UKC

Back Wall Traverse - Hobson Moor Quarry - at even lower level

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 J B Oughton 01 Jul 2014

I was climbing at Hobby yesterday and was getting a bit bored of lapping the usual Back Wall traverse when I noticed there is a lower break line which starts about two thirds the way along.

After playing around on it for a while I realised you could link in the first third of the normal traverse coming in from the right (it climbs better that way), and then drop down into the lower break (the break your feet are in when you do the normal traverse) and do the rest of the traverse at the lower level.

I was wondering if anyone knows if this has been done before, and if so at what kind of grade? It feels pretty hard - either very bunched up with high feet, or heel-toe cams above the head which are never fun with broken glass on the floor.

Cheers, Jake
Post edited at 12:23
 Nick1812P 01 Jul 2014
In reply to Joughton:

pretty sure it has been done before by some of the older locals, I've tried it a few times and it's definitely quite a bit harder than the back wall traverse probably at least font 7a/b though it really deserves a route grade, so probably 7cish.
OP J B Oughton 01 Jul 2014
In reply to Nick1812P: Yeah I was thinking around V7/8ish but I won't know until I've linked it all. Not sure about what the route grade would be but I agree going the full length of the back wall is a very long boulder problem!
 Joe Costello 01 Jul 2014
In reply to Joughton:

Yup there are a few different versions including the full low traverse.

I've done something similar to the version you describe, going right to left and dropping down 1/3 of the way along but then coming back up higher nearer the end. I.e. after the initial crimpy section drop down as soon as you get to the lower break and and keep low until you get into a kind of a corner then move up and traverse on the higher chipped slots and drop back down to finish low using the undercuts for the last bit. I thought french 7c-ish for this. Going low from 1/3 along all the way to the end is also do-able but I never quite managed to link this, has one pretty hard move on it, maybe 7c+/8a. The full low traverse all the way has been done apparently but holds have come off since then and I reckon this would now be >8a territory. Just ask big Kev (old, lanky, bumbling professor type, lives on the back wall) to show you all the details. He also made some very height dependent eliminates and other such nonsense! All good fun though and something different to try when you've done the normal traverse a million times.

If you do see Kevin then tell him Joe says "eh up!" from sunny Devon!
 Bulls Crack 01 Jul 2014
In reply to Joughton:

Yes - used to try something similar in the 90's - not sure I ever linked it though!
OP J B Oughton 01 Jul 2014
In reply to Joe Costello: okay cool thanks!

What I'm trying is starting from the start of the normal traverse at the right, then dropping down after the three side pulls to a slightly lower level, then dropping down all the way to the lower break, and then staying at that level until the very end which I'd guess would be maybe ~8a?

Not sure how you'd even attempt a low line the whole way along though, sounds hard!

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