15 Dec 2013

Improbable Impossible Possibilites


I love this time of year, the days are short, weather patterns are constantly in flux and it can be a complex lottery deciding what to do?

I use one easy formula
1. Raining = go exploring or find a dry roof
2. Not Raining = Climb or Explore and climb  

One of the biggest bonuses of this time of year is that wooded venues offer a warm welcome if dry projects are in condition and exploring is a lot easier without the foliage hiding any hidden treasures. 

So this weekend was spent testing the formula out again. 
Friday + Wet = Explore + Poor Edges Found + Comfy Chairs = Two off the list
Saturday + Dry = Mike's Project + More attempts + bloody hard = Time to explore 
Exploring + Family text asking to join the Weird Beardy Club + Mike finding wall of blankness on google street view = Good day on tiny holds, with even more harder problems to go back to.

Proving the formula works

8 Dec 2013

Fast and Furious

Firstly I would like to apologise for the delay in the release of the Moors bouldering guide, proofing is over the half-way mark and all the details needed to finish are all in place. Unfortunately it will be next year before it goes to press. It should be ready just as the magic months are upon us again in the Moors.

Having not trained for six months, due to being sat in front of a computer screen finishing off the guide, Mojo for exploring, climbing and recording venues has returned with a vengeance. Having already started a new guide book 'Esoteric East': a whole new area of bouldering delights to get your teeth into. We've already had more days and nights at the crag, some with disappointing findings -whole edges covered by landfill, others burnt to a crisp and scatted with cans of Kestrel Super and Asbo-pop bottles left by the 'bored youth' of today.

This process is bitter-sweet yet the sweet makes up for all that "Oh S**t it's three foot high, why is this on an Ordnance Survey map?" 

Below is an example of just one of the sweets, Conisborough's Hueco Boulder in Nearcliff Woods, one of many scattered between the A1 - M1 corridor. I don't think there is one 'Wack' problem on this block, incredible. Please go and give us feedback on the grades.

This block needed a lot of TLC as it was fire-damaged. Efforts to clean it resulted in some major rewards. 

Not all of the good finds have suffered from this fiery urban fate. Some of the places feel like you could be lost in any valley of outstanding beauty in Britain's green and pleasant land, with blocks and edges with some blissful moves, in some forgotten places, with the odd piton or axe-strike letting you know this was home to someone else.

Not forgetting the superb historical venues this area has to offer.
Demo only, yet to be proofed and finished