UKC

so who puts up the routes at manchester climbing centre then ? just wondering as 'McClure' puts up new routes at Rochdale climb- and i was lucky enough to see him this evening adding lots of new routes to the bouldering section.

In reply to pinkie: going through previous topic replied as to this wall and the staff attitudes, they do, some love em some hate em, me i dont mind, they set pretty good routes like!

Sometimes at MCC the lower grades can be graded a bit strange. There's a couple of 4+ that I struggle to get up, but then there's a 6a+ that I find ok.

In reply to luke_brown: that's all to do with the grading system used, they use french sport grades at mcc so the grade stated at the bottom is sustained throughout the route, whereas the british technical grade (like they use at the rope race)describes the hardest move or moves.
so u could have a route labeled as a 6a but it is actually a 5b maybe with a few moves being 6a i found it a little confusing when i climbed at mcc a few weeks ago but u will get used to it

In reply to luke_brown:
yeah its wierd isnt it- ive found that before, where ive climbed routes lower than my usual grade (to get warmed up), and a 5+ felt harder than a 6a+ ???? wierd.

In reply to pinkie:

If it was a young strong guy with fairish hair then probably Dave Barrans, he's in the British team. Jamie Cassidy also sets there sometimes.

In reply to pinkie:

John Dunne's been setting a few recently as well

In reply to pinkie: Steve's problems at Rochdale are usually ace although some verge on route status. A bit disheartening to watch him doing the crux moves in his trainers then not getting near them.

In reply to pinkie:
I like the route setting at MCC because of the variation. As some one said some 6a's are far easier than others, but that may just be my technique suits that type of climb. There is also a lot of different styles catered for, not just hand over hand climbing with smaller or more rounded holds.

What I have noticed in recent weeks is that there are more hard routes 6c ish on non overhanging walls. This is a good thing and we need more of them. Any one can get strong, but balance and footwork are where it is at (for me at least).

I would also like to see some John Dunne set routes at 8x, not that I could get up them or anything.

In reply to dread-i:
Have you tried the 6c in that bridging corner at the far end of the left hand (facing away from the bouldering) lead wall?
Ace route, technical and makes you think about the moves - definitely not one you could power through relying purely on big arms!

In reply to SecretSquirrel:

Routes with tufas, finger cracks and dare-I-suggest, OffWidths would be nice.

A 20m+ Tufa route would be sooooo coool!

In reply to Chris Tan Ver. XLIX SP2: Don't they have long tufas at Warrington?

In reply to Richard Bradley: oh yes, if I ever climb that I would be so pleased! it goes on forever!

In reply to rginns: I watched John D do it once. Looked easy

In reply to Richard Bradley:

And finger/hand cracks

My favourite route at MCC is the one with textured rock on the right of the main lead wall. It's got a great hand and foot size crack running all the way up, with a little overhang near the top. Provides a bit of variety from the normal routes there.

In reply to SecretSquirrel:

Thats a lovely climb (the yellow and black one?) really is a nice technical climb... however, i noticed that if ever i got it wrong my teeth would never forgive me...

In reply to luke_brown:
another great route (in my opinion) 6b i think using features only.. Nice crux at teh top on the overhang.. makes clipping in above interesting. Wish there were more of these 'formed' type climbs..

Reminds me of climbing at the Berghaus wall oh how i miss it. ;'(

yea the textured rock routes provide a good challenge. Not managed to do it features only yet though, certaining not at the top anyway

In reply to luke_brown:

have you tried the pockets and features only on the blue bit opposite?

In reply to SecretSquirrel:
>Have you tried the 6c in that bridging corner at the far end...
I've done that one. Its really nasty. I love it
It appears that there are some holds missing, you need to use friction and a bit of latteral thought. It is a grade harder if the heater is on as it blows hot air at you half way up.

There is also a 6b/c on the left hand slabby wall just before it, thats good as well; lots of balancy shifting your weight from one side to the other.

In reply to dread-i:

The one on the right panel of that slab is really nice, but I can't reach to even get on the 6c on the left of it. The first handhold is right at full stretch, can just get my fingers on but arm is locked straight so I can't pull up on it and the first foothold is waist height!

Another favourite there at the moment is the green 6b to the right of the easy slab on the back wall - fingery & technical but with a massive mantleshelf hold at half height.

That hold makes me laugh. You can pretty much sit on it.

In reply to SecretSquirrel:
>the first handhold is right at full stretch, can just get my fingers on but arm is locked straight so I can't pull up on it and the first foothold is waist height!
Then it gets a bit tricky after that. I must admit though that I havnt done it clean. It is a case of move, rest, think, fail, move, clip, rest, fail etc.

The green one with the mantle is good. You can camp on that big green foot hold. There is also an orange 6c on the back wall next to that bridging corner. That has a good mix of moves on it. There is another 6c which is on the first right hand slab, features only. Better than a campus board and with hands free rests.

The funny thing is I like leading those hard (for me) routes more than some of the 5s. I find that I can concentrate more and dont get scared. A big juggy 5 with a dodgy move at the top is more worring that a dodgy 6c with sketchy moves all the way.

In reply to zoobizooretta:

the climbs on the blue formed wall are pretty tough.. havent got up that one yet.. I found it really hard!

In reply to SJD: I just want to get up one of the big walls there

In reply to lukea6:
From the current routes I'd recommend you try the blue juggy route up the arete on the main lead wall. 6a I think, but thats because its long rather than inherently difficult - easy moves all the way up, big juggy holds, no long reaches and you can get plenty of rests without hanging on the rope.
Its a good feeling reaching the top for the first time - go get 'em tiger! ;0)

In reply to lukea6:
well ive climbed one of the big walls and im only 5ft-my hubby says im a like a little dot once im at the top !
not many climbers seem to have been on it recently. went there the other week and it was heaving-climbers everywhere -but not on the big walls ! ?

In reply to pinkie:

I've had a go, just couldn't make it to the top. My arms gave up! This weekend I'll get there!

I'm currnetly only leading at about 5+/6a level. I wish they'd put a couple of routes on the big wall at about this grade so that I can have a go on it. At the moment I'm limited to the other lower walls, as all routes on big wall seem to be 6b/6c upwards

In reply to luke_brown: There's a few 6a's I believe, there are definetly a few 6a+'s.

yea, but I'm not very confident once I get above the height of the normal routes (freak out a bit, and mind over matter doesn't seem to work) so would appreciate something where the route is easier and I could get used extra height!

Would be nice to have an easy juggy hold route going right up to the top...

In reply to luke_brown:

I wouldn't mind an easy one to get up there but takes the achievement away a little...

I just ask my friend Chris to lead it

In reply to luke_brown:
>> Would be nice to have an easy juggy hold route going right up to the top...

That would be the blue 6a on the arete...

In reply to SecretSquirrel: Ah yeah I know that one! Not tried it though.

In reply to lukea6:
There is a big green juggy one at 6a(+) not sure. You can try that and if it gets tricky go "rainbow route", as it is the height you want to get used to not so much the actual grade.

In reply to lukea6:
ive done the green route and the blue route. the green one seems easier to me !!!

In reply to luke_brown:


If anyone from Manchester does happen to read this please don't put up any easy routes on the big wall, there are plenty of walls suitable for people wanting to climb lower grades but not so for people wanting to climb 7a upwards. Its a real pain when this wall ends up with a bunch of people not capable of climbing steep walls end up hanging off the second bolt for ages when there are more suitable alternatives. even worse when this sort of crap happens:

In reply to pinkie:

Sorry that were not all super confident 7a climbers!

I was suggesting it as a way that I think would improve my climbing, that would enable me to eventually climb the harder higher routes and not spend 2 hours doing so.

In reply to luke_brown:

I'm guessing that reply was for me!


Nothing to be sorry for, no one is judging anyone here (yes I did note the sarcasm in your post!), it's just that some walls lend themselves to particular grade of route. I'm not saying you can't have &a and above routes o the other walls just that the big wall is most suited to training for people climbing those grades.


There are so many ways of improving your climbing and going on the big wall would be one of the worst of them.

In reply to pinkie: I'd love them to slap up a nice easy 4 on one of the big walls so i could say i have been up them!! I think seconding a 5 is about my max limit and it would have to be sooooo easy!!

In reply to Pauline:
every one makes progress in their own time, ive been climbing only for say 3 years but im so addictive and climb all the time- if i dont go climbing-im so down-so yes ive worked extememy hard this year and ive only been leading for about 8 months on and off, but its EFFORT and total 'commitment' that counts- i have that 'drive' in me.
unfortunately they dont have easy routes for leading. its 6a and upwards but i kow wot you mean though . its along way up that wall, i dont really think about the height until i get to the top, then look down-oh my god !

In reply to Pauline:
MCC uses the French grading system which is meant to represent the difficulty of the route as a whole, not the difficulty of individual moves.
Routes on the high lead wall are graded harder than the same style on the shorter walls because you have to climb an extra 10m of it but the moves on several of the routes graded 6a are actually pretty easy. You're really not going to get a 4+ on that wall with the overhangs and sustained climbing involved.

In reply to Tyler: do you use knees on 7a upwards or just on low grade HVS ?

In reply to luke_brown:

Think of it this way, the higher you are, the less likely you are of hitting the ground. Falling doesn't hurt, landings however are a different kettle of fish!


Chris ( who likes a lot of air under his feet) Tan

In reply to all: Shhhhtoppp!