Big New Arete at St. Bees

Written by LakesBloc Wednesday, 01 September 2010 12:08

Down at St Bees Head – North, Matt Waring, Cal Reid and friends have added a number of nice looking new additions, to a small sector of blocks a 150m or so south of the ‘Neapolitan Boulder’, which itself is situated at the ‘Far South’ sector.

The main event is a high, south facing and really quite striking arête, which Matt climbed from a low/crouching start via “two obvious starting holds (a slopey pinch and a two finger pocket) and there is a block on the left which you have to avoid touching with your leg but it is only slightly in the way. We all thought it probably warranted 7b/V8”. Matt has named his new problem The Knees Bees, pointing out that, “it’s not quite quality enough to deserve the name ‘The Bees Knees’, but still really rather good none the less”.

Of the other easier lines Matt explained: “Caleb Reid did two slab problems opposite this [The Knees Bees] block, one of which was probably 5+/V2 and the other more like easy 6a/V3. Both again really good quality and although they may have been done before certainly worth a mention (he didn’t give them a name). Myself and Sam Bartrum did another quality wall/slab problem a few metres along from Cal's lines, which we thought was worthy of 6a/V3, and if not done before we decided it should be called Tentacle Toes.”

It’s worth noting that the blocks and walls mentioned here are affected by the tide and if you plan on visiting these boulders keep tabs on the tide level, so not to get cutoff.

Image: Matt Waring on his new creation, The Knees Bees 7b/V8.