UKC

Is it me, or are there far to many articles on UKC and BMC about grades that 99.9 of the population would never dream of. I’ve. Just seen E11 mentioned.
now don’t get me wrong, these grades are without doubt absolutely amazing and it takes total dedication to the sport to get there, but what’s happened to normalise type stuff, the classic V Diff, or unique obscure E1, normal grade new routes - yes I accept these are limited. 
(It’s a tongue in cheek comment but I really would like to read more stuff that might be achievable for mere mortals, or do I need to dig deeper into the news pages in these sites) 
 

I agree.

I should read destination guides etc  rather than the news then. 

To The Pylon King - you should be writing them !

You mean first ascents like these? https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/from_battersea_to_barcud_and_b...

Or a mortals challenge like this? https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/24_hours_of_climbing_in_the_pe...

Or this: https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/fat_tyres_and_quickdraws_mount...

Or enjoying lower grade mountain cragging and great writing like this? https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/the_cobbler_a_return_to_mounta...

Or adventures on the Culm? https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/in_focus/culm_dancing_-_bumbly_explorat...

It's all there for you. I think the news pieces often get more attention, and therefore bob around in the forums and are easier to notice as a result. 

The destination articles are the go to articles for me if I'm looking for inspiration for somewhere unfamiliar. I guess these types of articles are a lot of work compared to a latest news piece where a report can be written up in a fraction of the time. I'd like to see more articles on crags.

We used the archives on here a couple of times to find some really good hidden goodies. The article about the climbing at Donagal over in Ireland led to probably my favourite climbing trip I've ever been on.

I guess if they keep knocking our articles like that, it will get like Trail magazine where the same stuff get reprinted round in circles every couple of years.

I’m not sure that someone doing a VS or an E1 counts as news…

It would if I managed it

Well. Not E1, but rather E2 and E3 nonsights were reported in the News articles this year (IIRC). Granted, these are mindblowing feat, as the Person OS them was blind (who’s name I’ve forgotten, unfortunately).

All:

Careful everybody, there's a tough guy over here!!!! 😅

Jesse Dufton is the name you're after

Hi Chewie,

As a few others have pointed out, news tends to focus on cutting edge ascents, so is naturally biased towards climbs at the upper end of the grading spectrum. As such, it's not news you're after - it's articles.

I could go on to list quite a lot, but here's a few highlights from the last month (from a personal perspective):

Fat Tyres and Quickdraws: Toby Archer takes a journey through the Peak District, combining his love for mountain biking and mid-grade sport climbing. https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/fat_tyres_and_quickdraws_mount...

The Cobber: A Return to Mountain Cragging: Reading this really wanted made me want to head back to The Cobbler, as Anna Fleming's description of it - and some of its classics - made me me long for the Highlands again (albeit at a time of year when I'm unlikely to make it up!) https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/the_cobbler_a_return_to_mounta...

Climbing with Age: Let's face it, we're all going to get worse at climbing one day (if we haven't already) and I for one am curious with how my relationship with it will change once that happens (if it hasn't happened already!!). https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/climbing_with_age-13842

Culm Dancing: This series could well be the coolest thing I've been involved with during my time at UKC and has bagfuls of routes all across the grade range. Here's a link to the first within the series: https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/in_focus/culm_dancing_-_beginnings_1898...

There's a lot more out there, but hopefully that'll allay any fears that we're just about the big numbers.

what's the deal with features? why not just have a trip reports forum that anyone can post to like supertopo used to have? http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/forum_trip_reports.php

Read the newsletters and journals of your local club, CC or Frcc. These are full of enthusiastic articles written in the main by "real world climbers", no sponsorship or advertising targets to meet, no careers to advance just folk like us, climbing for the joy of it and sharing their fun. 

Wait til the new Mendip guide comes out full of soon to be classic new mortal(and some not so) grade climbs!

I wouldn't personally pay for the BMC magazine, it's full of adverts, Ice climbing and articles about routes I'd never be able climb. It does however come free with your membership!

Me too. I also find the layout very off-putting. What happened to people who could write a decent article which would come anywhere near Jim Perrin? It seems full of snippets which suggests they think no-one has an attention span of more than a few seconds.

The Climbers Club Journal is indeed a thing of beauty. Dunno about the FRCC as they once banned me from their huts and I've been in a sulk with them ever since. I wonder how many local clubs still manage a newsletter/annual journal. My own (Wolverhampton MC) has just produced a one-off 75th anniversary special, but prior to that the journal lay dead for a few years - a real shame, as they're such a fascinating archive. I'd be very interested to hear which local clubs are still producing journals, whether online or - even better - in print. (My own most notable contribution to climbing literature may well prove to be editing the WMC's era-defining naked calendar.)

Free with your membership? So not really free then?

Chris

Go on, spill the beans, what did you do?

We were "rowdy" and offended members at the Wasdale hut where we were staying as guests. We were in weekend mood but they definitely weren't party animals. I blame the six pints in half an hour at the Wasdale Head Inn.

SMC journal up to 2007 has plenty of articles covering all sorts of grades and disciplines. Worth a look - https://www.smc.org.uk/journal/downloads

Nah, you pay for the mag.... and then get a free membership as a bonus.

I'd prefer to pay less and not get a magazine that just gets recycled.

Cairngorm Club still produces a newsletter quarterly I think and a journal every two years. 

In the first decade of the century I was Journal Editor for Lancs Climbing & Caving Club which at the time produced a Journal every two years. I brought 4 editions to fruition. Typically they were about 70-80 pages with colour photos front & rear cover and 8 pages of colour photos in the centrefold.

Over those 8 years it became increasingly difficult to extract copy from club members and I finally gave up the struggle. There were then several years with nothing and we currently have a rather abbreviated Journal which comes out when the editor thinks he has enough copy to make it worth printing something. 

I fear that the days of a regular journal of some substance are over, or nearly so. One reason is that we have a quarterly (I think) club newsletter where meet reports, some quite detailed, are recorded. This leaves little fresh material to generate a Journal. This is exacerbated by the coming of social media, where the club's Facebook page (which, BTW, I think is an invaluable shop window for the club) allows instant meet reporting. This, I fear, may eventually threaten the existence of the club newsletter. 

It's all progress, I suppose.

You sound irresponsible, perhaps a little unsavoury and have very poor social restraint.

You sound the archetypal climber from when roped hex were de rigueur and unruly social misfits pioneered climbing, but that's no longer socially acceptable in these namby pamby times!

I liked the post, but expect more dislikes from others for your dreadful behaviour

And those are my good points.

Surely its all about context.  If an article had been written 60 years ago about someone onsighting an E6 then tat would have only been of within the reach of 99.9% of climbers. At one time the grade of vs was seen as being elite is it still?  I understand your sentiments but give it a few years and we will be asking why people are not now reporting the new E8 only the ground breaking E14!!!!