UKC

Last night I gave up my bouldering ambitions and have decided to raise my sports climbing grade. Never really been inspired b4, and to be honest underlying this change is a desire to raise my strength for grit trad next autumn.

Have never red pointed and currently my best onsight with rope is 7a. Although I have onsighted a 7b (deep water solo).

I boulder up to v9 so any bouldery routes might suit my ambitions.

Any recommendations welcome

In reply to teapot: Body Machine at Raven Tor best 7c in the Peak.

In reply to teapot: Comedy at Kilnsey - a boulderers dream!

Wild in me is a better suggestion at Raven Tor for something to suit a boulderer!

Stone teh loach and Sturgeon in the cupboard on Embankment, down at Cheedale are great and short too.

In reply to Ian Dunn: (P.s. - i agree Ian, Body Machine is a must for any aspiring sport climber in the UK! Awesome Route!)

In reply to teapot:

Cheers guys. Will definitely have to have a look at Body Machine

In reply to teapot:

-Why Me 7c at Cheedale should be a goer
-Stone the Loach 7c Cheedale
- Sturgeon in the Cupboard 7c Cheedale
-Wild in Me at the Tor is hard for 7c but should suit you if you're a boulderer. Cold conditions make the top tiny crimpers feel a bit better and less scary!
-Weedkiller 7c+ but worth throwing yourself on

Then get some endurance and nail some of the longer routes!

In reply to teapot:

Arch Enemeies at Dovedale should be beter suited to you than Body Machine and is OK to get to from Macclesfield. It is also a better route.

Fossil Wall might also be worth considering but not in the same league.

In reply to teapot: If you come from a bouldering background then you'll probably be best on short power problems, rather than stamina fests. Here are a few shorter examples from the Peak listed from easiest to hardest (IMHO):

1/ Rough Justice (Max Wall) - very soft for the grade.
2/ A Bout de Souffle (Long Wall) - quite long but all the hard bits are low down.
3/ Stone the Loach (Embankment) - easier for tall.
4/ Why Me (Two Tier) - short with dynamic crux.
5/ Cry of Despair (Chee Cornice) - roofy.
6/ Wild in Me (Snore) - intense sequence low down.
7/ Rooster Booster (Snore) - easyish 7c+ and quite short.
8/ Minos (Two Tier) - given 7c+ and quite long but if you can do the boulder start then you should manage the rest.
9/ Orange Sunshine (Two Tier) - 7c+ and getting quite hard.

Sturgeon doesn't count because it's only 7b+.
Body Machine is something of a stamina fest.
Cordless Madness is given 7b+ but probably worth 7c.
Comedy and Chisselling in Yorkshire would also suit.

In reply to teapot: theres 1 on beginers wall,cant remember the name but cant be that hard if i've done it.

In reply to John Cooke: Hi John - Have you done Weedkiller recently? It doesn't see much traffic these days and I know bits have dropped off over the years but do you know whether it still goes at 7c+? What V grade might it get?

In reply to mark s: Beginner's Wall is a good venue for short evening visits. The 7c is Fossil Wall. Middle Aged Spread and Beginner's Wall itself are also quite sweet at 7b+.

In reply to Nige M: I'm pretty sure this does definately not go at 7c+ anymore! Its lost holds and a mate tried it and couldn't touch the moves through roof....

In reply to teapot:

This thread is a salutory reminder how rubbish spoort climbing in the Peak is.

Go west young man.

Or alternatively North-North-East to Malham.

In reply to teapot: If you can boulder 7c, then you should be aiming higher than 7c routes. 8a+ will not have anything harder than font 7c on them. 7c routes will not challenge you when you get a big of stamina, which will take a month or two perhaps...
Think big!

In reply to Nj:

Thought I would make the target realistic rather than optimistic. I am heading to El Chorro second week of April and want to build up some endurance for that. So I guess my 7c target is relatively ST. Also I don`t have the facilities or time to dedicate to serious training. 3 times per week doing circuits on the Chapel wall in Macc and hopefully out for a climb once every other weekend is about it.

In reply to teapot:

Raven Tor or Cheedale areas would be the most convenient areas for a 'project' but I reckon you could easily knock off 7c in a day.
Clwyd hasn't been mentioned but is pretty handy from here and is quieter and often more scenic than the Peak.

Give me a shout...

In reply to Nige M: of these and the others mentioned, can anyone advise which have friendly bolting?

In reply to Simon Lee:

His this been rebolted since 1987?


Where is this?

Cheers

Alan

In reply to Nige M:

Weedkiller still gets 7c+, but as it's only got 3-4 hard moves on it they're fairly spicey, as you'd expect at the Tor. V grade is about V8/9 depending on your span.

In reply to alan monks:

Fossil Wall's on the little crag in Blackwell Dale.

Mick

In reply to alan monks:

I believe Howard Lancashire replaced the hangers in the mid-90's but it could do with being rebolted - hopefully with an extra one at the start - although a clipstick solves that these days.

Fossil Wall is at Blackwell Dale / Beginners Wall mentioned above.

In reply to ksjs: All the routes that I suggested have plenty of bolts, though one or two are looking a bit past their sell by date (the bolts on Cry of Despair were very rusty last year, though there are plenty of them - more than most people bother to clip).

Guy's suggestion about Clwyd is a good one, with Dinbren in particular having a good number of short and intense routes in the 7b+ to 7c+ region. When Satuday Comes and Flowers are for the Dead are quick to dry in spring, get the sun and are well bolted.

In reply to Nige M: thanks for reply - will have to have a go at some of these; Clwyd not too far so should make it there some time soon...

In reply to ksjs:

I have just thought Mark Pretty & Kristian Klem recently added a 7C at the right hand side of Beeston which they seemed quite pleased with. Given that its newly bolted and Beeston is one of the best winter crags as well as being a generally nice spot it might warrant further investigation.

Has anyone else done or tried it ?

In reply to Simon Lee: Bump.

This 7c sounds interesting at beeston. Any more news of it or other sport at this crag?

cheers
Tim

In reply to tbertenshaw:

Mark and Kristian move in mysterious ways. Rupert is the usual conduit of info on their new route activities though he also seems to be incommunicado at the moment. Christian told me about some stuff around the ivy gash in Novemeber but I can't recall specifics. I think the 7c had been previously bolted by persons unknown. That's all I know.

In reply to Simon Lee: ok do you know if there are any more sport routes there? can only see trad in the rockfax database.

In reply to tbertenshaw:

Back in the UK now, and communicado. Beeston Update time courtesy of Zippy for whom I occasionally act as a conduit. He speaks through me. My vioce but his words. I think he's coming now, here he... I did a new route at Beeston! On a tip off from Rob Napier I went down there with Christian . On the overhanging wall to the right of Budgie is a line of bolts and threads that, as far as my many informants can tell me, was unclimbed. No longer!! Its actually a rather good route-maybe 2 stars for the Peak-and bizarrely is climbed mainly on two finger pockets, a real treat in the Peak. Hence the rather boring name-HONORARY BUOUX. Its only 7C, never gets wet and is really sunny so might even become popular!! Also I did another new route between 666 and Pat-trick which I have proudly named Beast It! as it is somewhat bouldery though only 7B. I repeated 666 which is great though only a tasty 7c-I prefer E6 6c as the grade (E6 COS OF OLD BOLTS - THIS IS ME AGAIN NOW HENCE THE BOLD TYPE TO DISTINGUISH. WAIT, ZIPPY'S COMING BACK, HE'S MORE TO SAY...)
Christian did a new route at Beeston left of 666 called The Beesting, 8A, which is very thuggy.. (HE'S FADING NOW, NO, THAT'S IT, HE'S GONE).

In reply to RupertD: Thanks Ru,
did that hurt? (As was going to ask about new sport at Stoney but that sounded painful.) saw zippy at tomscave last march and he and a friend had bolted 2 routes there which they were working and i presume are free now.

Cheers
tim

In reply to RupertD:

Enough of that ukbouldering stylee frivolity I almost cracked a smile

In reply to teapot: Like Ru says Weedkiller is still 7c+, font 7b-ish for the average of stature, there is a useful kneebar on it.
Talking of kneebars I added one new 7c and two 7c+s to Thor's cave which might meet the OPs requirement. The 7c is a bit sharp and dark, but the 7c+s (Spear Of Odin and Escape to Valhalla) are totally amazing in my ever humble opinion. A repeat ascentionist of one was heard to utter the words 'better than Thormen's Moth'. High praise indeed! See UKC logbook thingy for route descriptions.

My other hot tip would be The Boltest in Long Tor Quarry, opposite High Tor. Definately a contender for best 7c in the peak. Short wall with trickyish slap to a break, then sustained locky moves on positive holds up a gently overhanging sheet of red and white rock. Re-bolted last year.

In reply to Boy:

Hi JB

I am guessing the Thor's cave routes seep and I seem to recall Long Tor suffering from drainage streaks or am I mistaken ?

BTW anyone know what routes at Malham are dry currently ?

In reply to teapot: Yes, the Thor's routes seep, but they probably come into condition sooner than people imagine. Neither has any persistently wet pockets on them like Thormen's has.
LTQ has wet streaks mostly affecting the lower section of Ruby Fruit Jungle, The Boltest is probably an earlyish season drier. It should dry quicker this year as the big sycamore has been chopped down.

In reply to Boy:

Hi,
what direction is long tor facing? and is there a topo anywhere to match the route list on ukc-logbook-crag-search?

Appear to be half hijacking this thread for "winter" 7c's
cheers
tim

In reply to Simon Lee: Thinking of jumping back on Overnight? I haven't been up for a good while and wouldn't mind some info as to what's dry as well. My thinking is all the usual will still be dry, but as the forecast is dryish for the week then some of the stuff to the left *may* come into condition. Upper Tier will be ok in the usual places as well.

Andy F

In reply to tbertenshaw:

I think there's one on UKB


Now't wrong with that youth...

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell: Here you go Tim: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,5940.0.html

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell: Thanks mate,

you spotted if it's south facing or not?

cheers
Tim

In reply to Guy Maddox:

Not with my current endurance. working on it though. Will cetainly be in touch in a few weeks when I want to get out.

In reply to tbertenshaw:

North West would be my guess.

In reply to Simon Lee:


Well if you look at the stats:
http://uk.weather.com/weather/climatology/UKXX0078
Feb' is the driest month of the year up there. Last year Feb' was awesome, best conditions all year.
Unfortunateley for me I'm going to miss it this year as I'll be stuck in Nice all Feb'...

In reply to Serpico:

...in a flat with a rampant hedonist who will drip feed you exotic cocktails.