Wales: Hockstack's Back!

Those Welshy's are making the rest of Brit's look positively amateurish on the hard first ascent front. This time (Keswick originating) strongman Adam Hocking turned up the heat at the newly in vogue Craig yr Wrysgan area.

Adam Hocking powered his way through a fierce traverse line on the Chris’ Kashmir Curry block, a mere 100m away from Chris Davies’ recent Font 8a+/V12 addition, New Noise, by the side of the dam road below Craig yr Wrysgan (which lies above Tan y Grisiau).

Hippocampus Font 8a/+/V11/12 starts sitting to the left of Chris’ Kashmir Curry on opposition side pulls by the obvious block. It kicks in straight away with two hard moves: a cross to a dirty crimp, and then a dynamic lung to a horizontal slot. Another few moves rightwards (a Font 7a+ sequence in its own right) leads into Chris’ Kashmir Curry. The problem then continues rightwards to finish on jugs at the right arête.

Below: Adam Hocking (or is it the Joker?) blasts his way through Hippocampus Font8a/+ © NorthwalesBouldering.com


Source: NorthWalesBouldering.com and Simon Panton

Wales: New Noise Font8a+

Autumns here and it's all going off, this time we have yet another big number from mountains of North Wales...

The irrepressible Chris Davies has completed yet another desperate problem; this time the action is located by the side of the dam road below Craig yr Wrysgan above Tan y Grisiau (which in turn sits above Blaenau Ffestiniog).

New Noise Font 8a+/V12 climbs the roof direct through the traverse of Geoff's Roof (see page 170 in the NWB guide) via a couple of unfeasible undercuts (1/4 first joint) on pretty steep ground.

Below: Chris Davis pirouettes his way through New Noise Font8a+ © NorthwalesBouldering.com


Source: NorthWalesBouldering.com and Simon Panton

Wales: Doyle Proves Persistence Pays

Chris Doyle has finally completed his long-term project link up on Pill Box Wall. Drink Driving Font 8a+/V12 starts up Pill Box Original, before swerving left into the end of Millennium Drive, which is then reversed all the way back to its start. It is essentially a non-eliminate traverse of the wall taking in a ridiculous amount of hard climbing. Chris had been struggling with the redpoint over the last year and today marked his 43rd session on it. Less determined types may have walked away long since, but Chris showed impressive levels of conviction, returning time and time again, knowing that one day he would make it past that bastard crux move.

Below: Chris Doyle battles through Drink Driving, © NorthwalesBouldering.com


Source: NorthWalesBouldering.com and Simon Panton