UKC

NEWS: Kevin Jorgeson - New Ultra Highball

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 john howard 1 09 Jan 2009
[UKC Staff Edit] Now on the UKC news page: http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/older.html?month=01&year=2009#n45548

With commentary from Dave Gill



"Ambrosia takes the tradition one step further, climbing straight up the middle of a spectacular 45 foot overhanging face on the Grandpa Peabody boulder.---The climb starts with a V11 boulder problem up to a hueco around 20 feet (a V11 that took days to do and hasn't been repeated... hmmm...). From there Kevin calls it a 5.13a solo. He had worked it on toprope, then fired it first go unroped."


Amazing effort on a stunning line, well done
 UKB Shark 09 Jan 2009
In reply to john howard 1:

Nice photo - fantastic looking face in a beautiful setting.

"He hasn't given it a grade exactly, because it's not obvious whether it should be a route grade or a boulder grade, or (god forbid) an E grade"
 lummox 09 Jan 2009
In reply to Simon Lee: the steep problem looks very ballsy with that landing waiting for those who fail...
 JLS 09 Jan 2009
In reply to john howard 1:

>"V11 boulder problem up to a hueco around 20 feet"

What is a "hueco" in this context?
 teddy 09 Jan 2009
In reply to JLS:
> (In reply to john howard 1)
>
> >"V11 boulder problem up to a hueco around 20 feet"
>
> What is a "hueco" in this context?

Its a big hole in the rock
 seagull 09 Jan 2009
In reply to Simon Lee:

An E grade makes the most sense for this route.
 JLS 09 Jan 2009
In reply to teddy:

Cheers

Hueco is a Spanish word meaning hollows and refers to the many water-holding depressions in the boulders and rock faces throughout the region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hueco_Tanks

I didn't know that...
 Jack Geldard 09 Jan 2009
In reply to john howard 1: Yes, I'm just working on a short news item about this.

I think the top section was soloed last year by British climber George Ullrich, he bypassed the V11 boulder problem with a ladder. I'm just confirming if it was the exact same line.

Looks like a great route.

Jack
 UKB Shark 09 Jan 2009
In reply to seagull:> An E grade makes the most sense for this route.



Well KJ has recent experience of E grades and hasnt rushed to use it.

My guess is that the E grade isn't going to become one of the UK's biggest exports even with the devaluation of sterling.
 peteJ23 09 Jan 2009
Come on UKC Just for the crack...

Lets ask Kevin for his E grade equivalent!
 James Oswald 09 Jan 2009
In reply to john howard 1:
So he didn't use any mats then?
Very impressive.
In reply to Simon Lee:

>Well KJ has recent experience of E grades and hasnt rushed to use it.

Not as much as he has of YDS and V grades, and he hasn't rushed to use either of those either.

jcm
 Garbh Coire 09 Jan 2009
In reply to peteJ23: Apparently he's grading it E12 in tribute to JP. lol
Anonymous 09 Jan 2009
In reply to Garbh Coire: ahhh, about E8 then
 Michael Ryan 09 Jan 2009
"It looks incredible though, suprised it's taken this long. It's one of the most obvious lines on the drive to The Buttermilks. It must be hard!"

Yip. In 1996 it was listed in the guidebook as a top rope at 5.13a (7c+) climbed by Tom Herbert, T.M Herbert's son.

Probably a crock though.
 mrjonathanr 09 Jan 2009
In reply to JLS:
Hueco: Spanish for 'hollow' ie a very big pocket.
 Michael Ryan 09 Jan 2009
In reply to seagull:
> (In reply to Simon Lee)
>
> An E grade makes the most sense for this route.

It probably makes no sense at all - fun to add though.

It's an R/X Jasper.

Slip of those rounded crimps high up and land on the boulder or the compacted sand and your spine will pop out of your head.

 Michael Ryan 09 Jan 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

So FLFA then?
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKClimbing.com: A V11 boulder problem followed by easier (f7c+?) climbing over a death fall. E9 7a shirley?
 Michael Ryan 10 Jan 2009
In reply to Richard Bradley:

E's are for onsight ; o ). KJ practised it.

Anyway - perhaps the definitive statement from Wilbur

"Jorgeson steps up to another level ...

Kevin Jorgeson has taken headpointing to a new level at the Buttermilks with his first ascent, solo (after TR practice), of a line dubbed years ago "Ambrosia." The climb, on the east wall of the Grandpa Peabody, begins with v11 bouldering to gain a shallow hueco at the point most would consider the highballing limit. This is followed by a bold v8/9 sequence of huge moves between good edges that quickly covers about another 15 feet and takes the climber through that blurrred line between highballing and soloing. After that, and without significant rest, comes a strenuous section of what Kevin suggests is probably mid-5.12 climbing past pretty patina to the top of the wall, about 45 feet up.

This spectacular gold-and-black-streaked face had once been a top-rope project of Tommy Herbert, back in the early 1990s. Herbert had been able to do many, if not all, of the moves, but abandoned the line, imagining it to be in the 5.14 range. He figured he'd take his climbing elsewhere: The Buttermilks, at that time were such a backwater, he told me, that he found it hard to justify dedicating so much time to a TR project no-one else would ever see, or ever be interested in! Nevertheless, he had named the line Ambrosia (food of the immortals) fitting with the Buttermilk theme, and conoting (as the quality and beauty of the line deserves) the very pinnacle of Buttermilk climbing-- More info to come.

http://www.bishopbouldering.blogspot.com/
 MattH 10 Jan 2009
In reply to Simon Lee:

Cool, Good effort Kevin. Even better as it's the same photo as on the ShAFF poster that I uploaded to the site today

http://www.shaff.co.uk/news/52/shaff-2009-posters-available-online

Thanks to Neil Gill, Dave's brother, for use of the shot - it's George on the climb.
 James Oswald 10 Jan 2009
In reply to john howard 1:
So it was climbed with mats and spotters?
 Michael Ryan 10 Jan 2009
In reply to james oswald:
> (In reply to john howard 1)
> So it was climbed with mats and spotters?

Yes. Read today's news report about Bishop highballs. Loads of mats.

 tobyfk 10 Jan 2009
In reply to Simon Lee:

> My guess is that the E grade isn't going to become one of the UK's biggest exports even with the devaluation of sterling.

LMAO ... nice.

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:
Yeah,
I climbed this line but had to bypass the first few meters out because it is solid!
such an amazingbit of rock!

good effort Kevin!

have you looked at the very highball slab on the boulder just above this one?

check out my blog, i think i wrote a little about the route.
http://www.planetfear.com/blog.php?id=77


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