UKC

OK let's keep the theme running. What was your 1st Severe lead, and how did you find it?

Mine was the Slab on Lower Scout Crag, Langdale in 1963. There was a rocking pointed chockstone in it in those days which was a bit unerving. I believe it has since fallen out.

In reply to Trangia:

I should add that I climbed it wearing big Army boots.

In reply to Trangia:

Mine was probably either Fluted Columns at Almscliff (think it is HVD in some guides) or Split Slab Crack at Burbage North. The former was ok apart from feeling a little run out towards the top, the latter was a relief - my climbing partner and I had been trying a few easy things at Burbage and Stanage and had repeatedly got scared on unprotected VDiffs, so we made a pact to try nothing less than severe. It worked, as they often felt more straightforward to the VDiff grovels that I went back to later.

In reply to Trangia:

Slabs Route 1, White Ghyll. I think I would probably scare myself if I did it again now with the same equipment!

In reply to Trangia:

Strangely enough, I don't remember my first Severe as being any kind of big deal, though V Diff was - don't know why. The landmark moments for me were: first rock climb (mod); first V Diff lead; first VS lead; first Extreme (i.e. E1) lead. Anyone else experience it that way too?

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Not the same, but I do agree that I didn't feel every grade as a breakthrough. I remember my first day on rock as a 'climber' rather than pottering about or as part of a scout group. I also remember my first leads, but the grades of my first leads were all over the place. I think my second lead ever was Fluted columns (as mentioned above), then my 5th lead was VS (by mistake), then I did my first E1 before I lead HVS.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

No Severe was a major jump for me. I had been on an Army rock climbing course where by day 3 they were throwing us in at the deep end and making us lead Diffs and V Diffs. No gear in those days, just the odd sling around a spike or tree. VS leading was another milestone, but I found the biggest physcological barrier was moving from VS to HVS, and E1 was about where I finished because I was very much into big multi pitch climbing and things just started getting too scary above that as I wasn't training or climbing that regularly. Sub E1 seemed OK for irregular climbing with no training between.

Of course it's alkl in the head

In reply to Trangia:

Red Wall, Porth Clais. Looked flat as a mirror but climbed like a ladder.

In reply to Trangia:
Depends:
Inspiration at Cattle Troughs - had seconded it a few months earlier so knew I'd be alright on it, hence not onsight
Christmas Crack at Stanage (clean onsight but actually HS)
Right Hand Trinity at Stanage (had to dog it on the gear for the tricky move halfway up)
so my first actual clean onsight severe lead was Cave Butress at High Neb.

In reply to Trangia:

Probably Ash tree wall at Burbage N, but It wasn't really a milestone, my first HS meant more, just because the grade gets an orange spot in the rockfax guide, my first e1 was the next time I felt like that about a grade(but more so).

In reply to andic:

Interesting. HS was a complete non-grade to me. Somewhere where guidebook writers put routes that were too awkward to be severe but didn't seem like VS. I suspect things have been ironed out a bit since then. I wonder how many others are now influenced by breaking into the next spot colour (I wouldn't mind breaking into the blacks)? Rockfax really is revolutionary.

In reply to Trangia: mine was last month, bollard butress direct at polney crag. turns out the book was wrong, and it's actually an hs. felt more sustained than any severe's i'd 2nded...

In reply to Trangia: Trafalgar Wall at Birchen.

In reply to Trangia: Gimmer Crack - April 72' - big grins all the way up

In reply to Trangia:

Concave Wall at Denham Quarry. The lack of decent protection was actually an attraction, as I knew that it would therefore be technically reasonable for the grade. Debatable logic which I'm happy to say I've since abandoned!

In reply to Trangia:

Not sure it was the first but the one that is burned into memory is Allens slab at Froggat. I was terrified ! the sun was well down by the time I finally plucked up the courage to make the step across (pre any small cam protection back then of course)

In reply to Trangia:

Ash Tree Wall at Crag Lough -- about 1970 -- climbed in big (bendy) boots.

Cold, damp and slightly greasy -- which is about par for the course at Crag Lough in the early spring.

I was quite chuffed when it was given 4b in the 1979 Northumberland Guide

In reply to Trangia:

Vivien at standing stones, my first lead on my own gear. onsight clean, which was nice.

In reply to Trangia:


First one led? Can't remember - maybe something at Causey again! First one done? Undoubtedly some Bowden Doors VS!

In reply to Mark Bull:

Yup, that was my first Severe lead too. Enjoyable.

In reply to Trangia:

Clothesline at Aldery Cliff. I had seconded it, on a previous trip, then led it next time we went there. I was more worried about setting up the belay, and having to abseil down, than about climbing it.

In reply to Trangia:

Scream at Auchinstarry Quarry, it's a fairly well climbed route that is polished and offers good protection. It was also my first trad and my first clean onsight.

In reply to Trangia:
First Severe was first pitch of a multipitch at Tremadog. Hard and mildly terrifying. First grit Severe was Black hawk hell crack - awesome route!

In reply to Trangia: Mine was Fern Crack on the Roaches last Jun. it was my 2nd ever lead. My then more experienced partner tried it and failed!! but i found a jug and waltzed it. my partner still only leads upto HVD and i'm doing VS's, contemplating HVS.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

I love that route. It was "V.Diff" when I first did it (I quote from the 1970 Chatsworth guide: 'A well-scratched route up the face...it used to be a "test piece" in nailed footwear, and is still a popular route'
By the time of the 1996 guide it had clambered up to VS 4b (remember that if you don't use cams you might as well solo it) and now seems to have settled down a bit.
My first "Severe" on-sight was P.M.C.1 on Curbar, done in a single pitch. How my friends laughed as I gibbered my way up the last bit.