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Pex Hill Quarry wiki blows Gogarth out of the water

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 willhunt 03 Apr 2007
Its finally here! The Pex Hill Quarry wiki is all ready for you to input route data into. Please, if your going to join and add info to the wiki then dont just copy it out of Rockfax. Decide on your own grade and description. If you disagree with the grade then add a comment to the page or email the person who wrote the route description. Upload your pictures to the gallery page and include a climbers name and a route name.

For everything to the right and including Bermuda Triangle then use trad grades please as in keeping with the upcoming printed guide.
 David Hooper 03 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:
Hi Will - Not a big Pex fan but looked at the site and well done for all the work youve put in - nice one
David
 Col Allott 03 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt: Hey this looks ace. Needs all the grades up though. Also like "Pex hill news"! -even better that the first entry is on april fools day.
 Steve Parker 03 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:

Only had a quick look, so I might have missed something, but I couldn't even see any info about where Pex Hill is. I'd suggest some location details should be very visible. Good call, though. I think all this Wiki stuff is great.
OP willhunt 03 Apr 2007
In reply to Steve Parker:
Excellent idea.

Remember all of this will only work properly if people join up and put some effort in. Theres no way I can write up the 50 odd routes Ive done there as I dont have the time. If everyone does a little bit then it should work out well.
In reply to Steve Parker: Don't you just follow the sign on the home page?
 FedUp 03 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:

Just to give my opinion.

I believe Pex needs two grades per route as the top-outs are often serious mantleshelves. On Pisa Wall and Lady Jane, for example, routes could be given a V grade for finishing at the break or bee-hive niches respectively (with a subsequent jump for the mat) and a trad British grade for the top out. Failing this a trad grade on it's own would be better.

I still think Pex is a little too high -even Pisa Wall- to be given bouldering grades if it's expected that a climber can only 'tick' the route following a top-out.

For example, the problems on the right side of Pisa Wall often have long reaches from the two-thirds height break which can easily be slipped from (and that's not including the exit mantles). Falling out of control from this height onto a mat would be like aiming for a postage stamp and that's not really bouldering is it? A V grade to finish at the chalked break and a trad grade for a top out would be better as the problems could be ticked finishing at the break with a jump off. Thus, for a lead, the break could be geared and the top moves then done safely.

To top out on Pisa Wall feels more like the soloing of a route rather than the sending of a (high ball) problem.

What do you lot reckon?
OP willhunt 03 Apr 2007
In reply to FedUp:
The answer is to sign up and add some routes with the grades. Because its a wiki people can contest it by adding comments etc. Personally I dont like the idea of putting gear anywhere on Pisa wall (except maybe the left hand side if you can get it in and the rock will hold it which it probably wont).

I would suggest that bouldering grades are appropriate for most areas of Pisa Wall. Ive never found top outs that hard (except for straight crack with blind pockets and mankey road which is plain awkward). Exceptions might be "Fingers" where theres a nasty tree stump waiting to mess up your ankle if you fall from the crux near the top. That might get a trad grade because its a risky fall.
 Michael Ryan 03 Apr 2007
In reply to FedUp:

Highball boulder problems or solos, a V grade would suffice as you can see the fall potential.

Alternatively, if there is a crux high, annotate with OTD..Off The Deck.
 FedUp 03 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:

> The answer is to sign up and add some routes with the grades.

I would but I only had a minute and it's quicker to do it here.

> Personally I dont like the idea of putting gear anywhere on Pisa wall

Have you not felt the half / two-thirds height break on Pisa's right side? You can get your fingers in upto the palm. You'd get bomb proof friends 1 to 2 in there. Perfectly safe.

So is it gonna be feasable to grade them for a non-topout or what?
OP willhunt 03 Apr 2007
In reply to FedUp:
Personally I think that Mick's suggestion was spot on. Provide a bouldering v grade with an OTD notation for problems with a high crux. Im quite used to Pex and so am not perturbed by the height of the right hand side of Pisa if I have a pad down and especially if I have a spotter. Its good training to get used to being slightly off the deck anyway. When I first went to Pex I quivered at the top of Pisa but Ive now become confident and aki to it.
 FedUp 03 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:

> Im quite used to Pex

With respect. Pex -in your own words from another thread- is the only place you know. Guidebooks have to cater for visitors; it's too high for V grades.

> and especially if I have a spotter.

What about people without spotters: it's too high for V grades.

> Its good training to get used to being slightly off the deck anyway.

My arse! With an accurate trad grade (or dual grade), people will have more of a idea of the 'seriousness' of the solo, and thus can be more objective about it. It also caters for people who don't have mats, either through finiancial constraints, or through ethical issues.

> When I first went to Pex I quivered at the top of Pisa but Ive now become confident and aki to it.

Like I said: You're a local.
 FedUp 03 Apr 2007
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

> as you can see the fall potential.

You can't see the top-out.
 Col Allott 03 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:
I think its great that you can create an active webpage of a climbing area but I'm not sure how it's better than the database on this website. As long as the moderaters do their job properly all routes, grades, locations, directions and photos can be added with interactive opinion of routes grades and quality. My 2 local crags are Teggs Nose and Bosley Cloud which don't have photo topos in any guide books. I could quite easily add these photo topos to this site and surely that would cover all the information you could possibly need. ?
OP willhunt 03 Apr 2007
In reply to Col Allott: I think the wiki keeps it more interactive. On UKC everything as to go through a moderator. I moderate Pex but I dont want to go round screwing with all the grades because people may not agree etc. With the wiki everone gets their say.
OP willhunt 03 Apr 2007
In reply to FedUp: Sgn yourself up so you can have your say. i will do as little moderation as i can. Doesnt look like many people are interested so has probably been a waste of time
 Hammy 03 Apr 2007
I used to go to Pex Hill about twice a week during the 'season' when I was a schoolboy in the mid 70's. Everything got an English Technical grade.

We made our own judgements about the relative seriousness of each route based on common sense and observation!!
 Col Allott 04 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:
The constant live interaction is a great feature and what you've done is great. Just saying I like the system on this site. I've always seen the role of crag moderators to (dare I say it) copy the 'all-knowing' BMC grades into the database and then let people who do the routes to freely comment on grades and quality. Then you know which grades are stiff or a soft touch and hopefully when the next guidebook is written in 2037 grades can be 'officially' edited based on a broad spectrum.
However! keep up the good work, if I climb there at some point I'll help out with the site.
 FedUp 04 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:
> Sgn yourself up so you can have your say.

I will do, when I've a minute.

> Doesnt look like many people are interested so has probably been a waste of time

You've made the effort, which is really good. You're obviously passionate about the place and it appears many other people are too so wait and see; time will tell if the wiki works or not.
 mark hounslea 05 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:
Will
Send me your e-mail and I'll post you a draft copy of the new guide for checking/grading
 Enty 05 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:

OTD is a great idea. Had no problem working this one out in Hueco for example.
E grades for Pisa wall is a ridiculous idea!!

The Ent
 Dringo 05 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt: Nice one Will. Great to see people putting the wiki's to good use. There are many critics to what your doing reading through this thread, don't let them get you down, stick with it.

Some great photos of the area on the site. How do you get there? Rough directions just in case I am ever in da area!

 blueshound 05 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:

Looks good.
Is dry tooling acceptable at this venue? looking to get in training for next winter.
 FedUp 05 Apr 2007
In reply to blueshound:

April Fool's Day has been and gone! Nice try!
 FedUp 05 Apr 2007
In reply to Enty:

Maybe so. I was merely starting a debate / making suggestions for the Pex using community to discuss. If OTD is better then so be it.
OP willhunt 05 Apr 2007
In reply to blueshound:
Only if you enjoy ice axes being transferred from rock to your skull at high speed! O_O

Have a nice day!
 Chris Craggs Global Crag Moderator 05 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt:

I am a little confused at the tone/thrust of the thread title, in what way has the Pex Hill Wiki blown Gogarth (or even the Gogarth wiki) "out of the water"?


Chris
 dominic_s 05 Apr 2007
In reply to Hammy: i'm not big on V grades to be honest, but they're quite possibly the best solution at pex. it has become a bouldering venue excepting for the bottom half of lady jane wall. if you think pisa wall is too high for v grades then frankly.... are you a climber or what? it's not that high. i have no head for soloing but i'm OK to bail at the break without a mat. chuck yourselves up gorilla a few times and then reappraise the situation.
OP willhunt 05 Apr 2007
In reply to Chris Craggs:
When I first had the idea it was meant to be a parody of the Gogarth wiki. Gogarth is of course (and it pains me to say it) a better crag in terms of location. To compare Gogarth and Pex is slightly absurd. I also wanted to maximise attention for the wiki and I thought the word Gogarth might draw some eyes to it. Kind of like how you instantly hear your name being said on the other side of a crowded, noisy room.
 Al Evans 06 Apr 2007
In reply to willhunt: Well done mate, love Pex, I used to climb there 5 days a week ( Ilovvvve you
OP willhunt 06 Apr 2007
In reply to Al Evans:
yay!
When are you coming back to see if you can still make those desperate Black Magic moves?
 FedUp 06 Apr 2007
In reply to dominic_s:

> if you think pisa wall is too high for v grades then frankly.... are you a climber or what? it's not that high.

It is high without a mat. It's not high with a mat. Get a big enough / thick enough mat and one can solo anything.

> i have no head for soloing

Are you a climber or what?

> but i'm OK to bail at the break without a mat.

Soft arse.
 dominic_s 10 Apr 2007
In reply to FedUp:
> (In reply to dominic_s)
>
> [...]
>
> It is high without a mat. It's not high with a mat. Get a big enough / thick enough mat and one can solo anything.
>
> [...]
>
> Are you a climber or what?
>
> [...]
>
> Soft arse.

good to seeyou reiterating what i was saying, numbnuts.

OP willhunt 11 Apr 2007
On a lighter note theres plenty of news on there and somenice pics in the gallery of a guy soloing Black Magic.

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