UKC

It began for me in 2005, with my first ever outdoor lead climb. This is not a description of an epic first ascent or even a speedy repeat of a super hard test piece; it's simply a personal account about climbing iconic gritstone routes.

24 year-old Sam Hamer writes about completing the list of Top 50 climbs from the 2001 Rockfax Eastern Grit guide - an achievement which was 10 years in the making.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=7382

In reply to UKC Articles:

Cheers Sam ... Great Tale.

Clock's ticking Paul.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Motivating stuff, maybe I should pull my finger out and get on with the Top 50 myself...

Extreme Rock next then Sam

In reply to UKC Articles:

Congratulations Sam! A great and inspiring achievement. It's a great list and one I hope to get a good way into, even if I never climb EOTA!

In reply to Offwidth:
It won't be long now


Nice one Sam, inspiring stuff!

In reply to UKC Articles:
I notice how Sam left Goliath's Groove until he'd warmed up on Beau Geste and EotA!

In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice one Sam. I've still got eight to go but getting there.

You know there's a top 500 list too don't you?

In reply to UKC Articles:

I've come to realise that having a list such as this is really important. It keeps you focussed on your climbing ambitions,

Only if lists inspire you! They leave me cold

In reply to UKC Articles:
The top 50 list in the ukc logbooks is defo easier than the list Sam has done. London Wall is the hardest climb on it.

In reply to UKC Articles:

I thought this journey was going to start with Flying Buttress (the vdiff, not the Direct) and make its way slowly through Black Hawk Hell, Crack and Corner to Manchester Buttress, Inverted V and the Black Slab. Instead I find the author doing his first lead on a climb harder than I've led in my first two years. Very boring. I'd be more interested to read about climbers getting sandbagged by Right Hand Trinity.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice article, I'm pleased the Top 50 gave so much pleasure


Chris

In reply to UKC Articles:

Inspirational stuff. Well done Sam.

In reply to UKC Articles:

The Green Death pic - don't you just hate it when your belayer runs off to take a photo!

In reply to Sharp:

I'd not even noticed that!

In reply to Sharp:

Looks like a roped solo above a mat. Is there much gear to that point?