UKC

Yesterday Emma Twyford made an ascent of Strawberries E7 6b at Craig Bwlch y Moch in Tremadog, Wales.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=69213

In reply to UKC News:

Well done Emma!

In reply to UKC News: Firstly congrats to Emma, well done.

Real question: is the grade of E7 6b correct?

Reason I'm asking is this is a grade that is no longer cutting edge for men and is (let's say) at the bottom of cutting edge for women. And yet Strawberries has only been onsighted 3 times (I think) and a female ascent is considered newsworthy.

I remember people saying it's hard to onsight because of the sequence etc, but surely all this means is that the grade (which is meant to be for the onsight) should be higher. Maybe it should be E8 6b.

In reply to Michael Hood:

Warning: zero direct knowledge speculation starts here

Talking to people who've done the route it's a hard one to grade. It sounds like it's French 7c, with reasonable, but not perfect protection, which is a bit fiddly to place. If it were easy to read, and secure climbing, this would put in in tough E6 territory.

Since it's a tough one to onsight it deserves the upgrade to E7. As you say, the difficulty of on sighting it would mean pure "onsight" E8 grade might be justified, but this just feels wrong based upon a gut 'how prepared would I be to try the route' feeling.

What an amazing year Emma is having - it seems like she's put in top end and memorable performances in almost every climbing style this year. Maybe someone should give her some axes for the winter?

In reply to UKC News:

Can someone remind me what a headpoint ascent is? Thanks.

In reply to Phil1919:

The trad version of a redpoint, it was originally coined for use on bold routes where you'd top-rope them to get them wired since you couldn't (daren't) take the falls that you would if you were working a sport route.

In reply to UKC News:
FFA of such a legendary route, this is very big news isn't it?!



(NB there is a minor typo, surely the route has a 34 year history, not a 24 year history? )

In reply to Phil1919:

Its the normal way hard routes are climbed (with prepractice and a subsequent clean ascent on lead) the onsight grade given is a nominal best guestimate.

In reply to UKC News:

Nice one Emma!

In reply to midgets of the world unite:


Second all this, great stuff

In reply to UKC News:

Effort Twyford!!!

In reply to Blue Straggler:


A great effort, but definitely not the first free ascent!

In reply to Michael Gordon:

FFA - First female accent

In reply to Lord_ash2000:

Didn't Hazel Findlay climb it when there with the Road trip crew? Also Caroline Cavaldini did but I think on some pre-placed gear.

In reply to Lord_ash2000:

Not usually

In reply to puppythedog:

Probably I don't know I was just correcting Michael. It's true FFA is normally first free accent but in this context its quite obviously female.

In reply to puppythedog:
I thought Hansbjorg Auer did it but none of the others even got on it (in the Odyssey film...)


Michael Gordon -
Sorry about my misappropriation of "FFA", I did mean First Female Ascent, in fact I thought that FFA had slowly come to MEAN this, as there are fewer aid routes being freed these days. Thanks for picking me up on it, I'll think about this in future

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Surely in that odyssey film theres footage of them all trying it. I thought they all got it except maybe hazel where I don't really remember.

In reply to AJM:

Your recall is no doubt better than mine!
slight hijack...hope you are well...I spooked Si dH the other night by saying hello

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Very hectic right now but very well thanks!

In reply to Blue Straggler:




Corrected now in article but my post is stuck there for perpetuity. For the record it did, at time of writing, say 24