Thursday 27 January 2011

Tintwistle Knarr Boulders - The time to reveal

Over a period of about a year i have been slowly re-developing the sadly long forgotten and neglected boulders to be found below Tintwistle Knarr quarry. I have had some truly special days up here with close friends who i have managed to convince that the long hard slog up would be worth it. During this time i have cleaned and climbed some truly great climbs. This has included Acopella 8a, Straight No Chaser 7c, and the Lone Ranger 7c+ and loads of other cool lines on fantastic boulders.

But there was one project that always eluded me, an obvious hard sit start up a mini arete to an old classic really cool porthole problem. I always told myself that this would be the final problem I wanted to do before making the boulders more public. You know by looking at it that if you can just get one hand good in porthole then holding any swing and toping will be fine. Only trouble is there are no real holds below it. I've tried this line almost every time I've been up, but never really seriously, always just being chilled out about it.

Recently i wondered up there with a friend after not trying the line for months and managed to send it. It's funny how sometimes it's just like that. It came down to good conditions and remembering to try something different. I'm going to call the line The Enigma and it's around the 7c+/8a mark. (It may be easier but then I never could grade.)

If your after something different and your up that way, then head to these boulders, the climbing really is quite good and theres a big circuit of all grades. To find them just walk directly down the scree slope from the quarry. Keep going until you nearly fall over the edge of the hidden boulders.
The topo can be found below.

Photos- M Hyde.


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