Thank you to all who took part in our 2024 Christmas Quiz! The highest score was 81% by user Jo summer. Here are the answers.

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1. James McHaffie climbed North Wales' hardest route this year when he successfully made the first ascent of Yma O Hyd on Gallt Yr Ogof. Whilst attempting the route a key hold kept seeping and he used the following to try and keep it dry? 
   Tin Foil
2. Robbie Phillips made the second ascent The Great Arch (E8 6c) on Pabbay, Scotland this September. Dave MacLeod made the first free ascent in 2013, but the first ascent was made much earlier than that in 1997, featuring an unlikely partnership between Scottish climbing legend Dave 'Cubby' Cuthbertson and which similarly legendary Yosemite climber? 
   Lynn Hill
3. In 2024 Jesse Dufton became the first blind climber to lead a route on The Devil's Tower in Wyoming, when he completed El Matador (5.10d). He was inspired to do the route after seeing a lecture by which legendary climber? 
   Catherine Destivelle
4. In July Emma Twyford made the ninth ascent, and second female ascent of Neil Carson's E9 7a - Mission Impossible - at Gallt Yr Ogof, North Wales. Who made the first female ascent? 
   Hazel Findlay
5. This summer Neil Gresham and Anak Verhoven completed their Lake District 8s project, which consisted of climbing a V8 boulder, an 8a sport route, a D8 dry-tool line, an E8 trad route and eight Wainwright hills in 24 hours. Which E8 trad route did they climb? 
   Way out West, Iron Crag
6. Didier Berthod returned to complete Cobra Crack this year, 19 years after he sought to make the first free ascent, which was eventually claimed by Canadian climber Sonnie Trotter. Upon bowing out of the race, Berthod went on to become which of the following? 
   Franciscan Monk
7. Earlier this year Matt Wright made the seventh ascent of Rhapsody at Dumbarton Rock, Scotland. When Dave MacLeod made the first ascent in 2006, what colour helmet was he wearing? 
   Orange
8. The Groove at Cratcliffe was repeated by Alex Moore this year, having only received a partial ascent prior to this by visiting American climber Kevin Jorgeson. However, what year was the first ascent by James Pearson? 2008 How many days did it take for Adam to repeat James Pearson's E12/9a Bon Voyage at Annot, France? 
   3
9. Babsi Zangerl became the first person to flash a route on El Capital, climbing Freerider without falls over a period of three days; however, who were the route's first ascensionists? 
   Todd Skinner and Paul Piana

Bouldering

11. How many 9A first ascents were announced in 2024? 
    3
12. Which of the following boulders did Max Milne NOT flash this year? 
    The Kingdom, 8B+
13. Janja Garnbret became the seventh woman to climb 8C earlier this year, with her ascent of Bugeleisen Sit, but what was unusual about her ascent? 
    She did it twice because she wasn't happy with the footage of the first time she climbed it.
14. Shauna Coxsey made the first female ascent of Hazel Grace, 8B+, this year, but where is the boulder situated? 
    Gotthard Pass
15. Who made the first ascent of Regret, 8C+, in March this year? 
    Toru Nakajima
16. 'The boulder follows a series of seams, used as sidepulls and undercuts, up a very slightly overhanging wall on - as already discussed - very poor feet. Whilst the handholds are all relatively positive, the style of climbing, with laybacks, sidepulls, and gastons, means that the upper body cannot compensate for poor footwork' - which boulder, which received a notable ascent this year, is being described in this snippet from a UKC news piece? 
    Equanimity, 8C
17. How many female ascents at 8C were there in 2024? 
    5
18. Ryuichi Murai's 8C+ boulder Floatin' has seen multiple ascents this year, but what was the name of the boulder before Murai made the first ascent? 
    The Launchpad Project
19. In March, Zach Galla made the long-awaited first repeat of The Process, 8C+, a boulder that had gone almost a decade without an ascent - but who made the first ascent in 2015? 
    Daniel Woods
20. 'Hopefully climbers can just look at the features and forms on the rock…and just get why it's something worth appreciating that - not only does the feature exist - but it's also a great physical challenge to climb up it' - which 'one of a kind find for the rock type' boulder, which received its first ascent this year, is being spoken about here? 
    Weeping Arete, 8B+

Sport

21. Why did Anak Verhoeven climb La Planta de Shiva 9b twice? 
    Once with kneepad, once without
22. Which of these men did NOT climb 9b+ this year? Adam Ondra There were many top climbers in Flatanger this summer. Which of these routes was the first 9b+ in the world? 
    Change
23. Which Olympic medalist climbed 9a+ this year? 
    Jessy Pilz
24. Which of these women onsighted 8c this year? 
    Chaehyun Seo and Laura Rogora
25. How many 9a+s did Buster Martin do this year alone? 3 What is the name of Orrin Coley's new 9a at Forest Rock? 
    The Wizard King
26. How many goes did Laura Rogora take to climb Adam Ondra's route Bombardino 9a+ in Arco, Italy? 
    4
27. Which classic British 8a celebrated it's 40th anniversary this year? 
    Statement of Youth
28. What was the name of the 9b+ established by Seb Bouin at Pic St Loup in November? 
    Wolf Kingdom

Mountaineering

31. Which of Gasherbrum's six summits did Tom Livingstone summit when he made the first ascent of 'Edge of Entropy'? 
    3
32. In April the Irish Government announced the creation of a new National Park. Where was it? 
    Dingle Peninsula
33. Earlier this year Jasmin Paris became the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathons and in doing so completed how many laps of the gruelling course? 
    5
34. Which of the following charities bought part of the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland earlier this year? 
    Wildlife Trusts
35. This year the winter Cuillin traverse record was broken. What's the current record? 
    4:35
36. In January, Jack Scott not only won the 2024 Montane Spine Race, which follows the Pennine Way, but beat Jasmin Paris' legendary record from 2019. How long is the Pennine Way? 
    431 kilometres
37. How many years in a row has the Braeriach snow patch melted? 
    4
38. In September Lorraine McCall became the first woman to complete a continuous round of the Grahams. There are 231 Grahams, but how high does a Scottish hill have to be to qualify for the list? 
    600m - 762m with a minimum prominence of 150m
39. Wideboyz Pete Whittaker and team made the first ascent of Ryu-Shin on Greenland's Mirror Wall earlier this year. What was the name of the Belgian climber on the team? 
    Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll
40. Which is the highest English mountain outside the Lake District? 
    Cross Fell

Olympics

41. Which song did Toby Roberts listen to before his Olympic gold medal winning Lead climb? 
    Lose Yourself/Eminem
42. Who ranked =1st alongside Jakob Schubert in the Lead round of the Men's Boulder Final? 
    Adam Ondra
43. Which finger did Janja Garnbret injure during the Boulder final? 
    Middle finger
44. How many climbers with Irish/Scottish prefixes in their surnames made finals, across both the men's and women's competition? 
    3
45. Halfway through the women's Boulder final, which two climbers were in provisional =1st ahead of Janja Garnbret? 
    Erin McNeice/Oriane Bertone
46. Which athlete achieved the only top of B4 in the mens' Boulder final? 
    Colin Duffy
47. How many times did the Men's Speed World Record get broken in Paris? 
    3
48. Which of these countries with two medallists topped the overall Sport Climbing medal table? 
    Poland
49. Which Olympic Gold medallist in Sport Climbing was the youngest when they won? 
    Alberto Ginéz-López
50. Which of the following famous names did UKC *NOT* speak to in Paris during the Games? 
    Lynn Hill

Name That Crag

51. Mewsford Point
    

    

52. Bosigran
    

    

53. Gardom's Edge
    

    

54. Tryfan
    

    

55. Pavey Ark
    

    

56. Ilkley (Cow and Calf)
    

    

57. Blacknor North
    

    

58. Rhossili Beach