UKC

There are many classic routes around the country which provide enjoyment and fun to many. There are many classic ticklists listing these routes. Those who travel the country ticking away happily will have much merriment and laughter as they collect star after star.

I propose a different sort of ticklist... one for the dark deviants among us who prefer a bit of suffering. There should a moment of reflection at the bottom of each route ('oh god, why are we even here'). The route itself should pass as a slow, possibly never-ending horror. It is not enough that the climbing is unpleasant, or difficult, but there should be additional factors - a lengthy walk in, diving into and out of the bowels of the Earth, wetness and general disgustingness, the possibiility of being attacked by the native wildlife etc...

It should also take ideally many hours to complete; easy escape should not be an option, as you slowly contemplate all your bad choices that have led you to this place. The climbing itself should be of a fairly low grade, although being a massive sandbag is all part of the fun.

Finally, once completed, you should immediately realise that the adventure was fantastic. Extra points are awarded if none of your companions agree (permanent mental scarring is encouraged).

The only climb I have done (and can remember right now) of such quality is Great Gully (S), and rather than constantly going on about it I though I would ask you all for suggestions so I can do some more ridiculous nonsense and broaden my range of horrific experience

I have also done Under Milk Wood (VS 4a) but I quite liked it; I will let UKC decide if it is worthy of the label Type 2 Fun...

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=1594

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Monolith Crack (HS) sounds like it'd fit the bill.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Great Gully was very much Type 1 fun for me
So I look forward to the full list so I can get some more ideas for top days out. All I'll need is to find some willing companions

In reply to andrewmcleod:


I think pretty much any winter climbing ticklist fits this description.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Starvation Chimney (S 3c)
Helfenstein's Struggle (HVD 4a)

A couple of single pitch 'climbs'/squeezes worth consideration.

In reply to andrewmcleod:
Grooved Wall (VS 5a) for me, namely as it was my first ever multipitch. It was pretty intimidating when Pillar Rock came into view (a definite what are we doing here moment), but as the walk in was a good 2 and half hours the adage "you've made your bed" came to mind. The first pitch involves a scramble/climb up rock covered in loose turf, which was wet at the time, with at one point a huge bit dislodging from the front of a rock, almost causing a fall, with good injury potential, early on, which didn't exactly boost my confidence (this should have been the really easy part of the climb).

For me this was definitely type 2 fun, I spent a lot of the climb with an acute sense of horror. But on the descent I felt amazing and on reflection its the best day out climbing I've had.

The pints afterwards definitely tasted amazing.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

I thought Snakes and Ladders Approach (Old) (HVS) was good type 2 fun when done in pouring rain and at times heavy cloud. There were definitely moments of type 1, but mostly that was in between the ladders, tunnels and scrambles! But perhaps everything feels a bit more epic and unsafe in these conditions.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

No match for climb id:349250

In reply to andrewmcleod:
Clachaig Gully

In reply to andrewmcleod:

On Peak Rock top 10 esoterica.

In reply to andrewmcleod:


Anything at Chee Tor.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Darkness (E2 5c) climbed Light a few months ago and kept looking over and into the dark depths of this route, one day maybe!

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Great Gully on Cader Idris should tick all your boxes. I have done it when buried in snow and also as a summer route, winter was definately easier. It's up there with both Clachaig Gully and Great Gully on Craig y Ysfa, both of which I have also done in the summer. Sergeant Crag gully in the lakes is also a worthy contender. Although I can fully understand why most folks ignore these sorts of climbs, if you want adventures try them sometime. Generally, loose, wet, do not seem to fit the guidebook descriptions, plenty of grass, and thats in good conditions, one does need to be climbing a few grades harder than the guidebook grade to make any headway.
John

In reply to andrewmcleod:
The Elephant's Arse (S 4b) springs immediately to mind, concur with Great Gully (S)
The only route i have made progress on by punching into peat and expanding my hand and pulling up on the vacuum. I would would also offer Chocolate Blancmange Gully (none) as a horrorshow lite.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Excellent, for starters, have the glencoe gullies:

- The Chasm (Summer) (VS)
- Raven's Gully (Summer) (HVS)
- dalness chasm, in glen etive.
- Clachaig Gully (Summer) (S)

and also:
Preposterous Tales (E2 5b)

Mam Tor Gully (Summer) (Grade-3)

In reply to JamieSparkes:

I tried ravens in the rain once, bailed off it onto ravens edge, which wasn't as bad but still horrible and bailed again, we eventually did some single pitch thing near the top and I dropped a climbing shoe down great gully to top it off. I think ravens is close to E2, but didn't get up it, so who knows?

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Type 2? It surely has to be one of these!

- 'Sugar 'n' Spikes' - Sugar 'n' Spikes (E1 5a)
- 'Diabetics' - Diabetics (5.4)
- 'Sweet Dreams are Made of This' - Sweet Dreams are Made of This (7a+)

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Definitely 'Claghaig Gully'. It makes Great Gully feel like a fun day out.

In reply to JamieSparkes
I demand a retraction of The Chasm (Summer) (VS)
If you wait for a week or two without rain its a quality day out.
I'll give you Clachaig Gully (Summer) (S) though

In reply to andrewmcleod:

It's called winter climbing.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Mick Fowler routes? Or are they beyond type 2?

In reply to Graham Westbrook:

Especially if you do it on a piss wet day in December, I found.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Another vote for Clachaig Gully, especially after a rainy spell. Horrible route, but you'll get a good story out of it. I think Alex Roddie has compiled a list of choss-botherer routes, though I may be wrong.

In reply to andrewmcleod:
Had some type 2 fun in this a few weeks ago:
Lockwood's Chimney (VD)

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Anything at Long Quarry Point off the main slab is pretty esoteric.

In reply to Captain Solo:

To be fair, we did it in a drought, but I thought that's unusual weather for most ascents.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

A Dream of White Horses (HVS 4c)
Probably only when you have never before done a multipitch, your feet hurt so much that you ask yourself if they will ever feel normal again and you have a slight fear of heights...
I definitely had type 2 fun.

In reply to Graham Westbrook:

A lot of people seem to save Clachaig Gully for a wet day, so it's not surprising they then find it unpleasant! We did it in a dry spell and had a great day out, while westerly gales meant that those who headed for the classics on Rannoch Wall etc endured type 2 or 3 fun.

The Sind (E3 5b)
Death Trap Direct (E6 5c)

I found the sind to be fairly exciting, but then I've not fully explored the horrors of the looser of the Gogarth climbs. I bet that Death trap direct or Mr Softy would be very type 2. And then there's the Llyn Peninsula...

Will

In reply to petegunn:

Darkness (E2 5c)
I don't know about this one and it has no (useful) information on UKC, what is it like?

In reply to DerwentDiluted:


The photos made me laugh :P definitely adding this one!

In reply to andrewmcleod:

I would suggest Will o'the Wisp Will o' the Wisp (HVD) at Craig Cywarch

The walk in was horrible, the first couple of pitches were horribly wet and lacking good gear to make up for it, followed by some quite nice but a bit dirty (and not particularly low end HVD) pitches which wander around the crag, finishing with a Low's Gully style descent. I seem to recall it was largely of botanical and entomological interest.

In reply to Fraser:

I'm afraid I am going to have to eliminate all three of those due to:
a) trad routes at Portland aren't going to count (because those are obviously just silly, but not in a fun way?)
b) I think I will make this UK only
c) sport routes obviously (should) remove (most) of the fear of impending doom and destruction I am going for

In reply to net:



I agree with the quality, one of the more disappointing Classic Rock ticks, but not bad enough to make it fun I'm afraid.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

first batch added...

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=1594

In reply to andrewmcleod:


Fair point!

In reply to andrewmcleod:


Somewhere near Bristol, I think it is Mendip Limestone ...but exact location has not been divulged by the first ascentionists as far as I know. Not currently in UKC logbooks, but I believe a Somerset guide is somewhere on the horizon that might reveal all.

In reply to andrewmcleod:


Yay! 25% done
Crypt route in Glencoe may be worth considering, not done it but I've heard stories from those that have.....

In reply to andrewmcleod:



From the guide.
Totally Ungradable. The dripping orifice is grovelled up in its entirety, usually in two pitches. The lower section is not easy to protect and certainly 5a even in the best conditions. The exit into a scree filled runnel at the top needs great care.

let the queues begin!

In reply to andrewmcleod:
The The Green Slab (HVS 4c) at Gogarth. Classic looseness, especially on the exit from the top pitch.

In reply to RichieB:

There's only one short loose section. The exit is standard Gogarth fare. It's a lovely route.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Slochd Wall a few weeks back. I'd re-name it to slime wall if that name wasn't taken already.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

dodger's chimney at chair ladder.. worth seeking out!

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Desperation Crack (HVS 5b)

A guide book says "The slanting widening fissure is a classic of its genre. The lower section is steady enough until things turn pear-shaped, then abandon all technique and swim for your life. "

Usually requires the largest cam available... but for your displeasure leave that piece at home.

I was offered a go last year (1st yr outdoor)...took one look and went "nope"

In reply to SChriscoli:

I'm afraid (based only the pictures alone) I have judged Desperation Crack (and Slochd Wall) too conventional, at least when compared to stuff like Claichaig Gully or Preposterous Tales...

This ticklist is proving harder to make than I anticipated!

In reply to andrewmcleod:

What about horrific polish and scary run-outs - do those count too?

In reply to andrewmcleod:
High Tor Gully (VD) could also be a contender, my attempt was thwarted by collapse of whatever it was that was holding me up, resulting in an unceremoniously tumble to my belayers feet.
Also The Chimney at Ossams' crag, worth inclusion as the descent is to slide back down the route.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Sunshine Crack (6a+)
OK, it's a short toprope climb (and some might say SS is all type 2 fun anyway) so hardly qualifies but this particular gem rarely seems to dry out inside the crack. It also harbours a special type of green slime in it which impedes progress causing much cursing and swearing for the victim.
On a similar vein, the hole climb at Bowles Sapper (5b) is great fun if you're skinny or flexible but much more entertaining to watch if a larger climber is grunting through the slimy hole. Naturally, pulling on the sling is cheating.

In reply to andrewmcleod:


Given that everyone likes/hates different styles of climbing, and the same route can be type 1 or 2 fun depending on lots of factors on the day, it's a tough one.

In reply to andrewmcleod:

Petit Port Chimney (VS)#overview
Or
Slimy Squeeze (S) - guidebook description finishes with 'extrude onto the ledge.Horrific'

In reply to springfall2008:


If there is polish, it is obviously too popular and therefore can't be that bad :P

Runouts qualify as 'normal' climbing, so not really what I was going for.

In reply to The Ivanator:

I thought I had already added that one; oops...