UKC

Heard on the grapevine that John Gaskins recently completed a long term project at Woodwell. The line is the largest section of Tom's Roof taken direct (just to the right of What's this for?). The grade is my guess, so roast me over coals if its too big (or small!), not John.

I've seen the line, and you honestly wouldn't believe that the holds would be any use at all on a roof that steep. Or indeed on a slab. Come on boyos, who's gonna come to Woodwell and repeat this and other brick hard lines?

In reply to Neil: is that nigel

In reply to Neil:
John is way underated. Amongst the few strongest on the planet at his best. The grade would not suprise me.

In reply to Will: I will be up this weekend!

Stu

In reply to Stu T:

Well done John!

I was a bit tired when I answered last night.

Do you know if all the footpaths are open?

Stu

In reply to Will:

I totally agree. I think John only took 3 days to do Font 8b+ (Miroir de Vanitie?) over in Font, yet some of his problems at Woodwell and Fairy Steps took him months. Makes me wonder how much he has undergraded these beasts. Also when he repeated Miroire it was the hardest thing done by a Brit abroad but hardly got any recognition.

In reply to Steve:

Yeah, Miroir was pretty much ignored, except for a thumbnail picture and one sentence in a Font article halfway through the magazine. I think Ben moon got more words in that piece for repeating an 8a!

The thing that is most impressive is the way John has developed my local area (Silverdale and Arnside region) for super hard bouldering, but wait: completely alone. How many other climbers could claim to have single handedly squeezed two V14's, three V13's, a few V12's, and a skip load of other insignifigant (!) stuff, out of a really quite small place?

In reply to Neil:

We need John over in Font breaking new ground to really give our top boulderers the international recognition they deserve. Fred Nicole has done this, John and Malcolm Smith should do so too. Ben and Jerry in the Real Thing video talked about teaching the "Frenchies" a thing or two, it would be nice to see some real evidence...

In reply to Simon Cox: it would appear malcolm has been doing exactly that in ailfroide.

see http://66.54.218.170/articles/issue12/ailefroide/index.htm

blowing away the french locals with flashes of font 8as

laterzz

m@

In reply to Simon Cox:

That would certainly give him international recognition, and he is certainly capable. But the question is, is it what he wants? He may wish to avoid the limelight, or indeed just prefers to tick a lot of classics rather than busting a gut doing a single new problem, just as you and I would. The only difference is that at John's leve; "classics" are things like Pierre Philosophal...

A note about font grades...

Even though John's repeat of Miroir de Vanites was v. impressive, it's grade of 8b+ was a font. traverse grade, not a normal font grade. In Fontainbleau traverses are graded differently to straight up problems, even though the same numbers are used. Traverses are about 1 full grade easier than the equivalent straight up problem, so a font 8b+ traverse is about as hard as a straight up 8a+. This is why the first font 8b+ traverse predated the first font 8b+ 'up' problem by about 5 years. So just because John did Miroir in three days, doesn't mean that his new roof is much harder beacuse he spent longer on it.

(Note: to add to the confusion, other places that use font grades don't grade traverses differently. Thus, for example, Ben's Extention is graded font 8a, which is the same difficulty as a straight up 8a.)

In reply to Ru:

Very true Ru, but the number of people who have done a Font 8b+ traverse, regardless of whether it is 'easier' than a 'bloc' problem, is hardly likely to fill a giant's eggcup (which aren't very big). I think only Malcolm can claim this from Britain, but I may be wrong.

The reason I guessed at the 8b+ 'bloc' grade is because:

John has done a few 8b's very quickly (8-Ball, Pierre Philosophale), and this new line took him a lot longer than a few days. Also, I have a Woodwell eliminate topo produced by John about 5 (?) years ago, and this line is mentioned as a project with the accompanying note "14?" relating to the grade (please note, the problem is NOT an eliminate). Also, I've seen it! Just pulling off the ground is a bunched up move on fingertip undercuts, looks a bit similar to the crux of Hubble. The holds in the roof are a joke - slippy sloping crimps miles apart. Compare that to the relative jugs (actually small but positive crimps) on The Art of Self Destruction just left, at (a reputedly hard for the grade) 8a, and it is at least 8b. That is for certain.

Fancy coming up for a go?

In reply to Neil:
Johns new line sounds amazing, has he named it. Do we have a V15 in Britain? Come on strong boys go repeat, NOT!

In reply to Will:

Forgot to ask my informant about a name, sorry. A grade of V15 would surely attract Malcolm Smith, so I hope this isn't the grade that eventually transpires - he may steal the second ascent of Art of... as his warm up. Bastard!

Joking aside, Woodwell will be wet again soon if not already, prospective suitors haven't long left!

In reply to Neil: Where the hell's woodwell ??

In reply to Geoff:

Try the UK Crags feature on ukclimbing.com, that'll tell ya exactly where it is. Fancy a dig?

a lump of limestone in deepest lancs

Further to my previous rantings, I am ashamed to report that John's achievement has today been totally upstaged. Local speccy twat, Neil "Nigel" Kershaw, dedicated his entire afternoon, like the sad bastard he is, to working a new line on the newly disovered roof over the road from the "normal" Woodwell.

A new problem is the result, taking the evil crack in the very centre of the buttress from a sitting start. Comments - painful, tweaky, powerful, and V9 to figure out a sequence, although probably only V8 to do the climbing once you've figured it out! This said, its far easier than Bachar Cracker, so maybe it should be V3?

Ah well, let's let the secret out...

The line to the right is even more of an ultra classic at V7, and is without a doubt the best V7 on limestone in the country (come and try me!). Other lines up to V5 exist, all are excellent, and hard projects remain (that's right, not even John has been here!). Come on yer slackers, with all that aswell you must be able to come to Woodwell for a look in, its still dry.

Get it while its hot...