[Andy Harris]

Amazed the tinternet hasn't got a hold of this yet but last week Jon Fullwood completed his Rubicon project to give Beluga at a top end 8a+.

Climb the 1st 3 moves or so on Caviar then up to 2 crimps (clip) and climb up and rightwards in to the top of the old project. Finish through the Caviar bulge. More crimpy & sustained than Caviar.

[dave]

I'm amazed this ain't a grade harder than caviar! i recon its also moreindependant than it at first looks, nice effit lovejoy. I take it caviar ain't considered top end 8a+ anymore then.

[Kingy]

Nice one Bonjoy! All them sessions in dire conditions or DWS'ing above the lake when it was flooded!! paid off. A worthy addition.

[Jaspersharpe]

Another good name too. Nice one. 

[Slide]

Effort nookie!

[Doylo]

nice jono boyus

[uptown]

Well done Jon! You'll have to find yerself a proper 'hard' project now...

[Andy Harris]

Did Beluga after work tonight and I have to say it really is a great route. My sequence was a little different to John's and I think for me it's the same grade as Caviar but just as good a quality. It's a shame there's not more blank lines just like this. I'm sure it will become a neo classic!

[Paul B]

Nice one Bonjoy, I thought you were waiting for cooler temps?

Swift work Andy.

[Bonjoy]

Haha, I love how there are now Google ads for Beluga Caviar at the bottom of the page!
Good work Andy, glad you enjoyed. Did you go LH to brown crimp then slap into undercut?
For me Beluga was a fair bit harder than Caviar, but in hindsight I think this is mostly because I have a very good sequence on Caviar which made what used to feel a hard 8a+ into one of the easier 8a+s I've done. That said I may well have used a hard sequence on Beluga. All in all, for me anyway (I must admit I find the grades of bouldery routes hard to judge), I think Caviar low 8a+, Beluga middling 8a+. Grade aside it's a really nice piece of climbing.

[Kingy]

Did Beluga tonight, very high quality climb which is a notch harder than Caviar. I agree its perhaps a high end 8a+ - there is a bit more to it than Caviar and some smaller holds. I used a different sequence to John, I think similar to Andy's. Great that there is this to go at for people who have already done Caviar!

[Bonjoy]

Nice one Ted. That's the fourth ascent now as Roy Mosley did it on Monday night. He also rated it and reckoned middle 8a+. What's the different beta you used, i'm intrigued?

[Kingy]

Cheers dude. Denied the 3rd ascent by a mere 24 hours!   

What's the different beta you used, i'm intrigued?

I did Caviar start to flake with LH. Instead of matching the flake, up to big chunky flake on right with RH then get flatty on top with LH. RH on lumpy diagonal sidepull out right. Then deep drop knee with RF on the obvious good foothold (the one you were swapping feet on) and LF not on sticking out button used as Caviar foothold but on vertical edge just to its left. Crank up to brown 2 finger crimp with LH (crux for me - need to be accurate hitting crimp). Come out of drop knee, outside LF on good sloping ramp just above and a bit right of RF. Then RF goes way up on good edge. Use sidepull for RH as intermediate on way up to first sharp crimp with RH. Get LF on lumpy sidepull and drop RF. Snatch for second sharp crimp with LH. Put RF on smear, LF on good edge and teeter across to the good right foothold I remember you digging out of the moss a few weeks back!! Snatch to good sidepull and then clip.

[Bonjoy]

Cheers. Wowsers, that's a lot different! I wonder how the other chaps did it.
What now then? More Rubicon or elsewhere?

[cofe]

More Rubicon ...?

look at that man go...

[Kingy]

I think Andy and Roy had a similar method as I copied them on the deep drop knee except I think my way might be a bit easier using the vertical edge instead of the button for the LF on this move. I'm not sure where their feet were on the higher moves?

Off to Rocklands and other crags in South Africa for 2 weeks on Friday. Then more Peak lime when I get back, might save some stuff at Rubicon for next year though... Shame evening sessions are pretty much over now, for me at least. I would be keen to have a crack at Powerplant when I get back if Cornice is still dry...I'll give u a shout!

[Bonjoy]

Have fun in SA. I'm sure it'll be a bit of a come down after weeks at the mighty Rubicon, but you'll cope.

On a Rubicon note. The day I did Beluga, Bransby was at the crag and did Caviar in a couple of goes, fell off the crux slap trying to flash Dangerous Brothers (in the full sun), then flashed Hot Fun Closing and Johnny Brown cruised up Pirahna.

[Kingy]

Cheers, nice one on Unleashing! Yeah what could compare to the majestic WCJ?? Wow, it's all goin on...would not advise DB in the full sun mind!

[cofe]

and Johnny Brown cruised up Pirahna.

piranha looks amazing. would have liked to have seen that. did he use a pencil or a biro?

[Bonjoy]

Tried that beta Kingy. I am a spaz! Jeez I can’t believe I did it going to the undercut/sidepull first off a twisted backhand. The sane beta swaps out two hard hand moves and one hard foot move for one trickyish move. If I could punter myself for my retarded original sequence and subsequent wasted sessions I would. With the new approved sequence I think it’s much the same or only a nano-soupcon harder than Caviar and still nice climbing.

[Adam Lincoln]

For what its worth, beta i used today, and also Ryan was.

Left hand onto Caviar heel hold, right onto good crimpy thing.
Left hand upto two finger crimp just left of undercut.
Right foot on smear and snatch into undercut.
Right foot on edge and go up to another two finger crimp with left hand. Match into just below with right hand.
Span foot across to edge far right, and go to good sidepull.
Reach upto crimp and then big horn,

Ryan did it the same but didnt match into the two crimps in the middle.

Top route Jon.