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Over the weekend of the 30th and 31st January Mick Adams blitzed Porth Ysgo adding an impressive quartet of problems amidst a flurry of snow showers.
The big number came on the infamous ‘Fred Nicole Roof’ block. Left said Fred V11/8A is essentially a sitting start to problem 10 (see page 243 in the NWB guide).
Mick gives the beta:
“Start from sitting on the boulder on the left with a good pinch layaway for the left and an undercut pinch for the right. Pull up using bad foot holds and slap way up and right for the okay side pull edge. If you stick it place the right foot on and slap with the left into a good undercut side pull. Work in behind the left hand an okay heel toe hook which lets you get the lip with the left in control and also bring out the right, from here finish up problem 10.”
“By far the hardest move is the first, I only every managed to do this once, after this it's a little intimidating but the moves are okay being about V9/7Cish at most. It is probably worth V11/8A as it's a lot harder first move than on Porn Makes me Horny (a V10/7C+ on the Closer block) and the finish is harder too. The obvious right hand start still remains.”
The right hand start that Mick mentions is the futuristic, but definitely do-able line long since nick-named the Fred Nicole Roof, as most locals back in the 90s, when the name was first coined, felt that only Fred could do the deed. How times change…
At a less stratospheric level, Mick also got busy with a few other unclimbed lines.
First up was Simon's Aręte sds V8/7b+, the obvious sitting start to the aręte right of The Ysgo Flange, which itself was first climbed by Simon Peters in 2008. Small crimps on the left side of the aręte proved to be the key to success, with the first move being the hardest.
Next up was a pair of highball shockers on the Incredible Shaking Man boulder.
The Uncle V7/7a+ takes the amazing looking hanging aręte just to the right of problem 18 (see page 233 in the NWB guide) on its right hand side. Start by climbing the short wall to get established under the roof. Next undercut a fin on the left edge of the roof to reach two obvious pinches, hold the swing, stick on a heel and slap up the aręte to glory. Ben Farley nipped in for the second ascent and reckoned it was one of the best problems he’d ever done!
Just to the right of The Uncle is a slight crack line above the big roof – this became Opus Campus V8/7b+. Undercut up to get one hand in the only slight diagonal hold in the crack; bring out the left to some bobbles and then campus up on improving holds. This feels very highball as the landing is terrible.
Relevant links:
Simon’s Arete original news item
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