Probably the best Bouldering jumper in the world

Burbage North again, Guy and Steve were keen to make the most of the large white landings!

It was also likely that it would be mostly dry

Eyeing up an unclimbed project? (in the BMC guide)  - goes direct up just right of my raised elbow

had a dabble - nice lower moves 

Chris Carr on the 'Tiny Slab'

Oaksi unleashing the full power of the jumper on 'Solitude' 6c

Mark hitching a lift after getting stuck on 'Jetty buttress'

Solitude was great as it was chalk free and dirty - so no visible beta,  just how I like it  - Then over to 'Jasons Roof' were I was welcomed with a bombardment of snowballs - from a daring little climber called Emily.

Yann Genoux making short work of the 'Terrace' 7c+

Ram-Man was over on 'Three Blind Mice' E7 6c** with Guy - so when they had done we all finished on 'Life in a Radioactive Dustbin' 6b 

Guy wishing he was t - a - l - l - e - r

on 'Life in a Radioactive Dustbin' 6b  

Oaksi fondling the standing start on 'Jason's Roof'

Highlight of the day for me was Oaksi's jumper - A ray of sunshine and fruity juiciness on a dull day - it also got more attention than the best problems in the area! I want one.

Ploughing On

When the weather gets like this, I would rather be in the middle of nowhere, snowed in and surrounded by rock...
or somewhere hot.
With temperatures of -10 and colder every night, my speedos are packed! Lanzarote for Christmas here we come......
The street where we live is that bad with ice and snow that I have decided to 'hole up' in the warmth and crack on with next years project 'The Peak Bouldering Guide' - This will be also be available on Smart Phone via the Betaguides App.
We will be looking for anyone who wants to join in or test guides. email me: lee@betaguides.com

Stanage Plantation Sample

The Legendary Pebble Boulder

 James on Silk Start 7a+ - forgot to add this last week!

Minus 18 in Wales!

The big freeze has hit, but everyone was still up for a day at Stanage? - Destination Plantation 

After two aborted attempts on different roads into Stanage, involving - wheel spinning, everybody out pushing the car, crashing into the edges! the car felt like a hockey puck.

We ended up walking in from Burbage! Got there in the end..............

James enjoying the perfect - Crescent Arete Font 5+***

Found Rob and Lee (never give up) Cooper on Zippy's Traverse Font 7b

From then in it was just a free for all on some classic grit - in mint condition

Deliverance Traverse Font 7a+***

Mark (High-ball) Wilson on Pebble Arete Font 5+***

Silk Start Font 7a+

Oaksi has landed - Help the Aged Font 7a*

 As we left Nigel and Andy were working Careless Torque Font 8a***

Sneaky Peek

A fully committed attempt - so close -

still don't know whether they did it?

Misty Peak

With the Moors being so wet, next years project has begun already! Mapping the Peak to create Font-style circuit guides - hopefully a lot of people will get involved. This project is all the more exciting for me after with teaming up with Steve from The Send
Our aim is to create a massive resource and links to the best of the bouldering that the UK and Ireland has to offer.
The day started with a breakfast invite to Guy's, except all he had in was sugar and potatoes! (any ideas for a recipe?)  So I rustled up some bacon butties, then headed off to misty Burbage. Guy and Billy had their sights on the Knock (E4 5c), while I wanted to try Electrical Storm (Font 7b), but the forcast was wet wet wet! Wishing we were lucky....
So to start we did bit of dabbling on some variations on the Sheep until Billy and his Dad turned up.

Sweet moves on a variation up the arete, then into the sloping break onto the smaller top block direct. Shame -  too wet to finish, someone must have done this before as the moves are great? The problem could be extended under the block and left.

Billy having a go at the moves as soon as he got there

Over to the north side next, where it was a lot drier. The guys hit the crag while I did the usual sniffing out of potential new or forgotten stuff, a bit like a bouldering truffle pig...... sniff.. sniff ... here we are... well maybe?

A worthwhile micro problem SS Addiction Font 6c*

It took a while to get the reach to the right sloper. I had to do it via a mini pocket but the moves were great  and lucky enough for me Toby Wright and his friends were nearby on Zaff Skoczylas and joined me to agree on the grade after they had made some impressive flashes as well as doing the lower start. Thanks guys and girl

Bob Hickish on Zaff Skoczylas 7c low start 

Toby enjoying the moves? on Addiction

Meanwhile Billy and Guy were trying to bully Billy's dad into doing the Right Fin, Guy and Billy showing the way

New App Demo

Just a taste I will add more text later, too tired!!!! sorry

A Return to the Grit

After 11 months exploring the Moors the weather dictated it was time to hit the grit. Conditions were perfect! And lucky enough for me, I had arranged to meet Steve and Selina to talk about an App for the I phone. Meeting up for breakfast in outside, then over to Gardoms to meet up with a motley crew, Alex and the Bangor Uni crowd, Ram-Man, Oaksi and not forgetting Guy Van Foxy Hat.

Oaksi Stealth climbing on G- Thang font 6b+ ***

Guy the 'Fox' on Wardrobe Ridge font 6c*

The Money Shot

Ram - Man's ascent of Suavto font 7b+**

Selina on a new worthy Gardoms problem? SS Lost Boy 6c*

 After working out a way of doing the crux static!

Left of Business as Usual (needed a good clean)

Steve enjoying Business as Usual before the top out!!!!!! E5 7a

Ravenswick Additions

Another good session at Ravenswick 'The wet weather gym', this time meeting up with the Moors duo - Dave Warburton and Franco Cookson for a test drive on the new developments on the wall. All the problems turned out to have a splash of excellence and a side order of projects to go back to.

Left Wall Topo - Am working on a numbered one so it will be easier 

to add eliminates - watch this space! 

The Moors Camera Crew

Franco on the Project

Dave on - The Higher Traverse to Gutter Crack 6c**

Sam on the Condor 7a*

Dark matter 7a**

The very painful  - Film Noir 7a+*

Three finger-wrecking holds - ouch!

Dilemma

With trips on the horizon - Scotland - Devon and back to Ireland, Felt pretty good until Déjà vu crept in! last year the weather held alot boulderers off the rock for a good six weeks! bad cabin fever 

The trips to the Moors were getting wetter, keep having to stop off at Ravenswick for a dry wall to climb on. Click here for free guide Even with the damp mist in the air my hopes for some good boulders at Tor Hill were high, only to be let down by some quite small damp leaning blocks, managed one problem! 

Leaving the Tor Hill Boulders Westerdale

A quick exit and back to Ravenswick to find yet more good problems - mostly eliminates but who cares when the weathers bad. The development of the wall is going well, but will it start to leak badly?

Ravenswick- cleaning the Black Magician SS font 6c+

Is it time to cheat on the beloved sandstone and fondle some grit? A dilemma!

Saved by the Black Wall

Still intent on going to the meet this weekend even after the weather was worse than forecast, it was left to Mark and myself to set up base camp at the 'dry in a monsoon wonder' that is Black Wall at Ravenswick quarry.

Base camp. Good for mud slides! My tent flooded early Sunday morning! After a change of clothes, 

warmed back up again at the Lion Inn with a sausage and bacon butty and a massive pot of tea - a most 

welcoming pub - highly recommended.

Black Wall - still dry after 3 days of rain

Surprised that anyone would turn out in this weather - Saturday ended up quite a session, with young moors explorer Sam, finding the first nice line - and then showing the way with some good technique.

Sam Marks attempts Bio-fuel SS Font 6c

Dave Middleton on his painful crimp project

only later to be flashed! by Steve Ramsden

Steve Ramsden on Dark Times SS Font 6b***

The classic of the crag

Mark Wilson on the finishing moves of 'Spiderman'

Showing Oaksi the finger jam placement on Bio-fuel

Night bouldering. The lower platform traverse from right to left - Creepy Crawly Font SS 6b** Climbs via the thin higher crack far right, a technical double crux - needs cleaning after wet spells 

Night time project (Photo Mark Wilson)

After plenty of cleaning the first set of problems on the all weather Black Wall were ready and there were plenty more projects to go at. A perfect venue for a rainy day! Big thanks to all that were determined to come out in the wet. 

Moors Meet Details and Chasing Rainbows

Moors Meet Details

The meet will start at 6pm at the The Lion Inn Friday from there some night bouldering at Rosedale head or Ravenswick if Its raining as you can climb on black wall in the rain - "Its also the Stoney Middleton of the Moors!"

join in any day - Trad-heads also welcome - just don't expect us to tie any knots or belay!

Friday  22nd October. Gather at 6pm, small wild campsite adjacent to The Lion Inn up on Blakey Ridge, from there some night bouldering at Rosedale head or Ravenswick

Saturday 23rd October. Meet at 10am beside The Lion Inn - will be at Ingleby - projects - circuits and new development to be investigated.

Sunday 24th October. Meet at 10am beside The Lion Inn - The Wainstones and Cold Moor - projects - circuits and potential new development there too. Who dare enter the Cold Moor mine shaft!
Any Enquiries Email: lee@betaguides.com

Chasing Rainbows

Today's welcome to Blakey Ridge  - Where the pots of gold lie in wait?

It's good to see that plenty of fellow mat carriers are heading further into the depths searching for blocks or sweet lines on long-forgotten crags. Feels like I've been Chasing Rainbows all my life (Shed Seven Song), looking for boulders that are not in guides or on anyone's radar puts a different edge on any day out on the hill. There's a sense of anticipation of what the rock's like, and the possibility of finding a gem that makes it all the more worthwhile. 

This week's mystery location was High Crag (Westerdale) on the edge of Stockdale Moor.

On the walk in Tor Hill Crags caught my attention as I could see some nice leaning faces on it! Just how high - will check this out next time.

Tor Hill Crags

To get to High Crag you have to pass through High House farm, were I had the warmest greeting from the friendliest farmer you would ever wish to meet. Firstly asking me my favorite ice breaker "What's that on your back?" He then opened all the gates to let me short cut through the farm, both of us talking all the while. His favourite family summer picnic site on High Crag has a fantastic view of all the dales!

Here comes the gloom

A quick scan of the lines on the crag indicated mostly lower grades up to font 5+ with the odd harder traverse and short hard line on good sandstone. There was one smooth gem of a boulder with a distinctive red colouring that I just had to do a problem on even though it was a bit damp! Too tempting!

Not too high - amazing friction - perfect slopers - needs a dry day

Pot of Gold SS Font 6b+ tricky start - a long reach to a sloping top 

a good crimp further back if you can get it! 

Had to be careful driving through Pickering as it was 'War Weekend'