UKC

Managed to make the most of a nice super sunny day and finally climbed Heading the Shot (E5 6b) which was awesome.

Did a blog about it...

http://www.jbmountainskills.co.uk/news/the-fine-line-of-failure-and-success...

In reply to jezb1:
nice one!

Amazing rout isn't it!

In reply to JSH:

Cheers!

Yup, thought it was awesome

In reply to jezb1:

That blog entry was quality. Enjoyed reading it. Nice one on getting the tick as well mate.

In reply to jezb1:

Good effort! With respect, I'd take slight issue with, 'I'd decided not to top rope it, there wasn't any point...' I think there is a point - fine tuning, aligning your body with exactly what's required of it. I've lost count of the routes where I've thought, 'I know exactly what to do,' and then got out of kilter - which can throw you psychologically (well, it does me!) If you've done hard moves 10 minutes previously and then you get on lead, you can tell yourself, "Bloody hell, I did this a moment ago..." (Works for me!)

Can I ask a really bumbly question? I note you did this in Anasazi Whites. Good shoe for this type of climbing? I've got aspirations on this slab but, right now I've only got one pair of shagged out Muiras, which ain't going to work on thin slate, and a pair of new(ish) aggressive ones which possibly might. Any ideas? I've led E4 on slate back in the day but, if getting on something a lot harder, it might help to have decent shoes.

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:

Hey Mick!

I just wasn't making any progress on the top rope, I was struggling to focus and try properly like I do on the lead. I'd learnt the moves well enough and it would have made me doubt my ability more. Some routes I work to death and get them dialled, but for me that approach wasn't going to progress me on this route.

I find the whites brilliant for the slate, mine are quite new so still have a good edge and are nice and stiff. They're not made any more but there's still some sizes available. I'm a big Five Ten fan, they fit me really well, so if I hadn't have got the Whites I'd have looked at the Verdons and Pinks. I couldn't have climbed this in my worn anasazi velcros or greens, nice new shoes all the way!

In reply to jezb1:

Good effort Jez! 7b next? :-D

Great blog post too!

In reply to jezb1:

Many thanks for the shoe advice and sure, ultimately it's whatever works best for a particular person on a particular route on a particular day (wow, that's a lot of particulars!) You must be buzzing after this. Might be worth checking out other stuff while you're still buzzing (when you're on a roll, you're on a roll...)

Thanks again.

Best wishes,

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward:

No worries Mick and yep Kubla Khan is next on the list, but hopefully on sight...

In reply to jezb1:

+ 1 for the 5.10 whites, superb on the slate.
I've worn 5.10 for nearly 20 years, the fit on the new pinks totally different and very poor.

In reply to jezb1:

Well done! I remember doing this route onsight years ago for the E grade tick (over 20)... I did have beta though because the original bolts (hence the post because I thought you might be interested) were those home made bent pieces of metal with holes that were too small for most krabs. So I had to buy a set of ultra-light Stubais from the shop so with a really small diameter so they would fit into the bolts!

In reply to squarecow:


E21? And they moan about grade inflation...

In reply to squarecow:

On a day of a dozen E points (1986!) I belayed my climbing partner Frank who flashed this with only one runner and no beta. Well there wasn't even a guide to slate in them days! But then Frank was a mental climber He led me up Vector in the snow, in bare feet!!! Sadly he gave up the sport shortly afterwards.

In reply to jezb1:

Love all the slate history, great to hear stories of people far bolder than me!

In reply to jezb1:

"toes in agony from them being crammed into tight Five Ten Whites, pushing onto tiny edge after tiny edge."

I don't think your toes are meant to hurt that much :p
I do plenty of climbing on sandstone micro-crimps and edges and the fit of my shoes (Katana lace) is firm but not crazy tight. In any case for working the route you may want to use your comfy warm up pair in order to save rubber and to make the redpoint burn feel easier.

In reply to Sean Kelly:


Bloody hell! I doff my cap in respect.

Mick

In reply to Morgan Woods:

Agony maybe a bit melodramatic, but the holds are tiny and working it on a top rope meant I was on it for much longer than a lead attempt.

I don't think any of my other rock shoes would have given me enough confidence to use the smallest of the holds, I need every advantage!

To those discussing about boots

You remind me I was very happy to cleanly second Heading the Shot 25+ years ago

Thing is my mate had onsighted it with his toes actually visible through the front of his boots
This was back when it had those odd hangers that you had to clip awkwardly upwards...

In reply to Carless:

Good effort on both of you. I've done 7b with totally knackered shoes (at least they were comfy!) but that was on limestone, not slate, where I'm really crap. I rarely ask for help on here but, when I do, I'm always gratified how helpful people are - as indeed they have been on this occasion.

Mick

In reply to jezb1:

It took me 45 minutes to on-sight it, not sure my feet have ever been the same again.

Thinking about it, I'm not sure if I've done a single route on the slate since that day - must have left an impression (or a scar...)

In reply to Mick Ward:


Actually we had quite an exciting time before we even arrived at the foot of Vector. On the way up to Wales from Manchester in a brand new Nissan (not a week old), there was quite a bit of snow about but the roads were generally clear, but as we drove through a wooded bendy section between Mold and the A5 I warned Frank that I would slow down (he really was a very nervous passenger), as the cambers were rather testing. But as we rounded a bend, snow had blown across the road and I immediately lost traction. We ended up in a deep snow drift but were otherwise unhurt. We got out to inspect the damage. Not even a scratch on my new car but in front of us was another car, upside down. We went over to inspect and were surprised to find two others still strapped inside! Just then a tractor appeared from the local council and reported that we were the 4th car to leave the road that morning in this particular spot. I always wondered why no warning sign was not in place.
Before we started up Vector Frank wanted to try the Atomic Finger Flake as there was little chance of snow on it. But thankfully I talked him out of that. I'd had enough adventure for one day!
On reflection I recall Frank used a Skyhook on one of those matchstick edges!

In reply to Mick Ward:

All I can say is I found it ok to second with good boots on (I think Scarpa Rock Masters)

How my mate coolly onsighted it with crap boots on I don't know
I assume he hooked his toenails on the edges

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:


That's a long time on those little edges!

In reply to Carless:


Fair play, I need every advantage possible to make up for my lack of talent!

In reply to jezb1:

Me too.

Mick

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

45 minutes? Where you waiting for a written invitation to top out? My word that sounds harrowing!

In reply to Mark Reeves:

I must have been fell running a lot at the time, so had the legs to hang out forever but neither the finger or arms to pull up!

In reply to jezb1:

Hah. I remember when this was retroed - sorry, "rebolted" - the perps claiming how it wouldn't turn it into a sport route, hadn't changed the character of the route, and so forth. Lies, of course, as this thread makes fairly clear.

jcm