UKC

Hank Pasquill made the FA of the Goblin Roof, ‘Orchrist’ at Almscliff in 1973. According to the logbooks, this is now regarded as E5 6b. Therefore it’s one of the earliest E5s in the UK.

Does anybody know the story behind the FA? Also is the name correct?

According to Wikipedia: ‘Orcrist’ was an Elven sword from Gondolin, the mate of Glamdring, which became the sword of Thorin II Oakenshield during The Quest of Erebor. It was used by Thorin in The Hobbit, and was feared and called Biter by the Goblins.

So maybe it should be ‘Orcrist’?

Maybe it's word play on "Oh Christ!"

As discussed in the Footless Crow thread recently (https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rocktalk/footless_crow-699343?v=1#x893530...) Hank used a fairly complex arrangement of  side runners to the side and behind (across the gully) to effect a baby-bouncer. Not sure if the current E5 grade is for this or soloing it. Didn't help Pasquill snr with the 6b move though!

Grant, there's a wonderful article called 'All Our Yesterdays', by Al Manson, in a Leeds uni journal, circa 1972 (the first of two brilliant ones, edited by Bernard Newman). Al looks back, wryly and wistfully, to the halcyon days when he and his mate, Pete Kitson, ruled the crag. And then, when they briefly took their eyes off the ball, Hank Pasquill snuck in and poked out the Goblin's Eyes roof.

There's a photo of John Syrett top-roping it (not sure if he succeeded). Al Rouse top-roped it. Steve Bancroft arranged side runners for HP. And then our Lancastrian hero rose to the challenge. 

I believe Steve Webb (of his parish) had a go, solo, a few years later but didn't quite make it - with painful consequences. Hopefully he'll be along soon, to put us right.

Mick

P.S. I believe there were about four E5s done at Avon, circa 1972 (maybe obscure/micro-routes - but maybe not!) Don't think their true difficulty was appreciated until years later. That old XS grade covered a multitude of sins!

P.P.S. Also Al Rouse's solo of The Beatnik, at Helsby. Jenny Wren, at Gordale. The benefits of training were starting to show.

Pretty sure I watched Henry Barber top rope it in October 1974.

Yes I did attempt to solo it. I had been there when Steve B did the second ascent with ropes across the gully and I tried and failed to lead it that day. 

I was looking at the top on later occasion and spotted a pocket that I reckoned would make the top do able. Well I couldn’t find it when I got there tried to reverse fell off landed in puddle full of slush and broke my heel and elbow.

As I was the only person at the crag I had to wait for someone to turn up and ask them to take me to the phone box so I could ring my dad and get him to come take me to A&E.

Regards the name, if I remember correctly Hank told me many years ago that some blokewstched him climb it and suggested the name to him. I don't have Hank down as a big Lord Of The Rings fan! Also from memory, this was pre chalk so he put sand in his pocket to help dry his fingers. Whatever, Hank is a vastly under rated climber, and a fantastic bloke as well!

Photos and tales of attempts here:

https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,6644.msg246958.html#msg24695...

If you look at the next page of posts on the thread somebody has scanned in the magazine article.

Steve, you've spoiled the myth with the truth for me!!!!

Here's me thinking that after you tried to solo it and fell off, Steve Bancroft came across and looked down on you and said....'If you had got up that Webbo you'd have been the winner'!!!

............not that there was any competition between mates!!

The completion was with Chris “the nose” Addy not Steve. We had been to Northumberland soloing various things and it got a bit competitive.

So it was Chris who made that comment when he saw me all later.

According to Steve’s diary Hank did it on sight.

That Manson essay is in Wilson's The Games Climbers Play, if anyone's interested. "Bloody creep! Who does he think he is?"...

That essay is a thing of beauty. Nowadays it's commonplace for people to send themselves up. But it wasn't, then. Al expanded the climbing literature genre - which would probably amuse him, all the more.

Al and Pete Kitson seemed technically better than anyone else in Yorkshire, at the time. Obviously Steve Bancroft and John Allen were on the way up. Would love to have seen Hank Pasquill climb. (Is Lancs the home of dark horses? Probably!)

Mick

Re dark horses.

I was impressed how many good lancashire climbers appeared out of the woodwork when malham first got ( sports ) bolted in the mid 80's.

It's a bit of a backwater in those quarries, but it certainly produces some very good climbers if not many good routes.

I still like the old joke that the best route in lancashire is the M6.

Actually heppenstall quarry is quite good.

Which is In Yorkshire.

I know  just testing .

Was probably a factor in deciding where the border was drawn .

Thanks all for posting some cracking stories there

Back when I was leading hvs and E1  only,I used to train with  finger grippers and squeezing tennis balls.I used to look at a picture of Syrett failing to top rope Goblin's Eyes and promised myself that one day I would do it.I found getting up it 3rd go on a top rope was enough. That was after a  week's night shift at Vauxhall  in Luton,then a heavy night drinking in the Lakes and dossing in a field in pouring rain,no tent or bivy bag.Respect due to Hank Pasquil.

As for shire borders,grit was formed before we thought about shires.

If you did less talking about yourself Mitch and read the posts above, you might actually realise I was replying to Ricks posts about Lancashire climbers and quarries.

Suicide Arête (E5 6a)

a pretty early e5 this