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Ned Feehally has climbed My Own Private Idaho up on the Crafnant boulders. A grade of 8B/+ was originally suggested by Chris Davies but Ned made swift work of it, completing the line in a single session and reckoning it was worth about 8A for his alternative sequence.

The line is not a pure sit down start and requires the use of stacked pads to reach the holds properly – consequently it is due to be described in the forthcoming second edition of the North Wales Bouldering guide as a crouch start with specified hand positions.

“I pulled on, crouching with the stated holds. It felt like a sitter would only be possible for me if I stacked a few mats (3 probably, I'm 5ft 10). Which I did think about doing, but those sorts of sit starts just get silly. Where do you stop?! Over the years pads have got thicker too, so you'd have to state the thickness of matting allowed relative to your height - totally ridiculous!”

Explained Ned, before adding:

”I also did a different sequence on the top section to what the photos of Chris suggest he did. But what I did made sense as the logical way of climbing it. I could have forced a more right hand sequence (not using holds on Cruella for my feet) but it would have felt totally eliminate. I did actually do the top moves without those holds using a really cool ninja kick toe hook to the arete, but it seemed daft when there was a more natural way with feet out left.”

”It was my first time at Craftnant and I really enjoyed it. Great rock and a lovely spot.”

My own private Idaho - Craftnant from Ned Feehally on Vimeo.

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