Now is the time to revisit LLANBERIS SLATE! It's been a while since the heady days of the 80's, when slate was the happening place, however, it's seen a bit of a resurgence in more recent years. The old fixed gear has steadily been replaced and new routes have been rapidly appearing, especially in the lower grades. The quarries are once more fashionable and this book is more than just a guide, it's a celebration of slate climbing. The new guide Llanberis Slate by the North Wales based Ground Up is an outstanding looking guide which is review here by Karin Magog.

"First off, the practicalities – how easy is the guide to use? Each section starts with a detailed introduction to the area which includes info on conditions, approach and graded lists of both trad and sport routes. Navigating your way around all the different areas and levels of the quarries can seem a bit daunting at first. However, as well as clear approach maps throughout, there are also photographs of the more complicated areas such as Australia and Rainbow Walls, with the different levels, classic routes and approach paths detailed. This makes moving around the various levels much less complicated. The photo-diagrams are very clear and sharp and are complimented by well written route descriptions. All these aspects already make this an excellent, easy to use guide. However, it's the extras that really sell this guide to me. First off there is an amazing selection of action pictures. Here all grades and several decades are represented and really highlight the delights on offer. Climbing on slate is all about movement, consequently you make some pretty interesting shapes on some of the routes. Some of my favourite pics include:- Ivan Holroyd on Where are my Sensible Shoes, Jeff McDonald on Ride the Wild Surf, the sequence of Johnny Dawes on The Quarryman, George Smith on The Wall Within, unknown climber on The Take Over by Dept. C, and James McHaffie attempting the Meltdown project. The guide also includes short profiles of some of the iconic Slateheads, (the many characters responsible for the development over the years) and includes such greats as Johnny Dawes, Paul Pritchard, Stevie Haston, John Redhead and Martin Crook, as well as those less well known out of the area. Another added feature is the Diary of a Slatehead by Martin Crook, which gives a more colourful view on the history of this area. There's plenty more to read in the book which is great when you're sat in Pete's Eats waiting for the sun to break through. The Ground Up team have done a superb job here and their passion for the area really shines through. I can't praise this guide enough and whether you are a slate aficionado or a slate virgin you should buy it and get exploring."  Read all our reviews here. Reviewed by Karin Magog 1st February 2012

Sharpen your Tools – Winter is here and so is this unique event! Make a date in your diary for the first ever north-east of England dry tooling competition, on Saturday 11th of Feb 2012 at Sunderland Wall. In association with Roxcool and Team-Schmoolz, Sunderland Wall will be hosting a day of tooling madness and fun for all, culminating with the finalists battling their way to the top of the 23m barrel and glory. If glory isn’t enough, there are over £1500 worth of prizes to be won, and all registrations/entrys will be given a beanie generously provided by The Mountain Boot Company, Mountain Equipment and other sponsors. Competition categories include junior and adult artificial dry tooling, and adult and senior dry tooling. To cap off this event Greg Boswell, Britain’s most prolific winter climber will be presenting an evening lecture - free to all competitors. Entry for the competition is £15 / £12 (20% discount for early registration), which includes competition and wall entry, equipment hire* and lecture ticket. Full details, registration and rules are available here. Please Note: all dry toolers must provide their own ice axes, B3 rated boots (not for Schmoolz) and eye protection. Schmoolz will be provided free of charge to those entering the artificial dry tooling comp. Cliff Lowther of Roxcool would like to add "Anyone that might be interested in giving either the Schmoolz or actual dry tooling a go before the event, get down to Sunderland on Friday evening 18.00 – 20.00…only two more sessions before the 11th February."  Read about more up and coming Events here.  Updated 26th January 2012

High Crag & Tarn Hole Crag Access Update. There have been complaints about climbers approaching these crags over private land near Hagg House. Would climbers please change use the approach described as follows:

Tarn Hole Crag – Approach on the footpath across the moor from Apple Tree Hurst Farm.

High Crag – Approach on the public footpath that goes towards Kay Nest but before you get there turn South East & walk above the wall. Reported 9th January 2012
 

France: Languedoc-Roussillon by Adrian Berry

This is Rockfax's latest guide and is yet another valuable guidebook to France, the third they have produced in recent years. It basically covers the area between the two main auto-routes of the E11 in the west and the E15 in the east. As Adrian points out in his intro the title given for the book is a loose term as some of the crags are outside of this region, but it was chosen to give an idea of the geographical area covered. The guide covers seventeen crags in total with some of the well known areas in the guide being the Ardeche area in the north-east, Orgon down near Avignon, Claret and Russan near Nimes and the famous Gorge du Tarn near Millau..  The area is divided into five geographical regions each of which come with the usual detailed info such as map, where to stay and local guidebooks.  The individual crags then have their own intro giving you an idea of what to expect from the crag, best time to visit and how to find it.  As you would expect each crag also comes complete with clear photo topos, which give an excellent indication of what to expect from the climbing. Some of these can't have been easy to get either. The guide seems well balanced with a good mix of high and low grade venues and routes, therefore offering something for everyone. The action photos are okay, generally reinforcing the nature of the climbing at that particular crag rather than inspiring you to do a certain route.  Although the photo of Jonathan Ayrton on the amazing Le tube neural at Seynes certainly brought back memories, one of the must do routes at that crag. The guide seems well researched and a lot of work obviously went into it. On the whole an excellent, well put together guide and a good effort by Adrian. For a sport climbing trip this area of France should be high on everyone's list of places to visit and you'd get several holidays out of this guide alone.  Published November 2011 by Rockfax Crags covered include: Ardeche, Actinadas, Les Branches, Gorge du Tarn, Le Jonte, Le Boffi, Cantobre, Thaurac, Hortus, Claret, Russan, Seynes, Mouries, Orgon. Read all our reviews here. Reviewed by Karin Magog January 2012

Languedoc-Roussillon

by Adrian Berry

New Climbing Centre in Middlesbrough. Due to be open mid January 2012. Around 580 sqm of climbing area, situated on Warelands Way, Longlands Road, Middlesbrough. More info will be on www.rockantics.co.uk soon. Rock Antics ltd. Reported 4th January 2012

Highcliff Nab in a New Light. Highcliffe Nab situated high above above Guisborough is the home of many great routes across the whole grade range. Magic in the Air E5/7, Moonflower E4, Stargazer E3, Scarcrow Crack E1 and Highcliff Crack Severe are just some of the popular three star classics. The crag has seen a flurry of fresh interest this summer with many routes at he extreme left end of the crag receiving some attention following the altruistic cleaning by some enthusiastic local climbers. See more pictures of Highcliffe Nab here. See a video of some recent action here. For more details about recent activity on the North York Moors read Franco Cookson's  and Dave Warburton's entertaining blogs .  Reported 11th September 2011

Johnny Dawes Illustrated Lecture. There is to be a lecture at Rheged near Penrith on 11th September by Johnny Dawes in aid of Community Action Nepal. Good climbers have come and gone, but the ones who have left an indelible impression on British climbing have done so with charisma and vision as opposed to raw talent - Johnny Dawes brought Britain its first E8 and E9, he did it with that touch of flare and finesse that made the numbers seem irrelevant. It was the stuff that fuelled our wildest fantasies. Rheged, Sunday 11th September 2011, 7.30pm, Tickets £15.00, Tickets available from Rheged Telephone 01768 868000   Reported 5th September 2011

Sunderland Wall 23m Top Roping Day two! Following the huge success of the first top rope event Sunderland Wall are going to provide some top roping lines on the 23m section  again on Monday 5th September. Instructors will be at hand to help out. All this at normal entry fees.  Reported 3rd September 2011

Film Night Three @ Climb Newcastle. This Friday 2nd September is the last day to hand in your round 3 summer ladder scorecard and also the third of our film nights. This Friday's guest speaker is Mark Savage, who's rampage of new routes in the first few years of this century produced a number of bold testpieces for the new generation - on Friday we'll take the journey through the highs of Cataclysm (E6 7a), Greenford Road Direct (E8 6b), AKA Mr Vegas (E7 6c) and more, and the painful end to Mark's new-routing account. Featuring in part 2 we'll have the best of your short films about Climb Newcastle (remember you have until Wednesday night to get them to us), plus the third in our series of Andy Earl testpieces - The Bitch (8a+) at Back Bowden Doors. Watch the trailer now.   Reported 1st September 2011

The Wainstones Bouldering Renaissance Update. Mike Adams enjoyed pleasant day dispatching at The Wainstones while the locals could only stand and watch... and occasionally spot him. Video includes the possible first ascents of: The Hollow Sit Start 6c+, The Prow Extension 7A+, Strongbow 7b+, Cruel Intensions 7c all by Mike Adams. There is a recent interview with Mike at MoonClimbing.  Also watch Steve Ramsden on the first ascent of The Prow here. Reported 30th August 2011

Middle Ridge Crag in Rosedale Steven Phelps has sent climbonline.co.uk  details of an entirely new crag he has developed up on Middle Ridge Crag in Rosedale. Full details here. Reported 27th August 2011

The Wainstones Bouldering Renaissance has began. A new wave of bouldering enthusiasm has finally reached the old school boulders at The Wainstones. For a sneek preview of what is on offer check out this video. More info can be found at Betaguides.  Reported 25th August 2011

New Bouldering Centre in Middlesbrough. Due to be open within the first 2 weeks of October 2011, just in time for the winter. Around 580 sqm of climbing area.
More info will be on www.rockantics.co.uk soon. Rock Antics ltd. Reported 24th August 2011

Lady of the Flies. Karin Magog has marked her return to top form following a series of niggling injuries with an impeccable ascent of Lord of the Flies E6 6a. On some recent trips to Wales Karin followed a quick redpoint of Statement of Youth 8a with onsight ascents many trad classics including The Fascist and Me E4 at Trevellan, Paint it Black E5, on the Excursion Wall, Upper Pen Trwyn,  Killerkranky E5 and King Wad E5 up on the Scimitar Ridge and finally Cenotaph Corner E1 followed by... Cemetery Gates E1 then running out of excuses...  Lord of the Flies E6 6a. Read her blog at www.karinmagog.co.uk. Reported 17th August 2011

James McHaffie makes a Big Bang at LPT. James McHaffie a.k.a. ‘Caff’ may be well known for his trad onsighting ability, but by making the second ascent (and third) of The Big Bang at Lower Pen Trwyn (LPT) on The Great Orme, he now joins an elite group of F9a sport climbers. In frustration Caff told climbonline.co.uk a few weeks ago that " I am growing tired of eating lettuce leaves, I'll give it until the end of July..." Caff went on to say " I am the lightest I have been since I was a boy!"  Read the full story at DMMclimbing.com Caff returned to LPT today to get some video footage and managed to cruise the third ascent stating "It felt a bit easier this time"! Meanwhile a Keswick neighbour Adam Hocking has recently been up on Scafell making the second ascent of Dave Birkett's E9 Return of the King read more on UKC.

Film Night2 @ Climb Newcastle. Friday 5th August 2011 Following the huge success of their first ever Film Night Climb Newcastle  are holding a second film night this friday, which coincides with the change over to the third round of the Summer Bouldering Comp. The Film Night starts at 8.30 prompt and the programme is:

- Steve Blake and Bob Smith revisiting their 1978 testpiece Original Sin
- Guest speak Andy Cowley's first ascent of The Governor at Hepburn
- Andy's long-awaited repeat of the terrifying Time and Motion at Sandy Crag
- Climb Newcastle's Euro Bouldering Destination Guide
- Andy Earl's Blood Sport. Reported 2nd August 2011

Newcastle Climbing Centre. The Newcastle Indoor Climbing Competition leading ladder has just started and runs until 2nd September 2011. Buy your scorecard for just £1.00 and take on the 12 routes in the centre, you can either lead or top rope and grades range from 5 - 7b+. Full details from Newcastle Climbing Centre. Reported 1st August 2011

Pembroke Restrictions Lifted Early. The climbing restrictions in place to protect nesting birds along the Pembrokeshire Coast will be lifted a few days early this year, allowing climbing from Saturday July 30th. As all the birds on the usually restricted climbing venues along the Pembrokeshire coast seem to have completed their nesting rituals early this year, the National Park have confirmed that climbing will be allowed from Saturday July 30th on all the usually restricted cliffs along the south Pembrokeshire Coast.
 The Army have also confirmed that there will be no firing at either Range East or Range West throughout August, so there will be mid-week access to all cliffs throughout the summer! However the Upper Pen Trwyn Marine Drive restrictions are now in place for the summer school holidays; Climbing above the Marine Drive (Upper Pen Trwyn, Great Orme) is only permitted after 6.00pm during all Bank Holiday weekends and school summer holidays (15 July to 8 Sept). Access to Parisella's Cave and Lower Pen Trwyn is not affected.  Read all the BMC News here.  Reported 28th June 2011

Sport Climbing Banned at Blue Scar. The increased popularity of the sports routes at Blue Scar have led to a series of incidents last year involving poor parking (and just too many climbers cars) on the narrow road below the crag  additional restrictions are now in place for 2011. Climbers wishing access the fantastic traditional climbs at Blue Scar are required to apply in writing for a permit. The landowner has issued the following statement:
... 'With effect from the 1st July 2011 permissive access arrangements have changed and access is only with written permission obtained in advance. Proof of current BMC membership will be required. Application forms from sundial@globalnet.co.uk'....
The owner has agreed that once obtained, permission will last for a season. The BMC are still engaged in negotiations with the landowners, however so far they have failed to reach an agreement that will allow Sport Climbing at Blue Scar. Read more on UKC. The up to date info should be on the BMC Regional Access Database soon. Reported 21st June 2011

Summer Offers at Newcastle Climbing Centre:  Summer family Pass £60, Family Taster Sessions £40, Kids Climbing Sessions £40, Kids Coaching £40. Please contact Newcastle Climbing Centre on 0191 265 6060 or ask at reception for more info. Reported 18th June 2011

Sunderland Wall 23m Top Roping Day. Sunderland Wall are going to provide some top roping lines on the 23m section for the first time on Monday 1st August. Instructors will be at hand to help out. All this at normal entry fees. Also at Sunderland Wall  there are 25 new boulder problems to check out.  Reported 14th July 2011

Summer Sunday Fun Day at Durham Climbing Centre. Sunday 15th July 12 - 5pm climb for £5. BBQ and Bycycle Stunt show. Also try out the brand new Beastmaker Board, the new holds are all wooden and carved from different hard woods including elm, maple and oak. For full details visit Durham Climbing Centre.  Reported 8th July 2011

Summer 2011 at Newcastle Climbing Centre. There are a lot of activities going on at Newcastle Climbing Centre this summer. New problems by Micky Page, a bouldering comp on 29th July, a summer long route climbing comp sponsored by Berghaus, courses for all the family also training events for instructors. Full details in the Newcastle Climbing Centre newsletter. Reported 7th July 2011

Film Night @ Climb Newcastle. Friday 8th July 2011 will be the cross-over day for the round 1 and round 2 problems of Climb Newcastle's summer bouldering ladder. Well, this Friday 8th July the entertainment is stepping up a notch with the first of three film nights at the centre as this year's summer social events. Along with various guest speakers and independent films, the film nights will feature some of the 'lost footage' that is the County Archives (The County project captured on film almost every significant first ascent in Northumberland over a 10 year period, but the guys involved never quite got round to making the movie!).

The first of the film nights will feature guest speakers Adam Watson and Andy Porter, Adam is a young GB competitor currently making a big name for himself on the international circuit - Andy is one of the strongest climbers to come out of Newcastle in recent years and whilst his busy lifestyle keeps his climbing trips sparse, man can he crush. The guys will be talking about their recent trips taking Rocklands in South Africa and Fontainebleau, France by storm.

Premiering from the County Archives are several short films: following Adam Watson on his quest to repeat several of Northumberland's hard routes, featuring County Ethics (E7), Masterclass (E7) and Off the Rocks (E8); as well as a visit to Gimmerknowe boulders with Andy Earl to re-climb his testpiece 2001 boulder problem Desperado (8a+) - pivotal in the development of hard problems away from the classic Northumberland crags.

The films will kick off at 8:30pm, this will be super-informal, bring a picnic rug and some snacks. Don't bring drinks with you though, sorry. They should last until roughly 10pm, after which there will be a pub meet (The Cluny in Ouseburn) for a few beverages, with everyone welcome, they're a friendly bunch at Climb Newcastle after all.

The film night is included in your normal entry to Climb Newcastle, so get yourself down a bit earlier and get some problems in, with those round 2 summer ladder problems up at midday.

Sport CLIMBING + by Adrian Berry and Steve McClure was first published by Rockfax in 2006 and has become acknowledged as essential reading for all sport climbers. It covers every aspect of sport climbing from gear and ropework to tactics and training methods. The belaying section has been updated to show the newest belay devices and discusses in detail how to use a Grigri safely. Both onsighting and redpointing approaches are discussed in detail from warming up and preparation through to resting and refueling! How to improve technique and mental toughness as well as good diet and skin care are all covered. Multipitch sport climbing has its own chapter too. New in this edition is a detailed discussion of the advantages of using a Personal Anchor System (PAS) for the speedy setting up of stances. Sport CLIMBING + is packed with inspirational action pictures and many updated instructional photographs. It also details a good selection of sport climbing destinations in England and beyond. Absolutely nothing is missed out. If you have not already got a copy now is the time to buy this updated second edition.   Read all our reviews here.  Reported 30th June 2011

Recall for replacement: GRIGRI 2. Petzl has discovered that exerting excessive force on the fully extended handle of the GRIGRI 2 can cause internal damage, such that the GRIGRI 2 handle may become stuck in the open position. When the handle is stuck in this position the assisted braking function is disabled. A damaged GRIGRI 2 in this configuration will function similarly to a manual belay device (e.g. tube style device). When using a damaged GRIGRI 2 with the handle stuck in the position as shown in Figure 1, failure to control the braking side of the rope will increase the risk of an uncontrolled descent. A GRIGRI 2 with a damaged handle must be immediately retired from service. Petzl has decided to take the following actions:

	increase the mechanical strength of the handle on all GRIGRI 2’s since serial number 11137.
	recall all GRIGRI 2’s with the first five digits of the serial number between 10326 and 11136, and replace with a new revised GRIGRI
	Petzl will pay for all shipping costs to complete this replacement. Full details of the Grigri2 Recall for Replacement here.

Full details of the Grigri2 Recall for Replacement here

Climb Newcastle Summer Boulder Ladder. Friday 10th of June is the start of the Climb Newcastle  summer boulder ladder with round 1 running until 8th July. If you didn't take part last year the ladder is effectively a 12 week competition, with four weeks to try each of 3 problem sets. You hand your scorecard in at the end of every session and we keep the scores live on the website (that's the ladder part as you can watch yourself move up and down!). The problems will vary from very easy to very very hard so plenty to keep everyone busy, and the emphasis is on fun, with plenty of prizes up for grabs and 3 social nights taking place to coincide with the changeover of problems. The dates are: Round 1: 10th June  - 8th July  2011, Round 2: 8th July - 5th August  2011, Round 3: 5th August - 2nd September 2011. Reported 8th June 2011

New 23m Routes Sunderland Wall. There is a new Pink 6a route up the very centre of the steepest area of the 23m section. It has only been set a few days and is already proving extremely popular! More new 23m routes are to follow soon so if you are close to redpointing your project then get down quickly, it may be stripped next! Don't forget Wednesday is discount day at Sunderland Wall. For only £5.00 entry fee you can climb for as long as you want, all day Wednesday. Reported 31st May 2011

New Routes at Newcastle Climbing Centre.  Micky Page has been busy route setting at Newcastle Climbing Centre.  Along with Dan Wilson they have set over 20 routes from 5 to 8a (Check out the steep Tufa Route!) and 4 new circuits in the Bouldering Zone. So there’s no excuse not to get strong! Micky Page is re setting the roof Tuesday 31st May so mark that day in your diary! Reported 28th May 2011
 

New Black Circuit at Durham.  Micky Page is back home for a few weeks and he has already been through to Durham to set another popular and challenging black circuit at Durham Climbing Centre. See how many you can do!  Reported 23rd May 2011

Bolts in the North East Quarries. Everyone is welcome to attend the next gathering of the NE Area which will be held on Monday 6th June 2011 at the Newcastle Climbing Centre. Everyone attending the meeting will be able to climb at the centre for a little while for free until the meeting starts. If you add to that a friendly atmosphere, free food and news and views from around the region, then you'll be struggling to think of a reason not to come along. News of the new NE bolt fund, as well as crag restoration projects will be on the menu. Come along if you have an opinion on the proposed bolting of old and unpopular quarries in the area. Dave Turnbull from the BMC will be there to answer your questions. More details can be found on the BMC website. Reported 23rd May 2011

Bloc Masters. World class climber Micky Page and professional photographer Mark Savage share the front cover of this months issue of CLIMB magazine. Two other climbers who have left their mark on Northumberland climbing, Malcolm Smith and Dan Varian, are also featured in Percy Bishton's BLOC Masters article. Read more on this and other Northumberland snippets on Mark's Blog. Reported 21st May 2011

Foredale Quarry (Settle) is closed to climbers until further notice. "Rob Dyer the BMC national access officer and myself have spent several hours at Foredale this morning talking to the farmer, his family and several residents of Foredale Cottages. There are several issues which we could not resolve and to be fair we had much sympathy for many of the concerns expressed. In general one of the main problems is simply that Foredale has become a victim of its own success and the visitor numbers, particularly on fine weekends and summer evenings have become a grave irritation to the local residents. That could perhaps be eased by negotiating a different access route but – see below – would it work?
  A more specific problem for the residents of the cottages is that despite all our clearly positioned BMC notices directing climbers where to park and walk some are still driving and/or walking up to and through the residents private parking area. On top of that it is claimed some have become abusive and rude when challenged and were seen kicking down the residents own notice board. I really find it impossible to defend such behaviour and if the offenders can be identified they should be vilified by us all. They cannot possibly have any excuse!
  Another concern of the residents is regarding the lack of toilet facilities at the crag and worries that their water supply may become polluted. One climber has been seen urinating close to the water supply pipe source.
  Mr Pearson himself has several concerns regarding damage to walls and fences and gates being left open (he initially agreed to us, in conjunction with the YDNPA, providing new gates and stiles but he has since rescinded this idea). He also believes that climbers are still taking dogs to the crag?
  His major concern most recently, however, is that he has discovered that a local climbing wall has been offering a series of guided courses at Foredale at £90 per head. (Rob will speak to the wall concerned about this). The bottom line is that whilst Moughton Nab and its approaches are on Access Land Mr Pearson doesn’t accept this gives a right to climb and confrontation on this point at this stage would be counter-productive. The current access route to Foredale is clearly across Mr Pearson’s Land and he has every right to restrict access that way as he sees fit.
  Our consultations and negotiations will continue but in the mean-time please avoid any further confrontation." Dave Musgrove on UKClimbing. Read more here.  Reported 21st May 2011

THE MATTERHORN - The Most Dangerous Mountain by Steffen Kjaer Published April 2011 by Alpine Avenue Books

Since the dramatic first ascent in 1865, the drama and the myths have created a unique interest in this mountain, which has probably caused the deaths of more mountaineers than any other. Each year, thousands of climbers attempt to reach the summit, but only one in five succeeds. And every season, the mountain claims the lives of ten to twenty climbers. Steffen Kjaer describes his and his climbing partner Brian Jorgensen’s attempt to make it to the summit of the Matterhorn. After careful preparations and perfect acclimatization, they take off to face the challenge of their lives. On the descent, however, something goes wrong. All of a sudden, they find themselves caught in one of Matterhorn’s countless and lethal rockslides... "I have to admit that mountaineering isn't something that usually grabs my attention, and although I can see some of the appeal of the Matterhorn (it's a beautiful looking mountain), the mental effort required to safely climb mountains is not for me. Hence I started reading this book with a dispassionate interest and thinking it would be a bit of a chore. However, after the first chapter I was already grabbed by the story and drawn along by the enthusiasm of the author. The book is very easy to read and the story well told without too many technical terms (although there's a very good glossary at the back if you need it). We follow their journey from their arrival at Zermatt, through their period of acclimatisation on smaller neighbouring peaks to their final preparations for the big day. The account of the final ascent and descent was riveting and I was reluctant to put the book down. It didn't take long to read at all. Throughout the book are various short articles, which were generally interesting and added to the overall production. These included the story of the first ascent, two interviews with local guides, extracts from the North Wall Bar visitor's book (which I found particularly interesting), as well as a piece on acclimatisation and a letter from President Roosevelt amongst others. Quite an unusual mix of all things 'Matterhorn'. I think this book would certainly appeal to both mountaineers and non-mountaineers alike and I would highly recommend it. However, one things for sure, after reading all about the loose rock, difficult route finding and hauling up fixed ropes I won't be in the queue in the near future!" Karin Magog  Read all our reviews here. Reviewed by Karin Magog 14th May 2011

NEWCASTLE ADVENTURE FILM NIGHT
Prepare to reach great heights, high speed, and real depth as Newcastle Climbing Centre & Berghaus team up with Tyneside Cinema once again for a special screening of some of the world’s best short adventure films. Gathered from all over the world, this thrilling night of outdoor pursuits includes Chimaera, offering a unique view from a skiers’ perspective; Seb Montez’s incredible wire walking documentary Skyliners; surfing through the photographers’ eye in Dark Side Of The Lens; climbing film The Architect and Way Back Home where we follow master mountain biker Danny MacAskill as he cycles all the way from Edinburgh to his home on the Isle of Skye. A must see for all real adventurers out there, and for the rest of us wannabes a great chance to get excited by the great lengths people go to for a bit of fresh air! Thursday - 9TH JUNE - Doors open 8pm. Tickets on sale at Tyneside Cinema box-office.  Reported 14th May 2011

Sunderland Wall Discount Entry. Wednesday is discount day at Sunderland Wall! For only £5.00 entry fee you can climb for as long as you want, all day Wednesday. So a Wednesday is a great day to check out all the new problems that Tom Newman has recently set on the bouldering wall. There are more problems than ever before and many are at a very amenable grade so there is now something for everyone. Get down and check it out for yourself! Reported 12th May 2011

Spring Bouldering Competition & Barbecue at Durham Climbing Centre. This weekend you have two days to complete twenty five problems at Durham Climbing Centre. The Competition starts at 3pm on Friday 13th May and finishes on Saturday 14th May at 9pm.  Please contact the centre for more details.  Reported 9th May 2011

Peak Scar Owl moves Home. The owl that normally nests in Jonas seems to have moved this year. There's a nest in the wide crack (quite near the ground) at the start of Walkin' and left of The Edge. It may be best to start this route by
traversing in from the left (or better just avoid this area) until the family have been raised. Reported 7th May 2011
 

Climb Newcastle ASBO 2011. The Third Climb Newcastle Annual Spring Boulder Open will take place this Friday 6th May. This event of the year promises to be as spectacular as the previous two... In brief, ASBO follows the fun format of the Winter Bouldering Series competitions, and then notches up the drama ten-fold with a head-to-head final as the top 5 men and women compete for the ASBO title. And just for taking part you get an ASBO '11 t-shirt, for free. No extra entry fee, just pick up a scorecard and away you go looking good in yellow! T-shirts are available for the first 200 competitors. The first part of the day is a fun competition  finishing at 8:30pm. This part of the competition also acts as qualification for the final with the top 5 men and women going through. "The day rolls out like this… As for the WBS you will have 35 problems to try in the entire range font 3-7c (easy peasy to very hard) and between 1pm and 8:30pm to try them. At 9pm the finals begin - the top 5 male and female competitors (from any category, in previous years juniors have finished as high as 2nd) will battle it out to be ASBO '11 winners. This will be a spectator event and you will most certainly want to hang around! Spectating is entirely free for the final." Chris Graham  Reported 3rd May 2011
 

Crag Clean Up in Borrowdale. With the recent brilliant weather Goat Crag in Borrowdale has been getting attention from the Al Wilson and his enthusiastic team. "Routes that have been climbed are DDT , Praying Mantis, Point Blank (1st Pitch),Tumbleweed Connection, The Voyage,Athanor ,and The Magpie, with further visits this week to climb Bitter Oasis , Mirage and hopefully Footless Crow. "Many of the routes are been climbed in 1 pitch giving huge 55m routes. These routes are superb Tumbleweed Connection has to be one of the best E2's in the country. See you up there?" Al Wilson. Discuss this on UKClimbing.  Mountain route clean up! Update: Up at Dove Crag; Vlad the Impailer is clean, over on Pavey; Sixpence has been spring cleaned, also Borderline on Scafell has been clean and tat on peg and the thread have been replaced. Further north The Kelpie on Garbh Bheinn is now clean and Dalriada on The Cobbler has seen a number of ascents already this spring. If you are planning to climb in Scotland before the end of July then check out this vital information to help keep you within the law. This is the first year when this has been prepared in co-operation with bird groups making this the most reliable and comprehensive Scottish information to date - check out the alerts at www.mcofs.org.uk Reported 26th April 2011

Right Royal Bouldering Meet. North Yorkshire Moors Bouldering Meet April 30th - May 1st 2011. Meeting at the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge. Venues include: Camp Hill,  CIemmitts Crag, Oak Crag, Rosedale Head, Stormy Hall and the superb Ingleby. There are are good range of problems to suit all abilities. " Last year's explorations have proved the dales on each side of Blakey Ridge have enough bouldering on to keep most activists happy and the scope for new development keeps me going back for more.  Oak wall needs someone to hit and hang the sloper - any takers? Camp Hill is a great little venue. Clemmitt's Crag actually has some big boulders and some steep walls awaiting your attention! Further away Ingleby Incline is just crying out to for a circuit to be developed so here's your chance." Lee.  Visit Beta Guides for more information. Reported 20th April 2011

E9 Weekend at Climb Newcastle. 25% off everything including the new stock that has just arrived of men's, women's, kid's clothing, bags, belts, hats and chalk bags from both the spring/summer and autumn/winter collections. Get yourself down to Climb Newcastle this weekend and you can enjoy the brand new pink problems while you shop!  Plus you could have a chance to win an E9 Gbi2 jacket, the piece de resistance in the E9 collection, worth £240, and the only one in existence in the UK! More info on the Climb Newcastle website. Reported 14th April 2011

Cumbria Coaching Network... Risk and Comfort Zones’ You have the exciting opportunity to work with one of today’s most experienced British women mountaineers. Adele Pennington is renowned for helping people achieve the highest summits in the world through her ability to coach and support others. Her daily life is about managing risks, balancing the need to achieve with the risks of being in high mountains. Explore with her how she manages risk for herself and how she encourages others to achieve so much more than they thought possible. Does this sound like you: Do you want to help others step into new areas of their lives? Would you like to understand how people’s perceptions of risk impact decision making?
Do you know people who are taking too many risks? For those who want to enable change.
17th June 2011
9am – 4.30pm
Rheged Centre, Penrith,CA11 0DQ
For full details and application form go to the cumbriacoaching.net website.  Reported 14th April 2011

Free Adventures at Newcastle Climbing Centre. Qualified Mountain Instructor Tom Parkin is giving a Free Talk at Newcastle Climbing Centre on Thursday 14th April 2011 starting at 8pm prompt. Tom will be sharing his 30 years of Outdoor Experience to help YOU decide here to go on your next Big Adventure! Reported 11th April 2011

MALLORCA Sport Climbing and Deepwater Soloing OUT NOW.

It doesn't seem that long since the last Mallorca rock climbing guide was published by Rockfax but it's actually four years which was a surprise. This new guide is bigger and better than the old one, with nearly twice as many pages (up from 176 to 304). There's a few new crags including including the superb Es Verger but the big bonus is the Deep Water Soloing section at the back. Mallorca is a very popular destination for this sub sport and it's well documented here, great for those groups who like to mix things around a bit. I was also glad to see that they'd managed to track down the route names that were missing in the previous guide – good job.

The guide follows the standard Rockfax format which I'm sure everyone is now familiar with. This includes plenty of useful info at the front, clear maps and excellent photo-diagrams This new guide has more of these than the last guide, with only a few remaining hand drawn topos of those sectors where photography was obviously impractical. The photos also offer an approximate route length which was very useful and made spotting the endurance crags nice and easy, as well as being a reminder to be careful with your rope length. The guide offers a great mix of grades and styles of climbing, from easy slabs to ferocious overhangs, deep water soloing to multi-pitch adventure, mountain settings to crags on the beach – surely there's something here for everyone?

The action photos are pretty good in the main although some of them do seem a bit soft. They give a good indication of the nature of the particular crag and work well with the photo-diagrams when deciding on which of the many crags to visit. I particularly like the front cover which certainly sells the place to me.

It's been a long while since I've visited Mallorca but this new guide has certainly whetted my appetite. Another good production from Rockfax and well worth buying.
The Mallorca climbing guide by Alan James, Mark Glaister, Daimon Beail is be available now, price £24.95. Read all our reviews here. Reviewed by Karin Magog 10th April  2011

The Mallorca climbing guide is be available now, price £24.95

Durham Climbing Centre. A fun Junior Bouldering Comp at Durham Climbing Centre. Sunday 10th April, 2.30pm - 4.30pm. Entry £12. Please contact the centre to book in advance.  Reported 6th April 2011

An Evening with Tim Emmett. A talk by the renowned mountaineer, climber, extreme sports athlete Tim Emmett on Monday 11th April, at 7pm at the Newcastle Royal Grammar School. All proceeds for the evening are going to local Mountain Rescue groups. Tim is a professional extreme sports athlete, well known for his charismatic and enthusiastic and energy charged lectures. His passion for rock and ice climbing has taken him all over the world developing new areas and styles. He has competed in the ice climbing world cup 2001 – 2004 and podiumed 3 times, and written a book – “Preposterous Tales” with Neil Gresham.  Tim has appeared on front of numerous climbing magazines and he has made several television appearances, including BBC2 Wild Climbs, HTV Moments of Fear and Top Gear. He has also filmed in many documentaries such as Psicobloc – one of the most dynamic and eye-catching climbing films ever produced – winning 6 awards in 2004.
He has also presented a climbing documentary Ultimate Rock Climbs on BBC1 in 2007. Ice climbing, snowboarding, surfing, scuba diving, kickboxing and most recently BASE jumping are all facets of his extreme quest for all out adventure, and to push the boundaries of psychological and physical performance. His latest focus has become climbing newest cult – Para-Alpinism. This entails climbing a big wall with a BASE rig on and then jumping off, into freefall! Truly unique, Tim Emmett is a speaker not to be missed.  Reported 4th April 2011

Yorkshire Gritstone Bouldering: Volume 2 is out now! Written by Darlington's strongest climbers Steve Dunning and Ryan Plews. Bored with bouldering at the same old venues? Looking for some fresh challenges then check out Yorkshire Grit Bouldering Vol 2. See sample pages here. This is another excellent guide book by Steve Dunning and Ryan Plews, this time it highlights bouldering on the wilder and higher crags in the peaceful and quieter parts of Yorkshire! It covers many superb quiet and remote destinations such as Simon's Seat, Lords Seat, Hen Stones, Crookrise, Deer Gallows, Fairies Chest, Hellifield, Rylstone, Brandrith, Flasby Fell, Goldsborough and lots of new development at Guisecliff. It that isn't obscure enough for you there is also a chapter packed full of classic esoterica. Printed in a full colour A5 landscape format and with full colour topos and stunning colour photography throughout. The guide also has easy-to-follow approach maps for each area covered and has lots of useful information about bouldering ethics, weather, conditions, grades etc. Available now priced £22 published by Total-Climbing.com. Durham Climbing Centre have a special offer: Buy both Yorkshire Gritstone Bouldering Volume 1 and Volume 2  together at a special price of £36, (a saving of £6). Only while stocks last!  Read all our reviews here. Reviewed 4th April 2011

Price £22. Published by Total-Climbing.com.

Mountains of Inspiration.  An exhibition by Hexham based climber Susan Dobson at The Gallery, Gateshead Library, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4LN Tel: 0191 433 8420. Susan, an experienced mountaineer and climber, has long felt an affinity with remote and wild places and has made numerous trips to mountain ranges at home and abroad. The prints and etchings featuring in this exhibition, “Mountains of Inspiration”, were inspired by her recent trips to the Himalayas and Dolomites. Susan spent the whole of February, based at the Annapurna Sanctuary. Susan’s striking and atmospheric images draw you into the landscapes, evoking memories of ever changing weather and light... It sounds superb, check it out! Exhibition Dates: Saturday 19 March – Saturday 30 April (closed Bank holidays). The Artist will be talking about her work at The Gallery on Saturday 9 April, 11am. Reported 31st March 2011

The Newcastle Climbing Centre Climbing Festival is on Sat 16th April from 10.30am until 4pm on the mezzanine upstairs. The idea of the Climbing Festival  is to bring the local climbers and businesses together. Some of the stalls will be, Mountain Boot Company, Oblique Ceramics, Artist Chris Ridge, Clothing designers, bespoke chalk bags, boot demos from Tenaya, and food from Pilgrims Coffee House. We will  also have Instructors, Jon Punshon, Andy Hedgecock and Roxcool all there, telling people about what they do and the courses they run. All stall holders will be donating prizes to a hamper, one of which is a £140 voucher from Montane. The hamper will be raffled off with proceeds going to The Percy Hedley Foundation. The charity helps severely disabled adults and children take part in sports that would not otherwise be possible without the support and time from the Foundation. Reported 25th March 2011

New Grey Circuit at Climb Newcastle. Guest Setters Percy Bishton and Martin Smith have set a radical Grey Circuit at Climb Newcastle. Percy Bishton is one of the owners of the Climbing Works in Sheffield and an experienced international route setter, and Martin Smith is an international comp climber and one of the owners of City Bloc bouldering wall in Leeds. It should be interesting! Reported 23rd March 2011

Monk Life sees multiple repeats. Micky Page Page returned to Kyloe in the Woods to take some  photos on Monk Life with photographer Mark Savage for Mark's forthcoming book which will be a celebration of climbing in Northumberland. "Micky got warmed up while I got my gear set up, then he got on it and did it first go, making it look easy. Then he did it again, and again.... and again!" read the full story and see the pictures on Mark's blog here. Reported 16th March 2011

BMC North East Area Gathering. The BMC’s NE area is about to hold its first meeting in quite some time on Monday 28th March. There is a new venue: West Park Café, 4 Tillage Green, Darlington, DL2 2GL and there are some new faces. Lloyd Murray has agreed to chair this first meeting, and he is brimming with enthusiasm for getting things done and making progress: all good news! The meeting will start at 7.30pm prompt. Free food will be laid on by the area team in the form of soup, sandwiches, cake and scones. Hot drinks will be served and there is a bar there too. The agenda for the evening is on the BMC Community Website. After the meeting, Kriton MacKenzie will do an audio visual presentation entitled “Scotland to the Himalayas”.  Reported 14th March 2011
 

The British Youth Competition Results. There was a great turn out for the final round of North East and Lakes, British Youth Competition at Newcastle Climbing Centre on Sat 5th March. Everyone who entered came away with goody bag from the sponsors Berghaus, La Sportiva, Climb magazine & Rockworks Climbing.   Congratulations to the winners: Sam Bullock, Anna Taylor, Jack Graham, Emily Winterhalder and Sam Brannigan. For the full competition results and more info check out The BMC Website. The National finals will be held on 25th June 2011 at Wolf Mountain in Wolverhampton. Reported 8th March 2011

Wild Vision at The Gala Theatre Durham Tonight. Internationally acclaimed photographer John Beatty is currently touring UK theatres with a fantastic evening of stories and images from his journeys into the wilderness, kindly sponsored by leading outdoor travel clothing company Rohan. John is widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting and stimulating nature, travel and adventure photographers to have emerged in recent years. He has dedicated his life to capturing the magnificence of the natural environment through his lens and has travelled to over 38 different countries. His audio-visual presentations infuse his audiences with energy and wonder at the beauty of our planet. With images and footage from the ferocious volcanic eruptions in Iceland, the Great Migrations of the Serengeti and the beauty of his native Peak District. "John Beatty's audio visual show is awesome, unique and unforgettable." Steve Crowe. More info here.  Reported 3rd March 2011

FRANCE-Côte d'Azur by Chris Craggs

Rockfax's second selective guide to France is filled with inspirational ideas for your forthcoming Easter trip. Packed within its 400 pages it includes over 25 superb crags along the sunny Mediterranean Coast of France, from Marseille to Monaco. It also includes inland venues such as Sainte-Victoire, Chateauvert and the Verdon Gorge. With the usual excellent photo diagrams and clear maps it is easy to get an appreciation of the crags even before you leave home! Chris Craggs has been climbing in France since the 1980's and this guide reflects his detailed experience and knowledge of the area. The guide seems well balanced with a good mix across grades of both single and multi pitch routes it offers something for all tastes. Further reading on UK Climbing. There is also a third edition in the Rockfax France series due out later in 2011 covering the South West from the Ardeche to Gorges du Tarn (Languedoc-Roussillon) however there is enough clear and concise information in this one volume to provide sufficient climbing for many years to come!  FRANCE Côte d'Azur by Chris Craggs is be available now, price £24.95. Read all our reviews here.  Reviewed 3rd March 2011

LLEIDA CLIMBS by Pete O'Donovan and Dani Andrada now has a website. In recent years the Catalan province of Lleida, situated in northeast Spain, has become increasingly popular and LLEIDA CLIMBS is an excellent selective guidebook covering twenty one different zones and featuring close to 2,000 single and multi-pitch routes, from grade IV to 9b. "We have just started a blog (www.lleidaclimbs.com) to accompany the LLEIDA CLIMBS guidebook, giving information about new sectors and updates for the existing guide." Pete O'Donovan. For more information about the guide, and for updates if you already own it, visit www.lleidaclimbs.com Reported 28th January 2011