UKC

I know this might appear to be a blatant commercial plug (apologies Al), but I do see it as more of a public information service.

I just thought I’d keep everyone posted about the changes occurring at the Old Baptist Chapel site on the High Street in Llanberis. The Outside shop closed this week and it has been taken over by a consortium of old Outside employees – namely myself, Rob Wilson, Katie Haston, Pete Griffiths and Gareth Aston.

The shop will re-open next weekend (11th Oct) trading under the name V12 Outdoor. We hope to continue providing the same high standard of service that Outside established over the preceding 13 years. I managed the old shop for 5 years and I always tried to make it the best place for visiting and local climbers to get what they needed – whether that was a pair of crampons, a freebie bouldering topo, the latest winter conditions report or just some advice about routes to go and try. All these things will still be available, and the same friendly faces (Al Leary, Gary Robinson) will still greet you from behind the upstairs Rock counter.

We’ve got lots of exciting plans, particularly with regard to running slide shows, lectures and events. The climbing scene in North Wales at the moment is the best it has been for years, and we hope to maintain that buzz.

If anybody has any suggestions then please let us know, or just pop in and have a word with Rob who will be managing the new shop.

Cheers, Simon.

In reply to Simon Panton:

Woopee!

PS can I borrow your slide projector?


Hosey in petes

In reply to Simon Panton:

Good luck with the venture!

The staff there have always been friendly and helpfull, I'm sure it will be a great success!

J

In reply to Simon Panton: Good luck with it, look forward to perusing the post Outside experience, always found the 'beris branch a great place to shop.

Be wary of Hosey's request for projector.

In reply to hoseyb: So what visual treats await us Hosey? A trip around the darker, more obscure (read: loose as hell!) corners of the Dinorwig and Glyn Rhonwy quarries? Or have you become a born again sport climber - I'm sure somebody said they'd seen you at LPT working the Big Bang?

In reply to Simon Panton:

Sounds excellent - myself and a few friends have regularly enjoyed visiting the shop, and I am sure we will continue to do so. Good luck with your plans.

In reply to Simon Panton:

Good luck with the new venture.

Have been in quite a lot over the last few years and on the whole had v good service. A friendly attitude to visiting climbers (and not just locals - as can be seen in some gear shops) is a great plus. From one or two experiences in recent years I would say Outside was one of the better ones but still had a little way to go before getting top marks!

Anyway, good luck and I hope the shop is better stocked than it was the 3 or 4 times I visited this summer!

In reply to Simon Panton:

A means to project / sketch an image for some paintings for my feb exhibition "Twll Mawr - exploring the heart of the quarries" at electric mountain(Hey you got your plug in)



Beleive it or not I'm now a non slate high ball boulderer (Of sorts)...

In reply to Simon Panton: Sounds great Simon. Will look forward to blagging free coffees when i get down there

Best Regards,
Si

In reply to Simon Panton: Sounds great but V,12 is a bit of a silly grade isn't it? Is it a grade I snow gully to one, vastly overhanging, first-tooth figure-of-four move (with an insitu bouncy castle to protect) followed by more grade I to the summit? I think if it is tech 12 it should be at least adjective IX - or perhaps just give it an M grade? Or did I miss something?

Good luck, Outside in Llanberis has always been a great shop. Keep up the good work and look what a management buy-out achieved at Chouinard Equipment!

In reply to TobyA: Don't you get it? V12 is a clear reference to the type of car that I wish I drove.

(or it might be rather tough bouldering grade?)

Thanks for the encouragement anyway.

Cheers, Simon.

In reply to Simon Panton:

Whats wrong with V8+?

In reply to Adam Lincoln: Nothing, its a genius solution to a a murky area of grading.

Unfortunately V8+ Outdoor doesn't really roll off the tongue.

In reply to Simon Panton: I did indeed get it, but was trying to make witty statement on the growing global hegemony of woolly hatted pad-people every where, but I guess basing comedy on surreal Scottish winter climbing grades is going to keep ones humour 'fringe' at best!

Bouldering-schmouldering.

You probably don't want to say, but did you market test V12 as a name? I wonder what percentage of climbers (let alone serious walker) might read it and think "huh?". Perhaps there are so many boulderers around these days that it doesn't really matter. Being "young" and "hip", I of course know my V12 from my Fb 8a+, as well as my VIII,9 from my M7+.

Good luck again, I'll be sure to pop in next time I'm in N Wales.

In reply to Simon Panton:

Hi Simon,

Good luck with the shop, I'm sure it will all go well, there are always enough rainy days in wales to force us visiting climbers to come gear shopping!

Ps: Odie says hi!

In reply to TobyA:

I must admit that my initial reaction was that it was a shop for bouldering gear - mats, silly clothes, etc - and therefore of no interest to me...

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

On what day will you hold your special opening half-price day??

In reply to simon.a: It was yesterday...did I not mention that?

Oh well, you snooze - you loose.

In reply to Simon Caldwell: We did debate this very point a while back. In the end we decided to stick with the name, because the logo strapline explains exactly what we do:

'Specialist Outdoor Equipment'

In reply to Simon Panton:

Good luck Si...

..I take it U will be stocking yr new guide?

*cough*

Whens it due?

Si

In reply to Simon: Soon my friend, soon...

In reply to Simon Panton:

Probably see you this weekend! That if the weather is piss poor this weekend.

Craggers

In reply to Simon Panton:

What guide is this ? How to get a baby to sleep early so I can slope of and go bouldering . PS can you get me some size 12 13 rock shoes, piece of cake sir we can get size 14.

I am injuried again I will be round to loiter