UKC Forums - King Kong

King Kong - Grade?

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paul wood 07 May 2002

I did King Kong at the weekend. What is the concensus of the grade these days?
It seems each year there is less rock but it appears quite stable at the moment.

Paul

H 07 May 2002

In reply to paul wood:

is that King Kong at Wintours Leap? - if so, i think it's HVS in current guidebook

StuartM 07 May 2002

In reply to H: not sure the guidebook grade applies anymore since the big block fell off the start - hence the question being asked

seem to recall something around E1 5b/c being suggested just after it happened

OP turfty 07 May 2002

In reply to paul wood:

Aye, King Kong, it's E2 if I remember rightly, the third pitch being the crux. Good on you for getting such a great mountain route in so early in the season. Great weekend for it though. Mind you, don't remember much loose rock up there.

H 07 May 2002

In reply to turfty:

not sure you can describe anything in the Wye Valley as a "mountain route", it being a lowland valley crag. But it was a great weekend to be out there, I did Zelda (again) on Sunday morning, just a shame I had other things to get back to in the afternoon

OP paul wood 07 May 2002

Yes I did mean King Kong at Wintours (or the Crag of Dreams as it is known).
A lot of rock fell off the first pitch a few years ago now.

Stefan Kruger 07 May 2002

In reply to paul wood:

Paul, get back to work.

Colin 07 May 2002

In reply to turfty:
If you are refering to the King Kong at Wintours then I thought the rock fall only affected the first pitch?
This would make the first pitch the E2 5b/c bit and the rest remaining at 5a?

OP johncoxmysteriously 07 May 2002

In reply to H:

I think you are slightly missing turfly's point. There is a possibly less famous but certainly far superior King Kong on Carn Dearg Buttress, Ben Nevis.

H 07 May 2002

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

> (In reply to H)
>
> I think you are slightly missing turfly's point. There is a possibly less famous but certainly far superior King Kong on Carn Dearg Buttress, Ben Nevis.

regardless of what Turfly was talking about, I don't think I was missing the point - i qualified that in my initial response by asking which crag(I was aware of the 2nd route) he was referring to - the answer was the one at Wintours Leap, Wye Valley

OP paul wood 07 May 2002

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

> certainly far superior King Kong on Carn Dearg Buttress, Ben Nevis.

"Far superior" ? Wow that must be some route. Have you done both?

OP johncoxmysteriously 07 May 2002

In reply to paul wood:

No - just the one in Wintour's Leap (not that great IMHO), and a couple of routes adjoining the one on Ben Nevis. Plus the usual rumour, pub talk, etc. But let's face it, any route on Carn Dearg is going to be better than any on WL.