UKC

Having done quite a few of the obvious crack routes in the Peak area, could anyone recommend me any good esoteric sandbags? Anything particularly green or savage would be ideal as I like a nasty surprise. Any grade!

My personal recommendations would be:

Man oh Man at Hencloud (E4 6a) - totally failed on this a couple of years ago. Lovely off-fingers size. Sausages would feel at home here...

Mental Pygmy at Black Rocks (E2 5c) - fell off the top out on my first go. What an excellently dirty and savage route for E2. Makes Thirty Seconds in Winter Wonderland feel like a path.

Anyone else?

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: It's not a sandbag. But Satire at Baildon is fairly immense! Its a crackline up a hanging column of rock, which is about 3 times as steep as Higgar Tor, but juggy with jams, offwidths, hooks and the odd Kneebar! Goes at E2 5b.

Did it today, it was even better than i expected it to be!

In reply to Dave Warburton: I heard there was this epic e1, and the e2 had nowt on it?

In reply to Dave Warburton:

Cool, good suggestion. I've never heard of it, so perfect. 3 times steeper than the Rasp is mighty steep... yikes.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Was here today doing some esoteric stuff

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=90087

You did say esoteric and green.

J

In reply to Ropeboy:

These were nice but easy;
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=90731
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=90725

J

That's weird John - I was there last week!

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Was that your chalk on The Power of the Dark Side?

J

In reply to Ropeboy: It was yeah - just waiting for a cold day.

In reply to Ropeboy: You know that QS was originally HVS?? I failed to second the man on that when we thought it was still unclimbed.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Great cleft at Wildcat I found to be well 'ard at E1, top pitch is a slightly overhanging finger crack with shit feet, dirty to boot, was full of cob webs and leaves when I did it. Def worth 3 stars.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

An artificial suggestion, one that I read about (on here I think) a few years ago:

Thin handjam rather than layback Insanity on Curbar. IIRC the story was that Jerry did it as training prior to a trip to Yosemite.

In reply to John Gillott:

That was Neil Bentley and Rich Heap on their training. But yes, well recalled! Then again.... maybe they did it because Jerry did it first??! Hmmm... someone will know for sure.

I thought there would be loads more suggestions for this stuff. Obviously people don't like going out of their way to do unusual things. Ashop Crack anyone??

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: The Simpering Savage on Burbage South is usually green and savage.

Also, Raisin Roof and The Big Plum on Plum Buttress are not often done.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

The Crevice - Carreg Wastad. VS 4c, apparently.
Birch Climb - Brimham Rocks. HS - involves climbing a tree to launch yourself into a offwidth crack.
Every Mans Misery - Burbage South.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: Ha, your lobbin off mental pygmy is the talk of wirksworth dude, suprised to hear an offwidth connesuir like you got spat off that. thought it was supposed to be E3 6a though if thats any consellation to yer?

hav u tried 'reticent mass murderer' (E46b) and 'the nemesis exit' (HVS 5b) at cratcliffe? havnt done them myself but have heard filthy, filthy things.........

Enjoy, Tom

In reply to tallsop:

Hah! Here I am belaying on the latter in sub-optimal conditions.

jcm

In reply to tallsop: Ha ha, Reticent Mass Murderer. Me and Geoff Birtles spent an afternoon trying the first ascent, the day before some real class came along and did it in the shape of John Allen.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: Probably a bit too "obvious" but Wimberry has several traditional HVS cracks that are usually green: Trident, Freddie's Finale and Blue Lights are all good value.

Delilah (E1) at Pule Hill is great fun if you have a big chest. Sodom (HVS!) at Running Hill Pits is desperate unless you have very small hands. Green Crack (VS!!) at Ramshaw is a stopper.

In reply to GeoffRadcliffe:

Geoff - thanks for that Simpering Savage is a good idea, I'd always meant to get round to that. Plum Buttress.... now that sounds like a destination! 2 nasty routes in one crag. Cheers mate.

Hanzler - done Every Man's Misery, but not the others, so will check em out.

Tallsop - hey, I think every climber should be rated not on their successes but their failures! My limit is now dropped to E2... Great route and even better in the green. Nice one suggestion for the Nemesis Exit - photo makes it look very appealing. Even better in the snow perhaps?? Does it have railings below it now?

Rob - have done most of the non-Wimberry ones (all very good and thrutchy). As soon as weather gets a touch warmer I'll be heading up there and shamefully I've never been.

Cheers for help in injuring myself so far....

Tom

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:
Is Masochism esoteric enough? I don't think it gets done very often so if Ramshaw routes are in it should be on the list. There are quite a few at Ramshaw actually.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Thrombosis, hard severe Stanage

In reply to Si dH:

Si dH and Martin Heywood - done both of those I'm afraid! Although I would agree very much on the sandbag nature of Masochism...

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Slab Route/The Abyss at Rowter; Andi Turner's new beast problem... top of the updated crack school at Ramshaw? I could also do a list of all the easier ones on (sub E1) on the eastern edges if you want

In reply to Offwidth:
I think you'll find Tom did "Melvyn Bragg" before Andi.
What about that Steve Meyer's route in the SW somewhere, Cocoon, which took ages for Ken Palmer to repeat? E8 wan't it?

In reply to Offwidth:

Done The Abyss (which is a major soft touch). If you're thinking of Melvin Bragg offwidth that's my problem...

I'm guesing your website has some good suggestions?

In reply to Jon Read:

I've always wondered about Cocoon.... can't fins any photos anywhere. Not sure what size of crack it is really. Bit of a mystery route!

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Apologies for suggesting your own problem: my new shiny Roaches is at home but as Offwidth I should of course have remembered that.

Our Offwidth website is still down currently (we will try and sort this now Froggatt is finished) but I always post stuff if people are interested and have other resources which were never on-line.

Abyss is indeed the easiest V4 I know but it stopped quite a few 'HVS' leaders as Slab Route. There are some newly listed rounded routes on the west end of Rowtor in the new guide including a beast of an E1 into a hanging groove middle right.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: Monolith Crack?

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: Brutalizer and Giggling Crack perhaps?

In reply to Rob Davies:

I thought I was going to have a seizure jammed in that little monkey - and I was only seconding!


Chris

In reply to overdrawnboy: They've got to be sandbags and esoteric. those suggestions are far too kindly graded and well known!

What's monolith like?

In reply to Offwidth: no worries - I think it's even wrongly credited to that whipper snapper, Whittaker! I blame Andi of course....

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:
Green, hard, dirty & Esoteric? That'll be chatsworth then!

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Tom, this has to be one for you!

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=14721

Get that southern blood flowing again :0)

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Esoteric, like this description?

If climbing 75deg snot is your bag then this the route for you.

8m hard very radioactive. about VS 5a.


Or;
Mince along the impressive roof crack. Fingerless gardening gloves or a mobile transfusion service may reduce the difficulties somewhat.
E4

Both on Brandrith, a small but tough little crag in places.


You say you have never been on Wimberry, get thee to it and bleed those hands on some of the cracks.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: not esoteric at all but the brutaliser,charming and giggling cracks at brimham are all a bit of a shread.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:
Tom, I think there must be some meaty fare up in scotland for you, though to be honest I'm struggling. Aha! I've just thought of one. Boysen's route up north of Sheigra: Northwest ELiminate, 40m. sandstone, offwidth, unrepeated (I think). Boysen & Carrington E5. The famous quote is "That'll ladder their fancy f**king tights!" If you want to go let me know.

I think you've probably exhausted the Peak, tbh.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: me and andi have never bothered tryin man o man ever since you told us what it was like.
If u ask many of the foriegn teams at the cwif on sat they will say the eng 5a hand jammin crack.was the easiest prob there but saw many tryin laybacks and heel hooks.

In reply to Jon Read:

Jon - that's a great idea! I'd forgotten about it. Pete would be well keen for this as well. We should get a few of us together for a raid... I've got the campervan too now.

Stretch Anglais - got close to that a couple of years back. Again, it's pretty hard, but not undergraded or too hideous (if you know what I mean?!)

Sutty - I like the look of the roof crack. Looks well green.

Mark - yeah, Pete told me about the Euro struggles on the CWIF crack! Very funny! Didn't Stew Watson manage to fall off it on his first go...? I bet you boys did it in your trainers though eh?

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: How about Sweatyman at Shooters Nab -hvs 5a see rockfax database or Vaya Con Dios at Gardoms?

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: If your going off to baildon anyway, take a look at scythe man, looks like an immense line, big roof, dont know if its a crack line, but if you're allready there, its probably worth a glance. E5-6a, its in the quarry near anne of cleaves.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:
Here's another one for you, from the SMC new routes book 2009. note the FA.
You have mail, btw Tom.

BEN LOYAL, Sgor a’ Bhatain:

The Rigging Finish 20m E5 6c. Simon Nadin (unsec) June 2009.
This follows the overhung flared crack splitting the prow of the crag. Access is by scrambling up the diagonal rake from the left side of the crag until the belay of Hazard is reached, from where it is sensible to rope across the exposed ledge to a belay below the crack (just before the ledge peters out). The crack is climbed first on poor hand jams, then fist before finally resorting to head, body jams or anything else that aids progress.

In reply to Jon Read:

Not gone and looked, but the rest of Sheigra is Gneiss, so assume NWE would be too. You could stop at Ardmair on the way and get up Burning Desire at E5 6b? That has some offwidthy stuff (although apparently the crux isn't the offwidth) and that definitely is sandstone.

pics

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/228/488832007_edf92312ea.jpg?v=1198528391

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/218/488825037_2953c34456.jpg?v=0

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training: Bloodfinger at Pule looks short but grim?

In reply to Chris F:
NWE is pebbly sandstone. Towers perched on crumbly rubbish.

In reply to Jon Read:

Simon showed me photos of this last year - it looks brilliant and will be pretty tough considering that Simon didn't get it on his first visit.

It's just such a shame that Ben Loyal is miles from anywhere, the crag is on the top of the mountain and miles from the road, and there are no other unclimbed lines to make it worth the nearly 1000 mile round trip from Sheffield...

Neil

In reply to Neil Foster: there's plenty of potential at Smoo cave, if it was ever dry. And then there's the Foinaven roof routes. And Julian Lines Flawless arête (not a million miles away) beckons too...

In reply to Neil Foster:

I know of one or two other crags between Ben Loyal and Sheffield...

In reply to Neil Foster:

Sounds incredible. Sure it's something George Smith would love too!

In reply to Jon Read:

Hi Jon, have sent you my new email address... as don't pick the other one up much.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:
Oh yeah. http://media.photobucket.com/image/BEN%20LOYAL%20Sgor%20a%2525E2%252580%252...

In reply to Jon Read:

OK, wasn't sure, the sandstone and gneiss swap around a bit in that area.