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NEWS: Major New Bouldering Area in Lakes

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 UKC News 26 Apr 2011
Greg Chapman on Pseudoscience - Font 7b - Duddon Valley, 4 kb

Lakes based bouldering activist Greg Chapman reports on a large new bouldering area in the Duddon Valley, Cumbria:

"Over the last month or so myself and Andy Hebson, have been feverishly working out, cleaning up and documenting a previously unrecorded bouldering area in the Duddon Valley, in the western Lakes..."

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=61870

 samrad 26 Apr 2011
In reply to UKC News:

this place looks wicked!!! i especially like the look of the Laser Quest Bloc. defiantly worth a visit. cheers for the topos
sam
 liquid 26 Apr 2011
Well done Greg and a continued thank you for the beta, topo's and information at Lakesbloc, I will be visiting the Duddon Valley shortly!
 sutty 26 Apr 2011
In reply to UKC News:

Ha ha, at last someone is using their eyes and started seeing the THOUSANDS of outcrops all the way up the Duddon Valley. I have mentioned them before when people ask where they can take a beginner climbing for short single pitch stuff.

Well Greg,while doing your bouldering,how about checking some of these easier boulders and outcrops and listing the ones suitable for beginners to toprope and learn to lead on as well?

 biscuit 26 Apr 2011
In reply to sutty:

I know you weren't having a go at him Sutty but I think Greg does enough already. His site and topos etc. are all un-paid work and very much appreciated by many people - me included.
 butterworthtom 26 Apr 2011
In reply to biscuit:
> (In reply to sutty)
>
> I know you weren't having a go at him Sutty but I think Greg does enough already. His site and topos etc. are all un-paid work and very much appreciated by many people - me included.

I agree. Greg's contribution to Lakes bouldering is unrivalled, the lakesbloc website is in my opinion, the best website of its kind that I have come across in terms of providing free, regularly updated information and topos. I can understand that whilst there are extensive under developed small crags around that area that are plastered with numerous 10m severes, that Greg probably doesn't find them particularly motivating to produce a topo for considering the time it takes to put these things together. Just a guess though?
 sutty 26 Apr 2011
In reply to butterworthtom:

My reason for bringing this up is the twice weekly request for places to take a beginner in the lakes.
I have driven up that valley so many times, and a couple of years back drove along looking at the wealth of rock unrecorded, even if not untouched. Maybe Greg isn't the person to do it, but someone who climbs around vdiff/severe could explore, do some new short routes and make a name for themself. At the same time, doing even easy routes can lead to harder moves than anticipated, so they learn judgement and also get onto the odd route harder than their normal grade, so improving as well.
 The Pylon King 26 Apr 2011
In reply to sutty:

I thought it was all being developed as we speak for the new guide?
 Greg Chapman 26 Apr 2011
As Pylon King says, most of the significant smaller crags down the Duddon have, by now, been climbed on and for the most part recorded - albeit vaguely - on the FRCC site. I have climbed on many of the smaller Duddon and Eskdale crags, and did actually do a few mini guides for various minor Lakeland crags (Hare Crag, Bell Stand etc.) last year. These are available (for free) on the Rock + Run info site. I will see if I can knock something up for one or two of the better looking, yet less known, Duddon outcrops over summer. The stuff around Maiden's Castle, Mart & Dropping Crag looks particularly good.

There are some great little crags further up the valley, around Little Stand and the Gaitkins. And whilst these are covered in the old FRCC guide, Martin at Lakes Climber (Ambleside) has done some neat little photo-topos, which are available for a minimal fee in their shop - these are worth seeking out.

Incidentally, thanks for the positive feedback regarding the LB site.
 sutty 26 Apr 2011
In reply to Greg Chapman:

Thanks Greg, seems I am out of date, but only because all the stuff you mention has not been mentioned on here before. As I said, and you will have seen it as well, people keep asking for easy stuff to start on, and they just get referred to short things at top of Wrynose, not good on a cold day, or shorter routes in Eskdale or Wallowbarrow, when there are all those other crags to go at.

Now they can look on R+R site or FRCC and at Lakeland Climber for information,as well as your site.

Well done
 cathsullivan 26 Apr 2011
In reply to sutty:

Topos and route information for many of the smaller Duddon crags can be found (and downloaded) here: http://www.frcc.co.uk/guidebook.asp?guide_id=9

People can leave comments about the routes on the FRCC website as well if they want.
 sutty 26 Apr 2011
In reply to cathsullivan:

Looks good, just enough information for people to get to the crag and find some routes.

Hee, hee. just like developing Poll Dubh in your dads time.
 Scraggadoo 26 Apr 2011
In reply to Greg Chapman: I've been told that the smaller outcrops will be in the upcoming Duddon Valley guide for the area. Even so it will be a year off at least I think...
 dannyboy69 26 Apr 2011
In reply to UKC News: I'm guessing that Hebbo did all the easy problems? I'm surprised he has time to climb, considering his dodgy ankle and all the Long John whiskey he drinks! Good work soft lad!!

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