UKC

In the gritstone guide it says

"A naughty side-runner on the right lowers the grade a couple of notches"

What side runners are these? You are allowed gear in the horisontal break shared with Sunset slab aren't you? Otherwise this really is a solo outing. I'm pretty sure you'd hit the deck off the hard move anyway but I tried not to think about that when I was doing it.

In reply to Paul Boardman:

That should have read 'Sundowner'!

Nerver mind...

In reply to Paul Boardman: Sunset Crack ???

In reply to Offwidth:

Ok, that's what I was thinking. But I wasn't really close enough to the crack to put gear in anyway, which is why I though that the line might miss out the horisontal break of sunset slab.

Quite a nice route then. Nice and airy anyway. Especially topping out as it was bloody windy!

fun fun fun

In reply to Paul Boardman:

Its called a side-runner because its not close enough to place on lead??
Did you climb it closer to the crack or Sunset Slab???

In reply to Offwidth:


Really? I just thought side runners were gear placements to your side rather than above or below. I thought that gear not placed whilst on lead was called 'in situ'?


I guess I was closer to the crack than to sunset slab but wouldn't have wanted to try and lean across to put gear in the crack.

In reply to Paul Boardman:

>but wouldn't have wanted to try and lean across to put gear in the crack.<

No - you hop along the break, climb up to a height dictated by taste, place side runner, return to break, hop back into the middle of the slab, and proceed as before. Sort of placed on lead. (Otherwise 'preplaced side-runner' is the term.)

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Sundowner is the direct up the slab & has a wire at 10ft at E2, and is not rilly a solo (as I pulled my mate off it when he fell from the top.....just)

If you put wires in Sunset Crack...its HVS...and its easy to do this.

The guide describes it.....I know its old but ita aint ard...


Si

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:


Now that definitley sounds like cheating! Glad to know I did it properly then.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Do i have to hop?
does this increase the grade?

In reply to Ogre:


I'm affraid the hopping is obligatory.

Apparently hopping up this route decreses it from an E2 to a HVS. Perhaps we should all try hopping up problems in the future. But does this decrease the purity of the ascent I wonder?

In reply to Paul Boardman:

I did it following the nice dotted red line from Rockfax Gritstone east then you can get some tricams in the pockets about one 3rd height. But then I went direct over the break at the bottom of sunset slab and couldn't place gear in it. Someone told me you only get the E2 tick if you solo it anyway.

In reply to Jon Greengrass:

Yep, you have to solo it in hobnail boots and no chalk allowed....

In reply to Dave Collier:

No chalk needed - it's all in your feet anyway.

(I was going to do "Boots! We used to *dream* of boots but thought it would be hackneyed.)

Charles

Sunset Crack is only a metre to the left - its hardly far to pad over on the half-way shelf - place a side runner, step back to the middle - then go to the top. Still better style than the top-rope

In reply to richard:

Sunset Crack is only a metre to the left if you are falling down Sundowner head first. If you are going up it is a metere to the right - unless I am very much misterken.

In reply to Paul Boardman:

Look, what you do is climb Sunset Crack, lace the bugger, lower off or downclimb, then do Sundowner in relative safety.

5a with a near toprope I'd call that VS !! Nice route though.

G

In reply to Dave Collier:

lol

Or if you're Johnny Dawes on one of his crazy party trick projects.

In reply to GFoz: You forgot the bouncy castle at the base and the bouldering mat hanging down the crack in case you swing??

In reply to Offwidth:

didn't say it was good style/ethics, just explaining the technique

I did it with the side-runner but without hopping

One of the nicest slabby HVS's I've done - the crux is just below the top and a fair way over from sunset crack and so even with a side-runner you're feeling quite edgy about taking a nice swinging fall. Good value. Not into broken legs myself so won't be doing the E2 version...