UKC

In reply to jon:

I did it three times and was in there the winter after it fell down, nothing left but a few hug boulders in the bottom of the Zawn. I think the whole pillar went rather than one side of the crack, though I am a little hazy on that.

Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs: I abbed in to do it the winter after it fell down. I seem to remember that a new climb had been created climbing the area where Yankee Doodle used to be, and a peg had been placed. The new route was E3 or E4 I think.

In reply to John2:

In that case it would seem wrong to call it YD. Brings to mind the Earth Rim Roamer(s).

In reply to John2:

Yes that rings a bell - a rather impressive arete if I remember. I suppose that could have been one edge of the original crack.

If I remember when Peak raiders did the fa. the locals swore the crack hadn't been there the year before or they would have spotted it - maybe they were right!


Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs: Yes, I remember an arete sporting a peg. Too hard for me. There's no mention of it in the 1992 Chair Ladder guide however, which does record the demise of Yankee Doodle.

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Who were the Peak's(!) raiders, Chris?

In reply to jon: Tom Proctor and Geoff Birtles.

In reply to Al Evans:

Ah, you're there Al. I wondered if you might be provoked... sorry. Really, TP and GB in 1990?

In reply to jon: I think the comment was about the original Peak raiders of original Yankee Doodle fame.

In reply to Al Evans:

Ah, yes you're right. Didn't read it well enough. So it's demise was already programmed. Do you remember a classic crack in the Gower that became an arête?

So who re-climbed it?

In reply to jon: There's a classic crack at Mother Carey's Kitchen that became an arete.

In reply to John2:

Now you're going to embarras me as I've no idea which it was!

In reply to jon:

Wraith.

In reply to Ian Parsons:

Wreally?

In reply to jon:

All of YD is gone. The arete to its right had a peg and a thread or two and was called something like Beautiful Woman. I did it in about 88 or 89. It was a route of Mark and Rowland Edwards and very good. I think the gear might have been drilled.

Cheers

Mark

In reply to Mark Glaister - Assistant Editor:

Looking at the dates it must have been earlier than 89, it was with two guys from Huddersfield way one called Chris Booth I think with wild ginger hair, very good climber.

In reply to Mark Glaister - Assistant Editor:

But that was the arête when YD was there???

On that trip when the photo was taken I remember having some bizarre conversattion with Rowland. Never met him before, but I think it was at his place, can't even remember why we were there... BUT the bit I do remember was him telling me about his drilled pegs. He said they drilled the holes - quite big dia I recall - then hammered a penny into the hole - they had to bend it to the dia of the hole. Then hammered the SS peg in along side it. Yes, I didn't really follow the reasoning either!

Wasn't there a big, good looking route in that area called Atlantic Ocean Wall, that was full of fixed gear?

In reply to jon:


Vwraiment!

In reply to jon:


I did that with Mike Owen, not as good as it looked, with quite a bit of crumbly rock on the 1st and last pitches. Good route to have done though! The gear in the top pitch was mostly scaffolding tubes (that's what they looked liked) hammered in to the rotten granite in the back of the groove. You tied them off.


Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs:

That must have been about when all this rope access work took off

In reply to Mark Glaister - Assistant Editor:

Spooky eh. Well I'd just scanned my photo and uploaded it to UKC when Jamie H's (who took the photo) name came up on another thread. I haven't seen him for a few years and it's only the second time he's ever posted a comment. Spooky indeed!

What do you make of Rowland's pennies in his drilled pegs, though...?

In reply to jon: That is weird stuff on the postings (the ghost of YD). With regard to the drilled gear - they were interesting times, the motivation and reasoning given for the use of drilled gear was always open, but in hindsight it just didn't workout due to a combination of factors, that have been well rehearsed. However it has led to a strong feeling that the granite cliffs in the area should remain free of fixed gear and has gone a long way to highlight the environmental side of the climbing impact in the area (of which some problems still need to be addressed such as cliff top / path erosion). All that said I enjoyed some superb lines that did have drilled gear in them and there are a few that I am glad that I did when the pegs (non drilled) were good.

Cheers

Mark

In reply to jon:

All natural sea cliffs Mark not just Granite (and there ain't any quarried ones)

In reply to Mike Raine:

Hi Mike, my question to Mark was not what he thought of drilled pegs or any pegs in general, SS or ordinary steel, but in fact Rowland's explanation on how he placed them - see a few posts above...

In reply to jon:

The ghost of Yankee Doodle lives but rarely posts.

In reply to JamieH:

Make that three.

In reply to jon: I can think of 2 possible reasons...

1. The holes were oversized so that the peg didn't pressure stress the (maybe brittle) rock so much, then semi-fill with a softer metal (pennies) which will change shape appropriately when the harder peg is hammered in.

2. Some kind of electrolytic effect by introducing a different metal to reduce sea-water/air corrosion of the actual peg.

No idea whether either of these is a goer - no doubt some UKC metalurgist will pop along and tell me that I'm talking rubbish.

In reply to Michael Hood:

Think you're right with the first but definitely wrong with the second... it'd increase the corrosion, no?

In reply to jon:

The coin might work like a 'sacrificial anode' and protect the peg, at least until it had all rusted away?

Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs:

And there's me thinking you were just a guide book writer...

In reply to jon:

I taught Chemistry for a good few years.

Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs:

I know. You'll be packing now... looking forward to it? I suppose Sheffield might be quieter - on one front anyway...!

In reply to jon:

Packing is precisely what we are doing at this very moment.

Storms forecast for Wednesday so we are getting of Kaly tomorrow, whilst the boats are still running!

Looking forward to it? Well it will be OK - already got a flight booked to Nice for next month!


Chris

In reply to Mike Raine: q

Hi Mike

I thought that I had better just point out that I am fully aware of the goings on and feelings down in West Cornwall with regard to the fixed gear debate and was not as you seem to be implying making any sort of case for peg or bolt renewal whether driled or in natural placements by only mentioning the granite cliffs. If you could of just qualified your post by stating the other rock types in the area (that you may have felt needed mentioning) and made reference to the outcome of the last BMC meeting and vote on the issue, it may have been more illuminating and helpful to readers and or those who are not familiar with the fixed gear position as it stands at the present time.

All the best

Mark

In reply to Mark Glaister - Assistant Editor:

Hey mark, I'm not having a go. Confusion has arisen around the issue in the past because it was thought by some that the bolt moratorium applied to the granite sea cliffs, it doesn't it applies to all of them. Just like to keep things clear. Didn't mean to sound stroppy.

In reply to Mike Raine:

Hi Mike

Thanks for just making that clear. I didn't want this post to turn into a major rehearsal of the fixed gear debate in West Cornwall.

Cheers

Mark

In reply to Mark Glaister - Assistant Editor:

me neither, but there is just one thing... aargh!!