it.

I'd give you some bad karma but that isn't my style.

have a  and  from all of the Pex crowd.

[Jim]

your other post is perhaps the least sarcastic I have ever read so I don't know what the sarcasm comment relates to.
I also used to climb at pex hill a lot when I lived in chester so I like it to.
have a  and a  from an ex-Pex goer

[a dense loner]

pex is wank, so is frodsham and so is angel bay. what's more amusing is jim likes all these areas

[BenF]

Andy, even I as a Pex local have to say that recommending Pex as an alternative to the Peak for a visitor was a bit over zealous mate.  Fine if you live ten minutes away but I would be a bit disappointed if I'd driven from much further than say Manchester.

As for Dense.....  I ain't even going to respond to your comment. I'm staying in my shell and not fighting for Angel Bay no more.  

[Houdini]

Are you guys for real?!

I'm constantly reminded to put my blinkers on and concentrate on the nature of the moves when I get dragged to The Cave. 

You can do the same with Pex and experience some of the best crimpy climbing in the UK!  Pex is amazing.

[dave]

much as I like pex if i was coming to the UK from abroad and I ended up at pex on the recommendation of some locals i'd be seriously non-plussed. be like going to font and someone telling you calvaire was where its at.

[GCW]

So where does that leave us?

Brownstones

The most sensible recommendation so far.  A true haven of quality bouldering.   
Whilst Pex, Brownstones, Farleton, etc are very good I wouldn't recommend a first time visitor to UK boulders go there.  Go somewhere with lots of quality problems and differing venues.
Yorkshire for example......

[etjoset]

if i was coming to the UK from abroad and I ended up at pex on the recommendation of some locals i'd be seriously non-plussed.

I was grubbing around at Minus 10 on a particularly dank winters day a few years back when an Australian guy clutching some notes scribbled on a ragged piece of paper turned up. He'd just flown in from Melbourne and had driven straight to Minus 10 because at that time One Summer was the height of bouldering sophistication and all his British "mates" had been raving about the place. I will never forget the look of disappointment on his face; I think he was seriously non-plussed.

[Jaspersharpe]

He was lucky. Most foreign climbers who asked me where the best climbing was got a tour of my cellar. Although come to think of it it was probably quite a bit better than Minus 10.

[dobbin]

And there speaketh the winner of the legendary board league. Surely the height of achievement in our sport? What ever happened to your board?

Christer - if you are still there (and still reading), you so need a hire car. Assuming you have that sorted then stay in Sheffield over staying in Bakewell, there will be no making the techno disco rave party in bakewell, although there certainly are tarts. There's plenty of scope for nights out in Sheffield city center and more choice in terms of climbing walls if it does rain. Leeds is arguably a better night out, but its further to drive to the blocs. Wales is lovely and feels more like proper mountainous country, but go for a day - don't base yourself there. 

[Houdini]

Christobal, you need to get your ass to a place called Roadrunner in North Wales, forget the grit, you'll hate it!

[Nigel]

And there speaketh the winner of the legendary board league. Surely the height of achievement in our sport? What ever happened to your board?

Yeah go on Jasper, tell us some tales of old school wood bashing (prob best to have a new thread)! I am told that Stuart Cameron was once heard to say that no-one could do his infamous "tricep push move", not even Malc/Gaskins? And is it true you beat these guys? Etc. Damn it, write a book.  

[webbo]

i went to one or two or those board league comps including one at jaspers.i think i managed the 2 warm up problems.never have i been so despondant/depressed after a climbing session.despite being fed and watered afterwards.

[dobbin]

I think we should respawn it! Only theres only now Dan Variable and Neds board. And thats in his bedroom, circa Miles Gibson.

[Jaspersharpe]

What ever happened to your board?
 

Had to dismantle it when my mother selfishly decided to move house. I kept the boards in my garden shed for a while before said mother asked if her climbing club could buy them off me to use the holds for a wall they were constructing. I hope it's still there as I always liked the idea of a load of punters on a vertical wall using holds called "Zippy, Bald Elf", "Towel Chewer Dawes", "Slackbladder Smith" and of course "Moffatt, Shit Stained Shorts Boy".

I think Nick Sellars actually won the board league? Can't remember. I do know that quite a lot of stuff on my board went to the grave unrepeated despite all those boys training on it regularly. And that Gaskins although, always having strong fingers, wasn't anywhere near the level of Malc / Ben etc in those days. Training obviously worked for him.

Is there really a dearth of boards about now? Seems strange. 

[Houdini]

never have i been so despondant/depressed after a climbing session.

There there...  Reckon you do pretty fine for a pensioner.

Is there really a dearth of boards about now? Seems strange. 

With modern climbing walls being what they are, why is it so strange?  I'd take the Indy (an Anglesey wall) over any woody any day.

[Nigel]

I think we should respawn it! Only theres only now Dan Variable and Neds board. And thats in his bedroom, circa Miles Gibson.

And mine.

[Jaspersharpe]

i went to one or two or those board league comps including one at jaspers.i think i managed the 2 warm up problems.never have i been so despondant/depressed after a climbing session.despite being fed and watered afterwards.

Ha ha. That comp at mine was class. There ended up being about 20 spectators crammed into the cellar watching Gresham beat Sellars in the final.

[dave]

I think we should respawn it! Only theres only now Dan Variable and Neds board. And thats in his bedroom, circa Miles Gibson.

And mine.

ditto.

though hopefully i'll be moving crib shortly so it'll be coming down and moving to a better (drier) cellar.

[Scouse D]

Steve Royle's got a good board too although it's been inaccessible for a good while now

[Jaspersharpe]

With modern climbing walls being what they are, why is it so strange?  I'd take the Indy (an Anglesey wall) over any woody any day.

Cos there are loads more people training and boards are better for training than climbing walls. Anyway there are quite a few by the sound of things.

[Nigel]

So does anyone want to resurrect the board league? We could even have cameo apperances from Nic and Jasper, it'll be like Pele hobbling on at the start of a World cup final.

[Jaspersharpe]

You cheeky cunt. Shame it's true.

[Houdini]

I think you would need to visit the Indy wall before you realise I'm not being pedantic:  this wall has an old skool woodie.  Campus board.  It has an even steeper, higher, wider section of its free-standing boulder where every t-nut has a hold on it: the eliminates wall.  This is just one of four sides of an extremely well-appointed boulder.  No easy shit.  Then there is the gym next door...

I dispute your statement that woodies are better for training.

[Jaspersharpe]

Mine was. 

Actually my point was that it seemed strange that there weren't many boards about in Sheffield when people are always complaining about the lack of one at The Works. As it now seems that this is not the case it's a pointless discussion anyway, pedantic or not.