UKC

... just how high is the gear there supposed to be?

The BMC Staffs guide indicates that you basically climb Bulger, then return to the Elegy crux and continue. Thinking I would try to keep the line pure, I placed gear at the crux (no higher) and continued on.

To the generous person named Chris who came to my rescue, I thank you again. The upper slab just felt worse and worse and worse with each step, far worse than I would expect E2 to feel. Especially when, having called for a rescue, the left foot started slipping, forcing me to make the next step up.

I'm just wondering whether this is:
a) Due to dodgy flake, and worrying about the gear ripping
b) Not having a higher side runner in Bulger
c) My not having been on an exposed grit slab-run-out for a while

But geezus, was that adrenanlising... I don't think the climbing was that hard, but as soon as you step above the flake, each move feels tenuous as fc*k!

In reply to Pythonist:

Photos here, no high side runners.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/search.html?text=elegy&x=0&y=0

In reply to Pythonist:

Gear where you step across left is normal (a 4 friend in the crack); any higher is surely cheating.

In reply to sutty:
That's what I thought, but not what the BMC guide suggests or what I've ever seen anyone else do...

So with correct low gear, it's definitely E2??? I'll go back to doing every E1 in the Peak, then...

In reply to Pythonist:


Yes, it is. I did it a week ago and found the step left far harder and more nerve wracking.
The slab was steady and OK once I'd convinced myself to start up it (I like gritstone slabs).

In reply to Pythonist:

In reply to Pythonist:

OK, is that Dave? This one goes on a bit but basically it is safe to put the gear at the traverse level but if you do then fall (as most people do) you will have to reclimb Bulger. That is a pain. Much more sensible is to continue up Bulger, place high gear, and downclimb. The high gear does not protect the slab where there is no gear anyway.

The grade is the same either way but having fallen off Bulger, then Elergy, on the same session, I'll opt for not going having to reclimb Bulger unless absolutely necessary. Hence the high gear.

Anyway, Commander Energy is a better route around the corner. The hard move on Elergy is not that great and the slab is a bit easy.

In reply to Ian Hill:

need to get a better screen, or get this one set up better. had to look for that side rope.

In reply to Pythonist: the holds can mis-lead a leader who doesnt carefully look at the line before committing whilst on the slab.
if you get the right line then its E2, fairly hard in the grade, but never E3.

you probably got mis-lead towards the center of the slab, where the hold run out and you find yourself entering, the E5
clive coolhead

In reply to Pythonist:
The runner in Bulger protects the 5c move - the awkward move leaving the crack on the undercuts. By the time you climb the flake and start padding up the slab, it's of little use. These moves are only 5b, but they're why the route gets E2, and is possibly the best E2 on grit.

Looking at the photo of me on it, I'm actually a bit suprised at how low I placed the runner, cos I thought I went up to the chockstone, but it seems it was only level with the bottom of the flake. P.S it wasn't my idea to take the pic in B&W, or from below !

In reply to Ian Hill:
Yeh - that's far more where I thought gear was usually placed. It turns the fall down the slab (and perhaps off the end) into a long swing back, but you've got the flake gear to stop you swinging all the way to the Bulger, making it a far more preferable fall!

I definitely wasn't on CC, as the moves were there, I was just bricking it - but 4b/c ??? Fc*k no. Crux was easy 5c, and, the route's rather obvious throughout...

Guess it's (c) then!

And, yes, Muppet (?), it's me... Was it the desperation in my voice yesterday that did it?

In reply to Pythonist:

I used to be Bananaman in another life. And I argued with myself a lot

In reply to MuppetOnARope:
The pain of the experience is now fadding, and I find myself wanting to have another go, having proclaimed that I wouldn't go near it any time soon upon being rescued.

Having hence thought about it a bit more, I get the "pure grit" description, as there really are very few pure slabs, aren't there? New thread, methinks.

M - give me another clue!

In reply to Pythonist:

Here's some advice. Just to the left of the path as you walk in are the lower-tier boulders,
and the first of those are some slabby boulders about the same angle as the Elegy slab.
Have a play for 20 mins smearing up those on the grit friction, and after that the
footholds on the slab of Elegy will seem big and the climbing easy.

In reply to Pythonist:

adrenanlising - is that a word! Bloody americans

In reply to Coel Hellier:
Yeh, tried those and can pretty much walk up much harder slabs on boulders (there's a fun load of slab-eliminates at Cratcliffe I like playing on)! Indeed, there's a E2 solo slab just right of the stairs up to the upper tier. That one went easily! Wonder what the difference is?

And "adrenalising" isn't American... It's just made up, hence sounding stupid enough to be American!

In reply to Pythonist:


In which case you should piss up the Elegy slab!

In reply to Pythonist:

is that the one you and I did years ago Dave?:
http://www.rockfax.com/databases/r.php?i=5785

if so then that is never E2, I was falling off HVS back then and remember it being easy. If the Elegy slab is the same difficulty as that then you were either a) just having a bad day or b) off-line...though as you said, the line is pretty obvious. I don't suppose you're free during the next week are you? I fancy a trip to the Roaches.

In reply to Alun:
Yep, that's the one. No, none of us thought it was E2, but it is a solo above a bad landing @ roughly the right technical grade of moves. Elegy just seeme to feel so much worse. As I said earlier, I guess it was just a bad day...

And Chris and I will be at home in Derby from the end of next Wednesday. All welcome.

In reply to Pythonist:

Can someone please put me out of my misery on this.

I can't do the move (out of Bulger). I know there's a trick and I've failed to find it twice.

Having ruined the onsight, I'll settle for the "ascent".

Anyone?

John

In reply to Moacs:

You sure you want to know?
































Kick your right foot up the opposite arete of the crack, it tips your centre of gravity past the bulge!

So now you know!

Chris

In reply to Pythonist:

The upper slab is much easier (about two grades) if you weave about a bit, rather than pad direct - from the top of the flake head up and then left to a 'rest' on the left of the tiny shallow groove. Stride back right and follow the bumps, - and watch the rounded finish - its sometimes a bit gritty/damp!

Chris

In reply to Moacs:
Ditto...














If you mean the technical crux of Elegy, there's not really any trick. Two methods:
1) Place left foot far left (obvious good ledge) and rock on to it using small crimp in left groove (bit of a reach) and high under-cut (if needed). Pull leftwards.
Or (far more sensible, IMHO)
2) Place right foot as far out from the crack as possible on the large nose, with left foot as far right (i.e. almost underneath the main bulge). Grab both aretes of the main bulge, squeeze, and step right foot all the way through the where the foot-ledge becomes good again.

Either way, congratulate yourself, pad left, then place as much gear as possible and prepare yourself for the slab...

I fancied (2) more simply because it feels far more in balance the further away from the crack of the Bulger you make it.

CC - I tried that one, and couldn't lean far enough left to move the right foot upwards easily (neither could my second)! Left foot under the nose and right foot far out means the bulge plays no part in the step across - and grabbing either side of the bulge just adds a bit of balance.

In reply to Chris Craggs:
That was my other question! It was the move out left that I managed not to do, whereas my second went straight up on the sloping-ledge (something I would certainly not do on lead). The proper lines is direct, rather than taking that step left? Cripes, it's worse than I thought!

In reply to Pythonist:

The 'proper' line is where the holds are!


Chris

In reply to Pythonist:

Technique (if that is the right word) that applies here is to hold the bulge like a big box, step foot left, try to maintain enough grip to hold on as you limbo around the bulge like passing a big woman in a narrow hallway, and jam right calf under the far side if you make it. Then it is easy.

As for adrenaline thing, it would be epinepharine in the USA because of a copyright issue from way back..