UKC

Having won (to my own satisfaction) the Brimham Rocks Sunday Afternoon Bouldering Tournament yesterday - an imaginary (i.e. existing only in my head) competition between dads seeking to impress their kids, gangly teenagers seeking to impress girlfriends, and one middle-aged saddo seeking to impress his own ego - I was confronted with the realization that getting down from the lofty boulder I'd managed to ascend in muddy trainers would be rather more difficult than getting up. A quick patrol of the perimeter of the summit located no easy descent (I considered then rejected a running jump into the branches of a not-so-adjacent tree). So there I stayed - cultivating an air of Zen-like detachment; a free-spirited rock athlete, oblivious to the cares of the world, sunbathing on an airy perch. As the hours drew on, this 'act' became less convincing, and several passing ramblers looked up at me, marvelled at how I'd got 'up there' then asked the question that had been inwardly nagging at me - 'how are you going to get down?' Once the crowds had departed, I dry-rubbed my trainers on the legs of my jeans, apllied imaginary chalk to my fingers, and querulously and precariously reversed a tricky mantelshelf to a sloping ledge, then leaped to safety!

Anyway, enough of my self-inflicted ordeal - what is the hardest (most precarious) downclimb you've ever done (had to do)?

In reply to Marc C:

Don't know, but I've abseiled E9 - top that!

In reply to Marc C:

I have never down-climbed much above VS (solo that is) though I once saw someone descend (also solo!)Bitterfingers (E4 6a) at Stoney!


Chris

In reply to Marc C: Erm, probably downclimbing from Little Tryfan a few years ago! We'd dropped in from above on the west side, after having already done a circuit that started up Pen Y Ole Wen in the morning! We found the Geocache on Little Tryfan and decided to head off straight down the east side. It was my first weekend away scrambling, so I wasn't used to such things, and found the downclimb somewhat scarey - had a severe case of disco leg at one point. My partner went ahead and had to point out footholds to me as I edged down backwards. I'd quite like to go back and try it again now my confidence has improved somewhat!

In reply to Marc C: We got a rope jammed abbing off the Blatiere so I led back up to free it and then downclimbed the pitch as there were no bolts and I didn't want to leave gear. We checked the guide book later and discovered it was a 5+/6a pitch on Majorette Thatcher, really chuffed apart from the blood loss from overjamming!

In reply to Marc C:

Downclimbed Man of Straw in White Ghyll, from half-way up the groove, in pouring rain, with no gear. Was certain I was f*cked, so just thought I'd go down(!) fighting.

Was amazed to reverse the crux and end up back on the belay ledge. Life went on. (But it could easily have ended, on that day, so long ago.)

Mick

In reply to Mick Ward: Yikes! Sounds 'entertaining' Remember the old climbing wisdom 'never climb what you can't reverse'? Though had that been universally heeded, there wouldn't be any E11s or many E4s. However, practising downclimbing can be a very useful exercise and much harder than up-climbing - downclimbing The Sloth seems to be a very popular activity for would-be leaders

In reply to Marc C: Didn't Dave Macleod downclimb the E8 Requiem for a rest after placing the crucial gear on Rhapsody?

In reply to John2: Impressive! Though it's hardly 'up there' with my Brimham downclimb...

In reply to Marc C:

I'm cursed with the ability to downclimb as hard (if not harder) than I can climb up. This means I regularly end up retreating off routes by down climbing and stripping the gear. If i wasn't afflicted with this diorder I think i would get more harder routes done. (NB that i don't climb very hard upwards so i'm nowhere near the cutting edge of down climbing.)

In reply to petellis: 'cursed'? Know what you mean, but, the 'up' side of your downclimbing ability is it must give you confidence? When I 'push the boat out', I'm always thinking 'oh god, I don't think I can reverse that' then either begin a desperate flailing leg retreat or commit (of necessity) to a mega-bold scary upward surge

In reply to Marc C: Is this a new type of climbing? Will there be a new grading system and guide books?
Doug Scott down climbed the Orge with both legs broken. I think that due to the style in which this "down climb" was done there has been no repeat to date.
I wish I was climbing now.
Ian.

In reply to John2:

Yup. He also down-climbed from the crux of To Hell and Back.

In reply to Chris Craggs: Well by choice, Armaggedon, but by need The Boldest, much more scarey, and probably more uneccessary, just freaked out. Its quite different downclimbing because you feel you have to, than downclimbing because you feel you want to!

In reply to Marc C:
There's many a person been trapped atop a Brimham boulder. Most end up using the full-body-friction method of descent which involves keeping as large an area of your body in contact with the rock as possible to maximise friction as you slither down the sloping sides. I once tried this while wearing a woolly jumper. The jumper adhered to the rock like velcro to muttonchop sideboards, and my skinny white body slipped out of it at light speed like a newborn albino fish.

In reply to anonymouse: Tee hee, I like your vivid description - hopefully your trousers stayed on, and nothing skinny and pink
slipped out of them like a newborn one-eyed eel

In reply to sutty: Your chance for eternal fame thwarted! A Brimham boulder named after you - Skeleton Rock

In reply to anonymouse: Did you get your jumper back?

In reply to sutty:

Wonderful. The thought of you prancing on the pinnacles in pursuit of lost youth...

In reply to Guy:
Yes. An old man got it down with a stick.

In reply to Marc C:

I once soloed Croton Oil at Rivelin, trailing a half rope in order to abb off the top of the needle...and forgot my belay plate, so rather than get rope burns from a horrendous body-abb (it was painful enough the only other time I've used the method on a massive slab, let alone going over an overhang) I was forced to downclimb Spiral Route (I was also too embarassed to call to the one other person at the crag to pass me up my plate). Bit of an idiot.

Al

In reply to alaan:

tsch;
http://www.needlesports.com/advice/knots.htm
http://ozultimate.com/canyoning/knots/munter_hitch/

In reply to Marc C:

A good few years ago i watched someone reverse the top pitch of 'sultans of swing' at tremadog because their second didnt like the look of it, it was a spectacular mix of down climbing with a strategic fall or two all executed with no drama. Probably one of the best bits of climbing entertainment ive seen

In reply to Marc C: A ihave downlcimbed of a few e1's and 2's

In reply to Brandon Copley: My worst downclimbing experience was a 'scramble' down the steep arete of Foel Goch in Ogwen - somehow I got into a right pickle on loose shale above a deep notch... I remember 'up' climbing to safety and thanking God for my deliverance

My most 'entertaining' downclimbing jaunt was somewhat reluctantly following Dave Towse (John Redhead's climbing partner)- a visitor I bumped into at my local crag, Pontesford Rocks - as he hungily went up and down the rockface like a greedy spider monkey.

In reply to sutty:

Nope, I wasn't even clever enough to have a single karabiner on me. Oh well.