The climb starts off with 10 metres of V5 [6c+], then 10 metres of V6 [7a], then 10 metres of V9 [7c] then another ten of V9 [7c], followed a final ten of V8 [7b]. Nothing even remotely hard in individual sections, but add all that together you need a lot of stamina and excellent pacing and timing to save your strength for the right moment at the end. It reminds me of running 1500 metre events actually. Hold back, holding back until you hit the crux at the end and pulling down through melting arms. Dave Macleod, Sept 13th 2008.
Below: Dave Macleod on Big Long Now Font8b+(?) © Dave Macleod
Further south at the ever in vogue Dumbarton Rocks, Malcolm Smith put his mega guns to work climbing yet anther stomach churning epic: Gut Buster weighs in at 8b+ and meanders thus...
Start as for Serum of Sisyphus, make hard moves to join Perfect Crime and follow this to an ab sapping knee bar rest in the niche. Continue up Sanction then wander up the easy arete to the top of the boulder. Breaks new ground in Scottish bouldering. Scottishclimbs.com
Sources: Scottishclimbs.com and davemacleod.blogspot.com
1 comments:
Hi Greg!
as Si'O has now been chased out of town by us angry Scottish boulderers, here's an update of Scotland's current hardest problems for you. Note your list has 'Suffix' which is a route.
Gut Buster Sep 2008 Malcolm Smith Dumbarton
Starts matched on far right of Shield boulder, drop down into the cave of Perfect Crime contortions to knee-bar rest at niche and finish by breaking left up Sanction onto slab.
8b
Sanction Feb 2006 Dave MacLeod Dumbarton
The roof line left side of Sabotage on the BNI boulder. Sit start at slabby niche and travel left through a tenuous heel-hook move to dynamic ramp sequences to the lip, pull onto slab and finish easily.
Pressure Dec 2005 Dave MacLeod Dumbarton
Crouch start at jammed block at back of the Gorilla cave, gain the flat layaway and stretch back to lip and jugs, finish up Smokescreen's slopey pinches and High Flyer.
Supersize Me June 2005 Malcolm Smith Dumbarton
Traverse into Pongo sit down from slab pocket gain the flange and break left to reverse In Bloom and finish up Slap Happy.
Perfect Crime Mar 2005 Dave MacLeod Dumbarton
The through-cave under the BNI boulder, from far left sidepull and slot, traverse low right mainly upside-down, pull onto niche slab to finish up Sabotage.
8a+
Bear Trap Prow April 2008 Dave MacLeod Glen Nevis Pine Alps
The right hand prow of the Skeleton Boulder cave direct from a sit start.
Twilight Princess March 2008 Luke Fairweather Portlethen
Links the two hardest problems in the Pit Boulder, Kayla (Font 7c+/8a) and The Pit Left Hand (Font 7b+). Start as for Kayla to the strenuous underclings, then break left to traverse to the Pit left Hand with a Brit 7a move to finish to the lip.
Chahala Sit Start Apr 2007 Dave MacLeod Dumbarton
Sit start the arete above jammed cave boulder, leading to Chahala campus problem via clamping and shothole.
Sosho Mar 2006 Dave MacLeod Dumbarton
25 metres of upside down climbing from Whip sit start deep into cave breaking back out from spike jugs (Hokku starts here at 8a) through a crimpy sequence to gain the Mugsy cave rail traverse and finish up Mugsy.
Serum of Sisyphus Mar 2006 Malcolm Smith Dumbarton
Start matched on the Railings low start, crank right to join Perfect Crime cave (no jammed boulder) and gain niche, finish up Good Nicks crack to jugs.
Sabotage Feb 2003 Dave MacLeod Dumbarton
The hanging prow under the BNI slab. Sit start the Good Nicks crack and climb backwards from undercut to desperate sloper and lip sequence to a final rockover.
Zillion Dollar Sadist 2003 Paul Savage Clifton
The low blank lip of the boulder above the dyno problem at Clifton, just up the scree slope.
8a
Deep Breath 2007 Dave MacLeod Glen Nevis Pinnacle Ridge
The steep leaning cave wall behind Pinnacle Ridge. Pinch-sidepull and low edge sit start lead to an Egyptian up the wall to a right pinch and further hard moves to eventually gain the right arete.
Firestarter 2003 Dave MacLeod Dumbarton
Gorilla cave left side jugs out right via sharp crimps to an edge near top, dyno towards finishing jugs above hanging groove.
King Kong Oct 2002 Dave MacLeod Dumbarton
Sit Start Gorilla (right var.) into Silverback, then Gorilla Warfare. The finishing jug on Gorilla is out of bounds.
Pongo Sit Start Malcolm Smith 1998 Dumbarton
The wicked overhanging crack from a sit start at ledge, without the grade-reducing knuckle jam at the block. Finish direct via top rockover. With knuckle-jam it's 7c.
Frontal System June 2008 Dave MacLeod Glen Nevis Pine Alps
The full left to right traverse of the front of the Skeleton Boulder. Start reversing Sylvestris to hard crux sequences along right wall.
Kayla Feb 2006 Tim Rankin Portlethen, Aberdeen
Takes the challenge of the widest part of 'The Pit' roof from the back then climbs the faint hanging arete feature to finish up 'The Pain'. Start sitting at the back wall under the widest part of the roof on the right side of the Pit. Desperately pull on using an undercut and a small side-pull, grab the good hold on the lip and power up and left to gain the good undercut and an easier finish straight up.
My Evil Twin 2002 Paul Savage Sandyhills
The eliminate fin of red rock in the Sandyhills main bay cave from a sit start. No bridging and no jugs!
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