Good Fishing All Round

Written by Greg Chapman Tuesday, 27 July 2010 06:50

Despite the recent indifferent and in truth rather miserable weather, we have a few new problems to report from that nationally recognised good weather haven, St. Bees Head.

On the ‘Head Banger’ boulder, immediately south of the descent at Apiary Wall, Tom Peckitt has added an interesting crimpy new problem on the seaward face. This starts from sitting below an undercut corner, and then trends left, before tackling the undercut wall direct on small crimps. Tom has named his new line Red Snapper, and it goes at around the 7c/V9 mark.

Image: Tom Peckitt on Red Snapper, 7c/V9.

At the Far South Boulders, I added a couple of nice new problems to the ‘Neapolitan’ boulder. First up, The Legend of Old Gregg (7a+/V7) climbs the small but perfectly formed prow on the north end of the block from sitting, and is well worth seeking out. Just right of this I climbed a truly excellent harder problem: from low in the pit use two side pulls to pull on with difficulty, now make a big throw for the lip and follow it as it rises diagonally up leftwards to where it's then possible to gain a thin edge and make a direct beeline for a pocket and then the top. This is yet to be named but is in the 7c+/V10 ballpark.

Also of note, the St. Bees Head – North guide is around 85% complete (and looking pretty good if I do say so). It is currently being attacked with a fine toothcomb, and hopefully should be ready for release inside the next couple of weeks…

There are a few more images of the problems described above here.