Shitlington east v6

Northumbrian Mountaineering Club A series of downloadable PDF guides to new bouldering venues , problems, highballs and routes in Northumberland, including: The Stell

Whiteheugh

Raven’s Crag

Caller Crag , Corby’s and Edlingham

Greensheen Hill

Parkside Wood

The Maiden Chambers Area

St Cuthbert’s Cave

The Bowden Area

The Wanneys Group

Beanly Moor and Hunterheugh

Cockenheugh

Kyloe Out

Rothley

The Ravensheugh Area

Banno Crags

Titlington and the Turban

South Yardhope

Brady’s Crag

Blakey’s Block

Coquet View

Shitlington

Lookwide

Howlerhirst

High Crag

NMC Northumbrian Mountaineering Club

Shitlington Part One: A Bouldering Guide to The Eastern Blocs

...Northumberland Bouldering

Introduction...

TECHNICAL NOTES

BOULDERING GRADES

The location of each crag is indicated by its Grid Reference.

It is true to say that there are only two grades, the problems and routes you can do, and those you can’t. To the keen boulderer however it soon becomes apparent that this can be sub divided into the problems you can do and your mates can’t, and vice versa! Grading boulder problems (and some routes) is an almost impossible task.

The table below is a rough comparison of the common systems in use. Visitors to the County will probably find that, until they get used to the style of the problems and the intricacies of climbing on the County’s various Sandstones, the accuracy of the table will be questionable. Grades are an art rather than a science, and while difficulty is central to bouldering , it is easily confused with quality.

FONT UK TECH V GRADE GRADE GRADE The pursuit of which is an equally rewarding endeavour.

Maps The County is covered by seven Ordnance Survey Explorer (1:25,000) maps. Sheets 339 (Kelso), 340 (Holy Island), OL16 (The Cheviot Hills), 332 (Alnwick and Amble), OL42 (Kielder Water), 325 (Morpeth) and OL43 (Hadrian’s Wall). The majority of the crags lie on sheets 340 and 332.

General On occasions the problems are referenced to routes that are not described in the climbing guide, or in the second edition bouldering guide. You may need these guides or to ask a local climber help you locate the problems.

The various grading systems are well understood, and like grades are an ongoing source of debate regarding their respective merits.

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4c

Sit Starts

In these PDF guides we have retained the Font grades introduced in the last guidebook and their use is now established and understood.

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5a

Highballs

4+

The height of many crags in the County demands a highball approach.

Mats can reduce the consequences when highballing goes wrong, but there comes a point when they look very small. Many of these ‘problems’ would have been considered small routes not long back,

5 5+

(though some in this new series are not so small) and occasionally

6a+

are compounded with bad landings. Falling off them should not be treated casually. While highballs are self-evident, many shorter problems have bad landings and need careful padding and spotting. Be careful!

6b

Most problems are written up as standing starts off one mat only! Generally sit starts are added at the end of a description where they add either to the difficulty, or quality. Only rarely will a sit start be separately named.

Rules It has long been understood in Northumberland that if a twig is found on a ‘good’ foothold, then the foothold is out of bounds. The same applies to bedding planes , ledges and footholds in contact with the ground. Usually these are out of bounds. The previous guide wisely suggested that if you are wondering if the foothold is in, then it probably is not!

Further Information The NMC website has a variety of resources relating to climbing in the County. If you have this PDF you’ve probably found it already. Otherwise go to: www.thenmc.org.uk

V0 5b V1 5c

6a

V2 6a

6b+ 6c

V3 V4

6b

V5

6c+

New Problems

7a

Descriptions of new problems and routes should be sent to newroutes @thenmc.org.uk. A description, grade, date and name of first ascentionist should be included. A photo with a line marking the route would also help.

VB

V6

Steve Blake

7a+

Dutch Courage

7b

Shitlington

7b+

V8

7c

V9

Greensheen Slopers Traverse

7c+

V10

Greensheen

8a

Bob Smith

Photo: Alec Burns

6c

7a

8a+ 8b

V7

V11 V12

7b

V13

8b 8b+

V14

8c

V15

8c+

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2

Introduction...

...Northumberland Bouldering 3.

Be gentle with brushwork, and minimal with your chalk. Climbing indoors, we can brush the holds to our hearts content; outdoors, the effect can be catastrophic.

SUSTAINABILITY The quality and durability of Sandstone in Northumberland varies significantly both on and between crags. Iron hard rock with a case hardened patina can coexist with a super soft cheesy substance soft enough to be shaped by hand. Sadly there is much evidence that the tough patina when worn away reveals a soft inner that rapidly erodes. There are many examples, but Vienna at Bowden Doors is probably the most famous example, which in its current deplorable state is a much easier and sad shadow of the original .

4.

Poor footwork also impacts, so clean your shoes before you begin an attempt. Modern shoes allow a huge amount of force to be exerted through the feet, e.g. twisting on smears has a grinding effect that speeds up erosion. Be aware, use good footwork and tread lightly.

5.

Don’t use the problems for training. Running laps may look cool, but do it indoors on plastic, not on the rock.

6.

Take your junk home, don’t light fires, don’t leave gates open. If you must, learn how to shit in the woods. Do not be generally antisocial.

Over the last thirty years the popularity of Rock Climbing and Bouldering has accelerated and there is much similar evidence of our impact on the crags. Routes and problems on Sandstone, especially on fragile and well-used Sandstone, are a finite resource and need careful and sensitive protection if they are to survive.

It is worth repeating that you should not climb on sandstone when there is any evidence of dampness.

The rock becomes significantly weaker losing its bonding when damp, and is susceptible to accelerated erosion and breakage. Once a break occurs, or the outer patina is penetrated, then the effects of erosion are exponential.

David Murray On Barnaby Rudge The Good Book Section, The Stell.

Alec Burns collection

Vienna Bowden Doors

Many magnificent routes in Northumberland have escaped significant damage, principally because the habit of top roping hard routes has not been adopted as readily as elsewhere. Bouldering however, is a particularly intensive game which can see a team cycling through repeated attempts on a problem, brushing and ragging between each effort. The impact of this can be seen on relatively recent problems on which holds are already bleaching out, and this is on rock thought of as hard.

We are the stewards of these places. There are many things we can do to minimise our direct impact on them: 1. Everyone should acknowledge and understand the fragility of the medium and learn to walk away if there is any suggestion of dampness and the rock is not in condition.

2. Set yourself a realistic number of attempts at a problem, if you can’t do it, leave it until you can do it without beating it into submission. We need to have enough humility to understand that the rock’s needs are more important than our egos. Learn to walk away and come back when you’re capable.

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4

...Northumberland Bouldering

Introduction...

Crag Overview: Shitlington

LOCATION AND CHARACTER This South facing crag lies approximately 2.5 km South of Bellingham, and straddles the Pennine Way. A centre of mass grid is NY830 808. OS sheet OL42 is best used in this instance as it shows Access Land boundaries. This map, the sketches opposite and description below should get you to the crag.

Parking Lat Long:

To Kielder

WGS 84 55.125091 –2.263205

To Otterburn

Parking GR: NY 833812

Bellingham

N

To the A68

B6 oW 0t 32 ar am gh llin Be k/

Most of the crag is on Access Land and climbers have a right of access to these rocks. The far East section above Shillafield Farm is on private land and climbing is not allowed. Please do not climb on those crags. It is possible that applications for temporary closure of the climbing area could be applied for. Such closure would have to be agreed by Natural England and posted on the Access Land web site. This can be found at www.openaccess.naturalengland.org.uk. It is worth checking before you go.

Location Data

Shitlington

The crag is South facing, and the rock is good quality, blocky fell sandstone. It has undoubtedly been quarried in antiquity. The problems range in difficulty from 5+ through to 7b. There are both highballs and problems of a more modest height.

Wark

Approach Parking is available close to the communications mast above the crag (NY 833 812). The crag lies approximately 400m South of this at NY 830 808.

Crag Detail

From the South.

Approaching from the south exit the A69 just West of the Hexham roundabout and follow the A6079 North to the Chollerford Bank crossroad (with the B6320). Follow the B6320 north, cross the river, continue ahead at the roundabout and continue for 6 miles to the village of Wark. In the centre of the village is a sharp left bend, followed by a sharp right. At the second bend carry straight on (signed for Whygate and Stonehaugh) Just over half a mile ahead a junction appears on a left hand bend, take the right (signed Bellingham and Kielder) and follow this for a further 3.5 miles (the crag and mast are visible on the right) to a junction on the right signed Bellingham. Take this North for just over a mile to a junction on the crest of the ridge, turn right and follow the single track road to the mast and parking

Location Data

N

Crag Lat Long: WGS 84 55.121631 –2.267303 Crag GR: NZ 830808

Pennine Way Stile

P

West Buttresses

East Buttresses

From the North and East.

Reach Bellingham by either the B6320, or link road from the A68. Pass through the village and continue South over the bridge. Continue to a junction 200m further South. Turn right and follow the lane for half a mile to a junction on a bend. Turn left and continue up the hill to its crest. Turn left along the single track road and continue to the mast.

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Far East Out of Bounds

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Introduction...

History Shitlington has been climbed on for more than thirty years and was initially described as a lichenous minor crag in the 1971 Third Edition of the NMC (routes) guidebook. Several routes were mentioned at the West end of the crag but not named. A flurry of activity saw a number of routes done on the (now out of bounds) Eastern crags . Bob Smith, Colin Murley, John Earl, Andy Moss, Dave Johnson, Neil Wood and Ian Kyle all contributed to this phase of development.

Steve Blake Summer conditions on Psycho Killer Cha Cha

At some point after the production of the fourth edition an ‘incident’ occurred which prevented further access to the Far East crags. (It is unclear what happened—some references have been made to a bus of ‘climbers’ blocking the access road for a day. None of the local climbing community are aware of any such incident, so it may have been visitors. Another version refers to gates being left open and stock escaping onto the public road.) Whatever the reason, access to the right hand side of the crag was banned. And it remains so.

This loss of access highlights the need for us to tread lightly on others land. Thankfully the crags West of the dry stone wall were included in the CRoW legislation and there is a permanent right of access. A local farmer may try to ‘move you on’ . All of these problems are on Access Land and he has no right or power to stop you. If such an approach is made please report it to the BMC with as much detail as possible.

The most notable of the climbs on the Western buttresses lie on the red, west facing and overhanging wall of No1 Buttress. The Kremlin at the time of writing remains unrepeated, and may be the last of Bob Smith’s routes awaiting a repeat. It was a pre-mat solo, worked ground up, above towels in competition with Pete Kirton.

In March 2011 Steve Blake climbed the two lines of flakes on the East face of the Kremlin buttress; Old Dog takes the right hand line and New Tricks the left. Neither is technically difficult , but both benefit from gentle footwork (Note Steve is 70kg!). This development was part of a renewed interest in the crag, with a number of contributors. Suze Dudinck soloed Dutch Courage on the excellent Cha Cha buttress. Given the relatively modest grade and obvious nature of the line, this may have been climbed before, but nothing is recorded. The right edge of the buttress has a striking arête and some tempting holes, and, unknown to each other, both Steve Blake and Chris Graham climbed the line. Chris’s harder eliminate version only used the ‘eyes’ and didn’t utilise the arête. Steve’s version, using the arête and the holds is significantly easier, and was completed alone one cold, breezy and atmospheric evening.

Done either way both are fine problems on a stunning bit of sandstone. The name given by Steve ‘Psycho Killer Cha Cha’ has been adopted.

Same problem Less than optimal conditions!

Joe Spoor Collection

During this period a more systematic development of the bouldering potential began with John Earl, Bob Smith, Martin Waugh, Ian and David Murray, John Mountain and others contributing. Dr Funk by Blake was a good addition as was Blow Up by Smith. Who did what in the Brown Cave remains a mystery. Most recently David Murray used his considerable strength and reach to establish Goliath on the So Named Boulder. Smithy’s Arête on the Chopping Bloc is attractive, as is the problem established on the Nerve Bloc by John Earl and Ian Murray.

There is a lot of rock here, and the diligent will probably find some that hasn’t been climbed!

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8

...Northumberland Bouldering

Introduction‌ Shitlington East The Pennine Way

HISTORY

The Greenwich Bloc

Russian Bloc

Belgian Bloc

The Ulan Bator Bloc

Bangkok Bloc

The Greenwich Bloc

The Greenwich Bloc

Taiwan Bloc

The Belgian Bloc

3 1 2

The Greenwich Bloc has two Problems that cross the Roof. Sit Starts are possible but fatuous.

1. The Eagle. 6b+ SB. Start under the overhang at the obvious black hold in the wall at the back . Reach out to the good hold on the lip and pull up and left on the sloping ledge to finish.

The Belgian Bloc is a small boulder approximately 20 meters East (right) of Greenwich and has an overhanging scoop on its West face.

3. Bob’s Scoop. SS 6b

BS.

From a cramped sit start , pull up and left to the top

2. The Legion. 6b+ SB. Start further right and pull up and over on the horizontal sloping seams.

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10

Shitlington— East

...Northumberland Bouldering Longitude, The Taiwan Bloc.

The Russian Bloc

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8

4 7

5 6

The Russian Bloc is a fine, pale vertical wall , another 20m right of the Belgian Bloc.

4. Warsaw. SS.

6a

BS.

Climb the left hand arête from a sit start.

5. Blow Up. SS.

6b.

BS.

The photo tick! From a sit start gain the slot in the blunt arête and continue.

6. Dr Funk. SS.

6c+

SB.

The centre of the wall is a fingery challenge. Crimp up the centre (do not drift right to use the crack!) . A stretchy move gains the break and easy ground.

7. The Crack.

5+.

SB.

The obvious diagonal flake line is followed to the breaks and top.

8. Hungary SS.

6c.

SB.

The wall to the right of the flake is another fingery problem .

BS.

A mid level traverse of the wall, starting in Hungary and heading West towards Warsaw.

Finish up Blow Up.

9. The Iron Curtain. 6c.

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Steve Blake on Dr Funk Mark Savage Collection

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington—East

Ulan Bator

Immediately right of Ulan Bator is another tall buttress with a shallow scoop in it's base.

Bangkok Bloc

13. Bob’s Scoop. SS . 6c. BS. Get stood up in the groove and make an awkward pull out right. Step off or trot up to the top.

In front of and below Ulan Bator is the Bangkok Bloc. It has an obvious overhanging wall, that faces Ulan Bator’s wall.

14. Pissoire Painter. 5? NF. 15. Merde d'artiste. SS . 7b. NF. Pull onto and up, the right side of the overhang.

Ned Feehally Psycho Killer Cha Cha Dan Varian Collection

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15

10 12

Ned Feehally

11

Merde D’artiste Dan Varian Collection

Approximately 60m East of the Russian Bloc is Ulan Bator, a superb piece of hard compact sandstone, as good as any in the County.

10. The Left Arete?

Done, but by who?

11. Dutch Courage. 5c/6a/E1 5b SD .

An obvious line on very good quality rock. It may have been done in ‘antiquity’, but for sure Suze Dudink did it around 2005.

Climb the thin crack (protectable if leading) to a mantle on the left. Continue more easily up the wall/slab.

12. Psychokiller Cha Cha. 6c/7b CG/SB. Sit Start. Starting at the bottom of the right arête, gain the two prominent holes in the centre of the wall . Either (easier) use the arête to reach the finger edges above, the ’eyes’ or harder go direct from the holes up the wall. Done around the same time by Chris Graham (the more difficult option) and Steve Blake.

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington— East

Up and right of Bob’s Scoop are several small walls that are behind and above the Bangkok Block.

16. Slim Shady

6b+

17. Cruel Summer 6b+

SB.

This delicately climbs the centre of the next wall. Good footwork required.

MW? The flat wall a few meters right

Down and right of Slim Shady is another narrow wall with a crescent/flake.

18. Jenna

6a+? SB?

Climb the wall via the crescent

To the right of Jenna is a slim groove. Taken by: 19. Henna

5+?

Follows the obvious groove

Below these wall is a large slabby boulder; the Bangkok Bloc.

The Bangkok Bloc

Currently this has two problems on it, both highball. Undoubtedly others could be done.

20. Chess. 6b+ (ish). SB. The centre of the slabby wall.

16 17

21. 0ne Night in Bangkok. 4+/5.

SB. Start left of the rib move up the right to finish on the arête.

A further 34 meters East is the last substantial boulder—Taiwan. East of this the crag fades into the moor, to reappear the other side of the wall defining private land. Please do not cross the wall or enter, the land is private to which there is no right of access..

22. Longitude. 6a KW.

21

Sit Start 20

Gain the mid level traverse line and follow it left to the arête.

Tiawan

Finishing One night in Bangkok.

19 19 18 22

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