storm + teacup
Firstly peak grit is a completely gromeless rock it weathers in incredibly boring styles creating lots of coal and only a few diamonds, it is also often heightist. Peak grit has previously been weathered periglacially (lots of frost heave related processes) so it is even blockier that most, i find this quite uninspiring as a rule as problems and routes which i would class as really being quality are hard to find. The only reason why i think it is so highly valued is its accesibility to a vast amount of people (cumulative value+ a vibrant scene) and its texture (which is pretty cool)
That said its good problems are totally unique and usually impossible on any other rock type, what with all the hype going on recently i thought i'd do some more highballing,
So me n Neddernaught headed to froggatt today to try Toy Boy which is a ridiculously fun problem so long as your over 5'10" (and wearing some ;) basically its probably the best hard slab in the peak and a nice font 7c+, really fun balancy and powerful moves. Anyway that went ground up with 4 pads (all we could carry) in a few goes ( i'd played on it on a previous session and told ned of its fun factor) so we did Slingshot too which has to be about font 7c really (possibly with a + for fear if your in a skirt)
which means 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 solepower 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 (more on this in a later article) if you ever see me with a toprope on something which isn't a project then you can go simon yates on my ass.
That said its good problems are totally unique and usually impossible on any other rock type, what with all the hype going on recently i thought i'd do some more highballing,
So me n Neddernaught headed to froggatt today to try Toy Boy which is a ridiculously fun problem so long as your over 5'10" (and wearing some ;) basically its probably the best hard slab in the peak and a nice font 7c+, really fun balancy and powerful moves. Anyway that went ground up with 4 pads (all we could carry) in a few goes ( i'd played on it on a previous session and told ned of its fun factor) so we did Slingshot too which has to be about font 7c really (possibly with a + for fear if your in a skirt)
which means 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 solepower 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 (more on this in a later article) if you ever see me with a toprope on something which isn't a project then you can go simon yates on my ass.
posted by Beastmaker.co.uk at
4:04 PM
11 Comments:
Absolutely bang on I have been of this opinion for years and have come across a lot of resistance to it. A lot of folk seem to want to uninvent the pad (its just not British!) rather than use it as a tool to greater things. Brilliant effort on Toy Boy. You are quite right about Unfamiliar, me and James Ibbotsen tried this briefly in a snowstorm and tested some quite big falls onto a single big Metolius and it was fine.
Yes these are boulder problems masquerading as routes! Please can you do The Promise ground up above pads, this will make your point better than any blog entry and hopefully bring a sense of reality to ascent styles and dissuade people from contriving danger in order to take big grades.
you don't have to say please mate, it'll be our pleasure, G-up unit nearly went there on the day we went to froggatt, think Rascal is keen too so hopefully a flash from someone, nothing is safe when everything is safe ;)
there are a few more on the list believe me, but we might need the Boy's van ;)
Hey hey, just found the yeastmaker blog!! Woot woot.
A van you say? No worries, I reckon it'll fit as many as we can muster. All that's needed is some weather.
Done for Froggat highballs you say? What about My Orange unrepeated 7c+, Dogs Die in Hot Cars, Our Soles, Business lunch...
I'm all for the highball revolution. Breaking your legs for the sake of a number when you have the means to hand to make it safe seems contrived and myopic to me. It reminds me of people avoiding using chalk back in the 70s. Why fight the tide. If the grade system can't cope with modern kit, don't throw away the kit, change/ignore the grade or use a different one.
I'm loving your work. Crush those highball non routes.
Good write-up, good efforts.
Bonjoy:
"I'm all for the highball revolution. Breaking your legs for the sake of a number when you have the means to hand to make it safe seems contrived and myopic to me."
...does that apply to Keenus too??
Contrived i.e. unnatural or forced – I think not using the tools of the age to safeguard an ascent fits this definition.
Myopic i.e. short-sighted – I think the trend on short hard grit solos is toward using mats, which will get bigger and better over time. This reflects world trends with higher and higher things being ground-upped over pads. The arguments against using them seem to hinge around the incompatibility of their use with the existing grade system. To have a grade system dictate how you approach a climb, including what risk you accept, seems back to front to me. It’s anachronistic, like climbing with a hemp rope.
In terms of style I think ground-up over pads is generally a step above a headpoint without pads. But more importantly it seems more fun to me.
I have huge respect for James and it’s totally his call how he wants to climb stuff, even if I struggle to understand his rational. I really doubt anyone else will do The Promise without pads, what’s the point?
We did discuss the different possible approaches to this line before he climbed it, including the possibility of moving the (very movable) nasty block under it to make it into a proper highball. This would have been my preferred option, but it’s not my call and I’m sure it would have attracted much criticism from the anti-patio types.
where's my orange Jon? (for the sake of everyone and me not just asking you when we're out)
Our soles (whilst being originally on my welford waddage list) i thought looked a bit squeezed in and i need to speak to john about what he let himself use, i'd be keen to repeat it because its his and is therefore probably good, but i can see why you'd do it after ticking most of the peak, but not before. haven't looked at the other 2 yet with a pad mindset as haven't seen them in person. I guess i meant i've done the obvious older classics.
psyched for bouncing off some big stuff if we can organise a few reliable days and prime targets.
Dan
In your fruit bowl?
It’s the sloping right arete of the Turd Burglar block. You might have seen it briefly featured on Consumed or Iain doing the FA on the illustrious Autumn Sessions.
Might end up at Eastwood tomorrow, as it’s a good post rain option. As mentioned before, the lip thing I’m trying should make a great highball. The roof to it’s left looks right up your street – big move round roof to positive half pad crimp, something with feet, then slap RH to a second positive crimp quite far right, hold vicious swing, push on up beautiful groove, 7c+ minimum, hard moves with feet at 3m. Unfortunately it will need a birch tree (which I’m thinking of using as a runner on my proj) under it cutting down to be able to boulder it out. Maybe I’ll bring a saw, climb my route, then cut down the tree ! There are some other highballable bits (Bristol Dreaming, Monster Monster, Hat’s For Youths), plus those lines I mentioned over the way at TS edge.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Oops, i'll try that again.
Here's a pic showing line of My Orange
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3027/3009418873_22861335c8_o.png
Hmmm. This blogger thing keep cutting the end of my link off for some reason. After the bit shown above add the bit below.
335c8_o.png
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home