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Old Holborn** E1 5b

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A superbly exposed finale makes this a tremendous outing. 1) 4c, 27m. Start at a small rib flanked on both sides by grooves. Climb the groove on the right of the rib, then surmount the rib itself. From its top, move right onto a slanting rake. Follow this to belay in the holly trees. 2) 4a, 9m. Follow the short groove on the left side of the ledge, passing a detached flake to gain a large ledge and tree belay. 3) 5b, 27m. THE pitch! A superbly sustained groove above the belay leads to a step right. Pass a loose block with care to reach the large roof above. A wild monkey-swing through the roof gains a hidden ledge. Follow the steep arete above to small ledges and interesting belays. 4) 4c, 18m. Trend rightwards up the steep face with sparse protection. © ROCKFAX
1) Start to the right of the rib and work your way on top, step right onto flake and down slightly to make a move back up and right. Stay below the gorse on fairly crappy holds working your way right. head up through the holly bush to belay. 2)Trend left to the ledge with the ash tree mega flake to belay off. 3)The fun begins.... climb the groove behind the tree (the tree helps to get started) good gear placements. Step left slightly good foot holds then back into the groove on crappy holds, work your way up to a loose block under the roof and a peg (good runner underneath it). there are a few hand holds under the roof and a foot hold about 50cm below the peg, boldly swing out left and grab hold of the ledge which is at the same height as the edge of the roof, really smooth crap hold, work your way onto the ledge, good gear on right wall. Climb the arete to a poor peg belay. 4)Climb the fluted wall above trending right, sparse gear and bold to belay at the top.

Ticklists: North Wales Rock Graded List, MIA logbook must haves!.

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PUBLIC LOGBOOKS
This climb is in 101 logbooks, and on 11 wishlists.

Hidden - Lead - 06/May/13

Hidden - AltLd rpt - 05/May/13

shed_hed - 2nd O/S - 01/Mar/13 with Dougie Swanson-Low

dswansonlow - Lead O/S - 01/Mar/13 with Darren McMaster

Hidden - 2013

BeckyBrown1989 - 2nd - 08/Jul/12

Hidden - 2nd - 03/Jun/12

Hard for E1, More like E2 5c.
willoates - AltLd O/S - 27/May/12 with Dave Evans

Ollie B - Lead O/S - 26/Mar/12 with D.Campbell

I led p2. Attempted p1 but we went the much harder and dirtier way to the right of the main route so failed. Fell off the crux on p3 - bit of a lack of footholds!
GBM - AltLd dog - 25/Mar/12 with Max A

Hidden - 2012

Hidden - 2012

Hidden - AltLd dog - 30/Sep/11

Luke Brooks - AltLd O/S - 27/Sep/11 with Liam

Coel Hellier - AltLd - 25/Jul/11 with Ben Tibbetts

Lawrie Brand - AltLd O/S - 14/Jul/11 with Matt Etheridge, Neil Phillips

Hidden - Lead O/S - Jul/11

lead p3 & p4. the step left under the overhang was a bit scary cos ihad got a bit lazy with putting gear in. but the rest of the climb was nice.
vertically_challenged - AltLd O/S - 30/Jun/11

P1 and 3. Thought it was soft, one move stepping left at overhang which is a little off balance, 5b
owain86 - AltLd O/S - 11/Jun/11 with Alex M-M

Alex.M-M. - AltLd O/S - 11/Jun/11 with Owain Atkins

e2.
dan ely - AltLd rpt - 06/Jun/11 with terry

Hidden - Lead O/S - 06/Jun/11

tim newton - AltLd O/S - 04/May/11 with andy stotesbury

Rich Kirby - AltLd O/S - 29/Apr/11 with Adam Lincoln

Adam Lincoln - AltLd O/S - 29/Apr/11 with Rick Kirby

Amazing stuff! Ferocious move under the roof on pitch 3 :-) gripping!
Adam Armitage - AltLd O/S - 06/Mar/11 with Joe Mc Donald

David Smith - 2011

Hidden - 2011

Hidden - 2011

Hidden - 2011

Hidden - 2011

Hidden - 2011

djromberg - 2011

A great route. Si led the crux pitch which was pretty tough. My job was to link the first two pitches into one - I didn't fancy the inevitable rope drag involved with zig-zagging through a bush so decided to bulldoze a line directly to the second belay from where the first pitch moves right. It was a bit snappy and very bold but pretty entertaining - I reckon around E2/3 5a/b.
Andrew Barker - AltLd O/S - 11/Oct/10 with Si

P2
Speeddemonsi - AltLd O/S - 11/Oct/10

beci tointen - Lead O/S - Jul/10 with my uncle carl

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 26/Jun/10

m.thomas15 - Lead O/S - 18/Jun/10 with trish

Led the crux pitch - belayed at the tree ledge, not sure if this was right or not but it worked out fine!
wilchivs - AltLd O/S - 16/Jun/10 with Sarah Joyce

Trisha Murphy - AltLd O/S - 16/Jun/10 with mike

p1, p3. rux pitch isnt easy, too hard, awkward sections...awesome belay! bold easy pitch
Duncan Campbell - UKC - AltLd O/S - 15/Jun/10 with Ben Reinsch

pretty sweeet, a little dirty
Bennykr - AltLd O/S - 15/Jun/10 with Duncan

greenclimb - Lead O/S - 01/Jun/10 with sarah

Ed Feldman - AltLd O/S - 24/May/10

hard to get around roof luckly i was seconding. Really exposed lead p1 and 3
dan ely - AltLd O/S - 24/May/10 with ed

Was using an old guide, which gave the route HVS. And didn't even grade the first pitch. Simon lead first and ran the first 2 pitches together. I lead the second, but from the discription went up from the holly tree and soon found myself in loose and hard climbing. Got to a block and lowered off. The climbing was not pleasant anyway.
Simon Holden (LCandCC) - AltLd dnf - 16/May/10 with Welsh Simon, Swifty

Hidden - AltLd - 18/Apr/10

hetaher - AltLd O/S - 17/Apr/10 with Alex

last pitch was fantastic!
fennerz - AltLd O/S - 06/Mar/10 with Simon

don't go left on the third pitch too soon! Very scary climbing.... but a great pitch and a really amazing finish!!!
marlow - 05/Mar/10

mr mills - 2010 with paul simkiss

danny33 - AltLd - 2010

Hidden - AltLd - 2010

Hidden - AltLd - 24/Sep/09

Scary step left at the peg....
Different Steve - Lead dog - 13/Jun/09 with Clare

the juicy dangler - 2nd rpt - 11/May/09 with james marjot

Not easy - sustained - hard going under and around roof - can do 3rd and 4th together- top pitch a bit loose - overall really good
SMc - Lead O/S - May/09 with Anne

seconded this route with phil //managed to slip off under the roof traverse,do it next time though i reckon
colina - 26/Apr/09 with phil

Top pitch fantastic
mikelawrence aka jonnienomates - Lead O/S - 20/Apr/09 with Simon Kemper

Hidden - Lead O/S - 18/Apr/09

Carly - AltLd dnf - 21/Mar/09 with sophie

the juicy dangler - AltLd O/S - 19/Mar/09 with Tom Dixon

barni - 2nd - 24/Jun/08 with Sheila

Hidden - AltLd - 2008

Lead P2,P4
OffshoreAndy - AltLd - 30/Aug/07 with UKC Rob Greenwood

Hidden - Aug/07

Top section whilst being easy consists of a number of loose flakes etc.
Dan 85 - Lead dog - 06/Jun/07 with Jonny

Hidden - Lead O/S - 15/Apr/07

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 15/Apr/07

Lead all pitches. The crux moves under the roof are strenuous and baffling. Top pitch is excellent and serious
Cragrat Rich - Lead O/S - 16/Oct/06

Hidden - Lead O/S - 16/Oct/06

Hidden - 2005

gonggashan - AltLd - 30/Jul/04

jparry75 - Lead - Jun/04 with m.evans

Hidden - 2nd O/S - 17/Jul/00

Hidden - Lead O/S - 31/May/00

Hidden - AltLd O/S - Jun/98

Paul Boardman - 1996

Ched - Lead O/S - 1995 with Glanfor

Hidden - Lead O/S - 1995

Poor second pitch, but 3rd and fourth are absolute solid gold. Lead 1st, 3rd and 4th pitches. Only bank holiday in Wales I ever remember being sunny for three days in a row!
Scott McRae - AltLd O/S - 30/May/94 with Steve Jones

Budge - AltLd O/S - May/94 with Richard Teed

Hidden - Lead O/S - 20/Sep/92

WB - 1992

Hidden - 1990

Al didn't follow on the top pitch as he was running late, so we abbed back down, followed by a mad drive back to Manchester, ratty words from his mrs as they were running late for a night at the Opera. When they eventually made it they were an hour early as Al had messed up the times! Seem to recall that it was HVS.
Sean Kelly - AltLd - Jun/89 with Alan Payne

led 3rd and 5th pitch
michael burrows - AltLd O/S - 07/May/89 with pete roberts

Hidden - AltLd - 10/Aug/87

Gary led hard pitch - I led run-out pitch at the top
Backinthegame - AltLd - Aug/86 with Gary Hughes

mark-abz - Lead - Jul/85 with Graham W

John Marsland - Lead - 21/Apr/84 with Dave Mould

Ian Clare - 1984

AlanLittle - AltLd - Jul/83 with John Walters

Ian Clare - 1982

Hidden - AltLd - 24/Mar/81

A bit desperate and unpleasant.
Ian Jones - Lead O/S - 1980 with Mark Holt?

Hidden - Lead - 1980

Mark Kemball - Lead - 08/Sep/78 with Richard Lang

Bolt Phobia - AltLd - 10/Jun/76

Mike Owen - 17/Apr/76 with John Roberts

Nigel Bond - Lead - 27/Jul/75 with Steve

Users with this climb on their wishlist are:
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Voting
Total votes cast 61
hard E20 of 23
E20 of 23
easy E26 of 23
hard E115 of 23
E10 of 23
easy E10 of 23
hard HVS2 of 23
HVS0 of 23
easy HVS0 of 23
hard 5c0 of 22
5c0 of 22
easy 5c11 of 22
hard 5b9 of 22
5b2 of 22
easy 5b0 of 22
hard 5a0 of 22
5a0 of 22
easy 5a0 of 22
3 Stars3 of 16
2 Stars10 of 16
1 Star2 of 16
0 Stars1 of 16
Bag of .....0 of 16
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Style of ascent

Lead27 of 101 (26.7%)
Followed6 of 101 (5.9%)
Alt Leads47 of 101 (46.5%)
Unknown21 of 101 (20.8%)

'Climbed'45 of 101 (44.6%)
clean O/S47 of 101 (46.5%)
clean rpt3 of 101 (3.0%)
dogged4 of 101 (4.0%)
dnf2 of 101 (2.0%)