UKC

Can anybody tell me anything about this line? In the four or five years I've been visiting The Cuttings I've never once seen anybody on it. The logbook shows just one ascent in 2008 but a whole bunch of votes on the grade and quality.

It looks totally blank but if the route is really ** why is there so little interest? Perhaps like 6c+ 7c+ is a bit of an empty grade and those that might climb it are getting on Breathing Method or Fighting Torque instead?

Has anybody here climbed it?

In reply to lewiz:

I've been on it, it may look totally blank from a distance but if you get on it, get really close to the rock and scan closely across the whole face, you will find that it is, in fact, totally blank.

I clip-sticked up the majority of it and could not for the life of me see how to even begin most of it. I would pull on some holds and be unable to move, or see anything to move to. I would then find the next likely looking holds, pull on and be unable to move and unable to see anything to move to, it went on like that for the middle 5 or 6 metres of the route.

I know routes can seem impossible before you get the vital beta or just spend a lot of time on them, but I wasn't even vaguely inspired to ever try it again, it certainly wasn't giving anything away while I was there, ungradeable seems like a pretty good description.

In reply to lewiz:

Yeah, its just a bit conditions dependent. And not really very soft at the grade. There are holds on it though.

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

Good to find out somebody has done it Would you agree with the two star grade it gets on UKC (and presumably Rockfax)?

In reply to lewiz:

bump

because id also like to know if anyone has any ideas. not been on it yet but keen when it gets cooler!

In reply to lewiz:
I've top roped it clean a few times. It has good holds but conditions are key and it often has a wet streak.
The hard bit for the short is coming round the buldge and then clipping... the clip is on the blind side of my forearm at full stretch so is almost impossible to clip...

It is nice climbing but very short lived and a bit of a boulder problem in the sky... not 3 star for sure but maybe 2

In reply to lewiz:

Damn, I clearly need a metric shedload of beta for this then, I couldn't see any part of any sequence at all!
Is it a straight line or does it wander somewhat?

In reply to Dandan:

Slightly right of the bolts on the headwall with a great undercut back just above the bolt.

In reply to Dandan:

I tried it on TR too, I wasn't inspired to commit the time and effort, but managed an amount in parts. It strikes me as very "portland" - Reach, attach and pull hard, sometimes on unlikely holds. It's also well up above my usual grade (ever).

However, I too have never seen anyone climb or try to lead it. It seems to never have chalk either. I guess at hard 7c+, theres a soft 8a nearby to distract many. If you're that talented, then maybe the cuttings isn't a first choice venue for really hard sport. Though an onsight of "The Breathing Method" would secure you in an exclusive club, which I bet has more members than the onsight club of Hurricane...

In reply to Kevster:

breathing method has been flashed, for my money anyone managing 7c or better onsight/flash on portland is doing very well!