UKC

My climbing buddy and I are intending to tick every (main) crag in the RockFax Eastern Grit (the latest revision) in 1 day (or less). This equates to 19 crags, so an aim to climb 19 routes (1 on each) in less than 24 hours.

We've tried to pick a route at HS or above, with at least 1 star (according to the guide book), with the idea being to tick a route on every crag from Wharncliffe down to Black Rocks.

Starting out early (obviously), with some tactical parking to reduce down on the walk-ins. Taking the minimum of gear to each venue to lead then second (i.e. no solos).

Has anyone tried to do anything like this before? (I'm sure folk have) and does anyone have any suggestions on how to make it slick? Gear up at the car? Drive between crags with harnesses and helmets on? Only eat pick n'mix? Stay tied together even in the car?

If anyone has any brilliant hints or tips (or other suggestions), then it would be good to hear.

Thanks.

In reply to Skinny: Gearing up at the car speeds you up a fair bit, when you get back just throw the harness with gear still on into the boot.

Try to pick an area with more than one route that meets your description, incase someone is already on it!

In reply to dutybooty:

Going for a week-day to avoid crowds we hope, but have a couple of routes for some crags. Just some crags (e.g. Baslow) there aren't really many routes that meet the challenge criteria.

In reply to Skinny:

A very vague bit of information here, but wasn't there a section on Hard XS where they hit so many crags in one day within the Peak District. Unfortunately I can't remember who it was at the moment; I can check when I get home though. There might not be much information in the short video but might be worth a watch to see if you can spot anything that might help.

Good luck with it!

In reply to dutybooty:

Why bother taking your harness / gear off other than to add to the faff factor.

Its a great challenge, but sadly more of a car / driving challenge than a climbing challenge. Have you come across the Lakes Classic Rock challenge? All Lake District Classic Rock routes in 24 hours but on foot.

http://www.outdoorwarehouse.co.uk/index.cfm?action=article.read&article...

In reply to Skinny:

Search planetfear for an article called "Midsummer Madness The UKs Best Climbing Challenges" (UKC won't let me post the link!).

Scroll down to "The Gritstone Challenge" -it's a great day out but should be done on foot not in the car! Leave your car at Bamford and call a taxi from the robin hood inn to take you back to it.

In reply to Jonathan:

Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/ljnm67

In reply to EeeByGum:

A rough estimate of calculations (taking driving times from Google maps) and the walk-in times from the RockFax guide book, it roughly equates to about 2 to 3 hours driving time and about 10 hours climbing time and roughly 5 hours walking time (the big walk in being to Dovestone Tor).

We toyed with the idea of doing it on bicycles, but my climbing partner doesn't own a bike and hasn't ridden for years, so hopefully not too much of a driving challenge.

I'll take a look at the Lakes walking one. Anything without a car involved sounds better (had a nightmare of drivers keen to die on the road, on national 3 peaks a few years back and don't want a repeat of that).

In reply to BStar:
That's the 'Esoterica' episode with John Arran and another guy I can't remember the name for.
They did purposely choose the horrible choosy, loose routes thoug

In reply to goose299: The other guy was Shane Ohly and it was the Esoterica section of On Peak Rock.

In reply to john arran:

Cool! Lots of good challenges to line up for the future....

In reply to Skinny:

an alternative challenge. only one crag but a fair bit of walking and 36 very fine climbs. did it last year and it's one of the best days i've had there:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=437

In reply to Skinny: used to do a thing I called the Rylstone Ramble.started from Eastby ,Deer Gallows,Crookrise .Rylstone .night in Grassington ,down river up to Simons Seat and back to car at Eastby used to do 1000 ft of climbing plus ..carrying all the gear ..

In reply to Alex@home:

A good challenge and one that will probably go on the list in the future. I was inspired by another post a year or so ago when someone said they'd climbed at every crag in the two Rockfax guides in the Peak (Eastern Grit and Western Grit). Not really a challenge but just something they mentioned in passing.

I realised I've climbed at most, but still missing three venues - Baslow, Higgar Tor and Yarncliffe.

True it would have been easier to just visit them and tick them, but I decided it might be more exciting to make it a challenge.

The VS at Stanage is certainly something I'd be interested in doing, but after I've ticked all the (main) Eastern Grit crags and perhaps then looked at those I've not ticked in Western Grit.

In reply to Skinny: Reminds me of a story I heard, there was a "perhaps mythical" challenge to order a pint, start drinking it, drive to and climb cenetaph corner, then get back again to finish the pint within the hour.

The two chaps climbing it roped together in the pub before they set off, then ran to the car and tried to get into the normal doors before realising their mistake!

In reply to Skinny:
As your rack will be small and you will be sharing it, how about just nuts and 1 - 3 size friends and a big sling on a single bandolier. You don't want to walk up to Dovestone Tor tied together or with a rack on. 1 shortish rope (don't forget millstone) should do it if you pick the routes right.

"Stay tied together even in the car?" Good luck with that!

Cake
P.S. It does sound like an excessive (petrol + walking) to fun ratio

In reply to ablackett:

Are you not thinking of Vector? There was a great thread on here a while ago about it.

In reply to Cake:
>> P.S. It does sound like an excessive (petrol + walking) to fun ratio

The driving will be spaced out (some of it in blocks of less than 10 minutes) and hoping the walking will be made shorter by running (although I realise to many (sort of including myself) that running is even less fun than walking.... so hopefully the main time of the day will be the fun bit.

Hopefully also the normal faffing (finding a route in the guidebook, gearing up, eating biscuits) time will be reduced down, since I've only allowed in the estimates 30 minutes per climb (to lead and second). My climbing partner is a good climber, but also a good faffer

In reply to victim of mathematics:

defo Vector from PYB bar, I thought featuring 'Jon' as a climber maybe wrong on that bit