UKC

On Tuesday 2nd September, James Pearson made a flashed ascent of Charlie Woodburn's Something's Burning, E9 7a, in Stennis Ford, Pembroke.

This is potentially the first flash of a route of this grade, certainly away from the grit...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=69151

In reply to UKC News:

Big numbers.

I have forgotten what flash means.

Is it first attempt + no falls, but having knowledge of route's moves ?

In reply to lowersharpnose:

Yes, sounds about right.

In reply to lowersharpnose:

Yes, moves and gear

In reply to lowersharpnose:
Yep.

James and Caro seem to have taken it to a slightly more advanced and detailed level than just your mate telling you that the crux is tricky but there's a bomber thread to protect it and the top slab is a bit necky but basically easy, and I think that's part of the reason that they clock some impressive E-numbers. On the other hand, the other part of the reason is basically waddage.

In reply to you lot:

Thanks All.

Is this like an onsight(*) E7?

* Climbed with just the guidebook description as beta

In reply to UKC News:
If its a flash you're going for don't piss about, get all the info you can. Too many onsights are claimed after gaining beta. As far as flashes go this is pretty amazing

In reply to UKC News:

Stunning effort. I get the impression he has in the past sent his rather talented girlfriend down on a rope to work all the moves and give him all the beta then he goes forth armed with said knowledge and dispatches the route. Not many of us have a girlfriend who can do that on a e1 let alone e9.

In reply to The Grist:


Careful, someone like tlm will be along to tick you off for not saying "girlfriend/boyfriend"!

In reply to UKC News:

They are a bloody impressive team

I have always called this type of ascent a "beta flash" to distinguish it from a "flash". A beta flash is where you execute someone else's instructions as you climb.

In reply to Eduardo Martinez:

beta flash and flash are the same thing.

Flash = pre-knowledge of the route. Onsight = no pre-knowledge of the route.

In reply to UKC News:

That's TOTALLY AWSOME!
So jealous!

In reply to Eduardo Martinez:

Technically a flash is first go. It is then differentiated as an onsight flash or a beta flash.

However, to confuse matters, onsight is used for an onsight flash and flash used for a beta flash.

In reply to UKC News:

Amazing, E9 flash. He's still as talented as he ever was

In reply to galpinos:

What if it's a solo aid beta flash?

In reply to The Grist:

Speak for yourself, my problem at the moment is trying to stop my wife climbing all the goods e4s.....

In reply to Removed User:

You'd sound American?

In reply to galpinos:

>

More like to simplify matters! Easier if you just forget about the more complicated terms.

In reply to galpinos:

"Onsight flash" is not thing. "Beta flash" is a flash with the word beta added for no apparent reason.

As said above, "Flash = pre-knowledge of the route. Onsight = no pre-knowledge of the route."

In reply to ColmShannon88:


...In the same way that Highball is High with Ball added for no apparent reason.

Good effort flashing Pembroke E9.

In reply to ColmShannon88:


There's a perfectly good reason, being that Flash itself originated to denote a no-falls ascent. This was then further refined into Onsight Flash and Beta Flash, depending on prior knowledge. The part that makes it confusing nowadays is that while Onsight Flash is now abbreviated to Onsight, Beta Flash is not abbreviated to Beta but rather to Flash.

In reply to john arran:

Thanks for clarifying John.

Been struggling to move up a grade for around 8ys now. Maybe I should adopt these ethics, but would that be ethical?

In reply to Owen W-G:

Maybe it would be a good idea. You could do a few in this style, realise you're capable of onsighting them anyway and nudge your OS grade upwards.

In reply to ChrisBrooke:

I once read in a climbing mag that a beta sandbag flash is harder than an onsight flash!

In reply to slinky wizard:

Certainly if someone gives you the wrong beta you may well find the route harder than with no beta.