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I nominate Gypsy
In reply to JimR: Elysium at E1, Finale Groove at HVS.
Gypsy was covered in bird shit when I did it, took the experience down a bit.
Gypsy was covered in bird shit when I did it, took the experience down a bit.
In reply to JimR:
I think my favourite are;
Rattler E1 - Ruckle
October Lady E1 - Ruckle
Astrid HVS - Subluminal
Enjoy
I think my favourite are;
Rattler E1 - Ruckle
October Lady E1 - Ruckle
Astrid HVS - Subluminal
Enjoy
In reply to JimR:
I liked Lightning Wall more than Finale Groove.
Haven't done heaps of E1s there, but Mars is a good 'un.
John
I liked Lightning Wall more than Finale Groove.
Haven't done heaps of E1s there, but Mars is a good 'un.
John
In reply to JimR: Gypsy is excellent but I believe it is E2 now, and I'd agree with that, although I did it on my first visit to Swanage so I was probably being a bit soft.
Lightning Wall would get my vote for best HVS I've done.
How about Mars for E1? A great adventure.
Lightning Wall would get my vote for best HVS I've done.
How about Mars for E1? A great adventure.
In reply to JimR:
At HVS/E1 I nominate The Spook (Guillemot Ledge??) - super overhanging groove on first pitch and the grade is top end HVS/bottom end E1!
Lightning Wall also excellent; not done many more but anything in the Black Zawn is a worthy candidate solely in virtue of the approach abseil
At HVS/E1 I nominate The Spook (Guillemot Ledge??) - super overhanging groove on first pitch and the grade is top end HVS/bottom end E1!
Lightning Wall also excellent; not done many more but anything in the Black Zawn is a worthy candidate solely in virtue of the approach abseil
In reply to JimR:
I prefer Elysium to Gypsy at E1. At HVS the choice is huge but I still rate Spook highest just for pitch 1.
I prefer Elysium to Gypsy at E1. At HVS the choice is huge but I still rate Spook highest just for pitch 1.
In reply to psicobloc:
Interesting collection - Not sure any of those would be in my top 10 at the grade !
> Rattler E1 - Ruckle
> October Lady E1 - Ruckle
> Astrid HVS - Subluminal
> October Lady E1 - Ruckle
> Astrid HVS - Subluminal
Interesting collection - Not sure any of those would be in my top 10 at the grade !
In reply to JimR:
Can't comment on many E1's at swanage but having just climbed all of the HVS on Boulder ruckle I can confidently assert the Behemoth is the best HVS. The top pitch is wild - pumpy, exposed and probably impossible to reverse. It doesn't get better than that on an HVS.
Both the Spook and Elysium are top routes too at E1. Can't say they are the best as I havn't done them all (yet) :0)
Mutt
Can't comment on many E1's at swanage but having just climbed all of the HVS on Boulder ruckle I can confidently assert the Behemoth is the best HVS. The top pitch is wild - pumpy, exposed and probably impossible to reverse. It doesn't get better than that on an HVS.
Both the Spook and Elysium are top routes too at E1. Can't say they are the best as I havn't done them all (yet) :0)
Mutt
In reply to JimR:
yep Prudence is very nice too bit its the wrong side of the dodgy over hanging finger traverse within soaking range of even the smallest of waves! nice route if you can get to it!
yep Prudence is very nice too bit its the wrong side of the dodgy over hanging finger traverse within soaking range of even the smallest of waves! nice route if you can get to it!
In reply to mutt: Just shows personsal preference, I thought Lighning Wall overated, but I like Tudor Rose and a lot of people think thats overated.
DEFINITELY the most overated route at Swanage though is Buccaneer, dirty, shitty, and just one horrible move that gives it its grade.
On the other hand Ocean Boulevard is probably underated (and a soft touch)
DEFINITELY the most overated route at Swanage though is Buccaneer, dirty, shitty, and just one horrible move that gives it its grade.
On the other hand Ocean Boulevard is probably underated (and a soft touch)
In reply to match:
I liked Spook but I think I went the wrong way on the second pitch. Perhaps I was being a numpty, but the line seemed very vague and that, for me, reduces the quality of the route, or at least my experience of it.
That it gets E1 now makes me feel a bit happier.
I liked Spook but I think I went the wrong way on the second pitch. Perhaps I was being a numpty, but the line seemed very vague and that, for me, reduces the quality of the route, or at least my experience of it.
That it gets E1 now makes me feel a bit happier.
In reply to JimR:
Agree with Behemoth as best HVS, but if we include borderline E1/E2 then Conger has to win.
Agree with Behemoth as best HVS, but if we include borderline E1/E2 then Conger has to win.
In reply to JimR:
As a pedantic point of order, are you taking the grades from the last definitive guide ? Rockfax has been a bit liberal with the upgrades and there are quite a few HVS to E1s and E1s to E2s in it.
No way is Spook E1, though. Its good (very good) honest HVS 5a. Nor is Mars E2 come to that.
As a pedantic point of order, are you taking the grades from the last definitive guide ? Rockfax has been a bit liberal with the upgrades and there are quite a few HVS to E1s and E1s to E2s in it.
No way is Spook E1, though. Its good (very good) honest HVS 5a. Nor is Mars E2 come to that.
In reply to JimR:
Thats the guide before last ! The definitive one as far as I was concerned was the Nigel Coe guide.
Thats the guide before last ! The definitive one as far as I was concerned was the Nigel Coe guide.
In reply to ellis:
Aye, thought so.
I don't think I've been to Swanage this year which is a shocking state of affairs. Not even to do the Conger, which, I agree, is one of the best E1s(ish) there.
What about you, or have you been grit-bound most of the time?
> (In reply to El Greyo)
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> [...]
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> probably!
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> probably!
Aye, thought so.
I don't think I've been to Swanage this year which is a shocking state of affairs. Not even to do the Conger, which, I agree, is one of the best E1s(ish) there.
What about you, or have you been grit-bound most of the time?
Hands down, Conger as best E1 (altho I've heard rumours it is E2 to lead).
Elysium also great, but I felt it to be a bit more 2 star than 3.
Quality St is v v good fun for HVS, probably cos it ain't hard!
Finale Groove has an awesome line and mega exposed, but climbing isn't v inspired. I thought Q St a better HVS.
Spook defo HVS, unless you get confused which way to go on 2nd pitch, in which case E1 for sure!
I've only done two routes at Swanage in 2006 - Conger again (while the missus looked on nervously) and Jo (which I thought was proper burly sweaty Swanage HVS worth E1 in Pembroke). Got to get back next year to do Behometh, Golden Fleece, Sapphire, Astrid, Mars, Freeborn Man...and the rest!
Elysium also great, but I felt it to be a bit more 2 star than 3.
Quality St is v v good fun for HVS, probably cos it ain't hard!
Finale Groove has an awesome line and mega exposed, but climbing isn't v inspired. I thought Q St a better HVS.
Spook defo HVS, unless you get confused which way to go on 2nd pitch, in which case E1 for sure!
I've only done two routes at Swanage in 2006 - Conger again (while the missus looked on nervously) and Jo (which I thought was proper burly sweaty Swanage HVS worth E1 in Pembroke). Got to get back next year to do Behometh, Golden Fleece, Sapphire, Astrid, Mars, Freeborn Man...and the rest!
In reply to GrahamD:
Yeah i thought i'd try and highlight some of the lesser know gems. Have you done them?
Rattler is mean, steep, challenge, October Lady has to be one of the most exciting/exposed routes I’ve ever done and Astrid just makes the list because you get to sample the awesome black zawn atmosphere at a bargin grade! I've done the other classic hvs's and e1's at swanage and i'd still say these are my favourite.
Yeah i thought i'd try and highlight some of the lesser know gems. Have you done them?
Rattler is mean, steep, challenge, October Lady has to be one of the most exciting/exposed routes I’ve ever done and Astrid just makes the list because you get to sample the awesome black zawn atmosphere at a bargin grade! I've done the other classic hvs's and e1's at swanage and i'd still say these are my favourite.
In reply to psicobloc:
Done all 3 and enjoyed them all but in a non-stand out sort of way (if you know what I mean). Of the lesser known ones I'd highlight, say, God Slot, Strongbow, Sinbad as an alternative trio.
Done all 3 and enjoyed them all but in a non-stand out sort of way (if you know what I mean). Of the lesser known ones I'd highlight, say, God Slot, Strongbow, Sinbad as an alternative trio.
Mars.
Is Astrid really given HVS these days?
Has anyone here done Blackjack? Now that's a bit of an adventure. I use the present tense - it might be on the bottom of the sea by now though?
Is Astrid really given HVS these days?
Has anyone here done Blackjack? Now that's a bit of an adventure. I use the present tense - it might be on the bottom of the sea by now though?
In reply to GrahamD:
Yeah i'd have to agree with Sinbad, especially awesome second pitch.
Were is God Slot? - I can see i am going to have to get the dusty CC guide out tonight!
Yeah i'd have to agree with Sinbad, especially awesome second pitch.
Were is God Slot? - I can see i am going to have to get the dusty CC guide out tonight!
In reply to psicobloc: I thought Razors Edge at Guillemot was a good route but it doesnt even make it into the Rockfax guide
In reply to Al Evans: Another one i haven't tried yet, i am obviously getting seduced by easy rockfax topos and missing out on some gems.
What does Razors Edge go at?
What does Razors Edge go at?
In reply to psicobloc: Its the right arete of Cascara, its HVS 5a (though it only gets 4c in the Nigel Coe guide), incidently Cascara is also not in Rockfax, its a pleasant VS, Also it does not include Roebud, a starred HVS 5a rigth of Yellow wall.
I find the missing of these three routes, particuarly as they are within the topo photograph, ver strange.
I find the missing of these three routes, particuarly as they are within the topo photograph, ver strange.
In reply to JimR: Well done to Mutt for climbing all the HVSs in the Ruckle! I haven't done Chamberwall II, Chamberwall, Andycap (gulp!), Happy David, Raindrop, Viper (eek!), The Cat Skinner, Little Yellow Jug & Rif-Raf. And probably never will, now that I live elsewhere and don't have a Ruckle 'head'.
In reply to Nigel Coe: Good grief Nigel, even I have done Rif-Raf.
In reply to Al Evans: But still nobody here claiming an ascent of Blackjack? Doesn't surprise me really.
In reply to GrahamD:
I very much suspect it is.
The only Black Jack in the Nigel Coe guide (or at least, the only one I could see) is the route left of Quality St. & Wall St., on Cormorant Ledge. It starts up the big corner that you abb down to get into those and to Oran, then goes left to break through the roof, goes up a bit, then works right to finish as for Quality St.
AJM
I very much suspect it is.
The only Black Jack in the Nigel Coe guide (or at least, the only one I could see) is the route left of Quality St. & Wall St., on Cormorant Ledge. It starts up the big corner that you abb down to get into those and to Oran, then goes left to break through the roof, goes up a bit, then works right to finish as for Quality St.
AJM
In reply to AJM:
So whats the issue with it ? the Rock immediately around QS is pretty sound by Swanage standards and the top out isn't the usual Cormorant horror show (happy (?) memories of step cutting using a nut key !).
So whats the issue with it ? the Rock immediately around QS is pretty sound by Swanage standards and the top out isn't the usual Cormorant horror show (happy (?) memories of step cutting using a nut key !).
In reply to GrahamD:
No idea. I've only ever done Oran down there, my mate pulled a mini-fridge-sized block out of the first pitch and I had to second the second pitch with a clove hitch on the rope after the rope jammed when it was being taken in.
QS and WS are both on the "things to do" list for when I move down there (Salisbury) in a month's time. If I get onto BJ (potentially, given its right next door, gets a star, and would seem to be more amenable than many of the other routes around it) I'll be sure to let you know what its like. Needless to say I've been following this thread with interest as the basis for a ticklist
AJM
No idea. I've only ever done Oran down there, my mate pulled a mini-fridge-sized block out of the first pitch and I had to second the second pitch with a clove hitch on the rope after the rope jammed when it was being taken in.
QS and WS are both on the "things to do" list for when I move down there (Salisbury) in a month's time. If I get onto BJ (potentially, given its right next door, gets a star, and would seem to be more amenable than many of the other routes around it) I'll be sure to let you know what its like. Needless to say I've been following this thread with interest as the basis for a ticklist
AJM
In reply to AJM:
You'll enjoy Quality St - its class. Probably sacriligeos to suggest it might well be better than Finale Groove at the same grade.
You'll enjoy Quality St - its class. Probably sacriligeos to suggest it might well be better than Finale Groove at the same grade.
In reply to GrahamD: Quality St is great, my understanding is that Black Jack has fallen down but before it did, if it has, I did it with Pete Finklaire.
In reply to GrahamD:
I certainly hope so. Never done Finale Groove either, my Swanage experience is based mainly on a while ago, I've done a lot of easier routes at Subluminal, Oran at Cormorant, and a variety of the easier sports routes at Hedbury and Dancing Ledges.
Its ironic in a way that the nearest rock to me, a commited slab-monkey, will be one of the steeper cliffs of the UK. It'll cure me of my inability to climb steep things fairly sharpish
AJM
I certainly hope so. Never done Finale Groove either, my Swanage experience is based mainly on a while ago, I've done a lot of easier routes at Subluminal, Oran at Cormorant, and a variety of the easier sports routes at Hedbury and Dancing Ledges.
Its ironic in a way that the nearest rock to me, a commited slab-monkey, will be one of the steeper cliffs of the UK. It'll cure me of my inability to climb steep things fairly sharpish
AJM
In reply to Al Evans:
I did it in about 1999. It was entertaining. I remember reaching the final stance and thinking, "well, at least one of us will survive".
I did it in about 1999. It was entertaining. I remember reaching the final stance and thinking, "well, at least one of us will survive".
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