NWB.com site editor Si Panton reports the discovery/rediscovery of two good problems at the RAC Boulders:

“Firstly I had spotted a possible right-to-left traverse line on a boulder at the right side of the boulder field beneath the crag and just next to the black gate in the wall. I showed it to Gav Foster on Saturday, and in fading light he didn’t manage to do it. I had a chest infection so wasn’t really climbing that day, but a few days later and feeling better I returned. The traverse seemed more awkward than good, so instead I focussed my energies on the obvious sitter tackling the pocketed prow up which the traverse would finish. This proved to be both slappy and tricky – a great little addition with about 6 or 7 moves to gain the top arête. It starts with a rounded pinch for your left and a low pocket for your right; slap up right to the obvious pocket and gain a high pinch/layaway with your left. The following hard foot manoeuvre and barn door flick to an undercut is the crux.”

“It may have been done before (probably), but if not I’d suggest The 4th Emergency V6/7a as a name and grade.”

“After that I popped over the gate with the vague notion of looking for a problem that Will Perrin told me about years ago. He said he’d done something with a pocket on a boulder on the other side of the wall. At the time I failed to find it, and promptly forgot about it. This time walking past the large long boulder my eye was caught by a steep section of rock. I clambered up onto the adjacent jammed block and was greeted by an overhanging groove sweeping down under the main boulder. A small sidepull flake and rounded foothold marked the perfect starting position at its base and the landing was perfect. After a bit of cleaning it was ready to go. I pulled on with a left hand pinch/thumb sprag at the base of the left arête of the alcove. A hard slap got me the pocket up left, and then the sloping ledge. Some tricky heel/toe hooking allowed a match and an escape out onto the front face where finger jugs lead quickly to the top.”

“I’m pretty sure this is Will’s problem, although the pocket was full of crud, there was some subtle evidence, particularly on the foot holds that it had been climbed before. So how about: Will’s Groove V6/7a ish for a name?"

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