UKC

Dave Birkett's scrambling phase didn't last long!

He has just repeated Dave Pickford's April 29th 2007 new route at St Govan’s Head in Pembroke, The Brothers Karamazov E9 6c.

Report with photos here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

who decides how to go about placing pegs on routes like this and using what criteria?

In reply to Morgan Woods: Hand placed peg I understand?

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Clearly Birkett is on fire, but it does make you wonder about the grading. A few top ropes and he's up it.

I'd love to see some of his Lakes routes get repeated...

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Pedantic i know, but technicaly speaking he has not climbed E9 in Scotland, he repeated Holdfast E9 7a (Glen nevis) with side runners.

In reply to Conquistador of the usless:

No grade debates on the weekend please.

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: Yes disgraceful behaviour on the weekend, Dave will be addressing that comment very soon...

Forgot to mention in the report that Dave came back the next day and lead the E7 6c ('War and Peace' I think) which starts from the break where 'The Brothers Karamazov' finishes and goes to the top. If you're interested in the style Dave rapped down and had a 'feel' of some of the moves on abseil then lead it clean, including downclimbing from the crux to remove his jumper.

In reply to Alastair Lee:

Freakey Styley

Got to like that!

In reply to Removed User:

Dave Pickford does not overgrade.

In reply to Removed User: well Pickford thought 7c+/8a ish as far as i know, and i would expect Brikett to nail that pretty quick so its not that surprising really..

In reply to abarro81:

Yeah, 7c+/8a according to Ally, who should know ...

I'm with Alex on this one, I'd be surprised if DB couldn't (at least) get all the moves and link substantial sections on a top rope within a few tries.

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: it says on the wild country site that he's done 8a o/s; still well impressive to get it done on abold route so quickly!

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:


Dude...wait until Monday to get on the gradey-train!

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: Thats awesome, nice one Dave!!

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Ah ! realisation dawns ! We saw DB at StGovans on the bank holiday monday striding purposefully off to St Govans East and we saw him working something on a shunt then. We couldn't for the life of us work out what he was on - obvious in retrospect since its not in the book !

As an aside, how long is that bit of the cliff going to be there ? the line looks to start very close to the massive area of rockfall just left.

In reply to Morgan Woods: Dave Pickford placed a very poor peg on the upper wall for psychological gear for the last hard move to the break; sounded like a downward pointing knife blade that bit in only 8mm, and was hard to tie off because of other bits of rock shrouding the blade of the peg. Dave removed this as it would rust away quickly and potentially damage the placement in the process, probably with understanding that no-one would be getting on the route anytime soon.
Up steps Dave Birkett, places his own peg, and does the business within weeks of the first ascent; bon effort!

In reply to Alastair Lee:

<shakes head in disbelief> ... Still, it must have made a nice change for him from downclimbing to remove cragfast sheep?