Phil Targett and Chris Davies have developed an excellent new boulder near Aber Falls. The Sleepy Hollow Boulder has 14 established lines; highlight of the bunch is The Bantamweight Roof 7A/+ which tackles the obvious central line on the main roof section.

It’s a fairly large boulder located down by the river. The rock is flinty under the large roof but the established problems are all solid. There is some boggy ground to the right of the boulder as you approach but this can usually be avoided. The top of the boulder has been left mostly uncleaned on purpose to limit the impact on the indigenous plants. Only three or four problems actually top out, the others are dropped off after matching the top.

There is a large sheet of plastic to put down at the back side of the boulder if the ground is wet. Please fold this away and stash out of sight under the large roof when you leave (preferably in between the adjoining boulder where it can't be seen.)

Approach: park at the Aber Falls car park. Cross the bridge as for the falls but take the left hand track where it forks and walk adjacent to the river for less than a minute. The boulder is down on the left just over the fence.

The problems are described from right to left as you face the boulder (with the car park behind you.)

Close to the Wire 6B+ *
Sit start as for Are you Gittin... but move right from the good starting hold and make a long slap to a good crimp via an intermediate edge. Match and move up to a hold just above. Rock over rightwards on the triangular pocket round the rib to get stood up. [Phil Targett 11/Apr/2014]

Are You Gittin' Lippy Hippy? 5C *
Sit start on the right hand side of the boulder just by the large mossy rock (which is to your left). Hands on the good flat hold, feet on a hold just above the small boulder under the roof. Slap up left, match, then up to the lip. Move right and rock over using the big flake. Down climb the brushed slab. [Phil Targett 11/Apr/2014]

Hot Rod 6A+
Sit start just left of the large mossy boulder. With feet on the highest of the two small boulders at the back, pull up from a good flatty to gain a good hold up and right. Reach left and match on the obvious hold and finish direct via a big move to a jug. Drop off from the lip. [Phil Targett 13/Apr/2014]

Isambard Kingdom Brunel 6C *
Traverses the lip of the mighty roof. Follow hot rod to the good jug then make strenuous moves leftwards on edges to a good pocket. Slap left to gain the finishing holds on pork in any configuration. Drop off [Phil Targett and Chris Davies 13/Apr/2014]

The Bantamweight Roof 7A/+ **
The big roof leads directly onto the dyno hold on Hot Rod from a sit start. Finish up this or Isambard Kingdom Brunel. [Phil Targett 26/Apr/2014]

Pork In Any Configuration 6C *
The heavily pocketed left arête of the large roof. Left hand on a shallow dink round the arête and right hand on the cleaned poor edge under the lip. Make a fierce pull up to gain the start of the pockets and campus to the top. Drop off. V2 from a stand start with a hand in the large pocket. [Chris Davies and Phil Targett 13/Apr/2014]

Aberdaberdyno 6A+
Stand start left of pork of any configuration at a good crescent shaped pocket for the right hand and a small boss for the left. Use the obvious foothold for the left foot and dyno for the top. Match and drop off. [Chris Davies and Phil Targett 18/Apr/2014]

Aberdabadoo 6A+
Climbs the wall just right of the next arête along from pork of any configuration. Sit start below the big pocket. Make a hard pull from the fingery small pockets to an edge then the big pocket. Finish at the notch out right. [Phil Targett 16/Apr/2014 ]

Infinite 5A
The short prow on the backside of the boulder. Sit start. Touch the tree to finish. [Phil Targett 16/Apr/2014]

Geoff Capes 6B+ *
Climb finite and traverse rightwards on slopers along the top round the arête to finish at the notch of Aberdaberdoo. Pumpy. [Chris Davies and Phil Targett 18/Apr/2014]

Finite 7A *
Links tarpolin traverse into Geoff capes. A good workout for the forearms and possibly soft at 7a. [Phil Targett 19/Apr/2014 ]

Tarpolin Traverse 6A
The back wall suffers from boggy ground. It traverses the back wall from a sit start at the short left hand arête. Pull up right and follow the holds horizontally right, moving down to the starting holds of finite. Up this to finish. [Phil Targett 16/Apr/2014]

Cufflink 6B *
A good problem up the short arête. Start as for tarpolin traverse but go direct via the pocket and mantle out. [Phil Targett 16/Apr/2014]

Tie Pin 6B+ *
A sweet accompaniment to Cufflink. Sit start as for Cufflink but gain the pocket with the right hand. Rock over and mantle out using poor scoops left of the finishing holds of Cufflink. [Phil Targett 19/Apr/2014]

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