More Hills

We've had some more fantastic weather and more teams have been descending on the hills. It's been a great scene with everyone motivated and keen to take advantage of the amazing conditions. NWB.com has been in overload, i can't remember so much frenzied activity on it for years. I've been reminded of how much good stuff there is, there are so many smaller areas. You can hit a couple of venues up in a day targeting specific problems. Everywhere you go the rock is different and there are problems of all styles to go at. I haven't trained for weeks, i'm just so motivated to get outside and plus i have been feeling my elbow affliction from the end of last year rearing it's ugly head. Getting it once was pretty bad but to feel it coming back after a significant period of time is very worrying. My sister is a physio which is very handy so hopefully i'll get a diagnosis when i see her and then i will know how to combat it. I've been doing loads of mid grade problems in the last week, many of which i've done before yonks ago. It's definitely more fun than seiging one problem but then we all get drawn back to the stuff at our limit eventually. I went down the ultimate marmite crag Angel Bay for a few hours and did a stellar problem on lush slopes called Spectrum. It gets 7a+ but i wouldn't argue with 7b. I can confirm Manchester Dogs is finished, the start is completely smashed in. On the subject of problems changing the lower hold on Bus Stop in the Pass has got bigger making Bus Stop 7b and Mr Fantastic soft 8a. It still won't help me as i struggle with the shoulder moves and the high foot. I had a day of low psyche in the Pass (it's so dark and cold there) so Mr P rescued me and we went back to Clogwyn y Bustach. Still a bit wet but i made progress on Sick Happy sit, should go when it's dry. Yesterday i went to Rhiw Goch with Jimmy Big Guns, Mr P and Emma Twyford (who is now resident in Llanberis). We warmed up on a couple of nice lines on the main crag and then hit the 50 degree steepness.
Mr P on a 5+ start to a route:

I love this place, it's like a board but outside. Jim and Emma cleaned up the crag classic Moria (soft 7b prob) and i did White Rider, Ride the Wild Smurf and also repeated Moria.
Emma on Moria:

Floppy's 8a+ dyno is an amazing move and could really do with a repeat (come on beasts). I got close to my nemesis Nazgul's Traverse but we had to leave to walk up that horrible hill to the Mallory Boulder where we met Nodder. God i hate that walk, i forgot how shit it is. Dave was trying Will, the grade is still up in the air for this one but it seems very hard for 7c+ to me. I think it's only been done by Huffy, Ned and Mason and they're all monsters. It's a superb problem with a nails first move. I repeated Barking Direct and the Crack and we tried Cosmic Wheels 7c. This is a Nodder classic that I did in 2004 with Huffy, i managed the moves again but fingers were giving up.
Cosmic Wheels:

Will into the Crack is still and unclimbed link which will definitely be 8a. I'm sore today but buzzing off all the great days out. I'm a self employed subcontactor which means i have to be pro active in finding work. Sunny days are not condusive to this however but i can't keep on driving into the hills every day. Got to be responsible occasionally!
Pisshead:

The next front cover of the bouldering guide:


Mark Reeves film Amateur Hardcore is really good for getting beta and its great to see Robins when he was fat sketching on a 7b.

Amateur Hardcore from mark reeves on Vimeo.

Nodder has produced a list of the 8b's on the Orme on his blog. There is also a list of the hardest problems in the hills. Check it here