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15th July -
Up at the newly in vogue Warton Pinnacle crag William Hickok has added a nice little addition to the Plumb Buttress circuit. Will's problem starts at the good hold on the lip immediately left of Sugarfix and traverses the lip leftward into and up Deadwood Crack. The problem goes by the classic moniker of The Lip Traverse and is in 7a+/b ballpark.
9th June -
Nick Clement has climbed the obvious, but until now neglected, reverse of the original Woodwell power stamina link, Cloning Technology. Nick's new creation, as anyone familiar with the crag will be aware, starts at the far right hand end of the crag and tackles the first section of Tom's Traverse Reverse, before swinging down through the roof to the start of Screaming Slave. It now traverses crab-like to the start of What's This For...! and climbs this to the jug a 2/3's height, then reverses Crucifix Kiss before continuing leftward across the break along the holds above The Beauty of Being Numb and across a slight corner to finish at a glorious water worn jug 2.5m up and left of the finishing holds of TBOBN. As with Cloning Technology holds above the main lip of the buttress are out-of-bounds, so if you comply with all the above stipulations on a send of the line you can take a tick of Nuclear Transplant (8a+). There is an action shot below.
3rd June -
Tim Carruthers has recorded a number of lines at Carrock Fell, and whilst some have no doubt been climbed before they are all worthy additions and needed recording. Tim gives the lowdown...
"Howff Boulder
Up the hill 30 metres from and equidistant from the Aretes Boulder and the Purple Slab, at the apex of the triangle, so to speak. If you know what a howff is, you can't miss the boulder! Two great problems, both starting low on the left:
Howff Roof 6b/6c+
Span from the big starting hold to a good (but dubious) flake below the lip. Pull over straight from this (6c+) using advanced mantling technique or brute force. Alternatively, traverse the lip rightwards and pull over at leisure (6b). Avoid the big block for your feet (easy to do).
Howff Arete 6c
The vague left hand arete using the same starting hold. Technical and balancy.
Snake Crack Boulder
This is up behind the Howff Boulder and slightly to the right. The obvious thin crack (Snake Crack, 6a+ or 6b if you only use handholds in the crack itself) is a superb problem. The wall immediately left of Snake Crack is a nice problem (4, I suppose). If you add these new problems to the existing mid-grade stuff on the Aretes, Purple Slab, Dual-Al and Little Groove boulders it makes a really nice little circuit just a short stagger from the road."
There is an image of both blocks in all their finery here.
2nd June -
Greg Chapman has climbed a cracking new problem at Sampson's Stones in Eskdale. Hypernova tackles the obvious and burley line across the whole of the main face of The Asteroid. Starting up Pulsar the new problem breaks off leftward across the face initially on good handholds but sparse footholds to a tricky drop down, at the halfway point, into the lower holds of Quasar, before continuing left into and up the hardest "straight-up" on the block, Stargazer (7c in its own right). Greg dished out the tantalizing grade of 8a to his new creation, pointing out that the brisk walk-in seems to add to the overall difficulty when on the link! There is an action shot below and an image displaying the line here.
29th May -
Tim Fish reports the development of smart looking new bouldering circuit in the valley of Longsleddale, in south east Lakeland. Tim, and his friend Andy Smith, climbed and recorded around 40 excellent looking problems in the lower grades over the [non] summer of 2007 and spring 2008. Tim points out, people may have climbed up here before but no information was found to suggest as such.
The area is situated in a vague cove (Settle Earth) around a 25 minute walk from the parking at Sadgill, Longlseddale. Tim has also produced a fine little topo to his new area, click here to check it out. We have also added the location to the "Areas Overview Map" on the crags page of this site.
9th May -
A recent chance meeting with John Gaskins this week gave us the opportunity to probe the world's strongest climbing enigma on his recent comings and goings.
As you may be aware, after the shabby treatment he received at the hands of Markus Bock and others a few years back, John had taken a step back from the limelight and his intense climbing regime - obviously losing much of his faith in his fellow climbing brethren - to concentrate more time on his family and the more accommodating sport of running. Over the last year or two he has "dabbled" in and out of the sport in which he made his name, re-climbing such lines as Cloning Technology (8a+) and adding the odd endurance link to his local limestone crags, but for the most part he's flown under the radar and stuck to endurance ground, that whilst hardcore for most, is at a relatively modest level by his old standards.
On meeting John this week I couldn't help but notice the fact that he looked physically much stronger compared with our last meeting some 9 or 10 months back - forearms that could power a jackhammer anyone? On commenting as such to him he stated that he had recently put his campus board back up, been back on his training board and even been out and about "a bit" over the previous winter and spring.
John's most notable ascent over the last few months would have to be a new 8b+(?) at Woodwell, in the shape of a reverse of Anesthesia (see image below). This starts at the far right of the buttress and traverses leftward to a point a couple of hand moves right of the original start, before climbing up to the break – a 7c/+ in its own right! John wouldn't actual comment on the grade other than saying it was significantly harder than the original. There is an image of Anesthesia Reverse here.
Also of note John repeated Greg Chapman's fine gritstone test piece, Outer Reach (8a) at Thorn Crag. A line which over the last couple of years has seen attempts from a number of strong climbers, but until now rebuffed all comers.
Warton Crag Update
John also set us straight on an error on the recent Warton Pinnacle bouldering guide: The original line of Debaser actually climbs the prow on the left rather than the right, via a series of small crimps and side-pulls. John originally climbed this way back in 1997/8 and graded it 7c+, although we suspect this could be slightly conservative and 8a maybe nearer the mark.
3rd May -
On Trowbarrow's Shelter Stone Greg Chapman has climbed the obvious sit start to Virtruvian Man. This starts down and left of the stand-up (i.e. the start of The Jazz Phenomena) from a good RH diagonal edge (the foothold for the big crucifix move on the stand-up) and a less good crimp for the left. Tricky moves pull into the groove then an awkward reach right sets you up as for the stand-up and leaves us with Iron Man (7c+/8a). Greg commented that this was, in his opinion, the best problem on the Shelter Stone.
10th April -
At the Black Buttress sector of Warton Pinnacle crag, Greg Chapman has climbed the low left to right traverse of the crag. This starts at the gapping break on the far left and traverses the full length of the wall without any holds in or above the vague break, to give Beneath the Labyrinth (7b).
7th April -
At Warton; E-Fix saw a couple of repeats over the weekend. Nick Clement grabbed a send as did Dan Varian. Nick thought the grade was about right, but Mr. Varian found a sly intermediate thus negating the big throw for the lip, Dan thought it was 7c+ with this method. Incidentally, just to prove he's the dark horse beast we all new he was he did it the original way too, monster!
Shucks Lair Update: Due to the current forestry operations in the vicinity of the crag we have revised the access/approach info to the Shucks Lair. So please be sure to print off an updated version of the topo if visiting the area in the near future. Download the topo here.
2nd April -
Nick Clement and Greg Chapman have added a number of new additions to Warton Pinnacle Crag. At Plum Buttress Nick climbed an obvious variation on Voodoo People. Voodoo Magic (7c) climbs to the lip and then takes the left most line on the headwall via small holds to the break. Also on Plumb Buttress Greg added a cool new roof problem to the right of Voodoo People. This starts at an obvious square undercut and blast direct through the roof before linking into the hanging flack line of Sugarfix to give E-Fix (8a). The duo also added Poison (7c) another obvious gap which climbs Voodoo People to the lip then follows the lip rightward to and up Sugarfix.
West across the hillside at Black Buttress Greg added Black Light (7b+). This tackles the wall immediately right of the central crack from sitting and is truly top draw! For full details and images of these problems and all the others at the venue see the new topo located on the Warton Crag page.
11th February -
Greg Chapman took advantage of the great weekend weather and added a crimpy new problem to the Garburn Pass boulder, Kentmere. Strongbone Tactics (7b) climbs the the thin wall immediately left of Paradigm direct from sitting, obviously avoiding the jug on the lip way out left.
21st January -
Despite the current spell of dreadful weather Greg Chapman managed to take advantage of a short weather window on Saturday afternoon and grab a few hours sport at Thorn Crag. Whilst there Greg routed out a neat little problem on the shark shaped block just down from the Banana Land boulder. Megalodon (7a+) climbs the small prow on the downhill side of the block via a poor side-pull and pocket, a tricky throw for the lip and a tasty mantle finish.
Whilst at the crag Greg pointed Mike Binks at a relatively new (and previously unreported) problem on the Banana Land boulder. Bananamor (6c+) climbs the left wall of the block from a slopey slot and sloper. Mike confirmed the quality of this neat new addition.
9th January -
The inform Jordan Buys has put his current hot streak to the ultimate test and pitted his whits (and muscles) against the now nationally renowned burlathon test piece that is Isla De Encanta, in Trowbarrow quarry. After a number of sessions, plenty of chalk, gallons of petrol and an ongoing battle against the traditional January monsoons Jordan came away with a superb new feather in his cap. This is the fourth ascent of this now frequently tried and quick drying 8b.
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