UKC

With the new BMC Peak Limestone in my hands I was bemused/outraged to see that the classic E1 of Medusa has gone down to HVS 5a.

Whoever wrote the script sanctimoniouly notes that "Wall bred climbers might disagree with the grade". I think the evidence says that "Everyone who has done the route might disagree with the grade."

Medusa (E1 5b)

Now, who do I send a stiffly worded email to, dagnabit?

In reply to Frank the Husky:

Swings and roundabouts?

In reply to jon:

Sounds like a right head full of snakes.

In reply to Frank the Husky:


That's quite spectacular! Only 1 out of 44 logbook votes has it as 5a (23 at mid-5b, 15 at hard-5b), and only 6 out of 49 have it at HVS, with 29 going for hard-E1.

In reply to Coel Hellier:

Is Medusa the route where a hold came off near the start about 20 years ago? It was HVS 5a when the hold was there, but significantly harder afterwards.

In reply to wilkesley:

That sounds like windhover, which has recently got even harder, and the peg has gone..

Medusa start isn't bad..

In reply to wilkesley:

No, it's the rest of Medusa that's hard!

In reply to bigdrew:


what!? That should have been headline news, surely? That's 3 good routes affected, they're going to be pretty stiff/bold without the first peg.

In reply to Frank the Husky:

It was HVS 5a according to the guidebook when I first led it over 30 years ago. And still that grade in the 1987 Stoney guide.

John

In reply to Jon Stewart:

Yeah the move is quite a bit harder now. It climbs similar but the feet are lower and more under the bulge, which makes it much more powerful. The remaining foot hold is looser than the old one as well.

Without the peg you are safe for the hardest move but the next move up to the ledge isn't one to fall off.

Flakes direct is unquestionably harder than scoop wall now!

In reply to bigdrew:

Yes, that's the one. At the time the hold broke off the peg appeared/disappeared at regular intervals.

In reply to John Gresty:

It must be 25 years since I last climbed it, but at that time I don't remember it being significantly harder than any other Stoney HVS's. However, buts have probably fallen off it since then.

Going off at a tangent. Is the last pitch of Chee Tor Girdle still 4c in the new guidebook? Most of the footholds fell off donkeys years ago, but it never managed to get upgraded.

In reply to Frank the Husky:
I'm sure there will be plenty of comments about "wall bred climbers" and " lost jamming skills", but Medusa is a sandbag at HVS . I also note that Minus Ten is back to its old grade of VS.

In reply to Frank the Husky: And I've just noticed Mani has gone up to E2, 5b, not sure that is warranted, easier than Medusa in my humble opinion.

Helicon, which is the only Stoney E3 I have done, has been down-graded to E2 which I must admit I agree with, but Ripemoff is also now E2 which seems wrong for such a well protected route.

All makes for good discussion.

In reply to Frank the Husky:
Yeah that's harsh.

I thought the start of Windhover etc merited 6a but may be I was just being rubbish.

In reply to John Gresty: Good for you, but it's not 1987 any more (and thank goodness for that)