UKC

Hi all,

My ultimate goal is to one day climb a big wall in Yosemite or the like and as part of my preperation I ovbiously need to learn to aid climb. However I know that in the uk this is not widely practiced and I was wondering what the general consensus was on aid climbing free routes in the uk? Im ovbiously talking about clean aid and wouldnt be thinking about aiding 3* routes at Stanage on a sunday.

Just wanted to get an idea about how people ferel about this and uf anyone can recomend some suitable routes/places to try??

Slightly of topic but it does seem aid climbing could also really help me with confidence in my gear placements and help my confidence on the free climbing side of things.

Any comments welcome

G

In reply to gcandlin:

Aid whatever you like if your going to do it clean. There are no rules, just people won't be happy with you hammering in pegs etc. Your call really, just be sensible. Maybe avoid delicate and/or popular routes.

Get on the big roof at Kilnsey!

Si

In reply to gcandlin:

There are apparently some aid routes in the Doveholes cave in Dovedale

In reply to gcandlin: Have a look at my wishlist, these are the few climbs i can find in the UK which still have an aid grade (i.e never had a true free ascent)

Other then that go anywhere you like if your using clean, just leave the pegs at home.

P.S dont hook fragile edges or holds that are likly to snap off, and genrally avoid hooks as much as possible.

Why not give laughing arthur ot hedbury big cove a go, i dont think its had a clean aid ascent yet.

In reply to gcandlin:

Pick a quiet place, that's a bit out of the way/unpopular and I'm sure no one will notice let alone care. I can think of several crappy quarries near me that have plenty of bolted routes which have plenty of aid placements on them. I doubt anyone would even be there at the same time as me let along caring if I was doing clean aid. Obviously, pegs are a no-no.

In reply to gcandlin: Thanks for the advice guys

In reply to gcandlin:

The embankment routes on millstone (on damp/wet days) provide a good place to practise aid climbing.

Also the Doveholes/Thors Cave in the Peak provide an interesting and amusing day out!.

If you really up for it the that is always parliament house cave at Gogarth which had a few aid routes on it, but these do require pegs (and lots of). Best to get some advice from a guy in Joe Browns (Llanberis).

Pretty much any crack line should be good sport too, along as you are sensible and conciencious! Have fun!

In reply to gcandlin:
Suggestions above all sensible. We practiced at Millstone etc to get a feel for fast aid, hauling etc - seemed to work ok.

Youre also spot on re the confidence of placing gear. You know you will weoght each placement - not so on free routes where you may place a dodgy piece but hope not to fall on it. Its pretty amazing what you can step up on!

Bolt ladders are good to get your systems sorted - free hanging ropes for jugging practice useful too.

In reply to Tom_Harding:


Not that I'll ever be able to do it, but the Rockfax route info says not to aid Laughing Arthur any more.

In reply to gcandlin:

Almost any sport route in Yorkshire. Standard set up seems to be one guy aiding, one belaying, six standng round watching and gassing. But it keeps us out of the pub

In reply to gcandlin:
Can you get to the Peak at all? I have all the aid gear needed for the dovedale and manifold cave routes, Its a good laugh, save you shelling out before you've tried it and indeed, if it suits you!

In reply to jezb1: The original line of Laughing Arthur has never been free climbed to the best of my knowledge. The free version takes a slightly different route. I would not recommend this route until you are well versed with the techniques, moving quickly and are confident.

In reply to gcandlin: The Bat at Doveholes (Dovedale) and Thor and Kyrie Eleison at Thor's Cave in the Manifold Valley are great aid routes and a good intro to the more complicated ropework involved etc as they are on bolts.

Millstone also has some good cracks to aid but obviously show respect for other users, aid climbing is pretty slow so don't hog classic lines, going there when its wet would be a good idea (and give you something to do on a wet day!). I can recommend London Wall on aid, I did it before a Yosemite trip to hone my aid skills and it was excellent.

Most gritstone quarries should have some lines worth aiding if you want to go somewhere quieter on a nice day. You could clean up some neglected routes in the Lancashire quarries while you're at it and do us all a favour!

If you want a really memorable experience you could climb The Big Overhang at Parliament House Cave, North Stack, Gogarth and then there's The Scoop on Sron Ulladale in the Outer Hebrides, probably the ultimate aid route in the UK.

In reply to Tom_Harding:


I've never used pegs before, so i really don't know much about them, but what's wrong with using pegs? Not many people seem to like them, do they damage the rock?

In reply to blanchie14c: Thanks all for the advice and to blanchie for the kind offer still at the pondering stage at the moment but cheers!

In reply to harry-shutler:


Yes, repeatedly bashing pegs in and out does damage the rock and nowadays with such a range of protection devices/sizes/shapes to choose from they are largley considered redundant.

Ironically however, it was only because of the pegging activities of aid climbers that some of the best quarried gritstone climbs exist. Repeated pegging of hairline cracks prised them open over time, making them wide enough to take fingers. Old peg scars can also make decent cam placements.

In reply to harry-shutler:

Hi Harry

Andy Kirpatrick has just released a relly good book/pdf on piton craft called Driven. It covers all the topics in one book as in relevent to UK winter, alpine and bigwall/aid climbing.

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/driven-a-piton-manual/11257545

T

In reply to gcandlin: I climbed Kyrie Eleison last year and did The Bat last weekend. Both are great routes, although I found The Bat to be much harder, sky hooks are certainly going to help.