Topos curated by The Climbing Academy, Ring Road Boulders

Transcription

1 Ring Road Boulders Location and Approach There are various approaches to get to the bouldering. The one described here takes about 10 minutes. Park on Hartford drive, approached by turning right off the B4508 from Frenchay along Beckspool Road then left into Penn Drive then first left again. Alternatively exit at Junction 1 on the M32 to get to the same spot. Walk through a gap onto the cycle path beside the ring road. Turn R and walk about 250m until there are steps down to your R with the sign Frome Valley Walkway. At the bottom of the steps turn L and go under the ring road. The Ring Road boulder is about 300m along the path up on your left. Hidden Wall is accessed from the same place, about 30m further along at the same level. Another 300m along the river and 30m off to your left is The Cave. Esoteric Bouldering Back in the noughties, Andy Sainsbury and Dan Savoury, with the help of other local climbers documented a lot of the local bouldering. Andy built a website called Esoteric Bouldering and there was a source of info. Then Andy emigrated and Esoteric died. However, before leaving he gave us the content and we always intended to make it available again. We ve now done that. If you have any additions, updates, feedback, please us on esoteric@theclimbingacademy.com The Climbing Academy We have 2 great centres in Bristol and Glasgow. Each has fantastically shaped walls, great route setting, friendly staff and of course brilliant coffee and food. We also have a web shop selling great boudering kit at good prices. Bristol: Belvedere House, Charlton St, Bristol, BS5 0FD. T Glasgow: 124 Portman St, Glasgow, G41 1EJ. T ringroad15428.docx1

2 Introduction These four buttresses provide 30+ worthwhile problems from V0- to V7, enough for several visits. There is also a good spread of grades. The best boulder and with the widest range of problems is the Ring Road boulder, though the other two also have a selection of very worthwhile problems. Ring Road, along with Hidden wall were recently discovered by Raphael and Tom. A big thank you goes out to these two for unearthing a great local venue. It looks like persons unknown have bouldered on the Cave in the past so well done whoever you are. The majority of the problems on Ring road can be found on UK Climbing.com. Area 1: Ring Road Boulder A great buttress covered in slopers and pockets, with great friction All sorts of eliminates can be contrived on this wall particularly around the cave on the left. The obvious challenges are described. 1. On a prayer V1 5b (FA Tom Dixon) Sit start the left side of the cave on the good flat jug then up using good holds. 2. Knuckle Duster V4/5 6b ** ( FA R Bath) Use any combination of the pockets above the cave to make a hard slap to the top. 2a. Concatenate Drifts V6 (FA Matt) Slap from the two left hand pockets to the top of Knuckle Duster from a scissors position across the cave. Morpho. 3. Knuckle Duster S/S V6/7 6b *** (FA Dan Savory) From a low sit start in the cave make cunning moves in to the stand up version and finish up that. Avoid the big slopey shelf out left on the lip of On a Prayer. ringroad15428.docx2

3 3a) Living the Dream S/S V7 6c** (FA Andy Sainsbury) Eliminate but a logical and hard line. From the same start as the previous problem, take a small sidepull/undercut on the lip with the right, avoiding the left pockets get your left in the right hand pocket. Pull through rightwards to a high right hand pocket next to the big sloper then top out. 4. Paradise V3. 6a* (FA Raphael Bath) Use holds left of the central arête past a big sloper to the top. 5. Thunder in Paradise S/S V8 ** (FA Tom H) A very hard sit start to Paradise starting right of the cave then using the right end of the cave lip as an undercut for the left to get into the stand up. 6. Central arête V0 5b* ( FA Rich Tanner) Climb the central arête from standing. 7. Nose picker V4 6b * (FA Dan Savory) From the same start as The Nose, go straight to the sloper on the arête and then the left hand jug. From here move leftwards then up to the big sloper on Paradise and top out above. 8. The Nose V3 6a** (FA Raphael Bath) From a sit start on two big slopey jugs, climb the central arête using everything available. 9. Five foot voyage V2 5c* (FA Raphael Bath) From central arête traverse the thin seams in the right wall rightwards and up the top of Mini Arete. 9a. The Nose/Five foot voyage V3/4 6a** (FA Ben?) Link the two problems. 10. The Wall V2 5c* ( FA Raphael Bath) Climb the centre of the thin wall right of the central arête avoiding good holds to the left and right. 11. The wall sit start V5-V7 * (aka. Eat your heart out sausage fingers) (FA Matt) There are three variations to this problem. All start sitting using a small pocket for the left. Thin fingers and a big span are a definite asset. The two harder variants are both morpho. V5 From the pocket, use the middle break to get to the high crimps and the top. V6 From the pocket, use another tiny pocket below the middle break to get to the high crimps. V7 From the pocket, span all the way to the high crimps and the top. 12. Mini arête V1 5b* (FA Raphael Bath) Climb the right hand arête. 13. Mini arête sit start V3 6b* (FA Raphael Bath) Make a big move to the flat jug on the arête from a sit start. 14. The Underpass V5 6b* (FA Dan Savory) Sit start in the cave on the left. Make a low powerful traverse right then up the Prow and along Five foot Voyage to finish (No white foot block). 15. The Undertaker V5 6b* (FA Dan Savory) Sit start as for the Nose and take a very low line into the Mini Arete, then up this to finish (No white foot block). ringroad15428.docx3

4 16. Undercrackers V6 ** (FA Dan Savory) Link the Underpass into the Undertaker for a powerful low level pump out. Try not to get your bum dirty! 17. PROJECT: Traverse the left wall thinly along the mid height line to join and finish along Five foot Voyage. 18. Don t think, leap V3 * (FA Dan Savory) Use the jug on Mini arête for the left and a low undercut pocket for the right to leap for the top. Watch the landing! 19. Friction Day V5 * (FA Raphael Bath) Traverse the whole block at about two thirds height. Hidden Wall Half way towards Hidden Wall is a blocky buttress. At first acquaintance it looks poor but there are a few interesting problems 1. Slopey traverse V4 (FA Dan Savory) From a low shelf on the left span to a big sloper on the arête and finish rightwards on the nose. 2. Shelf fish V1/2 (FA Raphael Bath) From the low shelf slap to the obvious ledge above. Another excellent find tucked away at the same level 30 yards to the right of the Ring Road Boulder. Walk past a scrappy cleaned wall (with a few easy problems) on the right and it soon appears. This 12 foot high plum vertical wall is covered in a great selection of finger edges and crimps. Again good eliminate potential. 1. Left Wall S/S V2 ** (FA Dan Savory) A fine little problem following an obvious line of crimps on the left end of the wall from a sitter. 2. Happy Slapping V6 ** (FA Dan Savory) A great dyno from two obvious side by side crimps in the middle of Left wall to the cleaned hand rail. 3. Central Wall S/S V2 ** (FA Dan Savory) Another crimpy problem up the centre of the wall from a sitter. 3a Dan s Dyno V7/8 ** (FA Dan Savory) Dyno from the crimp shield to the top. A bit like the Kyrton Dyno at Stoney but a bit harder. 4. Pocket to me S/S V2 * (FA Tom Dixon, Dan Savory S/S) The right hand line from a sitter past small pockets. 5. Rise and Shine V4 ** (FA Dan Savory) A great technical traverse starting on the bottom right and following the obvious rising seam up and leftwards. Finish on a jug on the far left. Only use hand holds in the seam. 6. Low rider V1 * (FA D Savory) Traverse the low crimp line from as far right as you can to easy ground on the left. 7. PROJECT: High level traverse of the wall with a tricky finish. ringroad15428.docx4

5 Area 3: The Cave The third area, The Cave provides a few problems of interest with one good harder problem. Its main feature, surprisingly enough, is a cave feature formed out of large flaky chunks of sandstone. It s a bit loose in the middle but solid on either side of the arch. The problems all finish on the obvious ledge. All look to have been climbed before but were re-climbed, named and graded by Dan Savory. Anyone want to own up? 1. Creaky roof traverse V4 6a (FA Unknown) Great looking line but the creaky jug spoils it. From a low sit start on the right, traverse across the arch past a creaking jug to a hard finishing rock over from the last two slots on the left. Pumpy. 2. Edge of it all V3 6b* (FA Unknown) Sit start the obvious long thin crimp on the right and make a hard throw for the top. A good one move wonder. 3. Throw up V3 6a* (FA Unknown) Eliminate but a nice move. From sitting the low jug under the right end of the cave as per the traverse, reach left to a crimp on the lip and throw for the top with your right. 4. Dinner plate roof. V1 5b* (FA Raphael Bath) From a sitter below the centre left side of the roof follow the obvious flake and selection of slots and pockets over the lip to the top. 5. The Rocker V4 6a* (FA Raphael Bath) From a sit start on a large horizontal flake on the left, reach edges over the lip then the two leftmost slots. Make a tricky rock over/slap to finish. ringroad15428.docx5

6 6. Cave roof V2 5b * (FA Raphael Bath) Start up The Rocker then follow holds over the lip rightwards until a top out can be made past a long white crimp at the apex on the roof. 7. Youch! V6 6b/c** (FA Dan Savory?) The best problem at the cave by far. From a sit start on the large flake at the back, reach slopers on the far left side of the roof. Take the leftmost slot and the small edge next to it and make a hard lock to the top past a small intermediate Wall and other boulders This is located further upstream from The Cave, again on the Left. 1. Chased by a Raincloud V0 (FA Raphael Bath) The traverse 5m left of the crag on a cleaned jug rail right to left. A good warm up which requires brushing. 2. Unknown Arete V3 Around corner from 2008 wall is a leaning wall above a small man made step. Climb arete from a sit start staying on RHS to finish. 3. Unknown Sausage Fingers 2 V4 The return of the problems for those with large fingers. On the left hand side of the leaning wall above the step by the path are twin small slot crimp things. Use these to go up direct to the tree and jump off. Harder since the right hand hold deteriorated. 4. Follow the Leader V0 A long low level traverse that goes all the way around the corner on the left of the main cave. 5. Hippy V1 On a small, cleaned bloc near the Hambrook pub are two good lines. Both are sitting starts. Hippy is the left side of the arete, fascist is the right. Fascist features a superb sloper that you probably wouldn t use but which deserves admiration. 6. Fascist V2. ringroad15428.docx6