Avon > Avon Gorge (Sea Walls) >
 
Ladder of Desire*** E3 5c

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An enthralling wall-pitch composed of numerous testing parts and culminating in an exciting finish. Start at a blank section of wall 7m right of the long corner groove of M1. 35m. Make some bouldery moves up the initial wall before moving left and climbing a corner/groove to a break and two pegs. Make bold moves rightwards up the wall to a ledge. From a short crack on the left, move up left to pockets that lead to a concrete block. Move right to a narrow groove and climb this and the wall above with difficulty past a pocket and bolt on the left to better finishing holds that lead to the ramp. © ROCKFAX
R Harrison, A Hall 07/Feb/1978

Ticklists: Littlejohn South West Climbs, Rockfax SW select - Avon gorge routes, West Country Climbs, 100 best limestone climbs in Britain.

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PUBLIC LOGBOOKS
This climb is in 95 logbooks, and on 12 wishlists.

Did it again and got it all clean this time inc the tricky finish.
richiebongo - Lead RP - 09/Jan/13 with Nick Smith

Got the crux this time, bold and hard, but finished up M1
richiebongo - Lead RP - 05/Jan/13 with Nick Smith

climbing porn
Stanners - Lead O/S - 20/Oct/12 with Kyle Williamson

Went fine until top crux but just couldn't figure it out. 3 big falls then gave up. Managed to work it out on top rope. Excellent route but hard to onsight - 6a?
BeccaSnowden - Lead dnf - 20/Oct/12 with Tom

On Becca's gear - hard moves (hard 5c if not 6a) to get to the bolt and a balancy an bold crux low down. Brilliant climb.
thomasadixon - Lead rpt - 20/Oct/12 with Becca

Pete Rigby - Lead O/S - 22/Sep/12 with Kelli Roberts

kelliroberts3 - 2nd - 22/Sep/12 with Peter Rigby

Brilliant! Had always thought it looked awesome and scary! Can't believe i just jumped on it. Was pretty nervous. bottom went absolutely fine. Stepped back down from the crux, got good No.5 rock in and went back up a bit further right. Whole thing felt pretty serious. Super stoked!
mountain_jay - Lead O/S - 29/Aug/12 with Richard Bennett

E4 6a I think.
mikeshewring - Lead O/S - 19/Aug/12

Cailean Harker - Lead O/S - 08/May/12

Spacetourist - Lead O/S - 25/Feb/12 with Ed Heslam

Hidden - Lead dog - 15/Feb/12

Hidden - 2nd - 15/Feb/12

AlexRenshaw - Lead - 13/Nov/11 with Ted Lister, Thomas Renshaw

Toby Dunn - Lead O/S - 13/Nov/11 with Sophie Nunn

Aaron Lines - Lead - 19/Jul/11 with dave

Ed Babs - Lead O/S - 09/Jun/11 with Iain Moodie

Hidden - 2nd β - 09/Jun/11

Aaron Lines - 2nd O/S - 28/May/11 with frank ramsay

Superb route. Feels a bit like a Gogarth route. Never too bold, just brilliant climbing
Ged Desforges - 2011

Bit too much time route finding! Still good though.
thomasadixon - Lead O/S - 17/Sep/10 with Becca

took a mighty fall from the reachy low crux, started again this time with trust in those pegs!
Marti999 - Lead β - 09/Sep/10 with Lisa

Hidden - TR dog - 17/Aug/10

Hidden - Lead dnf - 15/Aug/10

Hidden - TR dog - 13/Aug/10

Hidden - 24/Jun/10

dan gibson - Lead O/S - 24/Jun/10 with oscar

Hidden - Lead O/S - 11/Jun/10

Hidden - TR rpt - Jun/10

Hidden - Lead O/S - May/10

Jessie Rushbrooke - 2nd - 20/Apr/10 with GF

Hard for the short low down. Maybe i missed something. Half an inch less reach and i'd have been gone. Not a trivial fall to consider either. Not 3 star so close to a dual carriageway.
ian caton - Lead O/S - 10/Oct/09 with Abi

feilx - Lead O/S - 03/Jul/09 with Heather

Hidden - Lead O/S - May/09

Hidden - Lead O/S - 21/Mar/09

Hidden - 2nd dog - 19/Mar/09

Hidden - Lead dog - 19/Mar/09

Hidden - Lead O/S - 22/Feb/09

Slumped onto the peg at the blank wall. One to come back to do clean.
richiebongo - Lead dog - 2009 with Nick Smith

lukehodson - 2nd O/S - 19/Nov/08 with Howard

Paz - 2nd rpt - 03/Oct/08 with TS

Bristoldave - Lead O/S - 07/Sep/08 with CarolineH

CarolineH - 2nd dog - 07/Sep/08 with Dave

Lev - Lead O/S - 01/Sep/08 with Emma Ross

Hidden - 2nd dog - 01/Sep/08

Finished up M1.
Paz - 2nd dnf - 28/Aug/08 with WG

Hidden - Lead O/S - 24/Aug/08

The direct finish. You move right from the concrete block, then up to the bolt. I think this might merit 6a, if only to tell you what to expect, but maybe it's no harder than Ladder the regular way?
Paz - Lead β - 23/Nov/07 with HL

Tried the "inferior" direct, but went up a bit too far left to the very top of M1.
Paz - Lead dnf - 13/Oct/07 with MH2

Marti999 - Lead dog - Sep/07

pezzerrr - Lead O/S - 29/Oct/06

Bux - 2nd dog - 12/Jul/06 with Nick

Hidden - Lead O/S - 10/Jul/06

Bern - 2006

Hidden - 2006

Hidden - 2006

Paz - 2nd rpt - 29/Oct/05 with RJ

joe_alexander - 2nd dog - 21/Mar/05 with Nick Gillette

Paz - Lead β - 08/Mar/05 with AS

escaped up M1
Paz - Lead dnf - 31/Oct/04 with GC

_m.cox_ - Lead O/S - 23/Jul/04 with Adam Mulholland

Hidden - Lead O/S - 16/Jun/04

Hidden - Lead O/S - 04/Jun/04

tom.e - 2nd dog - 2004

cornishben - 2nd O/S - 2004 with Mike Raine

cornishben - 2nd - 2003 with Mike Raine

KRB - Lead β - 28/Dec/01

John Southworth - Lead O/S - 25/Jul/01 with Jason Parker

Billg - Lead O/S - Jul/00 with Harry

Hidden - 2000

Tim M - Lead O/S - 2000

Hidden - Lead rpt - 19/May/99

guy xavier percival - 1999

loundsy - 1999

lowersharpnose - Lead - 04/May/97 with tombawimba

AndySL - 2nd O/S - 1997 with Tim

rob.grafton - Lead - 11/Jul/93 with Bruce

Hidden - Lead β - 13/Apr/93

Roget - Lead O/S - 29/Aug/92 with jon

Pete Ogden - Lead - 1990

I visited my brother in Bristol, after returning from the Alps and hooked up with a stray climber in the gorge to do these 2 routes. I think his name was Mark...very large...Dunne proportions. A butcher. Turns out he's a bit of a legend down that way. strong lad for his size!!
Rich Kirby - Lead - Jul/88

shark - Lead - 15/May/87

DDDD - 1987

bullybones - Lead - 1987

William Robertson - Lead O/S - 1986 with Emily

JamieAyres - 2nd dog - Aug/85 with Phil Windall

subsequently led it
Kafoozalem - 2nd O/S - 22/Dec/84 with Martin Roberts

Mike Owen - 21/Oct/84 with Pete Craig, Elaine Owen

Hidden - Lead - 1984

charlesmfrench - 2nd O/S - 12/Nov/83 with Dave Green

andy gittins - 1983

Possibly my first ever E3. Didn't seem harder than E2s.
stp - Lead O/S - 21/Apr/82

Hidden - 1981

Hidden - Lead O/S - Nov/80

chris sm - 2nd dog - 0000 with Andy Gill

Users with this climb on their wishlist are:
Hidden, Owen W-G, AJM, Hidden, Jim Brooke, The Pylon King, Dean177, Stanners, andy dunn, Hidden, Hidden, explodingsprouts

Voting
Total votes cast 55
hard E40 of 20
E40 of 20
easy E41 of 20
hard E315 of 20
E34 of 20
easy E30 of 20
hard E20 of 20
E20 of 20
easy E20 of 20
hard 6a0 of 19
6a0 of 19
easy 6a9 of 19
hard 5c6 of 19
5c4 of 19
easy 5c0 of 19
hard 5b0 of 19
5b0 of 19
easy 5b0 of 19
3 Stars10 of 16
2 Stars3 of 16
1 Star3 of 16
0 Stars0 of 16
Bag of .....0 of 16
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Style of ascent

Lead58 of 95 (61.1%)
Followed22 of 95 (23.2%)
Toproped3 of 95 (3.2%)
Unknown12 of 95 (12.6%)

'Climbed'25 of 95 (26.3%)
clean O/S38 of 95 (40.0%)
clean β6 of 95 (6.3%)
clean rpt5 of 95 (5.3%)
clean RP2 of 95 (2.1%)
dogged14 of 95 (14.7%)
dnf5 of 95 (5.3%)