JamieG
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2009
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My brother and I went up Pots and Pans in Saddleworth on Sunday morning and had a really good session. Climbed a few new, and a few established but poorly documented problems, in and around the far left quarry. Including:
Mr Monster - 7a+ - Well established problem (in over the moors guide), but doesn't seem to get many visitors. Obvious blank slab/wall on the left side of the quarry. Very hard slab climbing all revolving around using a poor mono/crimp for your left hand. Poor feet and a big step up to reach the higher breaks. Nice problem but a little unforgiving on the left hand.
S Arete - 5+/6a - Only record I can see is in a photo on UKC (maybe its in older guides). Interesting S shaped arete at the back right of the quarry. Climb on its right hand side, pop up to vertical shot hole. Heel onto arete and reach for better holds higher. Then either top out around the arete or direct.
Captain Troll - 7a (maybe 7a+) - Only mention I can see is in the comments on the UKC photo of S Arete. Climb the wall right of S arete using the large sidepull/undercut. Hard pop up to vertical shot hole and then dynamic moves to gain the top. Brilliant climbing. Caution the starting foothold is a bit delicate/soft and broke a bit when we were climbing. (Maybe needs stabilising - superglue? I'll look at the hold repair thread).
Ouzel block - below and to the left of the left hand quarry is an obvious block with an overhanging arete. We climbed three lines on this block all with sit starts and I'm pretty sure none of them have been done before.
Ouzel arete - 5 - Climb the obvious arete on its right hand side with a couple of big moves to good holds.
Ouzel arete sit - 6c - The sitstart involves a tough pull on and slap (either left up the arete or right to the good crimp). Top out as before.
Ouzel slab - 5 - Climb the arete on its left up the slabby face. Balancy moves to gain the good hold on the arete and a slightly scary/awkward top out follow. Can be done as a sit at roughly the same grade or maybe worth a +
Afterbirth - 6b+ - Matched on the the good crimp in the middle of the face to right of Ouzel arete dyno to the top using the good footholds to the right. Can be done direct or using an intermediate sidepull.
Afterbirth sit - 6c - Adds a couple lovely technical moves from a little pocket and crimp.
Tombstone block - Between the scree/slag of the two main quarries is a little isolated block. Looks a bit like a tombstone. Gives two easy but not brilliant problems. Probably both been done before. Both probably no harder than low 5s. Hard to tell as I wasn't remotely warmed up and it was blowing an absolute gale.
Tombstone right - From standing climb the arete on its right, giving a decent problem. Nice smeary moves that ease with height.
Tombstone left - A fairly poor but a little tricky sitstart to the left hand side of the arete. Pull on with a bit of awkwardness and reach for the top.
My brother made a little video which features most of the above problems. Definitely well worth a walk up there now. And definitely more problems to be established too. Quite a few nice looking lines in the quarries and surrounding blocks that haven't been done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwz-yJRpU0M
Mr Monster - 7a+ - Well established problem (in over the moors guide), but doesn't seem to get many visitors. Obvious blank slab/wall on the left side of the quarry. Very hard slab climbing all revolving around using a poor mono/crimp for your left hand. Poor feet and a big step up to reach the higher breaks. Nice problem but a little unforgiving on the left hand.
S Arete - 5+/6a - Only record I can see is in a photo on UKC (maybe its in older guides). Interesting S shaped arete at the back right of the quarry. Climb on its right hand side, pop up to vertical shot hole. Heel onto arete and reach for better holds higher. Then either top out around the arete or direct.
Captain Troll - 7a (maybe 7a+) - Only mention I can see is in the comments on the UKC photo of S Arete. Climb the wall right of S arete using the large sidepull/undercut. Hard pop up to vertical shot hole and then dynamic moves to gain the top. Brilliant climbing. Caution the starting foothold is a bit delicate/soft and broke a bit when we were climbing. (Maybe needs stabilising - superglue? I'll look at the hold repair thread).
Ouzel block - below and to the left of the left hand quarry is an obvious block with an overhanging arete. We climbed three lines on this block all with sit starts and I'm pretty sure none of them have been done before.
Ouzel arete - 5 - Climb the obvious arete on its right hand side with a couple of big moves to good holds.
Ouzel arete sit - 6c - The sitstart involves a tough pull on and slap (either left up the arete or right to the good crimp). Top out as before.
Ouzel slab - 5 - Climb the arete on its left up the slabby face. Balancy moves to gain the good hold on the arete and a slightly scary/awkward top out follow. Can be done as a sit at roughly the same grade or maybe worth a +
Afterbirth - 6b+ - Matched on the the good crimp in the middle of the face to right of Ouzel arete dyno to the top using the good footholds to the right. Can be done direct or using an intermediate sidepull.
Afterbirth sit - 6c - Adds a couple lovely technical moves from a little pocket and crimp.
Tombstone block - Between the scree/slag of the two main quarries is a little isolated block. Looks a bit like a tombstone. Gives two easy but not brilliant problems. Probably both been done before. Both probably no harder than low 5s. Hard to tell as I wasn't remotely warmed up and it was blowing an absolute gale.
Tombstone right - From standing climb the arete on its right, giving a decent problem. Nice smeary moves that ease with height.
Tombstone left - A fairly poor but a little tricky sitstart to the left hand side of the arete. Pull on with a bit of awkwardness and reach for the top.
My brother made a little video which features most of the above problems. Definitely well worth a walk up there now. And definitely more problems to be established too. Quite a few nice looking lines in the quarries and surrounding blocks that haven't been done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwz-yJRpU0M