UKC

On Sunday Eddie Barbour, librarian of Oxford University Mountaineering Club, soloed (after top rope practice) Simba's Pride E8 6b at Burbage South. This is possibly the third ascent after first ascensionist Toby Benham and Ben Cosey's recent solo (seen in the new Hot Aches film, Committed).

Report includes sequence photos.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

kudos.

why does his job matter? point of pedantry, like...

In reply to Ste Brom:

Nice one Eddie you sicko - all that training at Transition paid off then1

In reply to Ste Brom: One point of pedantry deserves another - I assume he's an undergraduate, and the club librarianship is an honorary position rather than a job.

He was onsighting very impressively in Pembroke earlier this year.

In reply to Ste Brom: haha its not really a job is it? Back in the day OUMC members made lots of notable ascents, this has not really been the case for a long time and so we're psyched that OUMC has members doing notable things again.

In reply to Ste Brom:

We like to write colourful news reports at UKClimbing.com that sometimes go beyond just the climbing facts. Many readers like that, you know, adding a bit of background.

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Also a welcome rebalancing of the public image of librarians everywhere.

In reply to Dave Garnett: imagine if his cardigan snagged..

In reply to Ste Brom:

At least he wasn't wearing his pink dress?

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
As ex Edinburgh UMC librarian, I'm pretty interested in that, go bookies!

In reply to Dave Garnett:
Though their timid reputation is not assuaged by the generous mattage employed.

In reply to Jon Read: that was more for sitting around on before the route, pretty sure if you came a cropper you'd go straight through them...

In reply to (marktomlinson): For the record there were two pads side by side, not a stack.

In reply to Dave Garnett: Conan the Librarian lives.

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:
oxford uni bookworm solos E8 in pink dress shocker. deffo worth a read.

In reply to Ste Brom: I guess his job doesn't really matter, just UKC being a little more informative by adding this. On this occasion I don't think 'pedantry' comes into it, he is affiliated to the Oxford University Mountaineering Club, which is, after all,part of what this site is all about. was it the Oxford bit that did it?

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Bloody university mountaineering clubs, monopolising crags with their top roping.

In reply to dafydd64: yeah, more of a cambridge man, myself.

In reply to Ste Brom: Sorry, never heard of it.

In reply to (marktomlinson):
Maybe we should get eddie to go back for pics with the dress, or KK flash with it on?

P.S. for full paddage record (going by the photo): the 2 alpkits and toby's thin brown ones.

In reply to abarro81:
p.s. eddie is my hero. when i grow up i want to be just like him. only not live in oxford and not be such a weak punter;0
waddage.

In reply to abarro81: ah yes, but toby's ones are like doormats!

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

nice work

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:

Looks more like a highball than a route, esp given the mats...

Gets E in my grading scale.

The full scale is as follows:

S: Slightly harder than walking
H: Have a go, you might not fall off
I: Interesting, apparantly that's a hold up there
T: Tell the missus I'm sorry I never sorted out the life insurance
E: Ever so much harder than anything I will ever do, so I think I'll stay here and slag off those who can for using chalk/sticky rubber/mats (delete as appropriate)

Seriously though, good effort. Looks bloody desperate.

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: nice one ediie, good effort

In reply to andybenham: Really dont think this can be classed as a highball. im pretty sure one alpkit doesnt make much difference from that height, and the chances of landing on it if you actually fell were pretty slim.... the hard climbing starts off a ledge so theres the potential of hitting that if you fall, definatley a very serious undertaking you wouldnt be climbing again on that day for sure if you fell off that high up!!! awesome effort anyway ed inspiring stuff. shame you had to bottle an E1 later on ey these libarians...pansies i tell ya.
p.s. 6b is pretty harsh too!! had a little go and it was hard!!!!

In reply to Toby:

Toby and andybenham, are either of you related to Toby Benham?

Simba's Pride looks much higher than Samson which was been highballed above a stack of pads. I don't think one layer of mattage is going to do much falling off the top of Simba's. Unless you are of the bouncing/ bend at the knees and roll sort.

In reply to Jus: was he also on messiah a bit earlier on?

good effort btw.

In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com:not on messiah...im not toby benham either!!!

some footage of him on Loskot somewhere on this vid...

youtube.com/watch?v=N4-TQn7ZBGE&