UKH

Companion thread to the crap *** one.

I'm going to open proceedings with Balch's Slide (HS 4a), because I have done* it half a dozen times and it never fails to hold my attention.

*no side runners, no deviation.

Climb in Cumbria. Pretty much any climb will exceed your expectations, especially if you’ve never climbed outside the Peak District!

Getting more than 8m off the ground will do that to someone who isn't expecting it! '-)

Mercedes (VS 4c)

Lot of climbing on this one, cleaner and dryer than it looks, shortest walk in in the lake's?

If you're a Stanage regular who's not done this, it's a favourite of mine:

Providence (E1 5c)

It's not pointless, honestly - you do a move to get established on the slab and then you're committed for quite a few mildly run out moves. It's like a mini Elegy (OK. it's about a third as good, but that still quite good).

I'm not sure Car Park Crag (couple of posts down) is the place to back that up!

I was trying to think of some Lakes routes, but actually I always do 2 and 3* routes up here because the lesser climbed 'gems' tend to be rather dirty and unappealing. There are quite a few 3* routes that might seem rather esoteric (or frankly repellent) to the casual visitor as well...

Sticking with the stanage theme, 5.9 finish is great

Well Gimmer got mauled in a related post, the 'climbing not memorable ' so I thought try a completely different tack, aesthetically less appealing but really great climbing.

I like this thread. Nicely positive.

Bucket Rider (E1 5c) is one that was not only much better than I expected but much better than it looked from the start. Really fine climbing.

Jason and the Juggernauts (HS 4b) on Kinder North Edge is a fave, lovely holds (can't believe I'm still the only log on this, for a very soloable 1980s severe), and I really enjoyed Birdman of Alcatraz (VS 4c) at Saddle Head for the airy second pitch, which looked pretty unlikely for VS. Top of my list though would be Mosaic (VS 4c) in North Pembroke, a superb route on beautiful and rather strange rock - I suspect it gets only 1 star because it's off the beaten track.

The one that springs to mind is Lethal Injection (E2 5c) although it was updated to 3 stars last year with the release of the new guide book, it had only one to its name until then. Continuously interesting, technically sustained and not too pumpy.

These come to mind easily - quality routes all.

No stars

Depression Direct (VS 4b)

Spring Lightning (VS 4c)

Curtains (HS 4b)

20 Yards a' Groanin' (S 4a)

Weathered Window (VS 4b)

The Furrow (VS 4c)

The Crimson Pirate (VS 4b)

Placoderm (VS)

High Fibre (VS 4c)

1 star  

Central Crack (VD)

Resurrection Route (VS 4b)

I think I'll stop there, getting bored.

There are hardly any bad no star routes on Stanage Popular, nearly all are worthwhile and many are good. Providence is a bit eliminate and possibly deserves a star, but the many variations like Divine Providence probably distracted from that.

Huge number of Lakes zero and 1 star routes are way better than the three star routes, main issue with the star system is to stop them getting overgrown.

DC

Agreed. The other thread quickly got a bit moany, with people making more and more outrageous claims of uselessness. Someone even said Blue Sky was disappointing.

The answer to that is more stars. All worthwhile routes should get at least one. (IMnotveryHO).

Shadow Arete (D) has a terrific top pitch, worthy of a star or two on its own.  

T.

And though it isn't to everyone's liking, I've always enjoyed Bottle Buttress (VD 4a).  The last two pitches are good stuff.

T.

I was rather hoping to become the second this summer just gone, but despite two or three trips up there I somehow missed it! I only seconded it, but (without the tempting bridging) Razor Crack (S 4a) Was really good for just one star. 

Providence is awesome because it involves crimping on tiny holds up a steep slab, committed above good gear. If that's a style you really like, it's hard to come by. 

I quite enjoyed this one at Stoney, right of Bingo wall.

The Brighton Line (E1 5b)

Any particular favourites I should seek out around the E1/2 mark? Stuff that stays clean on the fairly accessible places in Langdale, Dow, Thirlmere preferably (when I drive round to Borrowdale, Wasdale etc I'll tend to have a classic objective in mind, I've got plenty of 3* routes left to go at in the E1-3 range).

Trouble is you could end up with big areas of every route getting a single star. And I'm not sure it would make a big difference - many would still just stick to the ** and *** routes.

Seaside Special MVS, in seaside gully Range East, Pembroke. No stars but a great, exposed, two pitch traverse.

its in the old blue book but not in the database for some reason..

I thought Crosstie on Dinas Mot was worth three stars. Certainly not less than two.

Providence had no stars in the 1989 guide ( and Prudence wasn't listed) I like both of them - stars or no!

Flicking through my logbook, I was a bit surprised to see that Via Vita in Ravensdale only gets one star, also Black Slab at Sennen

Balcony Balustrade (VS 5a)

Nice moves on the top slab and surprising finishing hold

As good as Diagonal!

It's definitely worth finding, about 200m east of the start of Ashop Edge proper. Just round the corner I also really enjoyed GP Arete (agree with Simon Caldwell's comment, only VD/HVD, but maybe worth **), and Virtuoso (nice position, feels exposed as soon as you step off the ground).

Yes, absolutely. The last pitch, particularly, was outstanding, in an outrageous position.

Walker's Wall (HVS 5a) .. seconded this today, and found it to be excellent value for a mere one star. I wouldn't necessarily give it more stars, as it lacks a visual aesthetic and is embedded in perma-green in a back corner of the crag, but as far as the climbing itself goes, well worth it.

Gurgle Girdle (VS 4c).  Not sure what my expectations were - but it definitely exceeded them!  Happy New Year Dave!

This is the gurgle girdle you refused to finish and then wrote a rant about?  I let only you off because I had already done it with Jo! '-)

I did something about a million times more special in August.  Maybe you could accompany me on my first repeat next year?

Haha!  Define special : )

I totally agree with you there! As illustrated here, plenty of 0 star routes are highly enjoyable and well worth doing, problem is flicking through a guidebook you've  no reliable way of telling these apart from absolutely terrible routes that really aren't worth the effort.

I'd like to see something to differentiate the worthwhile from the worthless. Either give every worthwhile route one star, or give totally worthless routes a different symbol that lets people know they are not worth doing.

1 star routes at Tremadog are mostly excellent. Some would be three star elswhere...

A symbol for the truly unpleasant or dangerous (rotten or loose) routes could be useful (though may create a ticklist for masochists!). To an extent this is often covered with the HVG or XS grades, or in the route description. Whether a route is worthwhile or not is harder to judge. For example, is a route up nice enough rock but with no line, good moves or situation worthwhile? A matter of opinion probably. 

Anything on grit that has no stars is better than the extremely polished three star classics.

A bit over grown these days but Rooks Climb at Cheddar is absolutely superb with a bit of gardening

Rook's Climb (WW) (VS 4b)

As Michael Gordon says, a symbol for dangerous is useful. Is this the obelus/dagger used in some guidebooks? Or in some guides they have black spots. Then no stars for routes nobody thinks are worth doing. One star for worthwhile routes.

In most of the guides where I have seen it the dagger indicates that a route was unrepeated/unconfirmed at the time of writing rather than that it is dangerous per se.  Some of the daggered routes I have climbed have actually been ok.

The SWMC gower guide uses the black spot for "particularly horrible" routes.