Wet Cranking in the North Yorkshire Moors

Looking at the weather thinking, don't bother, think again, just go for it, we headed out for the North Yorkshire moors for a two day session, then the rain crapped us out on the saturday, or so we thought, reprieve came by the way of the Ravenswick Quarry! the steep Black wall gave enough problems to entertain us for a good four hour session.

Wet and still Cranking in the Ravenswick Quarry

Unlucky for us the lower platform traverse was not in condition, a brilliant looking maybe F6c+ not in the guide? map below!

A good training venue well worth a visit in any weather! filled with hard forearm hurting traverses and eliminates.

Rob Lonsdale pulling hard and reaching high in the pouring rain!

Av' a Bit, of Yorkshire Grit

Almscliff seems to be the place to go for proper Yorkshire bouldering; the rock is in what Steve Ramsden calls "Perma-nic" always in good condition! Full of great classic problems, new eliminates, hard test pieces and local projects.

Tom Coulthard on Si's Arete

After the Editors gig on Saturday at the O2 Academy in Leeds, everyone was motivated to tick some good problems, pushing that little bit harder.

 Rob Lonsdale on Stu's Left Hand, Tom's Dodgy Photography!

Best ticks of the day were: Little Greeny, Dreamland, Wall Of Horror's Traverse, and the BOLD Bancrofts Roof.

Rob Lonsdale cutting loose without a parachute on Bancroft's Roof

Sunny St Bees

Considering it's not the most inspiring side of the Lake district this is a must destination for the travelling boulderer. There are three areas: the northern section (Apiary Wall, Fisherman's Steps); Fleswick Bay and the south. Head for the northern section to Apiary Wall and Fisherman's Steps, just 300 metres south, for the majority of and the best problems. The descent to these is a tad precarious, using an old knotted climbing rope!

Jen enjoying the precarious descent!

At the base you are faced with a dispersed selection of varied climbing on red iron-rich sandstone, that looks like scattered cindery burning embers, grippy and light as a feather every block looks as enticing as the last.

Rob Lonsdale on Undercooke F6c

There are plenty of problems to go at across all the grades, and I dare say a few project lines left?

We also dabbled on Fleswick Bay, unfortunately the shingle on the beach was low so the starts were a little trickier, this can vary at different times of year depending on the tides.

The Tidal Shingle Problem at Fleswick Bay!

Catch St Bees on a sunny day and it is truly magical, don't forget to take you Speedos or bikini and towel. Check the tides and weather before going. Enjoy!

That Big Mountain Feeling

That is the feeling you get whilst bouldering in the Chew Valley, dramatic, impressive, inspiring, big high edges futuristic lines on high up exposed crags, checkout the Trinnacle on the right, unbelievable!

Joining us on this trip were the Red Tip guys, (www.red-tips.com) young and full of hunger for hard lines on esoteric problems, we had deceided to head for the Ravenstones, a crag full of history and mystery with a giant sloping boulder with an 8a project nobody has claimed, the area has held the attention of the best and pioneering climbers in the UK, such as Chris Hardy and Gary Gibson and many more, so we were hooked, as we approached on our left appeared a jumble of boulders below the Standing Stones "Mmmmmm that looks good" said Liam, and that was it, into the jumble!!!

SS Pinchy the Lobster 7a *** FA Lee Robinson 

Liam on Red Tips 5+** SS

Dredger Left Hand  FA Liam Copley 7a*** Standing Stones

Stumbling across some nice lines, the best being, Pinchy the Lobster 7a***, Red Tips 5+**, also capturing the sharp roof problem, The Moors tiger 6c**, until Liam found left hand crimp giving it a good 6b** still! then heading uphill to Popcorn prow 6a** with a very undignified mantle, to the left of this is a project rocking on to a slopey slab, hard!! then moving on to the crag, Liam added the superb 7a*** start to the three star route Dredger 6b, tackling the enigma of the left hand arete, well done Liam.

The Moors Tiger 6c** SS, FA Lee Robinson without Liam's
left hand crimp, another great day in the undiscovered Peak

The Red Planet

Referring to the red sandstone on the Applecross peninsula, Scotland, (one of my favouritre UK bouldering destinations). There's so much to go at it's like being locked in Harrods at Christmas! The rock is a very smooth red sandstone, the climbing is varied and there is something for all abilities; but most of all the scenery is breathtaking.

Applecross O/S map sample, the dots are boulders

Key areas are the Russell Burn boulders, Kishorn shoreline boulders, both sides of the Belach, Meall Gorm and Sgurr a Chaorachain.

Enjoying Sgurr a Chaorachain

Walking here feels like you are on another planet, passing by layers of terraces, weird shapes, colours and patterns on the red sandstone, you could be on Mars! In this landscape are two impressive boulders in Coire a Chaorachain, that I have only viewed with binoculars! On the other side of Applecross is the MOD cave with the Brae boulders nearby, on which are problems developed by Nic Ward. He has also found new problems near Culduie and Shieldaig. For a sample of these and accompanying map see below:

   

Nic's follow-through Culduie Applecross

Nic Ward (Pre Head Shear)

Alistair McGregor on Egypt Himself 7a+

Culduie Map
For further info and problems see the Stone Country Guide, Bouldering in Scotland (Watson 2008)

Your Climbing Bench mark

After a four month break due to injury and an indulgent honeymoon holiday, I was wondering if the grade you are think you are climbing is what you are actually achieving? Attempting problems that are not in guides can give you a sense of doubt, so I asked myself what are my benchmark problems?  Pongo 6c+: Dumbarton, Monty Pythons SS 7a: Northumberland, T Crack 7b: Peak District, King of Drunks 6c: Llanberis Pass, nice problems on very different rock. This weekend was a bit of an indian summer so I decided to go somewhere local and test my strength on bench mark problems that I have struggled on in the past! With renewed psyche, I headed to the tranquil Spofforth pinnacles, near Wetherby in Yorkshire to tick some previously visited test pieces, the best of the day being:

Backwards 6c+ SS from a rail to a lefthand

curved groove aim left to a faint crimp and

stretch with difficulty up to the jug, unbelievable!

Stretch Armstrong 6c SS The most direct way up

the arete, the reach is massive, and the foot

sequence to control the swing is brilliant, enjoy!

Crimple 6b+ Using the small undercut crimp

pull up to the sloper, lock off hard on the right

and finish in the sloping pocket to the left, ***

Crafnant Circuit and Projects

During a long overdue return visit to the jumble of boulders in the tranquil Crafnant valley, we were determined to hunt out a good set of problems and were not disappointed. After a two hour jaunt around the dense cluster, it was clear there were lots of problems and projects all around -  so the almighty curcuit began. This included a clutch of the brilliant problems added previously by: Chris Doyle: Break Away SS; Wonderwall Danny Cattell: Grasswind, Mark Katz: Cruella and Sam Cattell: Filthy Hunks; Wonderwall Arete.

                              Candyfloss Sheep SS

Starting in the middle at the bottom of the field, we made our way leftwards ticking off many problems from F5c to 7a. The highlights: Initial warm-ups were taken on the Pyramid block at the bottom left of the field, which I refer to as the Triangular Elephant -right arete from sit is Chocolate Elephant ss 6b. On the left arete including the left block for feet is Elephant Fondue ss 6a. Located on the back of the block to the left of this on a clean sloping face bearing side rails containing the problem (but no use of side walls or the other close blocks) Candyfloss Sheep ss 7a.  Further up the hill on the right-hand side of the Breakaway block is the most photogenic problem of the valley Digital Distruction 6a, which can be extended with a possible but painful quartz-pulling sit start project. Moving over to the right side of the field are a few easier problems, plus an imposing blank block at a 15 degree angle. This has a nice left-hand arete and a very satisfying problem with a reachy standing start, ultimately finishing left on a large spike Reach For The Stars 6c+. The direct finish is is a slopey mantle-climbers dream! ?8a+

All in all around 20 problems were done on the day - knackering hardcore Welsh bouldering.

Some of the problems need 3 mats and at least two good spotters  - well worth the effort though!

If you have already done the problems described or want more info contact: lee@betaguides.com

                                 Digital Destruction