UKC

out of curiosity - when people mention lassoing the spike on Slug Club Special from the adjacent route are they clipping the rope to the sling and effectively top roping the initial section?

And for what reason is the E5 rockfax grade so mich higher that the UKC voting? 

I’ve always assumed it meant throwing a rope over.

When I did it though I preclipped the rope to a sling and krab on the spike on abseil.

The new guide mentions ‘lassoing’ the spike from below but the old one made no mention of it.  If I recall correctly it has a bold section low down then a hard move past a bolt higher up.  Throwing a sling over the spike seemed a bit too much like cheating (unsurprisingly) and kind of missing the point (even for slate).

Having said that using a top rope, or preclipping the spike, or using side runners doesn’t hurt the rock so do whatever you feel like.  I can see the confusion from the UKC logbook, but I suspect the grade is a typo and there is no option for split grades (Heartless Hare has the same problem).  It has been E4 in the last few guides, and is probably around E1/2 with the spike ‘lassoed’. 

From what I remember: Once you've done the initial sketchy slab solo you end up just below the metal spike. It's just out of reach but you can take a sling and flick it over the spike from here, rather than doing one or two extra moves to reach it comfortably. 

That's how I interpreted 'lasso the spike from below', as it says in the guidebook. The UKC description is the first I've heard of lassoing the spike from the route next door. I don't see the difference between this and pre-clipping it on abseil tbh. Nothing wrong with doing it this way, of course, but call it what it is, ie not really leading the route! 

I think it's E4 to lead. Half top-rope half leading it feels more like sport climbing (the top half is bolted) and is maybe 6c? It's a nice route either way you do it, totally different character depending on your chosen method, obviously. 

I remember top roping it in the early 90s and I am certain that at that time the spike was the only protection (it was E4 then) It seemed a pretty scary proposition.

That would certainly make the top crux pretty necky. There is only one bolt, but it adequately protects the rest of the route after the spike.

I'm pretty sure I remember the bolt from when I did it 1991ish