02/01/07

Cuttings gets new testpiece...

Dan Kennard on 'My Chemical Romance', V11

Dan Kennard has completed the much-fancied left arete of 'Stompin with Bez' at the New Cuttings. 'My Chemical Romance' starts up the direct start to 'Stompin'(V9 in its own right),then fires up the logical direct finish up the arete via some very thin moves and a scary slap for the ledge. Commenting on the grade Dan added that it felt as hard as 'Guy Fawkes',V11, and was one of the proudest lines he has ever climbed. Read more about the ascent ...
Also at the Cuttings John Leonard has added a new problem on the Tunnel boulders down in the boulderfield. Appropriately called ' the first of Jan',V2, it climbs the undercut North east arete on the largest boulder.

Alex More risking all on an ascent
of the Korean Route before the demise of the block(inset).

In other news Marti Hallet has been busy at Winspit, adding a new line called 'Premenstual Princess' left of 'Damnation Game', at F6b+. Marti also did some public service work with a retro-bolt of 'Flashheart Direct' to leave a really worthwile F6b. While at the crag he also investigated the stability of the 'Korean Route'(on the fractured wall right of Tom's Patience) on the Quarryman face, after voicing concerns about the upper section. The result was the removal of a very large block, with bolt in-situ, and the discovery that the belay bolts are placed in similarly unstable ground- you have been warned!