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9th May -
Greg Chapman has climbed a good number of smart new problems at the premier Eskdale location, Sampsons's Stones. For the full lowdown, images and a video click here.
6th May -
Tom Peckitt has climbed a good and probable new problem at St. Bees Head. The line climbs a roof on the seaward side of the arch, by which you access the Fisherman's Step's area from Apiary Wall. In terms of difficulty Tom reckoned on about 7b+.
Incidentally, Tom also climbed the wall left of Yellow Desert Scream sans arete not too long ago, offering a focussed but excellent 7c+ highball. However, it subsequently emerged that coastal enthusiast Dan Varian appears to have beaten him to the first ascent.
4th April -
That prolific get-about Jordan Buys has claimed the much sought after first ascent of the mighty groove project at the Lad Stones, Tilberthwaite.
The new line requires much resolve and is not only "flexibility dependant" but also involves "some spotter scaring moves rightwards" before the final highball top-out.
Jordan cleaned the line on an ab-rope, but climbed this behemoth of a boulder problem ground up. After taming the monster Jordan has named it Groove Armada (obvious reasons?), and offered highball 7c+ as an estimated grade.
18th March -
It would seem that the ever-on-form Ryan Pasquill has sent the obvious link-up of Wheelbarrow (7c+) into Vitruvian Man (7c) on the SE face of the Shelter Stone, Trowbarrow quarry. The new line, dubbed Pac Man, is around the fb8a mark and sure to be a future South Lakes classic.
2nd March -
A couple of back dated pieces of news: first up Sean Gelder recently repeated (2nd ascent?) Nick Clements' power stamina festival, Nuclear Transplant (8a+), at Tom's Buttress, Woodwell. Whilst at Fairy Steps, Greg Chapman made the long awaited second ascent of the John Gaskins test piece Walk Away, 8a+/b.
2nd January -
After numerous sessions, the setback of a finger injury and the usual battle against the British weather, Dan Varian has succeeded where many have previously failed, with a repeat of the hardcore Kentmere and Lakeland test piece Little Women. Situated on the rear of the Giant Stone at Little Font, this problem was originally claimed by Si O'Conor, as part of his hoaxing campaign a few years back and originally given the grade of 8a. The line was subsequently climbed (the first ascent) by John Gaskins around 2003, who true to form left the grade debate to others.
Since John's send, the problem has seen attention from the likes of Ian Vickers, Gaz Parry, Jordan Buys and the perennially inform Mick Adams, all of whom have seen their best efforts rebuffed by this obviously under-graded line. Dan has yet to comment on the grade but it is obvious, from the evidence so far, that Little Women must be around the Font8b mark, if not harder? The image below shows Dan on the last few moves.
At a much more amenable level, Greg Chapman has added a number of problems to the boulders around Gillercombe and Sourmilk Ghyll, in Borrowdale. After a tip-off from Mark Johnson, who discovered the boulder way back in 2001, Greg added two fine problems to the steep front face of a "new" block, situated a few hundred metres up the hill from the boulders at the base of Sourmilk Ghyll. The Cloud Chamber, 7b/+ (image below) takes the right side of the wall from sitting and Deforestation, 7a+ takes the left side of the wall from sitting. This block features excellent landings and some fine climbing, and as such is well worth seeking out. At the main area below Gillercombe crag, Greg also added a sitter to Neil Kershaw's big 6c+ arête on the first large boulder encountered on the approach from Sourmilk Ghyll, giving the quality N&G Special, 7b. All these problems are featured in the new PDF guide to the area, which can downloaded here.
Further south at premier Lancashire destination, Thorn crag, Greg added a new problem on the Loaf boulder. Positions of Strength, 7a+/b (image below), climbs the rising rib on the west facing face of the block and starts from sitting below a short face, before making a hard couple of moves to link into the rib and following it up and left to the top of the block.
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