Improbable Impossible Possibilites

I love this time of year, the days are short, weather patterns are constantly in flux and it can be a complex lottery deciding what to do?

I use one easy formula

1. Raining = go exploring or find a dry roof

2. Not Raining = Climb or Explore and climb  

One of the biggest bonuses of this time of year is that wooded venues offer a warm welcome if dry projects are in condition and exploring is a lot easier without the foliage hiding any hidden treasures. 

So this weekend was spent testing the formula out again. 

Friday + Wet = Explore + Poor Edges Found + Comfy Chairs = Two off the list

Saturday + Dry = Mike's Project + More attempts + bloody hard = Time to explore 

Exploring + Family text asking to join the Weird Beardy Club + Mike finding wall of blankness on google street view = Good day on tiny holds, with even more harder problems to go back to.

Proving the formula works

Fast and Furious

Firstly I would like to apologise for the delay in the release of the Moors bouldering guide, proofing is over the half-way mark and all the details needed to finish are all in place. Unfortunately it will be next year before it goes to press. It should be ready just as the magic months are upon us again in the Moors.

Having not trained for six months, due to being sat in front of a computer screen finishing off the guide, Mojo for exploring, climbing and recording venues has returned with a vengeance. Having already started a new guide book 'Esoteric East': a whole new area of bouldering delights to get your teeth into. We've already had more days and nights at the crag, some with disappointing findings -whole edges covered by landfill, others burnt to a crisp and scatted with cans of Kestrel Super and Asbo-pop bottles left by the 'bored youth' of today.

This process is bitter-sweet yet the sweet makes up for all that "Oh S**t it's three foot high, why is this on an Ordnance Survey map?" 

Below is an example of just one of the sweets, Conisborough's Hueco Boulder in Nearcliff Woods, one of many scattered between the A1 - M1 corridor. I don't think there is one 'Wack' problem on this block, incredible. Please go and give us feedback on the grades.

This block needed a lot of TLC as it was fire-damaged. Efforts to clean it resulted in some major rewards. 

Not all of the good finds have suffered from this fiery urban fate. Some of the places feel like you could be lost in any valley of outstanding beauty in Britain's green and pleasant land, with blocks and edges with some blissful moves, in some forgotten places, with the odd piton or axe-strike letting you know this was home to someone else.

Not forgetting the superb historical venues this area has to offer.

Demo only, yet to be proofed and finished

My Precious

Well it's been a while and I feel a bit like Frodo Baggins carrying the ring to Mordor. As the Moors guide gets closer to being finished the heavier the burden feels. I suppose working a full time job and trying to climb most weekends slows me down a bit, the good news is, proofing starts tonight, at last.
quite a wonderful journey really, one that won't end with the Moors guide, Such a nice area to go back to, hidden little projects to be done, no pre made chalk path, beta or anyone to bother you when you climb like a bag of spuds.

Anyway as the temperature dis now dropping the majority head to the grit for some well earned friction at last. Despite this my eyes are firmly fixed on the lesser known Mag Lime delights, these can be truly unbeatable as the tree canopy falls and the white gold is exposed to the elements.

This is also why we have started the Mag- Lime guide. Mike Adams has made massive progress over the years with many areas complete and new and old forgotten areas getting developed and recorded most weekends.

The guide will include quite a few surprise venues within the M1 - A1 corridor and will cater for a  wide range of grades. A great diversion from the usual peak circuits and a priceless resource for any local.

So much to enjoy at Captain Cooks

Mike gives Arncliffe an 8a 

Whitestone at Scugdale The Buzzard 6b, spicy 

Martin smashes some projects on the block named 'Dave' in Ingleby woods 

We lit up Highcliff 

Lisa takes on The Bridestones 

 And so it begins

 Unbelievable line! at the Earth Quarry

 Hanging Stone Woods

 The Legend gets on the Mag Lime, Hooton Cliff

A late one at Rattles Hill

Keep it in the back pocket

Well what's in vogue climbing wise? like I care, This dry spell is so good, so much to do.

time for some late night sessions. Having such a good time working out old school classic venues and finishing off each area. Always a reason to go back, just to try something, wether it's a move, roof, link project..... 

NOS boulder, a must, very addictive

Cook's Quarries classic lines

Old school with no pads, respect

Cook's crag, a forgotten gem

The mushroom man, quality problem on the massive block at Cook's 

A sneaky dabble on the Limey Sandstone

Round Crag on a sunny day takes some beating

Climbing My Brains Out

Not had much time to put stuff up on here in a while, life gets in the way sometimes, but when climbing is life and conditions are right, then it's time to get smashing some blocks in while you can.

weddings, births, winter and a delayed spring, the circle of life never ends. 

Luckily the cold harsh prolonged easterly winds have done wonders to the moorland rock and conditions are unbelievable, especially after months of damp. The wet spell has helped me knuckle down and get the bulk of the guide finished, Not long now.... a few more venues to sort and it will be full steam ahead with the Mag lime and a Leicestershire guides, but not without a remote mountain trip before it gets started. 

 The delights of the Blakey quarries, and yes Steve has jeans on, now that's progress

 Camp Hill Campusing

 We all love Scugdale, maybe too popular

 Quality Mag Lime 

The 'Model'

 The magic woods of Arnecliff have an 8a, enter if you dare

 Won the best bobble hat prize at Roseberry

 Oh no I have to put a grade to this, maybe I will wait till Dave does it?

 The Machine is back with us, now a married man, he now has a tracker fitted to his leg.

 Chimney perfection, Steve was stuck for six days, a good weight loss problem

 James loves lip traverses

The Thorgill circuit is excellent, now even I'm getting into lip traverses

 The late evening Rosedale climb off, Steve won this one 

 Not myself this day, a bit moody working it all out, cheered up later

 Ugg, Lip, Climb, Me

 A strange place with leaning trees

Mike got some of the best Elvis leg I have ever seen on this - no longer a project, right at the end on the easy bit, video to follow.

And Then It's Gone

A chance to go wandering in deep virgin snow is so appealing that the dangers of getting there are all forgotten, only anticipation of the chance to plough through the drifts, not knowing how deep, or if any rock will be dry when you eventually make it to the crag? probably not considering how deep it was!

Anyway the falling down snow holes and quarry diving were priceless, I laughed until it hurt, maybe the last of the snow this year? 

Cheers for sorting the parking out

The blocks are under there

A great problem hidden under an Oak tree - Guilty Pleasure 7b+

 Get lost it's my boulder

Franco would have scored a 10 but messed up the landing

Look into the Eyes

Things are getting quite serious at the moment, checking problems and re-checking, but it's well worth the effort, as grades can drive anyone into a straight jacket, bearing in mind all our shapes and sizes, strengths and weaknesses, so we are trying our best to get them right.

Two days on Ingleby for me was just what the doctor ordered after some christmas indulgence, ease in slowly to get rid of the love handles, getting some exercise on a long stretched out circuit of hillside and dense wooded blocks and at last got back on some dry sandstone.

Day two saw Mike give the Incline it's first 8a Circle My Demise, a bold adventure on the No Prisoners block, Involving some hard moves on sloping holds high up on the problem, some good spotting from Steve

The great grade debate - No way is that 6c+ - harsh words from the Simon Cowell of grades

Pete on a good crimpy line in the Mono Block

Circle My Demise 8a