28 Feb 2011

Great Expectations

Keen to get back to Camp Hill, with the promise of sunshine. Time to get some good shots of the crag and do Strict Arete from sit then develop the circuit and maybe top up the tan.
Unfortunatly again once past Rosedale head the weather front was black and gloomy.
Time to check out some more crags on the list, firstly Cow Crag, this can be seen from the hill just out of Rosedale heading to Castleton
A lonely tree on Brown Hill on the way to Cow Crag over the top of the Moor
Cow Crag - looked a lot better from distance, very low boulders and the crag was terrible!
saw about two problems, never even took the mat off! too distraught
Stone Bank - just outside of Rosedale - couldn't see anything worthwhile through the binoculars - Did spy some big boulders on the other side of the dale, next time

Meanwhile Sam and friends had gone to Camp Hill, looks like they had a whale of a time finding dyno's on the Strict boulder - wish I had gone there? - Photo's Jake Hampshire
 Tom Barr
Sam Marks - A young Leo Houlding
 Jake Hampshire

22 Feb 2011

Testing - Testing

Headed to a wet Peak District Sunday to Meet Steve Golley (The Send) my first chance to test the App
Steve was keen for Rubicon to get some shots to create another Topo App
Flooded Rubicon the full wall - The ducks were happy
The App looked clean and navigated really slick - using the map was easy - and adding favourite crags will make it easier to view your preferable destinations for the weekend (three day weather forecast to be added - it costs! but will be handy) topo links were also smooth - Anyway take a look at some screen grabs
Will Raven Tor be dry?
Raven Tor had enough dry patches to get some blood flowing, making footwork tricky! mixed it up a bit  
Pinches
Steve - Dislocating his arm
Over-arm - maybe not
A nasty chalk habit - should have climbed in the socks - less slippery

16 Feb 2011

Bouldering in Ireland Guidebook Competition


At last!!! Dave Flanagan's long-awaited guide to bouldering in Ireland is out. Two copies dropped through the letterbox this morning to great excitement in the Robinson household. 
Front Cover
This is a stunning user-friendly guide, which truly does justice to Ireland's wonderful landscape and the bouldering opportunities which are on offer. The maps are clean and contain all the necessities to get you there and park up. The number of problems per grade is indicated in a colour-coded key for each area. Many of the photographs are stunning and the sheer passion of the boulderers in the pics for the local rock is both evident and strangely contagious. The large numbers of different climbers shown on the problems of all grades is a refreshing change from guidebooks showing just the great and the good. Get on the internet, buy a copy & book the ferry for your trip right now! 

Within the guidebook are detailed all the major and minor bouldering areas across the length and breadth of the Emerald Isle including Glendalough and The Wicklow
Mountains, The Reeks, The Burren, Connemara, North West Donegal, Inishowen
Peninsula, Fair Head, The Mournes and many more.

Contents:
Over 1700 problems in 90 areas
Grades from Font 3 to 8b
Granite, gritstone, gabbro, limestone, sandstone, schist, quartzite and
dolerite

100 maps, 140 photo-topos and detailed directions to get you to the problems
Over 150 colour photos of the best problems
256 pages of full color in an A5 landscape format
Contains areas that have never been documented before including Brimstones,
Thur Mountain, Ayton’s Cave, Doagh Strand, Windy Gap, Larry The Goats and
Pierce’s Castle.


Win!! The sender of the best bouldering photo to lee@betaguides.com will receive a free copy courtesy of betaguides and the author. Competition closes St Patrick's Day (17th March).

13 Feb 2011

Living the Dream

A planned weekend to try some projects at Ravensdale (Aka Stoupe Brow) again the weekend ended up open planned due to the weather, so a return visit to Cloughton Wyke for further investigations with hopes for  coastal development? The tide times were perfect 4pm high tide, so had four hours of  forecast sun which came just has promised - perfect timing - no chance of drying the blocks though
Land slipped blocks, usually dry - The roof looked good and hard
Dangerous foamy coastal investigations - slippery navigation!
Am I seeing things? A bouldering Oasis!!
The two boulders held plenty of problems - One stood out for me, the hanging arete! maybe for me the perfect problem? 
The sit start very strong and well balanced - eyeing the next move up to left hand sloper
Making progress holding the arete? still two moves not linked!
Two finger pocket and up to a right hand crimp
 Cut loose then pop to the top
Sorry but the location of this problem I will be keeping a secret for now, this is one of the best problems within the grade that I may achieve?

6 Feb 2011

A Right Royal Bouldering Meet

Thought it was time to organize another meet, Last year's explorations have proved the dales on each side of Blakey Ridge have enough bouldering on to keep most activists happy and the scope for new development keeps me going back for more.  Oak wall needs someone to hit and hang the sloper - any takers? Camp Hill is a great little venue - Clemmitt's Crag actually has some big boulders and some steep walls - Further away Ingleby Incline is just crying out to for a circuit to be developed so here's your chance. Email me if you are interested?
Oak Wall Project - Oak Crag
Body Torque Block - Stormy Hall
 Boulders in need of a bit of gardening - Clemmitt's Crag
 Rosedale Monolith - Rosedale Head 
 Some real scope for a circuit at Ingleby - It goes on for miles
 
One of Camp Hill's finest - Phileas Fogg