I Hate Sharp Jugs

I fuckin hate sharp jugs, a jug never needs to be sharp. My fingers are in bits after the last few days climbing:


Spurred on by this news report i trekked back up to the George's crack hillside in Ogwen. We went up to Lily Savage area, i was keen to look upon it with fresh eyes. Just underneath LS is Paul O Grady, a stunning arete bizzarely overlooked by locals. It took Ben Farley and Mick Adams to do the Stand up and Sit Start a couple of years ago. It was really gusty and pretty cold. Mr P walked up but coulnd't take the pace and bailed straight away (i hear you feel the cold more in old age). I did the stand which is 6c+, it felt amazing, lovely holds and great body positions. I worked the sitter (7b) and eventually figured out a sequence and dispatched it. It's the best 7b i've done in Wales and has all the ingredients of a classic problem in my eyes. Gorgeous holds, great line and importantly there is nothing nasty about it. When i got home i thought about the best 7b's in Wales and came to the conclusion that it is a fairly weak grade for top draw quality. I would certainly rank Paul O Grady at the top. I then started working Lily Savage. This is regarded as a classic 7b of Wales and certainly has the line and moves to justify it. Unfortunately the first slopey ledge has a razor sharp edge which took chunks off my hands slapping for it and later cut my leg heel hooking on it. This puts a dampner on it for me, i fell off the end and didn't have time for another go.

Orme Bouldering Bits

Pete Robins has done a couple of new problems on the top of the Orme recently. First up was a coolF8a traverse on the lower grade sunny walls over on West Shore side above the road. Pete also ticked off an old project on a little area that Mr P and friends had visited a few years ago. The Bottom Billion climbs out from a break through a small roof and up to another break via some sharp crimps. I went and did it yesterday and it is cool if a little sharp on soft skin. Anything with a edge that you have to bone is going through my tip at the moment. To the left is a equually good problem if not a little nicer. This was put up by Jon Ratcliffe back in the day with Mr P. It uses a nice sidepull pinch and some rough crozzly slopes and felt about 6c+ to me. All in all some nice new additions! Can't wait for the guide. The committee has been overseesing the graded lists for each area and there is indeed a lot of stuff these days. And lots and lots of hard problems. It should be colossal!

Ruthin Escarpment

Last winter when we were developing Dyserth etc..Clwyd guru and tallest man in North Wales Lee Proctor was giving Ruthin escarpment a makeover. He sent me some pics of a new buttress where he'd done some short routes and which he reckoned might have some bouldering potential. I popped up in early summer with Spidey and we did some of the routes. We did a immaculate little 7a up there and i failed on the 7b (punt). I was keen for the bouldering but wasn't in bouldering mode so i decided to save it for winter. Owen Mcshane and friends beat me to it and did some cool stuff. I finally made it up recently and it turned out to be really good. I went back the next day with a possee and soon the place was nicely developed. Even local Danny C came out and bagged the problem of the crag which took a stand up line with a highball top out (Another Million). I was keen for the big traverse and managed to bag the first section to an obvious jug. This was dead cool and i called it One in a Million and graded it 7b (turns out my illness had cocked up my gradeometer and 7a+ was right for it). The other week Jamie Skates bagged the last bolted line on the crag (Sting Like a Bee 7c). Lee has also rebolted the two main routes section of the crag and there is a new buttress beyond Butterfly Butress with some 6's. You can find the routes on the UKC database. Topo
Lee on his own problem/route Fritillary Flake Fb6a+, F6c:


Gav on what was to become Another Million 7b:

Mr P on what was to become One in a Million 7a+:

Mint Mountains

After the ysgo i had to go to Sheff for 5 days to take care of some business. I don't really like the standard climbing wall scene. I only want to go inside to increase my basic strength and most walls are more interested in fun climbing and proper training facilities are often a bit shite despite the massive space at their disposal. This is fine but i'm not bothered about training my technique on plastic. I thought the best bet was the Foundry, last time i had tried to climb on the Works Beastmaker board. This has very nice handholds but i didn't like the foothold situation i.e they were too small and not enough of them. Mawson told me that they'd stuck some more on so i thought i'd give it another go. A few people have told me they find it hard to train properly at the Works because they generally know so many people in there and so end up making small talk and trying not to be rude. I know what they mean now! It was good chatting to folk i hadn't seen for ages but it is quite time consuming. Anyway the footholds made all the difference to the board and although the range of stuff you can do on there is still a bit limited it is a good board and undoubtedly awesome for finger strength and body tension.
Back in Wales we have finally had some proper winter bouldering weather. Driving down to Nant Gwynant i was feeling pretty inspired. Beautifully lit valleys, frost on the ground, no wind,lots of sun and just about t shirt temps. Wish it was like this more often! I took Gorgy down to Craig y Lyn. He had a do on Voie Normale and i finished off Abnormale 7b+. Last time thin skin had stopped me and this time it was fine after a few goes figuring out the technique for the jump. One helluva move! We then went to the Bustach via some shit parking beta from me. Muddy fields, wading through freezing river and stuck car once again. I wanted to try Sick Happy sds but it was wet so just did the 7a stand again (great problem!). The sitter seems very butch, i'm not sure its my bag really. Back in Gorgy's garage tonight. Last time i was there i said 'i think i'm coming down with something'. Two weeks of hell ensued. The priority now is finger strength, this is massively important for hard sport climbing in Britain so i need to get cracking. Would love to get close to my old crimping abilities when i was a youth. Wood and deadhangs barring any global disasters.

Here we go again!

And it was going so well! I was really getting into the training groove until the sickness came. 3 weeks later and i'm still not back on it. I've been getting out a bit with the old conflict still ever present. I know i need to get indoors campussing, deadhanging and doing steep bouldering but i just love climbing outside so much i struggle with discipline. It's a simple choice, meander along at the same level on the routes again this year or put some hard work in now and hopefully climb a bit harder come summer. Ramon says to get really strong you need to climb indoors. I'm inclined to agree with him. I know plenty of people who climb amazingly without training but are they really fulfilling their potential? They're happy so it doesn't matter but you need to train to get the best out of yourself in any sport. Imagine if Neil Dyer went over to Spain and spent a winter with the beast coaches over there. It's a scary thought. His training for next year consists of 'not actually going climbing ever'. But you know he'll be awesome again next year! Well i know i need to get to work. I went to Porth Ysgo yesterday with Mr P, baby Dave and big Tim. I forget what an amazing place it is as i tend to go once every few years. It is the best bouldering crag in Wales without doubt and such a pretty place to boot. It is a sign of a good crag when the warm ups are just as good as the harder problems. Dave bagged a few FAs, the crag that keeps on giving. One of my objectives for the day was Truth, a cool little 7b arete that i'd never done:

I got to within millimetres of the ledge quite quickly and then proceeded to go backwards on it to the point of surrender. I let the holds cool down and had one more go and did it much to my relief. We then played around on Anaconda which is a stellar 7c:

Mr P on the slightly flawed Higginson Scar RH 7a:

I had a quick look at Dolly Rocker which is a very cool little arete which goes at 8a or thereabouts. One to go back for if i'm ever going well.
Some development has been going on at a limestone crag x. It's a good addition and i'm quite inspired by a big traverse. Quite miss sideways shuffling it's been a while. 10 out of my 12 hardest problems are shuffles, will be good to get involved again.

Xmas Bouldering

The weather has been pretty terrible in these parts. You make big plans to boulder all winter but of course it rains all winter! So it's a case of grabbing those nice days and getting out when you can. Myself and Pete Harrison went on probably the most optimistic mission ever on Boxing Day as we drove through the wet hills to check out the new Craig-y-Lyn boulders. The left hand side of the face was wet but we managed to dry the holds so we could dispatch Voie Normale. This is a really cool powerful 7a+:

I got close on Abnormale which is a 7b+ variant but had to stop due to skin:

It is very similar in style and grade to Jack Daniels Connection on the box. I guess that probably is 7b+ after all. It was quite shocking how my skin was peeling off on both problems. I guess that's what you get for climbing outdoors twice in 6 weeks. The next day i hit Tremeirchion with a crew (Mr P, Pete R, Pete H and Owen). Everyone was suitably impressed and got stuck in. Pete R ticked 36 Chambers and got close on 22 Chambers (7c to the right):


This has a tricky finish using a shit pocket with an annoying twig in it and the low moves are really powerful. Probably a hard 7c which Pete didn't have enough steam to complete. Both really classic 7c's. Mr P did a traverse of the top wall at about 7a which was pretty cool:

Yesterday Danny C took me out to check out a sweet little project he's found. It is indeed pretty classic and there's another one to the left. Surely it's time for a comeback DC!

Best New Routes of the Year

It's been perhaps the most frenzied year for new route activity on the North Wales Limestone for the best part of 20 years. From show stopping high 8's to diddy 5's there's been a lot going on throughout the region. The A55 guide has almost doubled in size, Lee Proctor and friends have been busy at Pantymywn and Ruthin and the Ormes have continued to provide routes as good as any in the UK. There were 11 new grade 8's on the coast, i don't think this has ever happened before in a year! Anyway here are my top ten, argue away at will, they're not in order of quality. couldn't be ringed with that! When i told Pete Robins and Pete Harrison i was doing the list i jokingly said 9 out of the 10 routes were my routes. It is probably indicative of how vain and deluded people think i am as they actually believed me!

Megalopa,8c+, LPT, Neil Dyer
The most significant Welsh line of the year! This incredible route was a surprise to many who hadn't even spotted the potential for a direct finish to Walking Mussel up that gleaming white headwall. Pete Robins and Neil bolted it together and tried it together. Initial forays soon accelerated into full blown redpoints and a race to the top ensued that provided much excitement and entertainment for the regular LPT goers. We hadn't seen a situation like this before (had Britain on anything near this hard??!), both climbers had a long way to go. It was a case of placing your bets, popping on you 3D specs, pulling out a deck chair and watching the action. Neil was the darhorse but despite him not having done the Walking Mussel he took the early advantage being more consistent on that middle crux sequence. We thought he had it in him but did he? Pete was the current king of the crag but was not up to full speed yet and he would have to get used to breathing in Dyer's Miura dust. Dyer soon made it through the first crux on the headwall. Pete had made it to the move but was in bulk and not close. Everyone expected a quick conclusion but it wasn't to be as Dyer came up short on the next big move. Weeks passed and Robins started to gather momentum. How would Dyer cope with this new situation. He wanted it, he felt he deserved it but would he get it! The prospect of Robin's latching that first crux and then shooting to the top like a rat up a drainpipe was omnipresent. He kept it chill, he continued not to warm up and one day in mid August he stuck that twatting move. I watched with baited breath from the Over The Moon crack as he negotiated the finishing moves. Nervously but solidly he topped out and shrieked: "Is it happening" (wait for the footage to hear this delightful quip). A brilliant well deserved achievement and a fantastic route that will hopefully receive the attention it deserves. To his credit Pete kept plugging away and a few weeks later got his topout to assure his place as an LPT great and becoming the first to tick the 8c+ trilogy.


Red Meat,7b,Craig Pen Gogarth,Pete Harrison
Pete Harrison must have racked up the most ab time yet again this year. Exploring the Orme researching for the bolt fund guide helped him unearth a few plum lines. The most significant of these was Red Meat on the leaning wall opposite 'Dave Lyon' crag. This 30 metre line took much effort to bolt and clean and was pretty unique for the area. The first 2/3 or so was relatively steady with pumpy climbing but some good rests. This let to a sustained finishing crux sequence where decison making was of the essence as your forearms waned. The route became a popular tick with many intrigued parties heading down for the new Orme pump experience.


The Madness Reigns,8a,Dyserth Waterfall, Chris Doyle
Probably the best new route on a excellent new sector. Worthy of inclusion for the crux sequence along which features some pathetic grips. Good fun. The two 7c's are also excellent and the 8b will float some people's boats.
Pic: Ray Wood:


Release The Hounds,7c,Craigiau Gigfran,Gav Foster
Finally Gav got round to climbing his project (hence the name)! This curving overhanging prow above Penmaenmawr was one of the worst kept secrets in North Wales. Gav realised the time had come and put a few sessions in in order to bag it. The first half of the route is the prow feature. It is climbed with compression and heels, you really feel like you're fighting to stop yourself slipping off the frictionless rock. After the crux better holds and easier climbing are waiting and a nervy romp to the top via some excellent wall climbing. Release the Hounds became an instant classic and propelled itself to near the top of the 7c quality list. For me it was brilliant to do something unique for the area that wasn't just another overhanging piece of limestone.


The Empire State,8a,The Diamond,Tommy Chamings
Diamond season really captured the imagination this year. Pete Harrison and Neil Dyer were all over the massive walls in exploration mode. There were ropes hanging everywhere. More curious visitors landed on the beach and more quality routes went up. One of the coolest lines was Tommy's project from 2009 which followed a yellow streak of rough grease free Diamond rock. The first 2 bolts featured desperate bouldery climbing but from there the route was 8a and went right to the top of the crag. It had jugs, shakeouts and runouts and was unlike most of the 8's in the area. With this route and Pete Robin's excellent The Black Pearl just to the right it made sense to start them initially with aid starts from the jugs. Why deny ourselves 25 metres of 3 star climbing for the sake of a boulder problem! If it's good enough for Ceuse! Anyway Tommy satched it up quicktime and Dyer did the deed on the flash. Supersmashinggreat
Pic by Mark Reeves:


The Brute,8b,The Diamond,Neil Dyer
The Diamond super route of the year and right near the top of the best of it's grade in the country. For me it isn't the amazing line, movement and rock that make this route so special-it's the style. Bouldery routes are too short, stamina routes are too long. Power endurance is the most interesting style for me and this route epitomises the best of it even though it is a lot of moves for PE. From leaving the amazing juggy flake at the 2nd bolt it's a weaving, sustained, hold onto your hats sprint to the top with barely a chance to catch breath. In 32 moves you only really stop once and it's not a good rest as the right hand is on a sloper. You cling to the barrelled steepness trying to execute each move as well as possible to preserve strength. Speed is important but not to the detriment of precision. Basically it just flows like perfection and the difficulties are largely dispersed on amazing holds. The climbing let's up a bit towards the chain but you need to keep crimping when the crimp is fading. A 20 year old project; props to Steve Mayers for his early efforts and to Neil for making it a reality. Jordan and Caff nipped in for repeats and seemed to agree with the hard 8b tag. Mega


The Last Crusade,8a+,Llanddulas Cave,Chris Doyle
Last year when i was redpointing on what would become Temple of Gloom i spent a lot of time staring at this line trying to imagine what you would pull on and how it climbed. Unlike Temple it had never been inspected before. Early this year i pestered Tony to lug his ladder up there and we got the thing bolted. Sessions of hanging on the bolts trying to figure out shapes, positions and moves followed. On both those roof routes i have been amazed how steady the sections have become after a bit of time playing around. I soon had the sections wired enough to try some redpoints although it was a bit of a memory test on the complex sea of slopey sidepulls at the end. Just as i was about to seal the deal i tore my oblique warming up on it resulting in a month out and severe pain when sneezing. I was soon back in the groove and pulled out a memorable ascent with a near skipping bolts deck out scene. If you like PE and you like roof climbing get on it!


Alberta Rose, 7c,Detritus Wall,Pete Harrison
Pete's little community project for the year was installing a handline across the top of Detritus Wall on the Little Orme to allow safe access to classic but neglected routes like Ocean of Emotion. These routes were glorified in the guidebooks but the carrot was still a little untempting. Pete's handline was a brilliant piece of craftsmanship and he regarded it as his biggest achievement in the area. As word started to get out he knew he had to strike quick on what Dave Lyon had tipped him off as being 'the line of the Orme'. He started working out the line to the left of Ocean on top rope and soon had it bolted and prepped for a redpoint. With the seasons fitness slightly on the wane all was not a formality but he topped out quicktime much to his delight. His belayer Calum Muskett got the 2nd ascent confirming the grade and quality. The route is equal in quality to its neighbour Ocean. When i checked the place out to get some footage i thought it was reminiscent of Ceuse's famous sector Demi Lune with Orange rock and amazing wall climbing. Unfortunately the season ran out before the masses could descend but it should be high on everyones list having some of th e best routes of their grade in the UK.


Stff Upper Lip Extension,8b,Pigeons Cave,Pete Robins
Pete brought George Smith's original vision of this line to its inevitable concluson by giving it the top out and a proper finish. The original route is amazing but the but the finish was somewhat abitary and unsatisfactory. Above an awkward clip off a man made slot was a superb boulder problem on amazing pinches and edges. This gave access to the top of the crag and was the full line. Pete found himself in a bit of a race for the FA with Lancashireman Jordan Buys. Pete got there but Jordan was hot on his heels for the 2nd ascent. SUPE is certainly one of the best 8b's in the area. I would rank it in the top 3 with The Brute and Melanchollie. The jury's still out on whether the original is 7c+ or 8a (its 7c+).


Dumpster Divers,8a+,The Diamond,Neil Dyer
Another old project that many a beast must have gazed at in the Rockfax. It wasn't going to hold out this year with man on a mission Neil Dyer on the warpath. Worthy of inclusion for the crux alone which is a massive dyno. This section of wall is not quite as awe inspiring as the meat to the right but it is still pretty damn impressive and like all the Diamond routes the climbing is sustained and amazing. Pete got the 2nd ascent shortly afterwards. Roll on next year!


For those who have noticed that this list is a bit elitist well it is but there were some excellent 6's put up also. Check out Chilly T 6c (Ty Newydd, Tony Shelmerdine), Vegas Nights 6c+ (The Tower,Dulas, Chris Doyle) and The Hunt 6c/+ (Craigiau Gigfran, Jon Ratcliffe)