Grit route/highball Last Great Problems....

[Bonjoy]

Raison d'etre, please

 

[oldfella]

the smiley wall at curbar???
the arch thingy at slipstones??

 

[Will Hunt]

Bonjoy makes a fair point and of course humans cannot dyno increasingly high because we're not evolved for it and the ever present tyrant of gravity is holding us back. Of course if evolution decided that the climbers that could dyno the highest were "the fittest" and all the chicks started clamouring over Owen "that lanky guy from l'pool who only ever boulders who did the 7ft dyno" then we might be able to dyno higher.
That said the way I see it is that Bonjoy was agreeing with me in a way. i didnt mean that climbers could become infinately amazing because this would involve something daft like being able to climb a 90 degrees piece of perfectly plane rock. i just meant there was still a long way to go and perhaps its not right to refer to things as the "last" great problems. To my inexperienced little ears this makes it sound like your going to climb all the "last" great problems and then say "sack it, we've done all the great problems lets stick to 6a from now on".

I still think that there are plenty of advances still to be made technologically though even if evolution cant keep up and with stickier rubber and better protection then todays "last great problems" might become tomorrows punter grades (exaggerated I know but you catch my drift. Or do you?)

Once again. Apologies for crapness.

 

[enigma]

i've actually top roped the arete at montcliffe and its never E7, it'd be a decent E6/6a, don't all rush at once. I did the wall to the left, can't remember name or grade.

 

[andi_e]

I think it's E4, did you try the slopey wierd arete or the wall to the left of said arete?

 

[enigma]

I must have been drunk when i wrote that because i can't really remember doing so. i've roped the arete and led the wall, which i called you've got to fight for your riots to work, not sure what i gave it but its recorded in the online lancashire new routes guide.

 

[andi_e]

You gave it E4/5 6a/b apparently... Looks good anyway.

 

[fatdoc]

pardon my ignorance and lack of guidebook purchase here:

hasnt the smiley wall (the short wall with the big smile feature) been done yet??

it was in a video yrs ago - Ben Moon top roping it - and had been tried by many.... just thought those of you good enough would have done it by now.....

i tried it about 12 yrs ago, and it was nails..... but I was just about headpinting (sic) E6 at the time!! I think it's even got gear....

 

[r-man]

i've actually top roped the arete at montcliffe and its never E7, it'd be a decent E6/6a, don't all rush at once. I did the wall to the left, can't remember name or grade.

Yes, the striking sharp arete, I remember clm telling me. This is a proper route though, whereas the obvious highball at montcliffe is the rounded arete to the right. Much harder. Also difficult to get it in condition as it doesn't dry off much in winter, and in summer it's too hot. Not that I've had a proper go, though I know people who have.

 

[unclesomebody]

pardon my ignorance and lack of guidebook purchase here:

hasnt the smiley wall (the short wall with the big smile feature) been done yet??

it was in a video yrs ago - Ben Moon top roping it - and had been tried by many.... just thought those of you good enough would have done it by now.....

i tried it about 12 yrs ago, and it was nails..... but I was just about headpinting (sic) E6 at the time!! I think it's even got gear....

It's very hard, it's been top roped in one, it has a bad landing, the gear wouldn't stop you hitting the ground.

 

[SA Chris]

Chameleon Direct, no, not as I'm aware anyway, it would ceratinly be a very slopey proposition!

Go check it Andi, not the most impossible thing I have ever seen. Reckon it would go.

 

[oldfella]

pardon my ignorance and lack of guidebook purchase here:

hasnt the smiley wall (the short wall with the big smile feature) been done yet??

it was in a video yrs ago - Ben Moon top roping it - and had been tried by many.... just thought those of you good enough would have done it by now.....

i tried it about 12 yrs ago, and it was nails..... but I was just about headpinting (sic) E6 at the time!! I think it's even got gear....

It's very hard, it's been top roped in one, it has a bad landing, the gear wouldn't stop you hitting the ground.

or falling down that deep dark chasm....

 

[AndiT]

Chameleon Direct, no, not as I'm aware anyway, it would ceratinly be a very slopey proposition!

Go check it Andi, not the most impossible thing I have ever seen. Reckon it would go.

Ok, will do. Want a little break from Hen Cloud for a bit now though, that walk in is giving me nightmares and the wind has picked up so the crag has become a less hospitable place. I'll definitely check it out though, there are a few other good bits and bobs to do up there too.

I'm back in the Churnet for a bit now, it helps to build your grit appreciation! :

 

[Sloper]

As far as the grade progression / on sight issue goes I've been around long enough to remember the cover of Crags with a pic of Supersonic (er I think) captioned 'could this be Britains first 6c'? and when anyone climbing tech 6b would be a 'recognised' name.

Things have moved on, and will move on. What was once cutting edge is now a comfy resting ledge. Of course there is a physical limit to how hard humans can climb (i.e. 3mm slopers 2m apart on a 45 degree overhang will be a bit tricky) but I don't think we've got close to the limit yet.

If you need the evidence look at recent news of young whipper snappers climbing sport 9a and >V13 with ease. To think that grit will be immune from this trend is just parochial arrogance.

 

[Bonjoy]

If that's directed at me, I think you should re-read what I wrote.

 

[oldfella]

nobody's mentioned the advances in bullshitting. someday there'll be 1 or a few guys capable of telling the biggest of porky pies with the greatest of ease. the masses will believe them, and then the great unclimbed lines will fall.
..................on a day when they couldn't get anyone to go with them, or just with their vision impaired girlfriend to spot or belay....

 

[SA Chris]

..................on a day when they couldn't get anyone to go with them, or just with their vision impaired girlfriend to spot or belay....

Except a local fisherman and their border collie? Neither of whom could do the moves.

 

[BenF]

..................on a day when they couldn't get anyone to go with them, or just with their vision impaired girlfriend to spot or belay....

Except a local fisherman and their border collie? Neither of whom could do the moves.

To be fair, the border collie was feeling a little unwell and certainly not climbing at his best.

 

[Jacqusie]

Just spoke to Iain. He says the two things he did were further along from Who Wants To Be Lucky Pierre, up a slab on a ledge. One up the LH side with a tree at the top Boonapi E3/4 6c, one up the RH side Marramunt HVS 6a/6b. Said both would make good highballs.

I never knew this! - other wise it would have gone in with the other uppertier stuff... wonder why Iain never posted it up anywhere...?!?

As for the Purple Acorns thingy - I don't think I could find it proper - or it looked pants - or Grimer missed it? - probably the latter..... :-\

 

[Fiend]

Right, question...

Why is the Cratcliffe groove so hard / so unclimbed? Was moping around a mostly damp Cratcliffe the other day and having a good old ponder in the groove's direction. What's the score?