UKC

I've lead plenty of HVS's but went to Birchens on sunday and did Orpheus ( HVS 5c ). It was a right struggle, nearly copped out! Anyone else find it a HVS shock or was I just being weak!

In reply to simon.a: With you on that one mate!Took a while to figure the move out but it's dead safe and short,reflected in the grade I suppose.Joe Brown is my hero(well one of them anyway!)

In reply to alan g:

Didn't know it was a Joe Brown route - makes me feel more pleased with myself!!

In reply to simon.a:

I failed on it - mind you there are plenty of very tricky HVS about especially up here in Yorkshire, proper 'ard grit like.

In reply to simon.a:

Orpheus Wall was my first introduction to the art of sandbagging - or more precisely, being sandbagged. I'd been climbing for about four months, and the visit to Birchen Edge was my third time out on rock. The bloke I went with insisted I lead everything, and it wasn't going too badly until Orpheus Wall!

Could I work out what to do with it? Could I buggery! It's a little like Toddy's Wall at Froggat - it often provides good entertainment for those passing by.

In reply to led:

Sandbag would be a better name for it. Mind you Todys wall is just undignified climbing and grunting ( when I climb it anyway!!) Orpheus is a right tricky number!

In reply to led:

But once you have figured it out, it ain't that hard really; well its a well-protected 5c move which agrees with the grade given in most (all?) books.

Alan

In reply to Alan James, ROCKFAX:

Very true, an interesting climb nevertheless!

In reply to Alan James, ROCKFAX:

I agree Alan, even though I couldn't do it, but the gear is solid! It's just a little strenuous I would say.

In reply to Dave Collier:

Once you work out the knee bar, its just a few cranks, getting off the ground is a might painful tho'


hose

I got my arse kicked by a VS at Birchens on Sunday with a problem start - Barnacle something - took the initial thin crack direct (main guidebook says 5a!) and took numerous falls off it. Felt rather harder than 5a to me, partly due to shiny rock. I haven't failed on a VS for quite a while, good for the soul I s'pose.

In reply to JonC: And it's only a severe in on peak rock, it still kicked my arse

In reply to JonC:

Barnacle Bulge is graded VS 4c unless you are just climbing the groove on the left. It is a real swine to get started and possibly deserves 5a.

Orpheus Wall on the other hand is just a safe struggle. It may even be a 5b crux for those (like me) who have sussed an easy sequence involving a knee bar...but there is much more to it than that. If you think its a tough HVS you need to get out more: the grade tells you its going to be technical and looking at it tells you its going to be hard work (as all protectable technical moves are on overhangs). Go try Implosion or Wooden Leg Wall if you want a comparative grade check.

Tody's wall is a safe, bottom end HVS, is well known as such, and hence the people really struggling on it are usually VS leaders pushing their grade.

In reply to Steve C:

I'm not particularly bothered about defending my ability (as I clearly have none) but I think the crack and groove together are 4c - but if you take the crack on its own (using a sort of layback facing left) I think it is given 5a in the main guide. What I am saying is that it felt quite a bit stiffer than that but perhaps I just didn't get this one quite right! Also, the crucial foot placement is polished to buggery making it rather harder to layback than you'd expect. Anyway, no matter, will be off the grit soon and onto "real" rock

In reply to JonC:

You're right Jon it is 5a if you take the groove OR the crack, and 4c if you use both. Seemed fine at 5a to me mind.

Orpheus Wall is superb. I managed to flash it on sight, but haven't been on it since so don't know the moves. Seemed fairly stiff, but nothing like as big an undertaking as some of the big full on HVSs like Congo Corner, Queersville, Brooks' Crack etc. Twas a good day for the ego though, as no one else was successful despite the crag being heaving on a busy summer Sunday.

G

In reply to Graham:

OK, I'll live with 5a and assume I had a bad day

In reply to JonC: So you failed on an a polished, undergraded, 5a boulder problem, eliminate start, not a VS called Barnacle Bulge (which is probably a HS in any case). These things stop mid-grade leaders on 'real rock' as well.

In reply to Graham: Having said that, I've done congo corner, queersville etc with no real problems - can I do orpheus wall - not even close.....

On a different thing & going back to a thread a couple of months back graham, managed Heartless hare with side runners in nursery slab on saturday (TR'd twice 1st). Take a crack at it, its not too bad, just a bit balancy.

In reply to Steve C:


Hmmm...not sure what you're implying there...I lead up to E1 and climb on "real rock" fairly regularly. I already happily admitted I got a right kick up the arse by it.

I agree - taken as a whole - the route is easy - the top section is almost a nothing. So, yes, it was more of a boulder problem in nature and one I failed on (which surprised me at the given grade of 5a).

I guess I was just wondering if anyone else felt it was rather "interesting".

In reply to chris j:

I tried to lead HH on-sight and fell off the top crimps after the supposed crux (the side-runner came to my rescue). Yet another route I've failed on. I kid you not though, that 5a problem start to Barnacle Bulge is harder

In reply to JonC: What I'm implying is that its not a normal VS. There are other unusual VS routes as well that stop E1 leaders like Flesh and Blood on Stanage. I'd agree VS/HS 5b might be a fairer grade as I fell off a few times and flailed when I tried it.

In reply to JonC:

I agree, The start to barnacle bulge using only the righthand crack totally foxed me and a group of mates a few weeks back now. Climb 5c regularly but this interesting little 5a start was just too pollished for the crucial foot.
who knows, maybe I just went at it in totally the wrong way.

Adam

In reply to Steve C:


What's wrong with pushing yourself? You've got to get better somehow!

In reply to simon.a:

In fact I believe in old guide books Tody's was VS5a and Three Pebble Slab was HVS5a. I may be wrong on this of course....

In reply to simon.a: Nothing at all and in fact Tody's is a fantastic route for it. However, as Dave Collier pointed out it used to be VS 5a and I suspect if it were less popular (no stars) it might have remained at that grade. How many people have climbed the two remaining VS 5a's on the main section of Froggatt: Scarper's Triangle or Route 1 for instance?