Eighteen years after launching our popular UKC Logbook system, we are approaching 10 million entries. With just 1,373 entries to go, we expect to hit the 10 million mark this weekend (weather-permitting). To celebrate, we're giving the logger of the ten-millionth entry free access to the Rockfax Digital app for one year and a Rockfax guidebook of your choice.
© Alan James
Users currently have 9,998,318 ticks in their logbooks. Our database lists 614,435 climbs on 23,354 different crags in the UK and around the world.
Over the years, the logbooks have helped UKC users to document their biggest ticks and greatest epics. Aside from logging the all-important grades and dates, the 'comments' facility has led to some entertaining anecdotes detailing joy, defeat, excuses and disappointment.
We wrote an article highlighting some classic comments that have inspired, amused or put people off trying particular climbs altogether. UKC user Lizard Ollie even attempted to classify serial loggers into distinct groups, from Beta-bleaters to Turn-Off Merchants and Raconteurs of the Absurd.
The data we have collected over the years shows some interesting trends in grade progression and route/crag popularity. This data can be browsed in the 'Stats/Graphs for all Users' section on the Logbooks page.
The most-logged route over the last 18 years remains Flying Buttress (HVD 4a) at Stanage Popular, which is unsurprisingly also the most popular crag — for both trad and bouldering.
A Dream of White Horses (HVS 4c) is the most popular 'Wishlist' route.
dannyboy83 is the longstanding 'Busiest Climber', with 16,042 ascents logged.
UKClimbing/UKHillwalking and Rockfax director Alan James commented:
"Who would have thought back in 2002, when we started compiling a database of routes for the Dorset Rockfax, that 21 years later we would have created one of the world's biggest database of routes with over 650,000 routes on 23,000 crags. UKClimbing logbooks has become an intrinsic part of climbing in the UK with so many climbers using it to log, to plan, to comment and to celebrate their ascents.
"I remember some time around 2010 celebrating the one-millionth tick and now we have reached ten times that number. Its success is testimony to the incredible hard work of the UKC developers over the years who have continually improved and enhanced it and made it an essential part of the long heritage of climbing in Britain. Here's to the next ten million ticks."
Our ten-millionth logger will be notified and we'll update this story and the forum thread when the target is reached.
UPDATE: petegunn won with an ascent of Traverse of the Gelts (f3+)
Comments
Have you thought this all the way through? Surely by announcing this in advance you're just encouraging someone to log about 1500 routes now? Or at least to log a bunch of routes to up their chances whether they've climbed them or not.
Given the astronomical prize of £20 on offer I suspect you'll see thousands of people spending hours logging.
That is some milestone, well done. The logbooks have given me enormous pleasure /wasted me a lot of time over the years so thank you (despite my on going reservations about the impact on the voluntary guide book sector etc etc).
The votes seem to agree with you that I'm being overly cynical. But I don't think you should underestimate the weird motivations of internet people! People have gone to greater lengths for smaller prizes. And some might just see it as a challenge.
Congratulations UKC and it's many loggers!
The logbooks are one of the main reasons I'm on here: keeping it as an activity diary; making notes on my ascents; making and subscribing to tick-lists; getting beta before my onsight attempts ( ;) ) , sharing beta/beta videos; getting access and parking info... I spend a lot of time in that corner of UKC.
The other reason is obviously the longstanding Wordle thread.
p.s. can I suggest as a prize for the 10,000,000th logger: all your 'dogged' logs updated to 'onsight'. Become the hero you always dreamed of.