Bristol based climber Chris Savage has just finished his summer climbing holiday in Yorkshire, where he managed an incredible ticklist. The highlights have been a fast redpoint of Progress (8c+) and True North (8c) at Kilnsey Crag (See earlier UKC report on True North).
Commenting at the end of his trip, Chris said:
"I'll be driving back to Bristol with a big smile on my face... I think the routes up here have really suited my style."
Speaking specifically about Progress, Chris said:
"I got all the moves on the route, including the crux, in a couple of sessions - but it's a real stamina test. To begin with, when I had done all the moves quickly, I thought it would only take me a couple of days to send. But I had underestimated the stamina needed so in the end it took me 6 days."
VIDEO: Chris Savage climbing Progress 8c+ - Kilnsey
Chris told us the history of Progress:
"The route was Tony Mitchell's project in the early 1990s. But it was Jerry Moffatt that got the first ascent. Tony never climbed it - he fell off a the move on the roof at 24m - very unlucky! Nick Sellars did send it in 96 or 97 - taking him 24 days over three years. Nick and Jerry graded it 8c - and they were the only people to climb it before the holds snapped in 1997, making the route harder.
Then Steve McClure climbed it in 2006 - after the holds had snapped - and graded it 8c+. And now me!
So the route has only seen 4 ascents in total, and just 2 since the holds snapping."
Chris' holiday ticklist of routes above 8a (all at Kilnsey unless otherwise stated):
- Progress - 8c+ (6 days)
- True North - 8c (6 days)
- Dalliance - 8b+ (4th go)
- All out - 8b+ (4 days)
- Yorkshire Ripper 8b - (in a day)
- La Connection - 8b (second go)
- Ecstasy - 8b (second go)
- Grooved Arete 8a+ (second go)
- GBH - 8a+ (Malham, second go)
- Urgent Action - 8a+ (flash)
- Rattle and Hump - 8a (Raven Tor)
- Unleashing the Wild Physique - 8a (Cheedale, in a day)
- Raindogs - 8a (Malham)
- Soft Option - 8a (in a day)
- The Bulge - 8a (0nsight)
- Subculture - 8a (flash)
- The thumb - 8a (onsight)
- Le Lapin - 8a (flash)
- Cold Steel - 8a
Thanks go to Steve Dunning for the video, and also for all the beta on Progress that helped Chris!
Chris is sponsored by Sterling Rope.
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