UKC

Probably a bone question, but what is meant by a "very thin finish"?

Cheers,

Ross

In reply to ROSP:
Hard

In reply to ROSP:

Small holds.

In reply to ROSP:


Tiny holds for the feet.

In reply to ROSP:
I think of it as small holds personally.

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

Thanks all for the info!

In reply to ROSP:

Insecure, usually via crap holds, especially crap footholds, e.g. dodgy smears.

You tend to know when it's thin 'cos your heart's in your mouth and you're thinking, 'Please, feet don't pop...'

Mick

In reply to ROSP:

Depends who says it I'd say

In reply to ROSP:

Thought provoking.

In reply to ROSP:




Probably a through route to finish...

In reply to ROSP:

A terrifying lack of holds and probably no protection.

In reply to Mick Ward:


I'd call that "delicate" rather than "thin".

In reply to ROSP:

I'd expect a distinctly insecure sequence on small/marginal (for the grade) holds - not necessarily smears, possibly tiny edges - and a bit of a run-out. sounds fun!

In reply to ROSP:

What's meant by bone?

Thin is small holds generally.
Jk

In reply to Coel Hellier:

To me, 'thin' is very, very delicate. But I guess each of us has their own interpretation. ' It used to be a word in general climbing parlance - yet, before this thread, I hadn't heard it mentioned in years, maybe decades. Maybe the dire protection of yesteryear meant than 'thin' was more significant?

Mick

In reply to jkarran:

Oh right - another word for stupid!

In reply to Mick Ward:

There were such good words then. 'Thrutch', 'graunch', 'thin', 'crozzly', 'peel', 'lob', 'udge', 'teeter' ...

In reply to ROSP:

Whilst we're at it.. what are 'disposable holds'?

In reply to mrphilipoldham:

Holds so loose you might as well throw 'em away and try some others (underneath?)

Mick

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:


Agree. I love those words. For me, 'peel' has the same vintage as 'thin'. Both were used a lot in the Mournes in the 60s, when many routes (such as 'Thin Arete') were distinctly thin and peeling off was usually a bad idea.

Mick

In reply to ROSP:

smaller version of flexible flakes

In reply to ROSP:

Have a go at First Slip. That will tell you all you need to know.

In reply to Mick Ward:

I thought that might be it, but I didn't fancy getting on it to find out.. Mather Crack (E2 5b)! Maybe next time..

In reply to ROSP:

It means that whatever you wish there was more of, there's a great deal less of it than you'd like. Holds, protection, confidence...

T.

In reply to ROSP:

I keep scanning guide books for a finish that's 'very fat'

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:


Thanks for the tip. But I wish to testify that First Slip has no holds at all or maybe I need new glasses ha-ha. My respect for Joe Brown went up 20 notches after struggling up it honestly I'd rather sit in Eric's café

In reply to abseil:

The dreaded Spuzz shoved me up First Slip for my first Extreme lead (and only third Extreme) in 1974. I threw up at the bottom with food poisoning. Apparently my face had turned green. Did that merit the Spuzz sympathy vote? Did it f*ck! "Be reet, kid." I staggered up the stepped grooves feeling fainter and fainter, somehow clambered over the top and... the world promptly went black. Up comes Spuzz. "Good route, kid, did you enjoy it?"

Last time I did Leg Slip, I looked across and it looks nails for the grade. So I think I'll pass on a return visit. If you don't mind, I'll sit in the caff with you.

Mick

In reply to ROSP:

A route is 'thin' when the thinnest of flakes and edges are thin on the ground.

In reply to ROSP:


Fatties need not apply

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Still use most of these today, on a very regular basis, Im a relative youngster and they havn't gone anywhere, at least not in my circle of partners and friends

In reply to james.slater:

That's good to hear. And don't forget to pass 'em on to the next generation. Long may they continue.

Mick

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:


First Slip at Tremadog? yep, I definitely used the word thin to describe that...

In reply to ROSP:

The state of your nerves after climbing through this section.

In reply to ROSP:

"Probably a sport climber"?

In reply to john arran:


Sounds like Upton Slabs, that's where most of the thin holds are, on the ground.

In reply to Mick Ward:


OK Mick! That'd be a pleasure. Eric's caff is haute cuisine by my appallingly low food standards....

"very thin" = "the margin between success and failure"

no holds, no gear, worrying

In reply to:

Thin to me means I felt like i was going to fall off, regardless of the grade. Normally as its insecure or balancey or has small holds (or all 3). Basically the exact opposite of burly. Requires concentration .

In reply to ROSP:

Holds are a bit 'thin on the ground'?

In reply to ROSP:

It certainly doesn't apply to my ex-Sister in law.

In reply to ROSP:

very thin = you don't know which of your limbs is going to pop off or when, and when they do there will be no gear to stop the fall.

In reply to Toerag:


I don't know if it's morphed over time but I don't ever remember 'thin' implying anything at all about the gear. "Thin moves past the bolt" would have been a common usage. Also, it means something very different to 'sketchy'. Sketchy and thin both suggest insecure, but the latter definitely indicates it's due to the holds being really small and possibly not numerous.

In reply to john arran:

I don't think 'thin' is a reference to gear in itself. It's more that when the holds run out you also tend to be above the gear.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Ok so thrutch, thin, peel, lob and teeter are all in my vocab but please define graunch, crozzly and udge?

In reply to Snoweider:


Graunchy means you'll probably need to udge, so you'd better hope it isn't crozzly

In reply to ROSP:


An underweight reindeer?

In reply to Snoweider:

Udging is frequently required on the same routes as thrutching. I'd say it's less physical and more just slowly gaining height through repeated jamming of your body inside a crack?

In reply to Snoweider:

You'll be wanting to know what a broddling stick is next...

T.

In reply to Michael Gordon:

Narw. You could udge a mantle or rockover, but you wouldn't thrutch one

In reply to birdie num num:


Probably applies in winter rather than summer.

In reply to ROSP:

There is a very slim margin of error between completing the climb sucessfully and swinging into oblivion

In reply to Michael Gordon:


There were three consecutive udges on Post Mortem which will live with me until my dying day.

Mick

In reply to Pursued by a bear:


Formerly one of the most arcane of trade secrets. If you found the one under Elder Crack, you were probably very well connected in Sheffield high society.

Mick

In reply to ROSP:

Are you asking as this is part of the route description for Sacred angel (F7a) on Portland?

Thin is a perfect description of the finish - tiny little pinch holds made of delicate seashell fossils.

In reply to abseil:


The pleasure would be all mine. And my favourite meal is pizza. Need one say any more?

A pity we can't wander out and up Fandango. One of the very few Tony Wilmott routes I've done - a couple of days after First Slip.

To tell the truth, after a day's bolting and an evening's boulder setting, I could do with a good caff session. Can't imagine the state I'm going to be in tomorrow morning. Still, my mate (same age) is in for a knee op tomorrow which could be make or break. Carpe bloody diem!

Mick

In reply to Mark Bannan:

The caff on Mount Snowdon is only open in summer though. Available for a proper fat finish.
We like the fried squid and chips and banoffee pie with spray cream

In reply to Coel Hellier:


And not many of them

In reply to birdie num num:



The closest I get to that is a kebab and chips in Nicos in Fort Bill!

Thanks for the relplies everyone, it's been helpful

In reply to ROSP:

Mate are you in the army?