Some lines are just meant to be climbed. Thanks Berlin 🖤 Grazie double church buddy 🙏 @cantnollie
Some lines are just meant to be climbed. Thanks Berlin 🖤 Grazie double church buddy 🙏 @cantnollie
It’s a wrap! Or a jam-wrap? @wide_boyz Crack Fest 2023 is over… and we have our Crack King and Crack Queen crowned (Ryan & Lucy) for another year 🙌🙌🙌 Big thanks to all the mad cracksters who came to the event to make it a day of fun and try hard… I still think the squeeze box was the hardest challenge! Couldn’t have done the event without the support of sponsors and also @depotsheffield in who went above and beyond to make it far slicker than me and Pete could have ever managed. @petewhittaker01 – don’t worry, we’ll find a overhanging Perspex pleasure box on one of the projects one day…. 😅😅
It’s a wrap! Or a jam-wrap? @wide_boyz Crack Fest 2023 is over… and we have our Crack King and Crack Queen crowned (Ryan & Lucy) for another year 🙌🙌🙌 Big thanks to all the mad cracksters who came to the event to make it a day of fun and try hard… I still think the squeeze box was the hardest challenge! Couldn’t have done the event without the support of sponsors and also @depotsheffield in who went above and beyond to make it far slicker than me and Pete could have ever managed. @petewhittaker01 – don’t worry, we’ll find a overhanging Perspex pleasure box on one of the projects one day…. 😅😅
It’s a wrap! Or a jam-wrap? @wide_boyz Crack Fest 2023 is over… and we have our Crack King and Crack Queen crowned (Ryan & Lucy) for another year 🙌🙌🙌 Big thanks to all the mad cracksters who came to the event to make it a day of fun and try hard… I still think the squeeze box was the hardest challenge! Couldn’t have done the event without the support of sponsors and also @depotsheffield in who went above and beyond to make it far slicker than me and Pete could have ever managed. @petewhittaker01 – don’t worry, we’ll find a overhanging Perspex pleasure box on one of the projects one day…. 😅😅
Vonder Crack, just a walk down from a couple of iconic night spots in Berlin, is the best thin hands corner splitter I’ve found so far. Reds most of the way, with a few sections of perfect hands thrown in to calm the mind 😊. This one still remains unclimbed as near the top it had a short section of baggy greens which I was not at all convinced I could reverse if needed… better to play it safe and return with a rope at some point. Absolutely superb bit of technical climbing overall… just as good as most of the desert 5.11s. The offwidth “Kraft Width” overlooking The Spree was again a perfect 5.11 wide challenge. Either arm bars or hand-fist stacks, but coupled with a very shallow feature means the heel-toe action has to be overly used… no knee/thigh locks here 😄 Thanks to @cantnollie for joining me on yet another early morning sesh, for taking the pics and generally watching out for trouble 😄📸
Vonder Crack, just a walk down from a couple of iconic night spots in Berlin, is the best thin hands corner splitter I’ve found so far. Reds most of the way, with a few sections of perfect hands thrown in to calm the mind 😊. This one still remains unclimbed as near the top it had a short section of baggy greens which I was not at all convinced I could reverse if needed… better to play it safe and return with a rope at some point. Absolutely superb bit of technical climbing overall… just as good as most of the desert 5.11s. The offwidth “Kraft Width” overlooking The Spree was again a perfect 5.11 wide challenge. Either arm bars or hand-fist stacks, but coupled with a very shallow feature means the heel-toe action has to be overly used… no knee/thigh locks here 😄 Thanks to @cantnollie for joining me on yet another early morning sesh, for taking the pics and generally watching out for trouble 😄📸
Vonder Crack, just a walk down from a couple of iconic night spots in Berlin, is the best thin hands corner splitter I’ve found so far. Reds most of the way, with a few sections of perfect hands thrown in to calm the mind 😊. This one still remains unclimbed as near the top it had a short section of baggy greens which I was not at all convinced I could reverse if needed… better to play it safe and return with a rope at some point. Absolutely superb bit of technical climbing overall… just as good as most of the desert 5.11s. The offwidth “Kraft Width” overlooking The Spree was again a perfect 5.11 wide challenge. Either arm bars or hand-fist stacks, but coupled with a very shallow feature means the heel-toe action has to be overly used… no knee/thigh locks here 😄 Thanks to @cantnollie for joining me on yet another early morning sesh, for taking the pics and generally watching out for trouble 😄📸
Vonder Crack, just a walk down from a couple of iconic night spots in Berlin, is the best thin hands corner splitter I’ve found so far. Reds most of the way, with a few sections of perfect hands thrown in to calm the mind 😊. This one still remains unclimbed as near the top it had a short section of baggy greens which I was not at all convinced I could reverse if needed… better to play it safe and return with a rope at some point. Absolutely superb bit of technical climbing overall… just as good as most of the desert 5.11s. The offwidth “Kraft Width” overlooking The Spree was again a perfect 5.11 wide challenge. Either arm bars or hand-fist stacks, but coupled with a very shallow feature means the heel-toe action has to be overly used… no knee/thigh locks here 😄 Thanks to @cantnollie for joining me on yet another early morning sesh, for taking the pics and generally watching out for trouble 😄📸
Is the British E-Grade system broken? Or does it just have some issues in certain areas?🧐 . Over the last 10 years we’ve had the distinct feeling that the E-Grade scale has become incredibly compressed at the top end. The hardest trad routes of the 90s were given E9, yet 30 years later the same grades are still almost the default for the hardest routes of today. . Grading can be a highly emotive subject, and with the many different levels of complexity at play, it’s easy to get lost. With development in protection, padding, and belay tactics, it’s harder than ever to objectively asses danger, and with the general reaction to over/under-grading, erring on the side of caution has become common practice. . Whilst sternly graded routes are not necessarily a problem, an unbalanced grade spectrum is. Without linear, logical progression, grades are meaningless. . The product of months of discussion between ourselves, @neil.gresham @ste_mcclure and the technical support of Danny Tomalin at @reyt_uk is what we’ve termed “eGrader” which is linked in our stories or you can find details in the pinned comment. . How does it work though? 👉Go to the website (it’s free to access) 👉Put in the French sport grade of your route 👉Add in the danger factor (D Point) 👉Make an assessment of whether it is padable 👉Get an E-Grade! . Now surely it can’t be that simple, you’re thinking? Well, yes and no! The task of spitting out a grade literally takes a few seconds, however, there are always caveats to these things as no system is perfect. . 1. This is just a tool to add to your current methods, but it hopefully allows you a more objective viewpoint 2. You’ll notice that many top-end routes result in upgrades. This is not unreasonable in many cases. 3. Danger factor and padability is still subjective. Every scenario (and grade) can be manipulated. . Let us know what you think!
Is the British E-Grade system broken? Or does it just have some issues in certain areas?🧐 . Over the last 10 years we’ve had the distinct feeling that the E-Grade scale has become incredibly compressed at the top end. The hardest trad routes of the 90s were given E9, yet 30 years later the same grades are still almost the default for the hardest routes of today. . Grading can be a highly emotive subject, and with the many different levels of complexity at play, it’s easy to get lost. With development in protection, padding, and belay tactics, it’s harder than ever to objectively asses danger, and with the general reaction to over/under-grading, erring on the side of caution has become common practice. . Whilst sternly graded routes are not necessarily a problem, an unbalanced grade spectrum is. Without linear, logical progression, grades are meaningless. . The product of months of discussion between ourselves, @neil.gresham @ste_mcclure and the technical support of Danny Tomalin at @reyt_uk is what we’ve termed “eGrader” which is linked in our stories or you can find details in the pinned comment. . How does it work though? 👉Go to the website (it’s free to access) 👉Put in the French sport grade of your route 👉Add in the danger factor (D Point) 👉Make an assessment of whether it is padable 👉Get an E-Grade! . Now surely it can’t be that simple, you’re thinking? Well, yes and no! The task of spitting out a grade literally takes a few seconds, however, there are always caveats to these things as no system is perfect. . 1. This is just a tool to add to your current methods, but it hopefully allows you a more objective viewpoint 2. You’ll notice that many top-end routes result in upgrades. This is not unreasonable in many cases. 3. Danger factor and padability is still subjective. Every scenario (and grade) can be manipulated. . Let us know what you think!
Is the British E-Grade system broken? Or does it just have some issues in certain areas?🧐 . Over the last 10 years we’ve had the distinct feeling that the E-Grade scale has become incredibly compressed at the top end. The hardest trad routes of the 90s were given E9, yet 30 years later the same grades are still almost the default for the hardest routes of today. . Grading can be a highly emotive subject, and with the many different levels of complexity at play, it’s easy to get lost. With development in protection, padding, and belay tactics, it’s harder than ever to objectively asses danger, and with the general reaction to over/under-grading, erring on the side of caution has become common practice. . Whilst sternly graded routes are not necessarily a problem, an unbalanced grade spectrum is. Without linear, logical progression, grades are meaningless. . The product of months of discussion between ourselves, @neil.gresham @ste_mcclure and the technical support of Danny Tomalin at @reyt_uk is what we’ve termed “eGrader” which is linked in our stories or you can find details in the pinned comment. . How does it work though? 👉Go to the website (it’s free to access) 👉Put in the French sport grade of your route 👉Add in the danger factor (D Point) 👉Make an assessment of whether it is padable 👉Get an E-Grade! . Now surely it can’t be that simple, you’re thinking? Well, yes and no! The task of spitting out a grade literally takes a few seconds, however, there are always caveats to these things as no system is perfect. . 1. This is just a tool to add to your current methods, but it hopefully allows you a more objective viewpoint 2. You’ll notice that many top-end routes result in upgrades. This is not unreasonable in many cases. 3. Danger factor and padability is still subjective. Every scenario (and grade) can be manipulated. . Let us know what you think!
Is the British E-Grade system broken? Or does it just have some issues in certain areas?🧐 . Over the last 10 years we’ve had the distinct feeling that the E-Grade scale has become incredibly compressed at the top end. The hardest trad routes of the 90s were given E9, yet 30 years later the same grades are still almost the default for the hardest routes of today. . Grading can be a highly emotive subject, and with the many different levels of complexity at play, it’s easy to get lost. With development in protection, padding, and belay tactics, it’s harder than ever to objectively asses danger, and with the general reaction to over/under-grading, erring on the side of caution has become common practice. . Whilst sternly graded routes are not necessarily a problem, an unbalanced grade spectrum is. Without linear, logical progression, grades are meaningless. . The product of months of discussion between ourselves, @neil.gresham @ste_mcclure and the technical support of Danny Tomalin at @reyt_uk is what we’ve termed “eGrader” which is linked in our stories or you can find details in the pinned comment. . How does it work though? 👉Go to the website (it’s free to access) 👉Put in the French sport grade of your route 👉Add in the danger factor (D Point) 👉Make an assessment of whether it is padable 👉Get an E-Grade! . Now surely it can’t be that simple, you’re thinking? Well, yes and no! The task of spitting out a grade literally takes a few seconds, however, there are always caveats to these things as no system is perfect. . 1. This is just a tool to add to your current methods, but it hopefully allows you a more objective viewpoint 2. You’ll notice that many top-end routes result in upgrades. This is not unreasonable in many cases. 3. Danger factor and padability is still subjective. Every scenario (and grade) can be manipulated. . Let us know what you think!
Is the British E-Grade system broken? Or does it just have some issues in certain areas?🧐 . Over the last 10 years we’ve had the distinct feeling that the E-Grade scale has become incredibly compressed at the top end. The hardest trad routes of the 90s were given E9, yet 30 years later the same grades are still almost the default for the hardest routes of today. . Grading can be a highly emotive subject, and with the many different levels of complexity at play, it’s easy to get lost. With development in protection, padding, and belay tactics, it’s harder than ever to objectively asses danger, and with the general reaction to over/under-grading, erring on the side of caution has become common practice. . Whilst sternly graded routes are not necessarily a problem, an unbalanced grade spectrum is. Without linear, logical progression, grades are meaningless. . The product of months of discussion between ourselves, @neil.gresham @ste_mcclure and the technical support of Danny Tomalin at @reyt_uk is what we’ve termed “eGrader” which is linked in our stories or you can find details in the pinned comment. . How does it work though? 👉Go to the website (it’s free to access) 👉Put in the French sport grade of your route 👉Add in the danger factor (D Point) 👉Make an assessment of whether it is padable 👉Get an E-Grade! . Now surely it can’t be that simple, you’re thinking? Well, yes and no! The task of spitting out a grade literally takes a few seconds, however, there are always caveats to these things as no system is perfect. . 1. This is just a tool to add to your current methods, but it hopefully allows you a more objective viewpoint 2. You’ll notice that many top-end routes result in upgrades. This is not unreasonable in many cases. 3. Danger factor and padability is still subjective. Every scenario (and grade) can be manipulated. . Let us know what you think!
USA Crack Camps! 🇺🇸 I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes pain 😅) of climbing pretty much every size and type of crack with @tradprincess in the last few years and also watched her share a lot of knowledge with people at the crags (including me! 🙏) so that they get to tap into her experience… It’s now that time of year when you can go and do this a bit more officially via her Crack Camps this May and June. I fully recommend that she knows her shizzle!! Also she’s got @onechicktravels @lor_sabourin and @gorisb (and others) on hand to pump up the learning an extra notch and they’re also frickin’ good fun to hang out with in general. If you want to really get stuck into this style it’s a good place to start as TRs are set up, there’s demos on all the sizes, coaches on hand all day and you can do some leading if you feel up to it! 💪💪 There’s plenty of info on Mary’s Insta, but also I’ve put a link in my stories should anyone need it 😊 Photo credits: @spencermckaay & @tradprincess
USA Crack Camps! 🇺🇸 I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes pain 😅) of climbing pretty much every size and type of crack with @tradprincess in the last few years and also watched her share a lot of knowledge with people at the crags (including me! 🙏) so that they get to tap into her experience… It’s now that time of year when you can go and do this a bit more officially via her Crack Camps this May and June. I fully recommend that she knows her shizzle!! Also she’s got @onechicktravels @lor_sabourin and @gorisb (and others) on hand to pump up the learning an extra notch and they’re also frickin’ good fun to hang out with in general. If you want to really get stuck into this style it’s a good place to start as TRs are set up, there’s demos on all the sizes, coaches on hand all day and you can do some leading if you feel up to it! 💪💪 There’s plenty of info on Mary’s Insta, but also I’ve put a link in my stories should anyone need it 😊 Photo credits: @spencermckaay & @tradprincess
USA Crack Camps! 🇺🇸 I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes pain 😅) of climbing pretty much every size and type of crack with @tradprincess in the last few years and also watched her share a lot of knowledge with people at the crags (including me! 🙏) so that they get to tap into her experience… It’s now that time of year when you can go and do this a bit more officially via her Crack Camps this May and June. I fully recommend that she knows her shizzle!! Also she’s got @onechicktravels @lor_sabourin and @gorisb (and others) on hand to pump up the learning an extra notch and they’re also frickin’ good fun to hang out with in general. If you want to really get stuck into this style it’s a good place to start as TRs are set up, there’s demos on all the sizes, coaches on hand all day and you can do some leading if you feel up to it! 💪💪 There’s plenty of info on Mary’s Insta, but also I’ve put a link in my stories should anyone need it 😊 Photo credits: @spencermckaay & @tradprincess
USA Crack Camps! 🇺🇸 I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes pain 😅) of climbing pretty much every size and type of crack with @tradprincess in the last few years and also watched her share a lot of knowledge with people at the crags (including me! 🙏) so that they get to tap into her experience… It’s now that time of year when you can go and do this a bit more officially via her Crack Camps this May and June. I fully recommend that she knows her shizzle!! Also she’s got @onechicktravels @lor_sabourin and @gorisb (and others) on hand to pump up the learning an extra notch and they’re also frickin’ good fun to hang out with in general. If you want to really get stuck into this style it’s a good place to start as TRs are set up, there’s demos on all the sizes, coaches on hand all day and you can do some leading if you feel up to it! 💪💪 There’s plenty of info on Mary’s Insta, but also I’ve put a link in my stories should anyone need it 😊 Photo credits: @spencermckaay & @tradprincess
Slowly seeing more cracks appear here in Berlin… this one being a ‘friendly’ 5s armbar-calflock-heel toe crack that I set at @derkegel … yeah I did say friendly 😄😄 For anyone local who wants the Yosemite experience, cut out the little screw on jibs on the big volume and you’ve got a nice burly V5 crux of a classic 5.12 OW. Also if you’re reading this and are the person who sent me a photo of an amazing splitter up the side of the building on the N side of Berlin, can you DM me pleaseeee!! I’ve lost your message 🙈🙈🙈
10 years of @climbersagainstcancerofficial … man, how time passes! The charity has been operating for almost ten years and has donated more than half a million pounds to cancer research across the globe. All whilst bringing together the climbing community to raise awareness of a disease that affects so many. John Ellison’s vision and the team at CAC have been significant part of climbing comps, events and athlete ambassadorship and it’s always an honour to be involved. The tee that I’m wearing on this lovely crack problem is a limited run anniversary shirt from CAC, which you can get on their website if you’d like to support the charity. They’re always well made and my original one from 10yrs ago is still alive and going strong (ish!) 😄 #climbersagainstcancer
Best (safe) E1 for the first of the grade in the Peak District… 🤔 This was the question I asked in my stories the other day as I had no clue really! Fortunately tonnes of people had really good suggestions and many also asked if I could share the results in a post… so here it is! E1 is such a big thing in your trad journey as it’s the first of the “extreme” grades and I still remember my own experience very well 😊. Much nicer to do a ‘safe’ one as your first of the grade 👌 Photo 1: Embankment 3, Millstone Photo 2: Dexterity, Millstone All photos by @mike_hutton_images who has been taking pics of me and @petewhittaker01 for the last 10 yrs. Ledge!! 🙏🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌 Ok here’s the top 5 suggestions from all of you lot!! I’d say results were very consistent with prob 90% of all people saying these 5. Gotta be right, huh?? 📍Embankment 3, Millstone 📍The Link, Stanage 📍Left Unconquerable, Stanage 📍Strapiombante, Froggatt 📍Dexterity, Millstone Honourable mention to Flying Buttress Direct too… 🙌 Now I’m thinking I should do the same for E2 😄
Best (safe) E1 for the first of the grade in the Peak District… 🤔 This was the question I asked in my stories the other day as I had no clue really! Fortunately tonnes of people had really good suggestions and many also asked if I could share the results in a post… so here it is! E1 is such a big thing in your trad journey as it’s the first of the “extreme” grades and I still remember my own experience very well 😊. Much nicer to do a ‘safe’ one as your first of the grade 👌 Photo 1: Embankment 3, Millstone Photo 2: Dexterity, Millstone All photos by @mike_hutton_images who has been taking pics of me and @petewhittaker01 for the last 10 yrs. Ledge!! 🙏🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌 Ok here’s the top 5 suggestions from all of you lot!! I’d say results were very consistent with prob 90% of all people saying these 5. Gotta be right, huh?? 📍Embankment 3, Millstone 📍The Link, Stanage 📍Left Unconquerable, Stanage 📍Strapiombante, Froggatt 📍Dexterity, Millstone Honourable mention to Flying Buttress Direct too… 🙌 Now I’m thinking I should do the same for E2 😄
AYE Friends we are hosting a @wide_boyz CRACK Climbing WORKSHOP 🌟 with @tompaulrandall himself in Boulderklub Kreuzberg on the 24th of August 3-5pm come get stuck in 😮💨 You can sign up by emailing [email protected] limited spots so be quick! Massive thank yous to Tom and Wideboyz for setting this up with us we can’t waittt #crackisback
How a pro climber trains for the hardest offwidth of their career. Rab athlete @tompaulrandall is preparing for what he describes as the “longest and hardest offwidth” crack climb he will ever do. And there’s only one place for such a niche training regime: the cellar. “The last stage of preparation – I’m getting quite close to redpoint times now – is achieved by adding in extra intensity to the training laps in my cellar. With a fully loaded weight vest you can make every move feel a couple of boulder grades harder, which is great for shocking the system into adapting a little further. I’ve thrown a lot of offwidth climbing volume at myself over the first half of this year, which has got my fitness back to where it was when me and Pete did Century Crack, (which was a LOT of 🥵🥵🥵🥵 sessions!!) so now it’s just a case of adding in the ‘quality’ sessions on top and some work to get my headspace sorted for getting a redpoint done.” #TheMountainPeople #WeAreRab
