Dan reports on the Bigstone Website (with photos):
"Big Ron (Fawcett) did Toy Boy in 1986 for the first ascent, then Ben Heason head pointed it in 2001 after 6 or 7 roped sessions. Ned Feehally and I did it as a highball font 7c+ last Friday ground up. Only 2 ascents in 22 years then 2 ascents in 2 hours! We followed up with Slingshot (first ascent Mo Overfield 2000) at highball 7c."
Dan and Ned have a blog: Beastmakerblog where they have shared some of their recent thoughts on these highball problems:
Dan blogging:
"I'm done for Froggatt highballs after 4 visits. here's the Froggatt highball list: (with the possible exception of screaming dream and a project (and maybe rampart with tons of pads))"
- Mint 400 font 7b+
- Narcissus font 7a? (piss)
- Sole Power: font 7b+ (obviously ground up)
- Renegade Master: font 7c (ground up second or third go)
- Slingshot: font 7c/+ (2nd go today after 2 minutes of mucking around a while ago, ground up)
- Toy Boy: benchmark font 7c+ (very morpho, ground up)
- Chequers Groove: super solid font 7c+ (2 visits, ground up)
"Ned has also crushed Toyboy, Slingshot and Sole Power ground up in a few goes for each. They by no means deserve E grades as below 10m (8m defo) everything is pretty much a boulder problem these days (landings obviously vary)."
"We love pads too the more the merrier, if everyone at the plantation on a weekend stuck a pad under Unfamiliar it'd be fine! Work together people and claim all these routes masquerading as boulders, pads save the ground and your ankles. E grades under 9m are a bit of a joke when pads are involved, learn how to fall off properly too..."
The guys also have a product website beastmaker.co.uk where they have amazing looking wooden finger boards for sale, plus training tips and other bouldering info.
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