UKC

Thank you for reminding me why I do what I do, and why I dont like watching other people climbing.

It cost me a fiver but it only took one hour of my life, 30 minutes of which were spent walking round the event, avoiding retail therapy, fairground attractions and spectator climbing.

I wont be going back, even if we get a proper summers day for it.

If you find remnants of torn up fivers, or hear someone screaming yippee one summer evening somewhere on Stanage - thank Cliffhanger for reminding me there are better things to do on a wet July weekend.

In reply to Removed User: I quite enjoyed it myself. It'd have been a blast if there'd been a proper music festival like the Peace in the Park bash, alongside the Cliffhanger bash. Must say though, even as a climber, the bouldering comp left me slightly baffled.

I've just left there, and am now at work until 4am (bummer). I quite enjoyed it, I got close to the bouldering cometition wall and took a few very wide angle shots with B+W 3200 film and managed to drop a yellow filter in the mud.

I thought the fairground rides were pretty cool but I had no-one to go on them with!

I was under the impression there was a German beer tent, or something, was a little disappointed to find there were instead a couple of small trailers selling only one draught beer at £3. Had one all the same, with some olives from a stall.

The photography element was excellent, so much subject matter.

Overall, it made me realise just how crap a climber I must be, leading mere VS/HVS and seeing these guys doing huge dynos and powerful complicated moves. Bit depressing really.

Anyone, cheers Matt H for organising it. I left feeling pretty chilled out and wishing I had the time to stay.

PS lose the singing-idol thing at the bottom of the field, or at least move it away from the main wall!

In reply to just wanna climb:
I also had a really nice time. was kicking my self for leaving my camera at home but i did pick up some great bargins from various stalls. o yer and the sun shined!!

thanks all involved (hope to see you next year ??)

John

In reply to Removed User:

I got some good dyno photos and some good muddy boots. Was a bit disappointed how few people were there but we were probably there a bit early...

In reply to just wanna climb:

You should've found me (wandering around wearing a UKC t-shirt!). I'd have shared a ride witcha.

Yeah. Not so much a beer festival. Shame really, but the Krombacher was good anyway, if a little expensive.


Yeah I enjoyed having a wee chatter with Ian Parnell about some of his shots and about esoteric sea cliff climbs, inspired mainly by his brilliant shot of a foam-lashed, wildly laughing Mark Pretty on some VS traverse at Swanage.
Or inspirational. I carefully avoided getting near enough to be embarrassed by the pull-up competition, though our son in law Arran, who doesn't climb, managed 20 in a minute, which was good.

Yeah cheers Matt. And cheers Sheff council and the sponsors. Do it again next year, incorporating the good aspects and leaving out the bad (if you want to know what they were, imho, email me).

If it doesn't rain tomorrow we may well go back.

In reply to Removed User:
I must say though, that I was disappointed to find thet the advertised execution of Cliff Richard did not take place.

In reply to BrianT: Baffled in what way?

The Dyno was ace! Simple stuff but good all the same.

In reply to GraemeA at home: I didn't really understand the scoring, the way the competition worked. It was only later that I noticed there was a sort of explanation in the programme. I think to anyone who'd not seen competitions before it was hard to work out who was winning and how.

In reply to BrianT:


Am back today - doing the Keith Sharples photo majig. Ace weather for it !

;0)

In reply to Removed User:




Err - did you not realise where you were going or something as you sound fairly stupid posting that!?

Agree that the Alpine Beer Festival was pretty craptacular - it should have read:

>Beer wagon & lil tent to sit under<

We tried to find the comely wenches with foaming jugs - but apart from Judes there were not to be seen :0(

In reply to Removed User:


Yes it rained for all of about 20 seconds.

Well I had a good time - spent most of the day helping on the Sheffield Street sport climbing tower. It was great to see so many kids having a try. We even had one 4 year old make it to the top of the tower..the first time she had climbed.

The Cotswold/Highline traverse wall was really good as well and it was great to see it covered in kids all day.

I think the event was a success - okay some things were a bit naff but I think we should all say a big well done to Heason events and Sheffield Council

In reply to Party Boy:

I agree. The weather really crapped out today (was nice yesterday though), which is a pity but it'll be good if this becomes an annual event.

In reply to TN:

Should it not be organised in the winter when the weather is less enticing to be climbing outside?

In reply to Sandrine:

Dunno, it rains enough in the summer - it'd be a quagmire in the winter. I doubt it would attract as many people if it was cold, grey and raining.

In reply to Removed User:

Always happy to receive feedback after an event. Thaks for all the positive comments, it makes it seem worthwhile afterall. I've taken on board all the comments about getting rid of the naff stuff. I agree that the beer festival and the 'music festival / karaoke thing' were both very disappointing. I won;t bore you with details, but neither were as planned. You can blame the weather for both!

To darkpeak - I can never get my head around why people start thread like yours. I can only assume that you aren;t a particularly pleasant person!

Thanks to the thousands who came and enjoyed yourselves. Please post as much feedback as you like here - posivitve or negative. But keep it constructive at least.

Off for a soak in the bath to get four days of mud out of my pores!

MattH

In reply to MattH:
I have posted on one of the other threads, but that seems to have disappeared so I thought I'd add my feedback here.
I was there today helping with a stand from my Dads wall. By the sounds of it they had a great day yesterday, they'd bought some free games for kids and got loads of PR done. For people who are saying that it was all about selling stuff we were giving out 50% discount vouchers for the wall, you'd get half your entry price back if you use one.
The bouldering comp was excellent as ever, I also enjoyed the Showroom lecture theatre. As a feedback both from an attendee and exhibitor everything was far too spread out. Even in good weather walking all the way to the market stalls would seem a long way, in the rain I just didn't bother.
Instead of the alpine beer festival next year how about showcasing some of the excellent real ales from Sheffield brewery like Kelham Island and Abbeydale brewery?
My parents found the karaoke hugely annoying, as you just couldn't escape from hearing it, but both thought it an excellent event, god value for money as an exhibitor, and intend to be back next year, money permitting!

In reply to MattH:

We saw you wandering around on Sat looking all official, a little bit concerned and slightly muddy. Hope your brow unfurrowed a bit as the sun came out.

Things like this have to start somewhere - you have a to have a mark from where you can start tuning things - hopefully next years will be better still. I saw plenty of people walking around smiling so you must've done something right!

Here's to next years Cliffhanger (and hopefully a little more sunshine!)

In reply to Removed User: hmmm did you think you would be able to take part in the bouldering comps then ?
i missed sat due to work ( bugger ) sounds like it was ace .. went today though with the family and we had a top time the wife and kids loved it even though it was raining , the bouldering comp was brilliant ( i wish i could climb as good as those kids ) and we got some great bargains in the tents

In reply to BrianT: You pre-empted my next post by saying you didn't read the programme. I was going to get all 'well why didn't you read the programme then'

Ian Smith did also explain the system many times

Anyway nice one Matt.

In reply to pauldr:

i also went today but the weather was terribble... wish i cud have gone saturday as i wanted to watch the mens bouldering ( mcclure and parry....also i missed the dyno - thought that was gonna be on today but the rain came.....but managed to see a bit of it on that tv screen today though.... the kids bouldering comp was excellent- they all were very good and my hat goes off to them !
managed to buy my sen a pair of sportiva muira climbing shoes =(half price- 30.00) so that was a bargin !

In reply to pinkie: wasnt the dyno comp cancelled ?

In reply to pauldr:

supose it wud have been due to the rain, but does anyone know if it took place on saturday...

In reply to pauldr:

supose it wud have been due to the rain, but does anyone know if it took place on saturday...

In reply to pauldr:

was it on saturday....

In reply to pinkie: The dyno comp was cancelled today but people were on the wall yesterday and a new world record (2.625m) was set. By some American dude (sorry I don't know his name)

In reply to Removed User:

Well done Matt! i thought it was ace. the sunshined all day Saturday and I do beleive I even got a vague bit of tan!

Overall I thought it was great. It was fantastic to have so many people come and cheer along at the bouldering comp and really get behind the climbers, a much better atmosphere than your average comp.

Yes the karaoke man should have been shot, was expecting a bit more from the beer tent, but the coffee man was a star and there was lots and lots of room to wander around, masses of bargains and good food. Please do it again next year !

Jo P

In reply to JoP:


Effort all round - the day was damp today - but the atmosphere was ace in the comp!


Loved the climbing up the scaffold to balance above the competitors for shots - I reckon it was at least 7b+!

;0)

Si

In reply to MattH:
Called a couple of my mates who popped down to support one of the kids there & they had a really good time. Thought that climbin works place was pish tho!

In reply to Bill Davidson:

some pics


http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonjacques/


si

In reply to GraemeA at home:

I must have missed that. I'm not moaning, and I enjoyed watching the bouldering comp, but at the time I'd no idea who was winning or why.

In reply to Simon: Soz we called a raincheck on calling round last night, but we got caught in the downpour after leaving t'pub, and decided to just go home and get dry.

With it raining, we decided not to go back to Cliffhanger, as we had Jude's yearling grandson with us. Went to the Foundry instead where son in law Arron gobsmacked us by climbing three 6bs cleanly in borrowed shoes, having never even seen a wall before, let alone climbed! I might as well give up now...

In reply to BrianT:

>but at the time I'd no idea who was winning or why.

Sounds like my understanding of one day cricket and football rules, just watch the moving wallpaper and do not try to understand the rules unless competing.

In reply to sutty: I'm not used to climbing as a competitive sport, with rules and scoring systems and stuff.

In reply to BrianT:


Mate - I was part of the do & I had no idea either (well I learned a bit!)

Ian did a stirling job yet again in trying to explain the rules & regs and it was a great atmosphere yesday despite the rain.

photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonjacques/?saved=1


Feel free to raincheck whenever mate as the rains gonna be here soon!

;0)


si