t-shirt weather-over christmas!

Thanks to Geoff for holding the fort over the Christma break. This allowed us to get up to Yorkshire for a few days, where we managed to climb in sunshine for 3 days in succesion. Only the central Consenting Adults" area was really dry at Malham, but it seemed a real bonus to be getting anything done considering the amount of snow around. I haven't seen snow in this ountry lik this for a long time. The top of the cove had a substantial cornice along the rim, and throughout the day this came crashing down in mini-avalanches - all very alpine.

Circuits now available as downloads

I'm updating all the new circuit info by putting it onto downloadable sheets on our website: www.newportrock.com/the_centre/circuits/
These show each problem, how hard/easy it is compared to the circuit average, and can be used for your own ticklist if so desired.

Christmas presents!

Our latest order has arrived in time for Christmas, and we have lots of nice stuff in, from Prana beanies and chalkbags through to Metolius crash pads. As we are now doing gift vouchers, you needn't agonize too much over what to buy your other half.

Autumn Aggregate

This has now finished, and I'll put the results up on the website and on the blog asap. We'll present the prizes on Friday night after the bouldering comp- thanks to everyone who competed.

Good results at midland Youth comp

Quite a few of our junior climbers turned out for Sunday's round of the Midland Youth Climbing Series www.myclimbingeries.co.uk Full results haven't been published yet, but Duncan Gladwin did particularly well in winning his group- congratulations Duncan!

Christmas Opening hours

We'll be open at the following times over the holiday period:

Christmas Eve 24th: 12- 5pm

CHRISTMAS DAY CLOSED

BOXING DAY CLOSED

Sunday 27th Dec 12-6 pm

Monday 28th Dec 12-10 (normal opening hours)

Tuesday 29th Dec 12-10

Wednesday 30th 12-10

NEW YEARS EVE 12- 6pm

NEW YEARS DAY CLOSED

Saturday 2nd Jan- 9.30-7 pm (normal opening hours)



We are running childrens clubs each day through the holidays when open- 1-3pm

Xmas opening times

Lots of people have been asking me what hours we are open over Xmas/New Year- I'll put something on the website, and on the blog, later today. We will be having a couple of days off, but there will still be chance for you to burn off the Christmas over-indulgence.

The heat, the dust...

After the recent cold spell we've now installed a space heater which certainly takes the edge off the chill. Hardcore boulderers needn't worry- it cost too much to get the building really tropical, so the friction should still be good!

Junior Circuit, comps etc

As the aggregate draws to a close on Friday, and we have a bouldering comp the following friday (11th December) we've been thinking about the next re-set. One plan is to put in a specific junior circuit- shorter reaches between problems, though not necessarily all easier problems.
On the subject of the bouldering comp, Percy Bishton is down again to set the problems, together with Jamie Cassidy, another setter for international comps, and who was involved in the build. It will be good to see Jamie again, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the problems he sets. During construction we had a few of his problems up on the wall to play on.

New easier problems- good feedback

We've replaced the first fifteen of the aggregate problems, and this time we've tried to make the problems more stamina-orientated. This means more sweeping diagonal problems, which double or more the length of a normal problem.
People seem positive about this so far; any feedback is always welcome!

Ama Dablam attempt by local climbers

Local climbers Adam Booth and Roel Driesen are currently out in Nepal, planning to climb Ama Dablam. They are starting with an acclimatisation ascent of Island Peak, then going on to Ama Dablam. As there is no internet, details are sketchy, but Ed Booth (Adam's brother) says that they have a satellite phone- any further news, we'll put up another post!

planned developments

We've been open 8 months now, and are thinking about what new to add to the wall. All (practical and decent) suggestions welcome, but we have thought of adding a steep panel upstairs, and a campus board near the lefthand wall.
Also, we're planning to board in the entrance to give us some more space and cut down on draughts.

New retail items

We've just received some samples of Rock Technologies products which we intend to stock. These include liquid chalk and some fun training putty- it comes in 3 strengths and can legitimately be used whilst sat at your desk, on the train etc.
We've also picked up more Torq products including a very nice Organic Mango torq bar.
Finally, we're now stocking Mammut ropes; these are very good value being from outside the Eurozone .

Gorges du Tarn

We've just come back from a brilliant weeks' climbing in Gorges du Tarn; I'll put some pictures on the website shortly.
Robin led his first 7b, which was a good effort considering his previous best was Fr 6c!
The length of the pitches was a bit of a shock- even 70m ropes weren't enough to get you safely down on a lot of the routes. As soon as I got back I ordered an 80m rope from Mammut, which will come in useful for our next trip.

Winter bouldering league

We're planning to have a sereis of four Friday evening comps through the winter- full details to follow, but the dates are: Friday 6th November, 11th December, 22nd January, 26th February. There will be prizes and guest route-setters.

Autumn Aggregate up and running!

The latest aggregate is now up and running, and will be on until 4th December. 60 problems in the first instance, and this time we'll be adding new ones part-way through to keep peoples' interest.

Climb magazine visiting- models wanted!

David Simmonite from Climb magazine is visiting next Thursday 8th at lunchtime, to do a feature on us. He's looking for "suitable models" to be there, so if you are available come along. Afterwards, he is going to Grinshill and needs models for there too. So if you fancy being in the magazine now is your chance. being photogenic would help, but if not I hear photoshop can work wonders. (I'm looking forward to an entirely new head of hair)

New circuits update

Currently, we've around 13 problems with the new Pink/Purple holds at a V3-V5 grade range. Positive feedback so far, I'm happy to say.
On Sunday the entire wall (except above-mentioned problems) is being stripped, and a team of 5 are blitzing the wall Sunday night/Monday morning. In addition to the usual crew of Percy Bishton, Andy, Rob and Jason Pickles, Chris Plant is setting problems. Chris has been setting for many years, and due to his Lancashire origins and mobile nature of the route-setting business, intended to call himself the "bolt-on wanderer".

New Fontainebleau guide in stock

Stone Country, the Glasgow-based publishing company, have recently added to their titles with a smart selected guide to Fontainebleau. This has photos and a tick box for every problem covered, together with very clear maps which should prevent even the most incompetent getting lost.
We have several of these new guides in stock for anyone planning their next Font trip.

congratulations to junior climbers

Well done to all the young climbers who made the trek down to Llangorse, to compete in the first round of the Welsh Climbing Championships. There were some excellent performances, including Adam Phizacklea who was 3rd in his age group- not bad for his first competition.
Full results can be seen on the website:
www.welshclimbingchampionships.co.uk

Summer Aggregate results

The final problems have been ticked, and here are the results (I'll sort into sub-categories later today)
Prizegiving is next Friday at 7pm- see you there, when we'll also be having an informal 6-month opening party.

Surname Forename Score
Cannell Rich 560
Fenwick Tom 550
Booth Ed 540
Kille Angus 540
Holland Robin 520
Bridgwood Daniel 480
Shepherd Steph 480
Bolton Joe 450
Jones Simon 430
Bradbury Simon 380
Marlow Simon 380
Roberts Steve 340
Dawson Josh 340
Roland Anthony 330
Blincoe Peter 320
Hibbs Geoff (V) 270
Rowley Jim 250
Jones Sarah 240
Bridinell Claudette 240
Veitch Emma 230
Forrest Jake 230
Harrison Mark 230
Hesketh Aaron 220
Brown Nathan 220
Kerr Rob 210
Chidlow Stuart 200
Lynch Mark 200
Chambers Paul 200
Dawson Josh 190
G Jonathan 180
Davies Garry 180
Veitch Andy 170
Grant Chris (V) 170
Buckley Tom 170
Milburn Nathan 150
Wroe Mikey 150
jones Chris (V) 140
Buckley Jack 140
Amos Rebecca 140



Surname Forename Score
Quatermain Dante 370
Smith Abi 300
McMellon Anthony 270
Cooper Ben 260
Dean Adam 250
Davies Hannah 240
Mellings Joe 210
Phizacklea Gina 200
Edwards Callum 190
Harrison Mark James 180
Phizacklea Adam 180
Harding Jack 170
Dean Laura 170
Buckley Jack 160
Good Charlie 140
Fall Josh 140
Gladwin Kyle 130
Henderson Jack 110
Cooper Michael 110
Asson Lucy 100
Gladwin Duncan 100
Buchan Ben yr6 90
Williamson Hollie 60
Overal Peter 20
Good Lara 20
Harrison Amy 20
Marchewka Sinead 10

latest aggregate update

I've put all the latest scores on the website- it's in the "blog" section. go to www.newportrock.com/blog
Still a few days to go- I even surprised myself and managed another four problems yesterday, so keep persevering.

6-month birthday bash

To celebrate 6 months of being open, we're having a party on Friday 18th, from 6.30 onwards. Barbecue (weather permitting), drinks and the prizegiving for the summer aggregate. All are welcome!

outdoor days- on web

The next scheduled outdoor days we are running are now on the website- this should make it easier for individuals who want to participate but don't want to share the cost between several people. click here for more information: http://www.newportrock.com/the_centre/Outdoor_Courses/

More holds on the way!

We should be getting our latest set of holds- bright purple this time. There's a full range from tiny screw-ons to massive jugs, and we will now have one entire "spare" set of holds, meaning we can rotate the circuits more frequently and ensuring there is always something new to try.

Evolv Shoe demo

Plenty of advance warning, but Evolv are demo'ing all the latest models at the centre on Thursday 1st October from 5pm onwards. There will be an opportunity to try out the shoes, so we hope to see you there.

Seniors as at 18/08

Surname Forename Score
Booth Ed 530
Cannell Rich 530
Fenwick Tom 530
Holland Robin 490
Bridgwood Daniel 460
Jones Simon 400
Shepherd Steph 370
Marlow Simon 360
Bradbury Simon 340
Roland Anthony 330
Roberts Steve 300
Hibbs Geoff (V) 230
Hesketh Aaron 220
Jones Sarah 220
Blincoe Peter 220
Rowley Jim 220
Harrison Mark 210
Chidlow Stuart 200
Veitch Emma 200
Dawson Josh 190
G Jonathan 180
G Jonathan 180
Fenwick Tom 150
Grant Chris (V) 130
Lynch Mark 120
Chambers Paul 110
Wroe Mikey 100
Bridinell Claudette 70
Forrest Jake 60
Bolton Joe 60
Forrest Jake 60
Kerr Rob 0
Milburn Nathan 90

Changing fast- I'll try to update again!

Juniors as at 18/08

Juniors:
Surname Forename Score
Smith Abi 290
Quatermain Dante 280
Cooper Ben 240
Dean Adam 220
Phizacklea Gina 200
Mellings Joe 190
McMellon Anthony 190
Edwards Callum 180
Harrison Mark James 170
Phizacklea Adam 170
Harding Jack 170
Dean Laura 140
Henderson Jack 110
Cooper Michael 100
Asson Lucy 100
Gladwin Kyle 100
Buchan Ben yr6 80
Good Charlie 70
Williamson Hollie 60
Gladwin Duncan 60
Overal Peter 20
Harrison Amy 10
Good Lara 10

Aggregate Update

There's currently a three-way tie in the seniors category, but with three weeks to go this will no doubt change!
Dante Quartermain is leading overall in the juniors section. It has been very humbling watching Dante demonstrate the problems to seasoned climbers who can't get off the ground on stuff he makes look easy. Sadly there are another four years of this to put up with before he competes in the senior category.

new website update

Apparently the problem with the new website relates to transfering the domain name, and should be resolved by the end of hte week.
In the meantime, by the end of today you should be able to check out the site using the .co.uk address: www.newportrock.co.uk

Shetland

Had a few days sea kayaking in Shetland- Shetland Canoe Club hold an annual meet and this year it was on Unst, the most northerly of the islands. I took the opportunity to put my kayak on the ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick- no charge, but apparently a kayak counts as "two bikes"!
I carried a pair of rock shoes just in case, but never got to use them this time. Some amazing rock scenery on route, though, as I paddled north from Lerwick to join the group in Unst. I managed to land on Muckle Flugga, the next-to most northerly point in the British Isles (It is usually regarded as the most northerly point, but that honour belongs to Out Stack 500 meters further out)
There is more virgin rock here than there is climbed rock in, say, the Lake District. All it needs is someone to make the effort to get up here.

Websites- who'd have them?

Just got back from a great trip to Shetland to find that the website is offline. Assuming this is temporary, and I'll get the chance to update it next week. Just keep trying to access it, I'm sure it is something minor that is preventing access.

feedback on new website

Feedback has been positive so far, but if any of our website users have any suggestions for addition to content or improvement, please let us know.

New Website

Our new website, which is much improved and with plenty of photos, is now ready to launch, and should be live imminently, so keep checking www.newportrock.com .Easier navigation and greater content should make it a much more user-friendly expereince; once again feedback is welcomed to help us improve it.

Feedback on new problems

Early feedback has been very positive to the recent resetting. The new volumes (ex-cliffhanger) have been useful, as we now have several tufa-style problems- ideal for training for the next trip to Kalymnos. The screw-on holds have also given us a bit more variety, with some wicked Ian Vickers and Percy Bishton crimp problems to go at.

great new problems

Andy, Percy and co have come up with the goods again. Part way through our complete refit, we've already got some fantastic problems. Andy brought several of the volumes used at Cliffhanger last week, and these are giving some interesting moves, particularly the big tufas.

spring freshness

A bit late I know, but our shoe cleansing machine has finally arrived! It seems to be doing the job and the rock shoes are taking on a more pleasant fragrance.

prize giving, new problems

We are holding the prizegiving for the spring aggregate on Thursday evening at 7.30- the wall will be open as usual, and we'll publish a full list of winners.
After that, the resetting of routes starts on Monday, and will be finished by Tuesday. Lots more new problems to have a go at, with hopefully some volumes. Interestingly, we have four out of the five routesetters at the weekend's British Bouldering Championships setting the new problems. (we would have had all five, but Jamie Cassidy can't make it- he's keen to come and set some problems in future though, as he helped build the wall in the first place.)

First NICAS certificates issued

Well done to James and Tehya for being the first to achieve a NICAS award from our centre. We'll be running more training and assessment sessions both during Childrens Club and on Friday evenings for older candidates.

Complete re-set

Once the aggregate has finished, we'll leave the problems up for a couple of weeks until Andy and co. arrive to completely re-set everything, including the orange traverse I've spent the last three months trying (and failing) to do.
We have an all-star cast of routesetters this time, including Andy Long (chief routesetter for BRYCS), Jason Pickles, Percy Bishton (part-owner of Climbing Works, NEC skymaster routesetter) and Ian Vickers
One of the most positive responses we have had since opening is to the quality of the routesetting, so we intend to maintain this by changing problems regularly.
A whole new set of screw-on holds has been ordered, so there is the potential for even more variety during the next route-set.

Last Day of Aggregate comp!

Today is the last chance to tick off those remaining aggregate problems- the competition closes at 10pm tonight. It has been frantic the last few days, with all emotions from delight to disappointment. I think we already have a winner in one or two categories, but it is wide open for 2nd and 3rd place.
Prizes are winging their way to us from various suppliers- we will hold a prize-giving some time next week depending on how soon the prizes arrive. There will be hundreds of pounds worth of prizes given away!
I will let people know of the exact time and date via the blog or some other means.

Aggregate- last few days

With the aggregate finishing in a bit over a week's time, there has been a flurry of activity, with the leads in the various categories changing on a regular basis. Once the aggregate is finished we may leave the problems up for a bit longer, but it won't count towards the competition, unfortunately!

NICAs scheme now running!

We have now got two of our first NICAS candidates- James and Theya- most of the way through their level one certificate, and several others have signeds up to the scheme. For those who don't attend regular instructed sessions such as the childrens club, we are doing extra Friday tea-time sessions for training and assessment.

NICAS Logbooks due in today

For those of you who are waiting for your NICAS logbook, we have a delivery due in today at around 4pm. These will be available on a first come-first served basis, although we will be ordering more of the logbooks. The logbooks cost £4 for level 1-2 and £7.50 for the hardback level 3-5 logbook.
If you can't get down in the next day or so let us know if you want us to put one to one side for you.

New Childrens Wall

The new childrens bouldering wall is now finished ready for putting the holds on. Thanks to Stuart Chidlow for the artwork- the wall will have short reach problems designed specifically for younger children.

NICAS approval

We have received approval to run up to level 3 NICAS Award. NICAS stands for National Indoor Climbing Achievement Scheme. It is a structured programme for people new to climbing to follow, which leads to certificates on completion of each level. As the name suggests, it is recognised nationally and is the only scheme of its type. We are fortunate in being able to offer this- if you are interested, ask for details next time you visit. Logbooks are on order and should be in stock soon- these cost a nominal amount and will give you (or your child) something concrete to aim for.

Shoe cleanser due shortly

For those of you who are Dragons Den fans, you might remember the shoe cleanser which eliminated smell- it looked like a microwave but operates on a different principle.
To deal with the problem of smelly rockboots, we've invested in one of these machines and it should be up and running shortly. We'll aslo be hiring it out for a small fee, so you can bring down those previously unwearable shoes, trainers etc. (preferably in an airtight bag) and give them a new lease of life.

New toprope routes

Several of the toprope routes have now been reset by Sam and myself- these vary from easy to Fr. 7a.

Outdoor courses

These are now up and running and proving popular- check out the front page of the website for times and prices. If you want something arranging at a different time, we can do this if you contact us : 01952 814566

problems, problems!

Lots of people ticking aggregate problems, sprinting across the mat to sign their sheets, then going back to try some more! No-one is getting near completing the list yet, and with a month and a bit to go some people are starting to work the more powerful or stamina problems.
For younger (year 6 and under) climbers, there have been a few frustrations as they can't physically reach some of the holds. I've put in some extra small blue holds, circled in chalk, just for them. Everyone else- sorry, you'll just have to use the original holds.

Aggregate under way

Plenty of people are entering the aggregate comp- there are one or two problems which might defeat everyone- I haven't had a chance to see the current scores as I'm in Kalymnos at the moment, where I'm tagging on a few days climbing to a conference I attended last Saturday.
Climbed yesterday at Ghost Kitchen- a fantastic crag with lots of steep tufa routes.

Spring Aggregate Competition

The problems have been set, tags are on, I just need to print the scoresheets and the aggregate comp will be up and running. Various categories for adults and juniors, featuring many of the new problems Andy and Percy set this week.
It will be running until the end of June, so plenty of time to work on the more desperate problems (of which there are several).

Circuit levels

The circuits in ascending order of difficulty are:
Red
Orange/Green swirls
Pink/Yellow swirls
Green
Yellow (including one of the best boulder problems I've ever done on a wall!)
Black

New black problems have been added, and when the dust has settled we'll put up a few more top-end problems for the aggregate.
We've also added three mini-circuits in blue:
-an easy warm-up on the small block
-a traverse L over the big roof lip from the slab
-an endurance circuit on the 30 degree wall.
The orange traverse remains for a while longer as plenty of people are still working this.

Further new circuits

Today Andy has added a red circuit- easy, equivalent to old blue circuit.
Also, three blue "mini-circuits" ie a circular route on the 30 degree wall, another on the slab, and an easy traverse around the small block.
Some more very hard problems are going up this afternoon, in preparation for the spring Aggregate competition.

LOTS of new Problems!

Our 1500 holds have finally arrived, and routesetting is halfway through. Sam Chris and I stripped the old blue, yellow and red problems last night (sorry anyone who was working these!)
Today Andy Long and Percy Bishton have added three new cirucuits, with more to come tomorrow.
The new ciruits, full details of which will go on the website, are: Yellow (hard)
Orange/Green Swirls equivalent to the old Blue circuit
Yellow/Pink swirls- a bit harder than Orange/Green.
I'll give more details and pics tomorrow, come and try them out.

The Rain in Spain

Just back from a week in Spain, and the crags were dripping from all the recent rain. We went to Terradets (near Lleida, Catalonia) and managed to get some climbing in each day, but most of the tufas were wet so couldn't get on our planned routes. Louise has been holding the fort in our absence. Pictures of Terradets to follow.

New wall area

A large moveable mat is on its way- we are putting this in the empty corner near the top-roping wall. The plan is to make a dedicated children's bouldering area around the mat,with child-friendly reaches. Any comments or alternative suggestions are welcome!

Toilets Connected!

At long last we have the inside toilets connected up and working- goodbye to the portaloo! I'm not sure how we should celebrate this.

lost property

We're starting to get snowed under with lost property. Recent additions include a nice prana chalkbag and a red hoodie with "lifeguard" written on the back. If any of these are yours, let us know next time you are in! We promise not to throw anything out (for a while at least).

Stretch Class

We are planning to run stretch clasees after Easter- many visitors have expressed an interest in these. It will offer a way to significantly improve climbing levels without focussing on power.
Further details to follow, via the web, blog and UKClimbing posts.

Plumbing, seating etc.

Severn Trent have finally got their act together, so we will be connected up to the main waste pipe imminently. This means no more portaloo! Also, upstairs is nearly boarded oput ready for turning into a seating area.

New Problems

Andy has set quite a few new problems:
Yellow (honorary black to avoid confusion with adjacent blacks!) on 30 deg. wall
10 deg. block wall: red, blue and orange (yellow level, as above to avoid confusion)
Small block- red
Arch to orange prow- Green
Between big overhang and headwall- yellow, blue
Right of scoop- Red
Left of curve, to trend R across headwall of big overhang (see picture)- Green
Still awaiting our new order of holds- these should be in shortly.

Andy setting new problems, and Ross attempting a couple of them

new routes

More routes going up today- we're trying to incorporate the feedback we've received so far. Anything we don't manage to do today, we'll get done in the next week or two when our new hold order arrives.

feedback

We're getting some good ideas from climbers on what we need to add to the circuits.
Some of the most popular requests are- more between Blue and Red in level; some harder stuff on the 30 degree wall, including a circuit; and more for smaller children, who are struggling to reach then holds.
We intend to do this starting from Monday when Andy Long is inagain. Shortly after this our "Holdz" order arrives and we'll have plenty of new colours to play with.

Competition results

Well done to:
Tom Fenwick- senior male
Sarah Jones- senior female
Abigail Smith- 13-16 female
Josie Ball- 12 and under female
Archie Ball- 12 and under male

thanks to all who attended, particularly those who travelled from North Wales and beyond.
We've left the problems up for a while for others to try, and full competition results are on our website.
We plan to run a summer aggregate bouldering comp- three months to try the problems as often as you like, we'll see how many we can fit in but are aiming for around 50 at least.

Opening Evening

A packed first night last night, with most people arriving just as the routesetters finished setting.
Everything was a bit manic, we hope to have the reception area sorted out for peoples' next visit.
Comments on the routes- generally very favourable, a few people wanted an intermediate set of problems between the blue circuit and the red circuit. We'll work on this, as Andy is staying on today to add further problems. next week our big order of new holds arrives and jason will be setting problems during the middle of the week, so lots more to go at!

Opening comp

We've posted on Ukclimbing, so it's semi-official now, but we are planing to open Thursday evening 12th, and have our fun bouldering bash on Saturday 14th from 12 onwards. All welcome, no ability needed to be in with a chance of a prize!

Update on estimated opening date

The matting is planned to be fitted on 9th-10th March- route setting should be under way straight after this. As soon as this is done, we should be open!
Prices are on the website- I will try to upload a registration file so you can complete this and save time when you make your first visit.

Last couple of days finishing off the construction- then it is a question of decorating and getting the matting in. The picture shows a new "wave" addition which will give some interesting problems. Andy and co. had constructed this section, along with a couple of others, but we had a spare section left over. It was too nice a piece of wall not to use, so this is where it ended up.

Saturday session

Thanks to everyone who has offered help- just to let you know I'll be there from early Saturday am- if you can spare an hour or so please come along. Once the wall is sanded and primed, we'll be ready to put the final coat on and think about problem setting

Another photo, this time showing the slabby wall and the arete. The aretes will be featured, making for some interesting technical moves.