UKC

Highball Lleyn 8A for Robins & Ilkley 8A/+ Repeat for Peckitt & Smith

© Si Panton

Pete Robins Making the FA of The Big Orange, 8A (!), Twryn Talfarach  © Si Panton
Pete Robins Making the FA of The Big Orange, 8A (!), Twryn Talfarach
© Si Panton

Pete Robins has added The Big Orange, 8A (!), to Twryn Talfarach on the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales and Martin Smith and Tom Peckitt have made the 2nd and 3rd ascents of Curious Yellow RH, 8A/+, at Ilkley, Yorkshire. These ascents show that keen climbers are out doing the business despite the recent poor weather.

Perhaps the most significant news of late is that of Pete Robins' hard new highball problem at Twryn Talfarach (Just along the coast from Porth Ysgo) on the Lleyn Peninsula, The Big Orange. Pete was first shown a picture by George Smith, but failed to check the line out, so Si Panton began to show others pictures of the line to get an ascent out of someone. Suitably motivated, Pete headed down soon after with  Si, James McHaffie and Oli Grounsell to ensure he got the first ascent. 

Unfortunately the problem was too wet to climb that day, but Pete figured out all the moves hoping to return for the first ascent soon after. Pete headed back on Sunday, 2nd February with Si to make the first ascent. Finding dry rock and a better sequence, Pete managed the ascent of the line first go, grading it 8A (!) with the exclamation mark indicating the highball nature of the problem. Pete commented further on The Big Orange:

"The line is even better than I thought it would be from the picture George Smith sent through a while ago. People have mentioned the 'big arete at Talfarach' for years but so few climbers go down there so I'm not surprised it stayed unclimbed. I'm quite surprised nobody had even abbed and cleaned it though.

The whole right wall arcs around from a slab to abruptly form a lovely sharp overhanging arete, all rippled and glowing with orange and green lichen . The steep left face is featureless and black. It would be unclimbable apart from three distinct slots/mini-rails which just open up enough and are spaced perfectly. It really is a cool route. It needs a flash now which will feel really exciting I'm sure."

 

Si Panton was on hand to catch the first ascent on video, which is featured below.

For more information on this and other North Wales News head to NorthWalesBouldering.com

GroundUp are currently working on a new and vastly updated version of the North Wales Bouldering Guidebook, which is hoped to be released later on this year. Watch this space.

 

 

photo
Tom Peckitt on Curious Yellow Original, Ilkley
© Peckitt Collection

Over in Yorkshire, Martin Smith and Tom Peckitt have been busying themselves by making the 2nd and 3rd respective ascents of Curious Yellow Right-Hand, 8A/+, at Ilkley. The first ascent of the problem was climbed by Dave Buchanan more than 10 years ago, but has resisted any repeats despite attention over the years from some strong climbers. 

Martin Smith made the 2nd ascent on Thursday the 30th of January, and Tom Peckitt made the 3rd ascent on Saturday the 1st of February. Tom Peckitt commented further on the Right-Hand version of the 7C+ wall:

"I used Martin’s sequence and managed to bag the problem on Saturday in between rain showers. It involves pulling off the ground using a sharp crimp then back-handing and shifting all your weight into a small undercut. Then a tricky sequence to get established on the huge last move of Curious Yellow. Martin and I thought it was somewhere between hard 8A and soft 8A+."

In addition to this, Tom also added a number of problems to Guisecliff in Yorkshire, including a 7C+ slopey lip traverse named Mourning Air. This problem is so named as Tom was witness to and tried to help resuscitate the victim of a motorcycle crash the night before. 

Below is the video:

Pete Robins is sponsored by: DMM, Podsacs, prAna and Rab

Martin Smith is sponsored by: Scarpa

Tom Peckitt is sponsored by: Evolv, Metolius, Bananafingers, CityBloc and prAna


This post has been read 9,052 times

Return to Latest News


7 Feb, 2014
Wow, TBO looks excellent. jcm
7 Feb, 2014
What a line!
8 Feb, 2014
Highball may be an understatement
8 Feb, 2014
I heard Alex Honnold looked at but thought it was too high.
9 Feb, 2014
Surely that would get E10 in Yorkshire?! ;-)
More Comments
Loading Notifications...
Facebook Twitter Copy Email