UKC

Was at the castle last night, the reset Mezz was the best yet I thought: really creative and a good range of grades.

On another note - I'm sure the King of the mezz had started by this time last year?

In reply to Jim Houghton: no mezz this year, shit huh boulderers?

In reply to Jim Houghton:
Must add that all the lead routes have really improved as well, especially upstairs in the tall lead area. A lot of them always seemed very thuggy but not very well thought out but everything I've been on in the last few weeks has been really interesting and a lot more subtle.
The grades seem to be more realistic as well. I used to be able to do 7a's on the slabs upstairs which was ridiculous because I can only manage around 6b outside. Now the majority tend to match what I can do outside.
Now all they need to do is make the taps turn on for more than 3 seconds at a time so I can wash my hands in less than 15minutes.

In reply to Jim Houghton: aren't some of the problems at Mezzanine level graded rather hard?
There is this steep orange V2 which felt like V4 to me!

In reply to alps_p:
Just head upstairs, they are a little softer on the features wall

In reply to alps_p:

That orange is indeed actually V3.7

In reply to catt:
So slightly easier than the grey V3.8 in the pen?

In reply to catt: sorry are you joking or was it actually meant to be graded closer to V4?

Also perhaps you know - purple slopers problem on the lower level, slightly-off-vertical wall right next to the system board cave, what grade is it? The number has been wiped off the tag, but it seems that it could have been V3 in which case it's much harder than all other V3's there!

In reply to Jim Houghton:

I was down visiting London last week. I had a few sessions at the Castle, and thought the problems were really nice. Lots of interesting puzzles. Which made a contrast to my local wall, where everything hard seems to be about crimping something tiny really hard, or mad stretchy body tension on roofs. How I miss ye, Castle.

In reply to Reach>Talent:

That grey is disgusting, and going on V5...

In reply to catt:
Glad I'm not the only one who thought so, the move up for the second hold on the wall almost killed me!

In reply to alps_p:

Hi, I don't know what it's actually meant to be graded, but the fact is it is closer to V4! They just have fun sandbagging in there sometimes, part of Castle life.

There are a couple of similar slopey probs on that wall by the wave, both with nasty last moves. I think one was V3 and the other (the one finishing in the top right corner) V4 but I forget which was which colour.

In reply to alps_p:


That's because it is V4, it's just it says V2 on the tag.

In reply to alps_p:


Very cool route that, I really like the middle moves. I managed to do all the moves but havn't managed to finish it with the last move yet. I think it was a V3, deffo felt hard though.