Erasure & King Eddy

Written by LakesBloc Monday, 11 September 2006 00:00

After a recent session on the Langdale boulders Adam Hocking produced a fine new addition to the Lakes premier mid-grade venue. Erasure tackles the last unclimbed section of rock of the Roadside boulder, between the 6c/V4 Overlap Problem and Stefan Grossman. The presumed "best sequence" was to stand below the overlap, backhand a small edge (LH) and free jump into the sloping mouth-like hold (RH) on the lip of the overlap, now pull direct through the short headwall to the top. While this is the sequence most will no doubt use Hock preferred a run up method (i.e. direct with both hands to the mouth-like hold), which he dispatched with considerable gusto. The grade for both sequences is around the 7b/V8 mark, although, as with all problems of this style, the difficulty of the line will vary from impossible to straightforward depending on the style of the individual climber.

Over in Wrynose pass Greg Chapman climbed a fine collection of new problems in the small boulder fields below Black Crag. The first batch were on the surprisingly good SE face of the "Fence Boulder". In the recent Rockfax Lakes Bouldering guide this block is pretty much overlooked with only one recorded problem being shown. Ironically the new lines on the SE face are in fact the best problems (with the possible exception of two on the Potato boulder) at the venue, with the pick of the bunch being Curry Club (6c+/V5) and Penitentiary (7a/V6).

On the Potato Boulder (situated on the flat grassy plateau in front of Black Crag) Chapman also bagged, what is now, the hardest (and best!) problem at the venue. The new line climbs the undercut wall of Problem 5 (in the Lakes Bouldering Rockfax) from sitting to leave King Eddy, a superb 7b/V8. Problem 6 was also dispatched from sitting to give Sweet Tats, climbed in a similar style to Mongoloid but at the more amenable grade of 6b+/V4.

Fence Boulder

1. 6a/V2 – (sit start) The right side of the arête.
2. The Great Puntender 6a+/V3 – (sit start) Small edges lead to a rock-over for a high crimp.
3. Curry Club 6c+/V5 – (sit start) From the low break climb up and slightly right to a rough slopey crimp (RH), now carry on direct to the top of the block. *
4. Penitentiary 7a/V6 – (sit start) As for the previous problem but on reaching the slopey crimp traverse rightward (feet at break level) to finish on the far right of the block. *
5. 7a/V6 – Starting matched in the break bounce up for a triangular in cut sloping crimp (RH), a left foot heel is very useful in developing further progress to the rough crimps and on to the top.
6. 6c/V4 – Start matched a square cut jug in the break, now move up for a thin crimp (LH), put your right heel in break and bop up for a good hold below the lip. *