Shitlington west 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

NMC Northumbrian Mountaineering Club

Shitlington Part Two: A Bouldering Guide to The Western 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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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 .

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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.

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

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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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...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

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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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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington— West The Western Blocs are more spread out across the edge which extends 500m West from the approach path to the final wall.

A feint track weaves its way along the base of the escarpment. If the bracken is at its worst, it is easier to walk along the top and drop down when you reach the bloc /sector you want. After rain or in winter the tracks along the base can be quite boggy .

No 1 Buttress

No 3 Buttress

There remains a lot of rock on the escarpment, which unfortunately, on inspection, is easy angled and/or broken. It is possible that the diligent explorer may still find an isolated gem……...

The previous guides make reference to Number 1, 2, 4 and 5 Buttresses. No one knows where number three went! Feel free to start a conspiracy theory, but this compilers view is that it can only refer to the buttress that now is home to Old Dog and New Tricks.

Greenwich Bloc

The Crevasse

Go West Wall @500m

Zoolander

Go West Wall

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The Cracked Bloc

No 4 Buttress

Goliath

Zoolander Buttresses 1 — 5

No 2 Buttress

First Great Western

Flake & Bake

No 5 Buttress

. 5 Wall

No 1 Buttress

The Crevasse

Flake& Bake

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington— West

The First Great Western

Goliath

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Steve Blake The Flying Scotsman Steve Blake Collection 3 2

1 7 8

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The next bloc some 70 meters west of The First Great Western is Goliath. This is a free standing boulder a few meters forward of the crag.

The first bloc West of the track is overhung and juggy. A number of variants and eliminates are possible.

The right arête is a tricky sloper problem: 1. The Mallard 6a SB. Pull over, right of centre and exit to the right.

7.

8.

David Sit Start 7a+ DM. Tricky. Use the undercut flake to get established, pull up and right to a poor hold and a slopey finish.

2. The Flying Scotsman 6a+ SB. Up and trend left using a small hold in the upper break.

3. GNER. 6b left side of the arête.

SB

9.

The

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Goliath Left — Sit Start 6b

BS? Pull awkwardly onto the prow left of David.

6 (The next problems are on an isolated green wall approximately 45m west of Goliath. Followed by , The Crevasse, which is approximately 40m further West again. )

4. LNER Traverse 5+ . Traverse the obvious break 25 meters or so left a prominent low neb will be found.

Goliath Right - Sit Start. 6b+ BS. Pull onto the lip and palm as far left as possible before rocking over.

6.

Lost Rib 5+ The very short, blunt rib behind the nose.

5.

Nose Job. 6a SB. Sit Start! Pull up and over. Avoid banging your head on the second neb.

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington— West

The next identifiable problems are on the prominent ‘Green Wall’ about 45m further West 10.

Right Hand Line

3.

The right hand groove, trending right at the top

11.

The Green Wall

5.

Climb the centre of the luminous wall. Exit via the mini cleft at the top.

12.

The Green Groove 4.

The green groove on the left of the wall

13.

Green Wall Traverse 5.

A low traverse of the wall, try reaching the sapling in the gully!

The next feature is the crevasse cave, another 40 m West. It is a sheltered location if the weather turns, with several good problems and a lot of scope for ad-hoc eliminates.

(The Crevasse isn’t the obvious gap behind the block, but the narrow gap facing the camera. It is possible for the slim to squirm through and out the other side.)

14. Original Route. Sit Start 6a SB. Pull onto the wall and follow obvious holds up to the overhang, pull over on positive holds, and step backwards to avoid the heather.

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15. Tim’s Pinch 7a? SB Sit Start . Very eliminate, but fun. Pull onto the shelf and reach up to one of two pinches up and left. The weak squirm up to the flat hold, the strong simply pull! From here reach out and right to a hold on the lip and a heathery top out.

16. From Shadow into the Sun. JE/AB/BS/IM . Sit Start 6a+ The right edge.

17. The Left Edge. Sit Start 6b? JE/AB/BS/IM.

The left edge of the Crevasse.

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington— West

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The next problems are on Mountain’s Wall: A very steep slab further to the left 20. Mountain’s Wall 6b+ SB . Balance climbing up the face with a subtle mantle in the mix.

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21. Zoolander care— or jump.

6b+ SB.

The blunt rib to the left. Exit through the heather cornice with

To the left of the crevasse is a bay with a prominent overhanging arête, with a flinty right wall.

18. The Upside Down Head. 6a SB. Pull onto and up the arête on positive holds to some surprising jugs.

19. Flint Wall. 5+ SB. The wall to the right, again finishing on some lovely holds.

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington— West 22. Pinnacle Rib.

6b+ BS

The West facing rib of the small pinnacle provides an entertaining problem The next problems can be identified by the prominent undercut crack that splits the buttress.

23.

The Angry Shepherd.

6b SB. Sit start , pull up into the crack and follow it to the top. Much better than it looks. (The wall to the right awaits someone strong).

24.

Barney Come 6b+ SB. An eliminate. The slender groove just left of the crack is followed to the break which is followed left to exit.

25.

Two Hole Slab looks … Exit left.

6b

This is more difficult than it

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The crag continues leftward in a series of walls. One large wall has a permanent spring and bog at its base. It is not a cla ssic crying out to be climbed and has been ignored. However if you want to, or indeed can climb in waders…….

The next line is on a small wall just before the break in the crag.

26.

Go West 6c SB. The wall has some awkwardly arranged side-holds, best used with some cunning heel work and long reaches. Get established on the large sloping foothold, then some small holds above and right allow the break to be reached.

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington—West No: 5 Buttress

27 31

Bob Smith

27. The Cracked Bloc 6a. JWE, IM.

The Cracked Bloc

A sloper traverse on the overhung South side of the block. Lots of variations and top

Bob Smith Collection

outs, play around !

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No:5 Buttress is the gently overhanging, pale wall behind the large boulder. There are three problems with variations, all require careful padding and spotting.

28. Old Macdonald. 6c (E2 6a). BS. From the brown pocket in the centre of the wall reach up and right to another pocket . Move up and right again to finish The line up the centre has yet to be done.

29.

Combine. 6c? From the brown pocket , reach up and left to a small edge, then pop up to a good hold in the lower right pocket. Pull up to jugs on the blunt rib above, followed by an awkward step to finish 30.

Combine Harvester. 7b+ An eliminate start to Combine. Without using the brown pocket (or boulder), gain the small layaway edge, pull up to the pockets above, and continue.

31.

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In the Groove.

5+ Bizarrely never recorded,. the short groove to the left provides a useful warm up.

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington—West No: 2 Buttress

No: 4 Buttress

No: 3 Buttress

No: 2 Buttress

32 33 34

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36 37 Recent guides have not described the very left hand end of the crag very well. The 1989 guide provided descriptions of routes on four buttresses, 1, 2, 4 and 5. and numbered them from left to right.

Number 3 Buttress was probably missed out because it had no climbs on it at the time. Subsequent editions didn’t clarify this any further. Number 3 Buttress now has two routes and is included as shown.

Steve Blake Finishes Dirty Dancing Photo: Ian Murray

No 2 Buttress A fine clean slab with an established direct line up the centre. A variety of eliminates can be worked out, depending on how good your footwork is!

37. HVS 5b. (F5+) Pad up the centre of the steep slab 38. The left arête is allegedly a V Diff . Perhaps the County’s only F1 highball!

32. Fork HVS 5a (F5+) Start beneath the overhung crack on the right, move up and left to the obvious hole and continue up the slab.

33. An unnamed eliminate undercuts the left flake/prow of the crack.

34. Pitch HVS 5a (F5) Start beneath the overhang on the left of the buttress, move up and right to the obvious hole (junction with Fork) and continue up the slab.

35. Dirty Dancing E3 5b (F6b) SB. Climb the concave wall on large but brittle holds. Trend left to finish.

36. The Time of our Lives E3 5c (F6b+) SB. The left side of the concave wall. Finishing in the same place as Dirty Dancing. Similar but harder than the latter. Tread lightly!

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...Northumberland Bouldering

Shitlington—West No: 1 Buttress

No: 1 Buttress

41. The Rising Ramp .

6c + BS. Opposite the Kremlin wall is a sloper traverse. Slap and heel hook your way along it. From the obvious finger edge 3/4 of the way along, pop to the nose and finish.

37. The Kremlin 7b+ BS. The red wall of No 1 Buttress is home to the Kremlin, the last of Bob Smith’s routes in the County to be repeated (in 2015– some 20 years after the FA). The description and grade in the 1989 guide belied its difficulty. “ The wall on the right is climbed by a series of very difficult moves” Given E4 6c Bob reckoned it to be a highball 7b+ - But with no mats. Bob was originally reluctant to give it an E grade because the landing was ‘soft’.

Bob Smith The Rising Ramp Bob Smith Collection

Bob had successive ground up attempts, vying with Peter Kirton, for the FA . Bob won out eventually working out a complex sequence which he had been been drawing up as he got higher — in fact he still has the road map!

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The route had been tried by a number of strong climbers but they failed to unlock the sequence, or find an alternative.

Past the jumble of boulders that are left of No 1 Buttress is a short wall that gives one problem up, and a traverse.

42.

Sheep Trap Wall 6a JE. Pull up the wall and over the first bulge. Exit awkwardly using a layaway hold at the top which may need cleaning.

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43.

The Traverse 6a JE. Start in the low horizontals and continue leftward. The vegetation may need removing at the base to expose the footholds.

Eliminates are fun!

The second ascent was eventually completed by Dan Varian (by headtorch) who did some ‘modern ‘ jiggery pokery which allowed a slightly different sequence to be used (but at the same grade).

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40.The Sickle E1 5b (F6b) A good route. The Sickle climbs the groove up and to the left of the Kremlin. The Grade is probably very optimistic…. The description is certainly longer than the Kremlin’s. Start from the ground just right of the gully. Move up to the pothole , then span up and right to a layaway in the groove, then straight up, using a good hold out left. The boulder at the start is not in..

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