Learning to climb in the mid 90's, I first started out trad climbing in quarries such as the Wiltons, Denham, Anglesarke, Parbold and Brownstones and it has been fun going back to these places with over 20 years experience and fresh eyes. It has been a bit of a trip down memory lane at times thinking back to old days out. But enough of the past, with no board to train on, I was sorely in need of some steep athletic bouldering to shock the system and introduce some dynamic moves into what had become quite a formulaic experience doing max hangs and pullups every few days.
I have managed to get on video quite a few of the problems I have climbed over the last 3 months since lockdown ended in Lancashire since purchasing the excellent bouldering guidebook by Robin Mueller. I started out going out tentatively as lockdown had given a wierd feeling that maybe you shouldn't be going out but at the end of the day Boris had given exercising in the outdoors the nod as had the BMC so it was fair game. As the Peak District was off the agenda initially as we were meant to be staying local, I stuck with Lancashire and I'm glad I did. It has been refreshing to not have more than 35 - 40 mins of driving to do compared to over an hour going to the Peak or even longer to North Wales or Yorkshire. It brought it home to me how much driving I have actually done over the years in pursuit of this sport!
My ticklist of climbs over Font 7C post lockdown is below and I was psyched to get a first ascent of a sit start to a Mike Adams 7C+ at Parbold 'Danger Dusk', which I named 'Danger! High Voltage', which I have given 8A (repeats needed to confirm). The name is something of a misnomer as there is no danger involved as its finishes at around 12 foot up matching on the last hold before the wall blanks out above.
Font 8A
Rhamnousa Sitter (Wilton 4) (SECOND ASCENT)
Danger! High Voltage (Parbold Quarry) (FIRST ASCENT)
Font 7C+
Nemesister (Wilton 4)
Rhamnousa (Wilton 4)
Danger Dusk (Parbold Quarry)
Font 7C
Clint Barton (Cadshaw Quarry) (SECOND ASCENT)
Copernicus (Cadshaw Quarry)
Laminar Flow (Wilton 2)
The Starship Wilton Direct (Wilton 3)
Nemesis (Wilton 4)
Meeting Palms (Ousel's Nest)
No Tome for Losers (Baby Denham)
Legs Not Included (Healey Nab)
Dawid's Reach (Lester Mill Quarry)
Blister (Lester Mill Quarry)
Grasshopper LH (Stronstrey Bank) (FIRST ASCENT)
The Noisy Cricket (Stronstrey Bank)
Hellebore Sit (Stronstrey Bank)
Here are some of the best video's I have put together from my Lancashire sessions, there are more on my Youtube Channel, I hope you enjoy!
Its been awesome to be able to get some of that bouldering snap back climbing in what has been an exceptionally dry spring (although at the time of writing it is at risk of degenerating into a soggy summer!) Having not trained on a 45 degree board for over 3 months I was worried that my power levels and technique on steep rock might have suffered but getting out regularly to the quarries, I have been surprised that I actually feel perhaps stronger than ever on real rock. There is really no substitute for trying hard on real outdoor problems and you get a real sense of momentum with a few ticks under your belt. The moonboard can wait!
Now for the tough transition back to outdoor routing. I have been back at Kilnsey since this was permitted back in May and not having tied in since my trip to Margalef over New Year over 4 months previously, 50 for 5 felt way too pumpy at first. Happily, stamina has now come back to a semblance of what it was and I'm getting stuck back in to Progress, my project on North Buttress which I got close on last year. Lets pray for a dry July and August on UK crags seeing as nobody will be jetting off to the continent just yet - have fun out there!
Stronstrey Bank sunset
