UKC

Just wondering where people thought the crux actually is??

The start seemed quite easy both to contemplate and definately to execute...
Then it seemed I struggled with the immediate moves after the first gear (probably over psyched though)
The moves to cross the dogleg seemed definately cruxy
Then the overlap seemed (and was) very simple to do although there are what seemed hard moves immediately before this.

I've heard lots about people coming off the start and getting hurt and also people falling off the overlap and can't help thinking they must've been well out of their depth tech-wise, and equally don't know how they managed other parts if they couldn't do these moves?

I think I found Pull my Daisy harder overall, which surprised me!

Brilliant climb though Dervish... Was everything I'd hoped it would be... really intense and solid sustained 'proper' slate/and crack climbing

What's your thoughts on the crux and the climb in general??

In reply to Cragrat Rich: I haven't done the route myself but a good friend of mine has. He fell off the start. When I asked him what went wrong he said he didn't know, he didn't know why he'd fallen off, he couldn't even say which foot that popped. He expected he wasn't concentrating enough and so by falling off it woke him up and he then started again and climbed the route cleanly and smoothly.

In reply to Cragrat Rich:

I don't remember any part of it seeming significantly harder or easier than any other part.

Definitely a good route, though - really enjoyed it as my first E3.

In reply to SGD:

Wow...Bloody hell!!

I must admit, i went up on a foothold once to test the next handhold, came back, went to test another handhold and ended up just carrying on with no real essential decision on when to go.

It seems those moves are like a blur, simple enough, but probably easy to do what your mate did.
I almost couldn't believe it when I reached the safety of the gear, like I didn't know what I'd done, what was going on in my mind, and what all the fuss was about, all at the same time!

In reply to Cragrat Rich:

It never occurred to me the crux could be anything other than the dogleg until I came on here and found people talking about the start.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

The start has got rather polished over the years so maybe that's a reason. Also, unlike higher, you are going to deck if you mess up. The overlap is easy if you know how to do it, probably no more than 5a.

ALC

In reply to Cragrat Rich:


I reckon the crux on PMD is technically harder than anything on the Dervish (and slightly above the gear IIRC) but overall it's not as sustained - a series of trickyish moves but with good rests between them.

Never understood the fuss about the start. It's a bit insecure but only 5a or so. I'd agree that the dogleg is probably the crux although I had a sketchy moment below the overlap - I'd gone up in soft, comfy grit shoes and couldn't stand on some of the little edges by that point. When I did Flashdance a few months later I was almost more worried about blowing it on that section than I was about the runout below!

You should go and try some Lakes slate too.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

I agree. First time I did it it rained after the dogleg so I downclimbed and waited for it to get a bit drier. I must have had 4 swedges in close proximity on that first section. From memory there's a sequence of maybe two or three fingery 5c moves at about half height that you need to commit high feet for. By the time I was through that, the overlap was a delight.

Nick

In reply to Pagan:

I found one of the moves (low down) quite a bit harder than anything on Dervish and altogether in total, considering everything, found Pull my Daisy much more 'mentally' draining than Dervish.
Maybe because it's probably less enjoyable, and also because I wasn't nearly as psyched pre-climb.
I'd been dreaming about doing Dervish for about 4 years!!

Anyway... lakes slate? Wot Cathedral Quarry?? Whats that classic line there called again? Yeah, must try that sometime. been there but not climbed.

Cheers

In reply to Cragrat Rich:

For me the crux was somewhere in the middle, below the dogleg. I'd say about half way between the dogled and the ground. It's a small thin crack with limited protection.

The start is a bit worn now which is why, I think, people "pop" off it. I definitely bought a new pair of climbing shoes in order to do it as I needed the edges.

I didn't fing the dogleg hard at all and the climb after that was relatively easy.

In reply to Cragrat Rich: I first tried the dervish when I was well out of my depth and decked out from the start. Have since done it several times and it does seem rather easy. I would say the technical crux is the dogleg, but I can't really see anyone failing there - it's well protected, you can't get pumpped, all you have to do is stand up in several slightly different ways. So I guess more people bottle the start, so maybe that is the crux.

In reply to Cragrat Rich:

Found the low rockover onto the polished smear to be the crux. Don't remember changing cracks and remember the overlap as easy. The gear is so good on those sections though that they possibly seemed fairly inconsequential and thus easier after the potential ankle-breaking start.

Did dervish years ago (1994 maybe) and found various bits of the crack hard to get my fingers in. Was amazed to find such perfect gear placements and perfect finger locks when we did it agin in the summer. Haven't done pull my daisy in more than 10 or 12 years but maybe that is harder these days. Bottom section felt tricky both times. It's not hard but is a little insecure.

In reply to Cragrat Rich:

I fell off on the move just under the overlap. Couldn't decide the best way to go about it and I guess I got it wrong. Nothing else stuck out as a particular technical crux, just a series of interesting sequences between good finger locks and mini breathers. Didn't have any trouble on pmd but that came earlier in my week in the pass so I was fresher.

In reply to DJonsight:

Ditto for me, but my mate was giving me duff beta about placing my nut key as a runner to protect the one move to get the first decent part of the crack due to lack of micro wires. Tugged it a bit to hard, it flew out, I spun round and fell off. Wrenched my knee and ripped the arse out of my trousers when I decked...