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Pex Hill Quarry Discussion Forum
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General discussion around all things related to this site.
General Discussion
General discussion around all things related to this site.
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||||
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| RichH | Monoblock | 0 | May 11 2009, 3:05 PM EDT by RichH | ||||
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Thread started: May 11 2009, 3:05 PM EDT
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Repeated this last night groundup with mats and reckon it is worth the V10/font 7C+. Not V11 as suggested in the new Western Grit Guide - do they even confer with people or just make it up?!
Awesome climbing all the way to the top :) |
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| RichH | Grades | 0 | May 1 2009, 4:56 PM EDT by RichH | ||||
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Thread started: May 1 2009, 4:56 PM EDT
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I would say Lew's Leap is harder than V1 5b? I may have done the direct but it felt around V3 6a?
On to the things to the right I would say Bermuda Triangle felt about V4 6b? Catalepsy V7- topping out of course Breakaway V8 - topped out also (not hard just steady head territory) Monoblock - Will let you know if it gets into condition and I can have another proper go at it! ;) I'm not very good with British tech grades at all sorry Will... but would say font 7A/+ for catalepsy and font 7B for Breakaway. |
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| AndyF | Grading | 8 | Feb 8 2008, 3:01 PM EST by whisperingnic | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 4 2007, 4:42 PM EDT
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IMHO only the routes right of Creeping Jesus should be given Trad grades as everything left is bouldering, admittedly highball in places, but bouldering none the less. All of Pisa wall should be given bouldering grades (V or Font), the rest of the quarry trad grades.
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| boggy | Old bolts??? | 3 | Jan 21 2008, 3:16 PM EST by auldpexal | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 4 2007, 9:32 AM EDT
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Just seen your addition to the description - nice one! But I don't remember seeing any old bolts (I remember there was one very low down but that was on the traverse of the back wall.....and was used as a sneaky finger hold by the less capable ;-)......maybe I was just concentrating too much on the climbing - I never thought of it as a lead....
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| Pekkie | Staminade Wall | 1 | Apr 25 2007, 12:37 PM EDT by Will_Hunt | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 23 2007, 6:22 PM EDT
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Traditionally called Main Wall. Main Wall itself starts at a very vague corner between the Knife and Staminade, climbs to a line at three quarter height then traverses into Staminade. Was E5 6b with two pegs for protection - led by, yes you've guessed it, Phil Davidson. Though first peg seems to have gone. Direct finish is hard 6b. Staminade recently red pointed on old bolts by Nigel who reckons it's 7b+ French. Joe Healey did several hard routes between Staminade and the corner though well back in the jungle now.
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| RichH | Master Race | 0 | Apr 21 2007, 6:00 PM EDT by RichH | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 21 2007, 6:00 PM EDT
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Me and Neil had a play on this on Friday and the mantle is utterly desperate it seems! Can any old timers give some pointers on how far left your feet/hands can go. The obvious way to me was trying to pull down on the sweaty right hand pocket above the ledge and pressing down on left arm to get your right foot on the ledge and try to rock over a bit to bring left foot up as well but my right hand kept scraping out the pocket painfully! It's an awesome route/highball and clearly paddable with 3 pads and 2 spotters :)
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| MrWhiskers | Nice 1 Will | 0 | Apr 20 2007, 5:25 AM EDT by MrWhiskers | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 20 2007, 5:25 AM EDT
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Hi Will, Julie (climbing pixie) told me about this site for Pex Hill, Nice 1 Will for setting it up, I'm the guy who use to have the big sideburns & can usually be found on Piza. I will pass it on to the world.
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| Pekkie | Pex Wall | 0 | Apr 18 2007, 5:47 PM EDT by Pekkie | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 18 2007, 5:47 PM EDT
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Watch out on this wall as the holds at the top can be friable. And you get damp patches.
Most of the routes can be led with friends and the odd peg, wire looped over bolt heads, threads, etc. Though all of this can be very fiddly and strength sapping on sight! I clean these routes every year early on in the season so be sparing in the 'Billy Big Balls' comments on grading... |
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| Pekkie | Dareline Wall routes - further thoughts | 0 | Apr 18 2007, 5:17 AM EDT by Pekkie | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 18 2007, 5:17 AM EDT
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One of These Days Direct Start - not worth bothering with - always manky
Exit on Air - rarely climbed these days. Probably led by Phil Davidson Black Magic Direct - not sure if this has been climbed let alone led Parkers Mood NL as far as I know Euphoria - again NL and now returned to jumgle TreadMill - I think this was solo'd in the old days I cleaned up the top of Dateline and Sinbad and Never Mind the Acid earlier this year. Black Magic looks OK. Will try and clean others - any help appreciated! |
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| Haroldw | Legendary fall from the Kniofe | 3 | Apr 17 2007, 6:02 PM EDT by Will_Hunt | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 16 2007, 3:57 PM EDT
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It certainly is not an unfounded legend. I was there and saw it. I could name names but not sure if I should.
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| Haroldw | Lew's Leap Grade | 2 | Apr 17 2007, 5:02 PM EDT by Haroldw | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 16 2007, 4:06 PM EDT
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If Lew's Leap is 5a, Twin Scoops is about 4b. I think Twein Scoops is only just 5a and Lew's is well into the 5b range
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| Pekkie | Dateline Wal routes | 0 | Apr 15 2007, 4:09 PM EDT by Pekkie | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 15 2007, 4:09 PM EDT
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First - well done lads for publicising this wall which has some of the best routes in the area - though being north facing it tends toi be green and needs regular cleaning.
One of These Days - a super route (fingery wall climbing then thin bridging) which used to be solo'd regularly but is now a tougher proposition - at least E3. One of These Days Direct Finish (also called Nightride) - a great route which can be led (old peg under overhang). The crux involves undercutting and wide bridging. E4. Alto Sax Break - only climbed by Phil Davidson on rope Padarn Dance - also known as Dance of the Flaming Arsehole. May have been led with runners in c rack. Dateline. E2 is a bit mean for a sight lead. Sinbad - a great route which can be led with runners in crack Depression - beacme possible when old bolt removed. Crux moves are very fingery and smeary. NL as far as I know. Black Magic - harder than it used to be. E6 for sight lead? Acid Test - bomber F1 in slot and threads in top break. E5? Never Mind the Acid - can be protected but very fiddly. E4? |
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| Will_Hunt | My first time. | 0 | Apr 13 2007, 6:21 AM EDT by Will_Hunt | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 13 2007, 6:21 AM EDT
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Tim Emmett had visited our school to give a "motivational" speech. It featured pictures of him doing some of the most amazing climbing. I wasnt a "proper" climber at the time but Id been going to Awesome Walls on and off since I was 8. As soon as I left the lecture I knew I wanted to get outside. Getting Tims book, Preposterous Tales, for Christmas worked as a catalyst so I went to the North West Face and upgraded my size 5 Scarpa Helixes to a size 9 pair of Scarpa Visions. I had heard there was climbing to be had at Pex Hill so I walked up there. Heading down the steps with my shiny new shoes I picked out something easy looking and, with trepidation, went for it.
Straight Crack went easily enough and I stood at the top feeling very exhilerated. It was then that I realised I hadnt thought about how toget down. I looked around me and couldnt see any missing railings (what an idiot). I panicked and started to downclimb Straight Crack! I dont know how I managed it because the top out of that climb still confuses me. Went on to see Pete Chadwick solo Bermuda Triangle later that day and knew I had to have it! |
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| nwilliams | Dateline | 1 | Apr 12 2007, 12:42 PM EDT by Will_Hunt | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 12 2007, 9:54 AM EDT
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The first time I led this I had spent all Year either bouldering or soloing short routes, so was rusty on leading to say the least. I put my harness on sorted out some gear from my rack and tied on. I sarted up the climb and placed a rp0 to protect the crux. I then made my way up to the next and first bit of good gear, a good sized nut. Impresed with how good the gear was I looked down at my harness to find and attach a quickdraw. To mine and everyone watching's horror, I had forgot all my quickdraws. Panicking I spent the next five minutes trying to get a crab off one of my cams. I manged this, droped the cam, cliped in and then moved on. About two meters on, I went through the same pumpy process again! I then made it to the ledge and just as I steped up onto it; both of the good nuts promptley fell out. By this stage my arms felt like they were going to explode and I was huffing and puffing like a certain wolf from a childrens book. I stuffed in a cam and used everything I had(teeth and all) to reach the top.
It all turned out well in the end, just another day at pex Ha ha! (I won't make that mistake again).
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| nwilliams | Soloing Black Magic | 3 | Apr 12 2007, 5:33 AM EDT by boggy | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 5 2007, 12:01 PM EDT
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I soloed this about year and a half ago( obviousley post chipping) and felt that it was defo 6b, but then i am a short arse. The one thing i couldn't make my mind up was if it was E5 or E6. Perhaps E6 for the solo and E5 for the leading with bolt heads? I will try to find the picturest tonight( there on a CD somwere, just cant remember of hand).
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| boggy | Soloing Black Magic.....continued! | 9 | Apr 11 2007, 6:53 AM EDT by Will_Hunt | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 4 2007, 6:03 AM EDT
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I once arrived early one season on a damp evening to find local legend Phil Davidson (who I didn't know) showing the equally legendary John Redhead around the quarry. Phil was soloing things and John was following. The grades soloed slowly went up - Phil soloed up and down "Dateline" - John went up but not down (There is a rumour that Phil Davidson once arrived in leathers on his motorbike in the parking at the top and then proceeded to solo down "Dateline" in his leather biking boots.....I never saw this or met anyone who did, but it's a good folk-tale ;-) Phil then casually soloed "Black Magic" passing throwaway comments to John as he went. John started up but on reaching the crux wisely backed off - it was his first visit to the place after all. They were a bit surprised (I think) to see the unknown youth me also soloing the route bold-as-brass a few minutes later.....what they didn't know was that my heart was beating like crazy as it was the first time I'd done the route that season! I regularly soloed the route over the next few years - the last time being maybe 10 years ago. As a comparison, I did "Lord of the Flies" E6 6a on the Cromlech at around the same time - compared to "Black Magic" it was a path and felt about 5c, a bit of an anti-climax after all my years of wanting to do it. I think the only other person I saw solo "Black Magic" was the local tall blond Pete...... though I know (from the photo in "Rock Climbing in Britain") that the Healey brothers did it as well. I now live in France and heard rumours that the crux had been chipped. Is that true ? Or are there still young hotshots slowly working their way up the grades before the lure of experiencing a solo of "Black Magic" becomes a little too strong..............
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| RichH | Black Magic | 0 | Apr 9 2007, 5:14 PM EDT by RichH | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 9 2007, 5:14 PM EDT
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Needs more pads! D:
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| Will_Hunt | Black Magic | 0 | Apr 9 2007, 8:20 AM EDT by Will_Hunt | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 9 2007, 8:20 AM EDT
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Those pics are ace.
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| boggy | Soloing Black Magic........ | 0 | Apr 4 2007, 5:45 AM EDT by boggy | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 4 2007, 5:45 AM EDT
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Pex was where I first started serious training at age 16....I remember trying to top-rope "Dateline" and getting nowhere! Years went by and "Dateline" became a solo.......but there was always the blank wall to the right - "Black Magic". After many attempts over several years, I eventually managed to top-rope it.........but then the question starts to gnaw in the head "Have I the balls to solo it?" Many times I would arrive, top-rope the route but then bottle out of the solo. But, sitting at work one day, I made up my mind.....tonight was the night. It was a dull, cloudy evening and I arrived with a friend at around 6pm. We warmed up and then threw the rope down "Black Magic" - I top-roped it easily on the first go. The rope was pulled up and I started to walk back down summoning up my courage........and then it started to rain! We sat in the car at the top (yes, we sometimes risked having the car broken into by the local scallys by parking at the top....this was the days before Pex was a park) and waited for the shower to stop which it soon did. We looked at each other and my friend asked if I wanted to top-rope it again......no, it had to be now or never. We went back down and soloed around again to get moving then my friend got in place with the camera (this was the 80's so I was wearing outrageous leopard skin lycra tights) while I squeaked my shoes clean at the bottom. I quickly climbed up to the crux - a tricky high step and press with the right hand. Pausing, I committed myself and the moves passed easily......now all I had to do was remain calm, not slip on the sandy holds, and do the long moves between spaced holds to finally arrive relieved at the top.......that was more than 20 years ago and I still have the photograph and can remember the evening - we went and had a pint afterwards! I never top-roped the route again but used to solo it as a benchmark of how well I was going depending on the time of year (see following comment!).
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| RichH | Climber | 0 | Apr 3 2007, 7:50 PM EDT by RichH | ||||
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Thread started: Apr 3 2007, 7:50 PM EDT
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Gutted! Seriously hope they are ok, I have fallen off it too from about 1 metre lower unscathed on to a really shite pad but still remember the shakes for 10 minutes afterwards quite clearly!
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