Danny Cattell has climbed a brilliant new problem up on the Norman Wisdom Roof area above the Marine Drive on the Ormes. Snout V8+/Font 7b+ takes the obvious stand up line a few metres left of Aardvark Start with some powerful and snatchy moves leading into a brutal campussing sequence, which allows access to jugs above the lip of the roof.

The grade may turn out to be a touch conservative; conditions were perfect, and in the same session Danny climbed very smoothly through Director’s Cut V13/Font 8b, only to slip off just shy of the shothole.

The Norman Wisdom Roof has never been a fashionable bouldering area, but its lack of popularity is unjustified. The existing problems (Aardvark Start V6/Font 7a, Norman Direct V7/Font 7a+ and the traverse V6/Font 7a, which incidentally can be linked into the aforementioned up lines, adding a couple of grades) are all very worthwhile. The landing is flat and friendly; there are still more unclimbed project lines; the only drawback is that the pockets retain dampness in the depths of the winter. My advice: get there now whilst everything is dry.

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