Local Legend

Local Climbing Legend and Wolf Mountain Friend Nick Dixon has recently completed his new route at his home from home Nesscliffe in Shropshire. Here are a few words about the route as I was lucky enough to try this route earlier on this month. Since writing this he completed this route, but not with out a near ground fall.

Over Last few weeks I have been belaying Nick on his new route at Nesscliffe , there is no grade or name yet, that joy comes when he has finished the route. One Thursday evening myself and Andy went over to see what all the fuss was about. Nick had spent an hour building what looked like a giant birds nest under the route to flatten out the landing to put some bouldering mats on. After a quick chat about the moves on the route (I could hardly see any holds) and a nail he had placed low down and a peg he had just shorten at the local garage with a grinder, we threw our pads on the nest. With videos rolling and the humidity rising Nick set off leading the route. The first moves are OK and the "nail" was clipped and then he reached up to the first and last good hold next to the nail then straight into the first section of hard climbing. He gets his feet up really high next to his hands (and the nail) and starts to rock over, oops wrong foot hold, he down climbs half a move, gets the right foot hold and carries on. With the nail below his feet he gets a small pinch in his left and moves his feet gently up to poor footholds and crosses through to a one finger pocket, from this he clips the peg. I am not sure who was more relived, him or me belaying. You get a very brief pause here but then straight into the next move, one and a half finger pocket for the left hand. Damn! he tries to reposition for the next move he loses his balance and he is off and hanging off the peg. He his happy though, he was hoping to get to the peg and he did. It was a great effort and he looked solid. He could relax now and concentrate on working the next set of moves. The Next move I would say is the hardest move on the route, from the two one finger pockets you have to move you feet up and then slap or place ( depending how strong you feel) your right hand to a gaston, the thin lip on the small arrete and then again move your feet up really high whilst holding the gaston and one finger. As you rock on to your left foot you can then layoff the arrete with you left hand (your feet now level with the pegs) where you can kind of relax (ish) for a while. The next set of move should get you to the finish but there not straight forward. You outside edge your right foot on a small slopper and then reach high for a finger slot and pocket for your thumb with you right hand then bump you left foot onto the bottom edge of the arrete and force you way back across the arrete to left again and reach high for a small three finger crimp, hold that position and bump you left foot up the arrete again to a small foothold. Now you can reach again for the next slightly better crimp with you left hand then with a careful foot change you can rock over on the right leg you can catch a decent slopper and then gently reach the final hold or the tree root, Done!

Having tried the moves that evening, on my first go I could barely do the moves. This made what I had watched Nick do even more impressive. Having had two session on the route and done all the moves it was my turn to have a go. With the addition of a second peg now, I tied on with a rope clipped into each peg thinking I would not make it passed these. I made it through the first hard sequence and I was holding the two finger pockets and the pegs in front of my face, I made next power slap to the gaston and it stuck barely and then went straight into laying of the arrete! The pegs were now at my feet, what should I do. I knew the next moves were still hard I looked at the next hold then at the pegs then at the holds again. I bottled it, shouted take and slumped onto the pegs. I was happy though , it felt good to do all those moves.

Inside Wolf Mountain

After all the Video clips of Climbing outside , I thought it was time to show you want goes on inside Wolf Mountain Climbing Center.

Another Bank Holiday Weekend

With another bank holiday weekend and some glorious weather gave us all a chance to get out and get some problem's/Route's ticked. Here is a brief account of who did what.

First off Tim Palmer did Zeke the Feak (8b) at Rubicon. A first for him at the Grade



Next Wolf Friend and Local Legend Dick Dixon has completed his new route at Nesscliffe. Hopefully I will get some more info on this soon. Outstanding effort.

Then in North Wales down Llanbreis pass I managed to do Bus Stop (7c/v9), sorry no Video apart from mt Failed Attempts. Deb almost managed this too just slipping on the last couple of moves, should go next time.












Leslie did Cave Route (7a)( also Louise did this) and Route Side Basic (7a).

And Finally unlucky Sie after spending most of the weekend on Cromlech Roof Crack (7a+) had to admit defeat at the end. But he did almost do it, just failing on the last couple of moves.

Churnet Valley

Churnet Valley is a small bouldering (and Traditional Routes) Venue that is quite local but not frequented by a large number of people. This makes it a ideal trip out if you feel like getting away from the usual crowds. The Boulder problems are spread out through out the Valleys forest (feels a bit like Font but with out the sand). Most of the problems are concentrated around Wrights Rock and Gentlemen's Rock. But if you are prepared to look further there are other little gems to be found.

Anyway I found myself there this weekend with lance, Lou and Leslie. The Weather was nice a warm but the Forest kept us in the shade. First we head over to Ousal Traverse ( Font 7a). Leslie had a score to settle has the day before she had fell off the final moves. It is a fiddly long traverse with the moves getting harder and harder the further you get. We all had a play but gave in apart from Leslie who stuck with it and after a few goes it was in the bag. Check out the Video below of her earlier attempts

Next we move onto a new boulder for me, Lance had been before and wanted to finish off a problem he had been trying. The problem was called Propeller Head (Font 7a) and as we walked up the hill to it through the trees we could the striking overhang and arête. After falling off the last move on my second go I quickly worked out a sequence that would work. Lance went up a did it first then I followed him. Leslie and Lou a quick play but one found a reachy move and other could not quite crimp the pebble.

The next obvious line was on the right side of the arête Google Earth (Font 7a /7b). This problem was proving to be slightly harder and it wasn’t helped with pebbles breaking off all the time. I finally worked out a sequence (after a quick phone call to the first ascentist). It seemed a pebble had fallen off since the first ascent, but it was still possible to do the original line and two other variations of the finish. Directly up the arête being the hardest and right of the arête with slopper in right hand then again easier with slopper in the left hand. Lance and Leslie (she did complete the left hand slopper version) both got close and I managed to finish the arête problem from standing. I tried to repeat it from the low start for the video but I was too tired.

There are some other lines there too but did not get chance to try them. The 7c looking awesome through the centre of roof and the also a new line up a thin seam/ripple. Maybe next time , but I must remember the midge spray

Next we popped over to Gentlemen’s Rock to catch up with some old friends. I did a new 6c just right of High Speed Impact (Font 7a) which was nice Lance tried both of these but was tired and called it a day. I also tried a new massive dyno but could not latch the hold and another 7b High ball but I was now too tired too and call it a day.

New Routes

New routes 1 - 13 (featured routes in main room) set by Mark Croxal range between 4 and 6b, with a tricky little 5+ on wall 2. This route is will test your balance as the crimped holds definitely make you dance using all the natural features for your feet!


Also the over hang room, routes 23 – 36, has been reset ranging between 4 and 7b, the 7b being the beige set on the overhang (wall 35) proving tougher than it’s predecessor. The favourite route by far proving to be the 6a+ blues and volumes skirting the edge of the over hang (wall 34) forcing you into awkward shapes and trusting moves - if the rope is free, definitely worth giving a go!