Elite UKBouldering Inventory

Yorkshire: Tough Almscliff Link-Up From Peckitt

2009-03-06T13:36:00.002Z

Tom Peckitt has added perhaps the hardest Almscliff link to date with his new link-up, Bulbhaul at a tentative Font 8B+.

Bulbhaul is on the Keel boulder and links the C&A Traverse into The Bulb without using the block at the back of the roof.

Source: UKClimbing.com

Yorkshire: Rylstone King Line From Bransby

2009-03-06T13:24:00.003Z

Ben Bransby has climbed the immense project arete right of Cocoa Team Special at Rylstone, Yorkshire. No name as yet but this is surely to be a seminal line of the future. A grade of font8a+ has been suggested.

Source: UKBouldering.com & Adam Long

Peak District: New 8a+ From Mike Adams

2009-02-17T16:52:00.004Z

Belated post from 31st January:

Mike Adams made the 1st ascent of the often tried sit start to the Lurcher, at Bell Hagg.

The problem which now starts under the roof with feet jammed in the back (obvious) , pull on and out to the lip left hand good crimp then slap the arete to gain the nothingness of a hold. Now cut cut loose hold the swing and slap for the better starting holds of the lurcher. Move your feet up and climb the lurcher to the top.

The problem is now called Whippet and weighs in at 8a+.

Source: UKBouldering.com & Tony Simpson

Scotland: New Sky Pilot 8a+

2008-10-15T12:10:00.002+01:00

We await a name and images but Dave Macleod has climbed a new 8a+ bloc problem at the Sky Pilot area of Glen Nevis.

Full details on Dave's blog here.

List Updates

2008-10-15T11:41:00.004+01:00

The following tick lists have been updated to include (to the best of my knowledge) any missing or recently climbed lines. Some lines have also been added or removed due to hold deterioration or improvement through natural or unintentional breakage.

Yorkshire List
Peak List
Wales List
Lakes List
Scotland List
Northumberland

Yorkshire: Brimham Addition

2008-10-07T10:22:00.002+01:00

Dave Cowl has added a cool looking underct slopey arete at the "Fook Nose" area of Brimham and named it Old Pete (8a) . The beta goes thus: The obvious undercut arete climbed on the right, from a standing start.

Below: Dave Cowl on Old Pete Font8a © Charlotte Wood

Source: yorkshiregrit.com

Scotland: New 8's from Macleod and Smith

2008-09-30T10:00:00.008+01:00

At the Sky Pilot area of the Glen Nevis Boulders, Dave Macleod has completed his long standing (not to mention long distance!) project. Big Long Now rates at around the 8b+ mark and is a serious proposition, the full beta goes thus...

The climb starts off with 10 metres of V5 [6c+], then 10 metres of V6 [7a], then 10 metres of V9 [7c] then another ten of V9 [7c], followed a final ten of V8 [7b]. Nothing even remotely hard in individual sections, but add all that together you need a lot of stamina and excellent pacing and timing to save your strength for the right moment at the end. It reminds me of running 1500 metre events actually. Hold back, holding back until you hit the crux at the end and pulling down through melting arms. Dave Macleod, Sept 13th 2008.

Below: Dave Macleod on Big Long Now Font8b+(?) © Dave Macleod

Further south at the ever in vogue Dumbarton Rocks, Malcolm Smith put his mega guns to work climbing yet anther stomach churning epic: Gut Buster weighs in at 8b+ and meanders thus...

Start as for Serum of Sisyphus, make hard moves to join Perfect Crime and follow this to an ab sapping knee bar rest in the niche. Continue up Sanction then wander up the easy arete to the top of the boulder. Breaks new ground in Scottish bouldering. Scottishclimbs.com

Sources: Scottishclimbs.com and davemacleod.blogspot.com

Wales: New Pill Box Link Up

2008-08-28T08:27:00.007+01:00

On the Great Orme, Pill Box Wall connoisseur, Chris Doyle, has added yet another hard link to this intensely developed sector. Malteser/Last Rites (8a) features some very sustained difficulties, building to a shakey encounter with the final thin crux moves of Last Rites. Chris had tried the line off and on over a few months, struggling in the summer heat to piece it all together. Friday this week saw the return of lower temperatures and a brisk wind blowing around the headland.

With good conditions and the build up of numerous sessions’ worth of muscle memory, Chris cruised through the line, commenting that it actually felt quite easy when he did it.

This new link is Chris's 16th first ascent on Pill Box Wall. I guess he likes the place!

Below: Chris Doyle on Malteser/Last Rites Link Font8a+ © Si Panton

Source: Northwalesbouldering.com

Scotland: Backdated Portlethen News

2008-07-10T11:08:00.003+01:00

Some news I neglected to record from back in spring. At Portlethen Luke Fairweather climbed his project link Twilight Princess (8a+), which incorporates Kayla linked in to Pit Left Hand.

Below: Luke Fairweather on Twilight Princess Font8a+ © Stone Country

Source: Stone Country

Scotland: MacLeod adds more Testpieces

2008-07-10T10:26:00.006+01:00

Dave MacLeod has added two new test pieces to the Pine Alp Boulders, Glen Nevis. The following two lines are on the Skeleton Boulder which lies to the left of the Waterfall boulder. Frontal System (8a) takes the full left to right traverse of the front face of the boulder, reversing Sylvestris (7a ish) to a desperate sequence over the plinth boulders to the far right. Next up is Bear Trap Prow (8a+), which strenuously climbs the right prow of the cave direct all the way to the top.

Below: Dave MacLeod on Frontal System Font8a and Bear Trap Prow Font 8a+ © Dave MacLeod

Sources: Dave MacLeod's Blog & Stone Country

Peak District: Lost in Translation 8a

2008-06-09T10:52:00.003+01:00

Dan Warren has climbed a tough new problem at Fossil Wall, in the Peak. His new line climbs Lost Sequence from a sit start to the pocket, before breaking right along the obvious traverse line, and finishing up Schadenfreude, to give Lost In Translation (8a).

For more details on the climbing on Fossil Wall there is a topo here.

Lake District Area: Good Things Come in 3's

2008-06-09T10:43:00.002+01:00

We have a few noteworthy ascents to report from the last couple of weeks. First up is the most recent send, from this weekend in fact.

Nick Clement has climbed the obvious, but until now neglected, reverse of the original Woodwell power stamina link, Cloning Technology. Nicks new creation, as anyone familiar with the crag will be aware, starts at the far right hand end of the crag and tackles the first section of Tom's Traverse Reverse, before swinging down through the roof to the start of Screaming Slave. It now traverses crab-like to the start of What's This For...! and climbs this to the jug a 2/3's height, then reverses Crucifix Kiss before continuing leftward along the break to the holds above the The Beauty of Being Numb. As with Cloning Technology holds above the main lip of the buttress are out-of-bounds, so if you comply with all the above stipulations on a send of the line you can take a tick of Nuclear Transplant (8a+).

Below: Nick Clement on his new creation Nuclear Transplant Font8a+ © Nick Clement

Just round the corner in Trowbarrow Quarry I managed to link the obvious low sit start (from down to the left) into Neil Kershaw's splendiferous line, Virtruvian Man. The new line gives the whole package of crimpball, tensionball, dynoball and even highball to leave us with Iron Man (8a).

For the more mountain orientated boulderer I also managed (eventually) my project up at Sampson's Stones in upper Eskdale. Hypernova (8a) starts up Pulsar before breaking off leftward across the face initially on good handholds but sparse footholds to a tricky drop down, at the halfway point, into the lower holds of Quasar. It now continues left into and up the hardest "straight-up" on the block, Stargazer (7c in its own right) - one for the super keen!

Below: Coming into the crux section (and last few moves) of Hypernova, Sampson's Stones.

Source: LakesBloc.co.uk

Lake District Area: Gaskins Not Finished Yet

2008-05-13T09:36:00.003+01:00

John Gaskins has been hovering in the back ground for sometime now, but a recent meeting with the "Man of Steel" brought news of a few impressive and noteworthy ascents.

John's most notable ascent over the last few months would have to be a new 8b+(?) at Woodwell, in the shape of a reverse of Anesthesia (see image below). This starts at the far right of the buttress and traverses leftward to a point a couple of hand moves right of the original start, before climbing up to the break – a 7c/+ in its own right! John wouldn't actual comment on the grade other than saying it was significantly harder than the original. Also of note John repeated Greg Chapman's fine gritstone test piece, Outer Reach (8a) at Thorn Crag. A line which over the last couple of years has seen attempts from a number of strong climbers, but until now rebuffed all comers.

Source: LakesBloc.co.uk

Peak District: A Bigger Belly 8a+/b

2008-05-06T12:22:00.004+01:00

At Rubicon Dan Varian has added a sit start to A Bigger Trail. Local sage John Fullwood reported thus on UKBouldering.com:

A Bigger Belly - Dan rated it as the hardest thing he's done (had to lose weight to do it!), so it must be very hard and 8a+ minimum. Had a look at it on Tuesday eve, amazing in a very dismaying proper dirty Gaskins' style.

Below: Dan Varian on his new problem A Bigger Belly Font8a+ © Dan Varian

Source: UKBouldering.com

Peak District : Metal Slug 8a+

2008-04-29T11:18:00.003+01:00

In the relatively recently developed "Tube", Dan Warren has climbed a cool addition through one of the various steep roof lines to give Metal Slug, 8a+.

Video Clip:

Source: UKBouldering.com

Wales: Dyer is Smokin' - Silk Cut

2008-04-29T11:08:00.006+01:00

Neil Dyer has completed a major link in Parisella’s Cave, North Wales. Silk Cut (8b+/V14) extends Director’s Cut (hard 8b) into the obvious highball exit of Upper Cut (7b/+). The previous night (before his send) Neil climbed through Director’s Cut only for a foot to pop as he moved into the highball finish. This in itself constituted the fourth ascent of Director’s Cut (after Jamie Cassidy, Malcolm Smith and Gaz Parry), but the logical top out remained as Neil’s original goal, one which he had been eyeing for a long time.

Below: Neil Dyer on his new problem Silk Cut Font8b+ © Simon Panton

Source: NorthWalesBouldering.com

Northumberland: Earl's New Shaftoe 8a

2008-04-21T13:44:00.003+01:00

Andy Earl returned from a European road trip last week with a tip off that the Roadside Wall at Shaftoe had a sit start that might just go. It was no easy send though, Andy's bad skin from his trip combined with the sharp holds on the line made for much tearing before he completed the problem in his third session. Andy is offering 8a for this cracking bit of climbing on possibly Shaftoe's most picturesque boulder.

Video Clip:

Source: NorthumberlandBouldering.com

Wales: Robins Sends Another Great Link

2008-04-21T13:40:00.002+01:00

Pete Robbins has linked In Life into Left Wall High in Parisellas Cave to give a 40 move hard 8a+/French 8c link. There is now an easier sequence to the In Hell start now knocking In Hell and In Life down to soft 8a+'s. We believe Pete has christened his new link up In Heaven.

Source: UKBouldering.com and Chris Doyle

Lake District Area: E-Fix 8a

2008-04-02T16:23:00.005+01:00

I have added a smart new addition to Plum Buttress at Warton Pinnacle Crag in the South Lakes. This new line tackles the roof to the right of the John Gaskins classic Voodoo People. E-Fix (8a) Starts from sitting on the forward most block, then pull on via a slot and an obvious square undercut pinch (RH), deploy a marginal heel-toe out left and bounce up and left (LH) for the right end of an edgey slot. Now make a hard and accurate slap for a poor hold on the lip. If successful engage some keen tension and foot jiggery pokery to gain a pinchy edge on the lip out right and join Sugarfix to finish.

Source: LakesBloc.co.uk

Yorkshire: New Brimham 8a

2008-03-31T11:35:00.003+01:00

Andy Swann and Dave Cowl have been busy finding and developing some new blocs and traverses at the outlying areas of Brimham. As well as establishing a number 0f mid to high 7-graded problems Andy has climbed a new 8a entitled Vogue. This is situated in the vicinity of Maud's Farm somewhere (Bat Buttress?) and climbs the "obvious" clean, south-facing wall. Start in centre of wall at good a crimpy seam and head right to sloper cluster, and right again to a sloper just below top, from here gain the break above.

Source: Yorkshiregrit.com

Yorkshire: Hunter's Stones - Big Numbers

2008-03-19T10:19:00.010Z

The recently developed Hunter's Stones in North Yorkshire (a stones throw from Almscliff!) have yielded a number of excellent new lines - 20 plus lines of 3 to 8a+ - over the last few months, although up until now the new additions have been kept under wraps to allow the primemover, Tom Peckitt, to finish what he started and mop up all the remaining hard lines. The area is the subject of this months (April) Climber magazine's Stone Circles article. The article is worth picking up as it features some great action shots as well as full location and problem details.

Below: Tom Peckitt on one of his new problems Hunter's Roof Font7c+ © Hannah Madden

Of the biggest numbers to fall X-Calibre SDS (8a) and its right-hand variant (8a+) are the hardest propositions. The original line climbs the centre of the wall starting on parallel crimps on the low break, going up left to an x-shaped hold, then up left again to crimps below the top. The right-hand variation is an obvious but focussed line which gains the x-hold in the left hand (rather than the right) and then dynos to the top of the block at its highest point.

Below: The lines of X-Calibre and its harder variation are shown

For info and photo's on Hunter's Stones see Yorkshiregrit.com

Scotland: Deep Breath 8a

2008-03-10T08:51:00.009Z

This report is actually from back in October 2007. A fine looking new problem from Dave Macleod at Glen Nevis...

"I had a lovely day climbing with Ruaridh and Ellen in Glen Nevis showing them the delights of the bouldering there in crisp autumn sunshine as birch trees around us shed their leaves. We ended the day climbing near a bouldering project of mine beneath pinnacle ridge, looked at for a long time by several aspirant crimping demons. I thought it would be the first Font 8a in the Glen.

They asked if I would be having a go as we were there, but I said no I wasn’t in good shape after the days and nights on the road. But of course, I couldn’t resist and went for a quick shot, if only to confirm why I failed to hold the crux swing so many times before. First shot, not really focused, and my legs almost swung back before my grip gave out. Hmmm, another go was in order with more focus.

This time I felt I had strength in my body for the first time in ages and held the swing and grunted to the top. As with so many projects, they go much easier without the pressure of expectation."
Dave Macleod October 2007

Below: Dave Macleod on his new problem Deep Breath Font8a © Dave Macleod

Source: Dave Macleod's Blog - Original Report / Images

South West: All Elements 8a

2008-02-29T13:12:00.009Z

Southern dark horse Tom Randall has climbed a fine looking new line at the small limestone venue of Bathford Woods (near Bath), an area also known to some locals as Sally-in-the-Woods.

Below: Tom Randall on his new problem All Elements Font8a © Tom Randall

The line itself climbs the obvious horizontal roof crack for 20+ ft - "Everything from crimps, slopers, finger jams and hand jams" - incorporating around 15-17 moves. Tom gives the full beta...

"Crimpy rail and pinch, big move to hideous baggy cupped handjam, 180 deg spin, thumb jam (oh yes!), 2 finger pocket, spin another 180 deg, 2 finger finger-jam (great move), 2 finger pocket, tricky thin-hands hand-jam, good jam (but very hard to seat), wild cut loose, loooong reach to mono-dish, 180 deg spin, bump dish-hand to good sloper-crimp (redpoint crux), round onto the headwall, a load of heel hooking and more crimps and slopey-crimps (not to bad). Top-out!"

There were some initial queries regarding the access to the venue but according to Tom the crag is "on common land so access is no problem , I've checked with the local council about this".

Below is a video of Tom on his new creation.

Wales: Louis Armstrong 8a+

2007-11-21T09:47:00.000Z

Danny Cattell has dispatched an impressive new line running parallel to Rock Atrocity in Parisella’s Cave. Louis Armstrong Font 8a+/V12 starts at the Rock Atrocity diagonal jug, but immediately swerves off right with a violent crossover move to reach some undercuts, which in turn allow a redpoint crux slap out to the Lou Ferrino ramp to be made. A few more punishing moves lead up to the Rock Atrocity finishing slot. Hardcore!

Below: Danny Cattell on his new "cave" problem Louis Armstong Font8a+
© Si Panton

Video Clip: Danny Cattell on his new problem Louis Armstong.
Clip courtesy of Chris Doyle

Source: Si Panton and NorthWalesBouldering.com

Yorkshire: New Problems from Dunning and Katz

2007-11-06T08:28:00.000Z

With the imminent launch of the new Yorkshire grit bouldering guide, authors (and renowned beasts) Mark Katz have been out mopping up a few nice projects.

At Gorple Mark Katz added a stunning new problem in the place of Problem 3 on Boulder 1, in the Yorkshire Grit guide...

"My new problem is on boulder 3, problem 1 in the old YBG- it's a belter! I've named it Chabal after the French Rugby monster, as both are big, hard and tricky to take down! The problem goes from a sit start and finishes in the big 'hueco' on top. It's involved, with some 'proper' climbing on it- knee bars and heel hooks etc, as well as some horrendous slopers! The rock at Gorple is a little gritty and needs careful cleaning in between attempts. I worked the project off a step ladder prior to my ascent (I got some funny looks from walkers and sheep! as I toiled along the 20 minute walk in with a step ladder sticking out of my pad!). I'm not sure about the grade, as unusually for grit it has alot of different climbing on it and also because of the nature of the rock, maybe Font8a+??" Mark Katz

At Earl Crag Steve Dunning added a cool looking new Font8a prow problem to the Hitchingstone to give No Mercy...

"Managed a couple of new problems at the Hitching stone. This is the large boulder in the field opposite Earl Crag car park. Well worth a visit with a dozen or so good problems. The first problem is one of the best new problems I have done for ages. Unusually for grit its really involved with about a dozen compression moves up a stunning prow." Steve Dunning

Below: Steve Dunning on his new problem No Mercy Font8a © Steve Dunning

Source: Scarpa.co.uk (Katz Blog) & Scarpa.co.uk (Dunning Blog)