Thursday 5 April 2007

New crag discovered in Yorkshire

I am pleased to announce the discovery of a new and quality bouldering crag in Yorkshire. The crag is located just above the a660 near Pool, just north of Leeds. I shall refer to it as 'Caley'. In 6 years of working in or around Leeds I can't believe I haven't stumbled across it before now. My multi day foraging quests for new blocs are legendary (at all times wearing my trusty pith helmet) - it was I that opened 'Almscliff' with my ascents of at least two 7a's in 2005. There's quite a lot to do, but any potential suitors should note that as with other crags in 'Yorkshire', the grades are two or three grades easier than similar in the home of hard rock climbing - the Peak district. The natives should be avoided, miserable sods they are (although some of them are quite handy).

I did some quality first ascents including : New Jerusalem (so should have flashed this, got to the good rail with the left hand and failed to move feet! - 2nd go), Otley Wall (BETA flash) and the Secret Seventh. There was some other stuff too, but I don't remember their names. I have sent my guide a text to find out what they were called but I think he must have gone to bed. Anyway, had a go on a problem called Blockbuster. Start with your left on a grippy good boss and jump to a ok-if-you-catch-it-right pinch (I hate jump starts) then left foot on and right hand to a sharp edge (first goes I was trying to flag too much, dropped that and was ok, but then started to not be able to do the jump!), right hand to rubbish sloping thing and then go again to jug (got here a bunch but kept gayley slapping for the jug and getting it too low down. Ah well, landing is good, I will pop out one afternoon. Then I got involved with Zoo York. After some feeling of the holds and trying the start positions I was falling off getting my right hand to the undercut crimp with my foot lock in. Worked this move and found a foot lock sweet spot and it was easy, from here theres a hard move with the left hand shooting up to a tape box edge on the arete, then the right toe moves up to another toe drag, and left foot pastes on the left wall and presses in - again, theres a sweet spot in there somewhere, which, once found means the move to the next sidepull (for the right hand) is steady. Adjust the right hand and create some tension for the release. Take the right toe out and hold the swing, left heel (I think this might be wrong, it might be a toe for me) to the ear thing and bump left to a good hold (this move isnt actually that hard, but it is quite scary), then rtoe goes back behind an edge and you go and go again to a jug - didnt continue to the top from here, but apparently its not that bad. Psyched! totally feasible but fully nails your skin. Hmm.

Back to Burley in Wharfedale to visit the spawn of clifford and then home to campus for 30 mins. Well done - you really needed that!

5 comments:

bonjoy said...

Yoot, that sequence of yours on Blockbuster is not what most folk do.
The easiest way is as follows.
First off you have two options on the start. Both options start with two fingers of LH in gnarly pocket and thumb on pinch bit (oddballs and sausage fingers use a horizontal pinch but this is harder). Pull hard on the pocket/pinch as you jump and it makes getting and holding boss much easier. Then either jump to first sloping boss (the mans way V9) or straight to the second boss (bit of a cop-out as it misses what is arguably the crux, V8). Presuming you opt for the man's way, you then put left foot on a smear and bounce again for the second boss. From here you bring left foot in a bit to the obvious foothold, other leg flagging, drop LH into diagonal edge. Now's the clever bit, flip RH from a pinch to a guppy on boss. Once you do this the rest is piss! Swing right toe to smear out right and crossover with LH to juggy ramp and romp home to glory.

Unknown said...

Yes, the V9 mans way using the lower blob, but then you have to subtract a grade if you use the guppy method! Just grab the left hand edge and pull like f*** to bounce up to the jug - done.

dobbin said...

hee hee hee! somewhat reticent to return given the finger damage exacted on my skin. Liked it though. Was thinking about going on Fri but will probably save self for sat.

Unknown said...

Oooo...Whats happening on saturday?
Weather is good again by the looks of things. Will you be doing a dawn raid on Kudos wall per-chance?

Might join you for my forst session there of the year - so my expectations are somewhat lower than yours I guess.

dobbin said...

would love to go Saturday - no plans as yet to be honest, but perhaps we should make some!