Trip update 1: me and @petewhittaker01 have been out in Utah a week or so now, trying to do one of Mason Earle’s masterpiece cracks – Stranger Than Fiction, out at the Bartlett Wash 🌵🌵 It’s a line that we’ve both been aware of for a number of years but never got round to putting our focus into the same time and place! And this thing definitively deserves focus as it’s got to be one of the very hardest splitter finger cracks in the world. Maybe a bit strange it’s not had more recognition considering its lack of ascents and Mason’s abilities?! Effectively it’s like having Cobra Crack (steep and powerful) on top of one of the White Rim 5.13 /14- roof cracks (technical and powerful) with not that much rest… 😅 At present, we’ve both done all the moves, worked good sequences and realised it’s no pushover… you can’t cheater-beta this one too much 😅. I’ve opted for the “White Slipper” on the right foot (@gorisb I’ll forgive you yet again…) and Pete’s sticking with a @desertdannyp special of a modified @unparallelup UP Lace Pink. Our fingers are deffo feeling the brunt of the strain now, so prob need to take some time off to let the inflammation die down 🙈 Of important historical note, is that @lor_sabourin made a repeat of this route earlier this week just before me and Pete got to the crag one of the days (gutted to miss the action but then got to witness them almost double send whilst taking pics a bit later in the day 🤯🙌) Sooooo good! As not only is it the hardest route they’ve ever done, it’s also the completion of a multi-season project which mentally, is super hard to manage. Quick ticks are something, but getting really deep on the true limit projects is a special (and challenging) place to be. Massive respect!! 💪💪💪 @wide_boyz @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Trip update 1: me and @petewhittaker01 have been out in Utah a week or so now, trying to do one of Mason Earle’s masterpiece cracks – Stranger Than Fiction, out at the Bartlett Wash 🌵🌵 It’s a line that we’ve both been aware of for a number of years but never got round to putting our focus into the same time and place! And this thing definitively deserves focus as it’s got to be one of the very hardest splitter finger cracks in the world. Maybe a bit strange it’s not had more recognition considering its lack of ascents and Mason’s abilities?! Effectively it’s like having Cobra Crack (steep and powerful) on top of one of the White Rim 5.13 /14- roof cracks (technical and powerful) with not that much rest… 😅 At present, we’ve both done all the moves, worked good sequences and realised it’s no pushover… you can’t cheater-beta this one too much 😅. I’ve opted for the “White Slipper” on the right foot (@gorisb I’ll forgive you yet again…) and Pete’s sticking with a @desertdannyp special of a modified @unparallelup UP Lace Pink. Our fingers are deffo feeling the brunt of the strain now, so prob need to take some time off to let the inflammation die down 🙈 Of important historical note, is that @lor_sabourin made a repeat of this route earlier this week just before me and Pete got to the crag one of the days (gutted to miss the action but then got to witness them almost double send whilst taking pics a bit later in the day 🤯🙌) Sooooo good! As not only is it the hardest route they’ve ever done, it’s also the completion of a multi-season project which mentally, is super hard to manage. Quick ticks are something, but getting really deep on the true limit projects is a special (and challenging) place to be. Massive respect!! 💪💪💪 @wide_boyz @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Trip update 1: me and @petewhittaker01 have been out in Utah a week or so now, trying to do one of Mason Earle’s masterpiece cracks – Stranger Than Fiction, out at the Bartlett Wash 🌵🌵 It’s a line that we’ve both been aware of for a number of years but never got round to putting our focus into the same time and place! And this thing definitively deserves focus as it’s got to be one of the very hardest splitter finger cracks in the world. Maybe a bit strange it’s not had more recognition considering its lack of ascents and Mason’s abilities?! Effectively it’s like having Cobra Crack (steep and powerful) on top of one of the White Rim 5.13 /14- roof cracks (technical and powerful) with not that much rest… 😅 At present, we’ve both done all the moves, worked good sequences and realised it’s no pushover… you can’t cheater-beta this one too much 😅. I’ve opted for the “White Slipper” on the right foot (@gorisb I’ll forgive you yet again…) and Pete’s sticking with a @desertdannyp special of a modified @unparallelup UP Lace Pink. Our fingers are deffo feeling the brunt of the strain now, so prob need to take some time off to let the inflammation die down 🙈 Of important historical note, is that @lor_sabourin made a repeat of this route earlier this week just before me and Pete got to the crag one of the days (gutted to miss the action but then got to witness them almost double send whilst taking pics a bit later in the day 🤯🙌) Sooooo good! As not only is it the hardest route they’ve ever done, it’s also the completion of a multi-season project which mentally, is super hard to manage. Quick ticks are something, but getting really deep on the true limit projects is a special (and challenging) place to be. Massive respect!! 💪💪💪 @wide_boyz @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Trip update 1: me and @petewhittaker01 have been out in Utah a week or so now, trying to do one of Mason Earle’s masterpiece cracks – Stranger Than Fiction, out at the Bartlett Wash 🌵🌵 It’s a line that we’ve both been aware of for a number of years but never got round to putting our focus into the same time and place! And this thing definitively deserves focus as it’s got to be one of the very hardest splitter finger cracks in the world. Maybe a bit strange it’s not had more recognition considering its lack of ascents and Mason’s abilities?! Effectively it’s like having Cobra Crack (steep and powerful) on top of one of the White Rim 5.13 /14- roof cracks (technical and powerful) with not that much rest… 😅 At present, we’ve both done all the moves, worked good sequences and realised it’s no pushover… you can’t cheater-beta this one too much 😅. I’ve opted for the “White Slipper” on the right foot (@gorisb I’ll forgive you yet again…) and Pete’s sticking with a @desertdannyp special of a modified @unparallelup UP Lace Pink. Our fingers are deffo feeling the brunt of the strain now, so prob need to take some time off to let the inflammation die down 🙈 Of important historical note, is that @lor_sabourin made a repeat of this route earlier this week just before me and Pete got to the crag one of the days (gutted to miss the action but then got to witness them almost double send whilst taking pics a bit later in the day 🤯🙌) Sooooo good! As not only is it the hardest route they’ve ever done, it’s also the completion of a multi-season project which mentally, is super hard to manage. Quick ticks are something, but getting really deep on the true limit projects is a special (and challenging) place to be. Massive respect!! 💪💪💪 @wide_boyz @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Trip update 1: me and @petewhittaker01 have been out in Utah a week or so now, trying to do one of Mason Earle’s masterpiece cracks – Stranger Than Fiction, out at the Bartlett Wash 🌵🌵 It’s a line that we’ve both been aware of for a number of years but never got round to putting our focus into the same time and place! And this thing definitively deserves focus as it’s got to be one of the very hardest splitter finger cracks in the world. Maybe a bit strange it’s not had more recognition considering its lack of ascents and Mason’s abilities?! Effectively it’s like having Cobra Crack (steep and powerful) on top of one of the White Rim 5.13 /14- roof cracks (technical and powerful) with not that much rest… 😅 At present, we’ve both done all the moves, worked good sequences and realised it’s no pushover… you can’t cheater-beta this one too much 😅. I’ve opted for the “White Slipper” on the right foot (@gorisb I’ll forgive you yet again…) and Pete’s sticking with a @desertdannyp special of a modified @unparallelup UP Lace Pink. Our fingers are deffo feeling the brunt of the strain now, so prob need to take some time off to let the inflammation die down 🙈 Of important historical note, is that @lor_sabourin made a repeat of this route earlier this week just before me and Pete got to the crag one of the days (gutted to miss the action but then got to witness them almost double send whilst taking pics a bit later in the day 🤯🙌) Sooooo good! As not only is it the hardest route they’ve ever done, it’s also the completion of a multi-season project which mentally, is super hard to manage. Quick ticks are something, but getting really deep on the true limit projects is a special (and challenging) place to be. Massive respect!! 💪💪💪 @wide_boyz @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Trip update 1: me and @petewhittaker01 have been out in Utah a week or so now, trying to do one of Mason Earle’s masterpiece cracks – Stranger Than Fiction, out at the Bartlett Wash 🌵🌵 It’s a line that we’ve both been aware of for a number of years but never got round to putting our focus into the same time and place! And this thing definitively deserves focus as it’s got to be one of the very hardest splitter finger cracks in the world. Maybe a bit strange it’s not had more recognition considering its lack of ascents and Mason’s abilities?! Effectively it’s like having Cobra Crack (steep and powerful) on top of one of the White Rim 5.13 /14- roof cracks (technical and powerful) with not that much rest… 😅 At present, we’ve both done all the moves, worked good sequences and realised it’s no pushover… you can’t cheater-beta this one too much 😅. I’ve opted for the “White Slipper” on the right foot (@gorisb I’ll forgive you yet again…) and Pete’s sticking with a @desertdannyp special of a modified @unparallelup UP Lace Pink. Our fingers are deffo feeling the brunt of the strain now, so prob need to take some time off to let the inflammation die down 🙈 Of important historical note, is that @lor_sabourin made a repeat of this route earlier this week just before me and Pete got to the crag one of the days (gutted to miss the action but then got to witness them almost double send whilst taking pics a bit later in the day 🤯🙌) Sooooo good! As not only is it the hardest route they’ve ever done, it’s also the completion of a multi-season project which mentally, is super hard to manage. Quick ticks are something, but getting really deep on the true limit projects is a special (and challenging) place to be. Massive respect!! 💪💪💪 @wide_boyz @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Trip update 1: me and @petewhittaker01 have been out in Utah a week or so now, trying to do one of Mason Earle’s masterpiece cracks – Stranger Than Fiction, out at the Bartlett Wash 🌵🌵 It’s a line that we’ve both been aware of for a number of years but never got round to putting our focus into the same time and place! And this thing definitively deserves focus as it’s got to be one of the very hardest splitter finger cracks in the world. Maybe a bit strange it’s not had more recognition considering its lack of ascents and Mason’s abilities?! Effectively it’s like having Cobra Crack (steep and powerful) on top of one of the White Rim 5.13 /14- roof cracks (technical and powerful) with not that much rest… 😅 At present, we’ve both done all the moves, worked good sequences and realised it’s no pushover… you can’t cheater-beta this one too much 😅. I’ve opted for the “White Slipper” on the right foot (@gorisb I’ll forgive you yet again…) and Pete’s sticking with a @desertdannyp special of a modified @unparallelup UP Lace Pink. Our fingers are deffo feeling the brunt of the strain now, so prob need to take some time off to let the inflammation die down 🙈 Of important historical note, is that @lor_sabourin made a repeat of this route earlier this week just before me and Pete got to the crag one of the days (gutted to miss the action but then got to witness them almost double send whilst taking pics a bit later in the day 🤯🙌) Sooooo good! As not only is it the hardest route they’ve ever done, it’s also the completion of a multi-season project which mentally, is super hard to manage. Quick ticks are something, but getting really deep on the true limit projects is a special (and challenging) place to be. Massive respect!! 💪💪💪 @wide_boyz @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Trip update 1: me and @petewhittaker01 have been out in Utah a week or so now, trying to do one of Mason Earle’s masterpiece cracks – Stranger Than Fiction, out at the Bartlett Wash 🌵🌵 It’s a line that we’ve both been aware of for a number of years but never got round to putting our focus into the same time and place! And this thing definitively deserves focus as it’s got to be one of the very hardest splitter finger cracks in the world. Maybe a bit strange it’s not had more recognition considering its lack of ascents and Mason’s abilities?! Effectively it’s like having Cobra Crack (steep and powerful) on top of one of the White Rim 5.13 /14- roof cracks (technical and powerful) with not that much rest… 😅 At present, we’ve both done all the moves, worked good sequences and realised it’s no pushover… you can’t cheater-beta this one too much 😅. I’ve opted for the “White Slipper” on the right foot (@gorisb I’ll forgive you yet again…) and Pete’s sticking with a @desertdannyp special of a modified @unparallelup UP Lace Pink. Our fingers are deffo feeling the brunt of the strain now, so prob need to take some time off to let the inflammation die down 🙈 Of important historical note, is that @lor_sabourin made a repeat of this route earlier this week just before me and Pete got to the crag one of the days (gutted to miss the action but then got to witness them almost double send whilst taking pics a bit later in the day 🤯🙌) Sooooo good! As not only is it the hardest route they’ve ever done, it’s also the completion of a multi-season project which mentally, is super hard to manage. Quick ticks are something, but getting really deep on the true limit projects is a special (and challenging) place to be. Massive respect!! 💪💪💪 @wide_boyz @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Berlin Bridge Proj 🏢 – best session yet, by far, which is promising that the cellar sessions are properly paying off now. Strategy has changed quite a bit now, as I’ve realised I’ll never be able to get enough Friend 5s for a 60m pitch nor will I have the endurance to carry them 😄. So it’s a new tactic I’ve not tried before… basically go free solo and be careful, but then when you want to get a 20-30s bathang rest, put a cam in to make yourself feel somewhat chill. Once the rest is done, take it out and carry it along for the next ‘rest’ in another 5-10m! I’ve never thought about climbing such a long roof with a single cam on me, so it’s weird trying to get your head round it 😅 I wasn’t really bargaining on this offwidth being a riskier one, but desperate times call for sketchy methods. I’m fairly confident that if you fell on the middle 30m section over water you might be able to throw a pancake shape and break your fall into the shallows, but it’s deffo a bit nerve wracking on the intro and outro 15m sections. It’s been a while since I had to get into a good headspace, so it’s been a good challenge to get properly relaxed even when repercussions are more serious. Current link was about 8b/ but foot pain probably being more of a limiting factor than pony-pump (eh?! 😄😄). So maybe hard 8b feels absolute max in current trained state … back to the cellar it is 😈
Another desert trip 🌵, another project commences with this little pumper @petewhittaker01 Whatever happens I know he can cradle like the best of the best and no fingers will be left unhurt 😅 Thanks to @wildcountry_official for supporting this trip and @tradprincess for providing a roof for 2 Wideboyz. As usual, there will be some video/film releases over on @wide_boyz for zee true Crackheads out there. @mason_earle – LEGEND. Your desert FAs still delivering delights and body destroying pumps to this day 🙌🙌🙌 @rab.equipment @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Another desert trip 🌵, another project commences with this little pumper @petewhittaker01 Whatever happens I know he can cradle like the best of the best and no fingers will be left unhurt 😅 Thanks to @wildcountry_official for supporting this trip and @tradprincess for providing a roof for 2 Wideboyz. As usual, there will be some video/film releases over on @wide_boyz for zee true Crackheads out there. @mason_earle – LEGEND. Your desert FAs still delivering delights and body destroying pumps to this day 🙌🙌🙌 @rab.equipment @mytendon @unparallelup @rhinoskinsolutions
Sweden is home to the granite trad climbing paradise of Bohuslän, which until this past summer I’d never been to unbelievably🙈. @petewhittaker01 has been climbing over here for fairly regularly for the last 10yrs and has always been telling me about how incredible it is… he’s not wrong! As the Peak District is home to some of the UK’s most obsessed and dedicated trad and crack climbers, I thought the best possible way to experience my first trip to Bohuslän would be to combine a group of Brits with an equally psyched group of keen Swedes! The trip worked out absolutely amazing, with a grand tour of some of the best crags in the area and despite the toasty temps, loads of classics were done and jamming fully invested in. If you’re into either trad in general or crack climbing specifically, I can’t recommend the area enough. You can have a brilliant trip whether you’re climbing VS, E3 or E7! The amazing thing is that the climbing is actually very varied as well. There’s face, crack and arête and due to the number of crags you just can’t run out of options. Many thanks to @philippklein in joining us on the week of granite shenanigans and capturing the vibe of the area with his mega photos as usual. Also to all the keen Swedish and British crack samplers… you’ve only got yourself to blame 😅 @cha0s.incarnate @silveira.bells @gsandstroem @joelurner @philippklein @knutasnina @deansontoasts
Sweden is home to the granite trad climbing paradise of Bohuslän, which until this past summer I’d never been to unbelievably🙈. @petewhittaker01 has been climbing over here for fairly regularly for the last 10yrs and has always been telling me about how incredible it is… he’s not wrong! As the Peak District is home to some of the UK’s most obsessed and dedicated trad and crack climbers, I thought the best possible way to experience my first trip to Bohuslän would be to combine a group of Brits with an equally psyched group of keen Swedes! The trip worked out absolutely amazing, with a grand tour of some of the best crags in the area and despite the toasty temps, loads of classics were done and jamming fully invested in. If you’re into either trad in general or crack climbing specifically, I can’t recommend the area enough. You can have a brilliant trip whether you’re climbing VS, E3 or E7! The amazing thing is that the climbing is actually very varied as well. There’s face, crack and arête and due to the number of crags you just can’t run out of options. Many thanks to @philippklein in joining us on the week of granite shenanigans and capturing the vibe of the area with his mega photos as usual. Also to all the keen Swedish and British crack samplers… you’ve only got yourself to blame 😅 @cha0s.incarnate @silveira.bells @gsandstroem @joelurner @philippklein @knutasnina @deansontoasts
Sweden is home to the granite trad climbing paradise of Bohuslän, which until this past summer I’d never been to unbelievably🙈. @petewhittaker01 has been climbing over here for fairly regularly for the last 10yrs and has always been telling me about how incredible it is… he’s not wrong! As the Peak District is home to some of the UK’s most obsessed and dedicated trad and crack climbers, I thought the best possible way to experience my first trip to Bohuslän would be to combine a group of Brits with an equally psyched group of keen Swedes! The trip worked out absolutely amazing, with a grand tour of some of the best crags in the area and despite the toasty temps, loads of classics were done and jamming fully invested in. If you’re into either trad in general or crack climbing specifically, I can’t recommend the area enough. You can have a brilliant trip whether you’re climbing VS, E3 or E7! The amazing thing is that the climbing is actually very varied as well. There’s face, crack and arête and due to the number of crags you just can’t run out of options. Many thanks to @philippklein in joining us on the week of granite shenanigans and capturing the vibe of the area with his mega photos as usual. Also to all the keen Swedish and British crack samplers… you’ve only got yourself to blame 😅 @cha0s.incarnate @silveira.bells @gsandstroem @joelurner @philippklein @knutasnina @deansontoasts
Sweden is home to the granite trad climbing paradise of Bohuslän, which until this past summer I’d never been to unbelievably🙈. @petewhittaker01 has been climbing over here for fairly regularly for the last 10yrs and has always been telling me about how incredible it is… he’s not wrong! As the Peak District is home to some of the UK’s most obsessed and dedicated trad and crack climbers, I thought the best possible way to experience my first trip to Bohuslän would be to combine a group of Brits with an equally psyched group of keen Swedes! The trip worked out absolutely amazing, with a grand tour of some of the best crags in the area and despite the toasty temps, loads of classics were done and jamming fully invested in. If you’re into either trad in general or crack climbing specifically, I can’t recommend the area enough. You can have a brilliant trip whether you’re climbing VS, E3 or E7! The amazing thing is that the climbing is actually very varied as well. There’s face, crack and arête and due to the number of crags you just can’t run out of options. Many thanks to @philippklein in joining us on the week of granite shenanigans and capturing the vibe of the area with his mega photos as usual. Also to all the keen Swedish and British crack samplers… you’ve only got yourself to blame 😅 @cha0s.incarnate @silveira.bells @gsandstroem @joelurner @philippklein @knutasnina @deansontoasts
When a shoe sponsor doesn’t make the shoe you need 😂. Back in the day, me and @petewhittaker01 wanted a prototype we called “The Spatula Foot” for ultra thin roof crack climbing… not surprisingly, our sponsor wasn’t convinced by the commercial viability so I went rogue and started making them at home. Did it work? No 😂 But these things are always worth a go and sometimes a little ‘crazy’ gets you further than you think. I’m sure I heard of someone having carbon inserts in their edging shoe at some point too?? Shout out to @unparallelup for making actual proper good crack shoes these days (UP Rise Pro) which does everything you want to when it comes to roof cracks (see last post on the indoor crack)
Hahahhahahaha. An old gem 💎 of poor @tompaulrandall getting heckled by me at the top of “Bruce Lee As F” a 5.12 over hung 4s crack. I love a good natured ribbing between friends 😂😅. Come back to the US Tom! I’ll talk less crap I promise 🤣🤞 #offwidthclimbing #crackclimbing #wideboyz
Summer UK crag approaches be like… 🤦♂️ Thanks to @harleywiddowson for such a supportive attitude. As always with these things, it’s best not to turn back even when you know you’ve made a terrible decision. At least I know the upper approach route is definitely a little better.
Hello. We’ve released a little video update on the “Stranger” project me and @petewhittaker01 are working on via the @wide_boyz YouTube channel! I’ll put a link in my stories for ease… or you can find it on the Wideboyz account too 😊 Photos by @andrew_burr who came out for a little projecting session the other day. We’ve had a few days off it now as the fingers have been getting pretty cronky on the joints… hoping that’s knocked a few notches of pain off 😅 Enjoy! 🌵🎥 💪 @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @unparallelup @mytendon @rhinoskinsolutions
Hello. We’ve released a little video update on the “Stranger” project me and @petewhittaker01 are working on via the @wide_boyz YouTube channel! I’ll put a link in my stories for ease… or you can find it on the Wideboyz account too 😊 Photos by @andrew_burr who came out for a little projecting session the other day. We’ve had a few days off it now as the fingers have been getting pretty cronky on the joints… hoping that’s knocked a few notches of pain off 😅 Enjoy! 🌵🎥 💪 @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @unparallelup @mytendon @rhinoskinsolutions
Hello. We’ve released a little video update on the “Stranger” project me and @petewhittaker01 are working on via the @wide_boyz YouTube channel! I’ll put a link in my stories for ease… or you can find it on the Wideboyz account too 😊 Photos by @andrew_burr who came out for a little projecting session the other day. We’ve had a few days off it now as the fingers have been getting pretty cronky on the joints… hoping that’s knocked a few notches of pain off 😅 Enjoy! 🌵🎥 💪 @rab.equipment @wildcountry_official @unparallelup @mytendon @rhinoskinsolutions
Our latest YouTube video is out, neighhhhh. Enough said 🐎 @petewhittaker01 @tompaulrandall @cameraman_pete
What do you prefer? The V8 or the V6 version? 🚀 Not sure that the Berlin comp scene is going to massively appreciate that I’ve done some crack setting today, but hey, gotta keep the competitors on their toes eh? 😅😅 Thanks to the team at @derkegel who let me wield an impact driver and do pretty much whatever I fancied. Some @wide_boyz chaos spreading is always something I’m into 😄 Should be a good warm up for the first attempts this week on the big bridge offwidth roof project. Proper psyched for this after a block of training back down on the Century Crack. Deffo been a hard experience to remember how frickin’ beefy and unpleasant some of the OW training can be though. Ooooof 🥵🥵🥵
🥵🥵 Finally reached the training benchmark I’d set as a summer goal of re-climbing the 8c Century Crack replica we set in 2010….that was a GRIND 😅. It’s 40 laps on the hand-fist stacks and a bit of other hand crack intro and outro. Basically a lot of getting into a good headspace, blocking out the discomfort and taking it one step at a time. A month ago it still felt a way off, but a bit more concentration on core training and general crack training seems to have worked ok. I’d say “Yay!!” But I know there’s a load more sessions like this still to go and a bit more work on the actual bridge project to tidy things up 🥵 It’s looking promising though. Maybe one more month of training and I might be there?? 🤞🤞 So strange being back in this whole offwidth game again. Swore I’d retired, but one last mega line dragged me properly back 😂 Nice to do it this time with some @wide_boyz gloves rather than miles and miles of tape which we’d invariably destroy within 10 laps. I bet we spent £100s on the white stuff over those 2yrs of training in 2009-2011 😄.
