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NEW ARTICLE: VIDEO: James McHaffie on Spider Pants (E6)

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 UKC Articles 29 May 2009
[James McHaffie climbing The Treacherous Underfoot E7 6b, 1 kb]James McHaffie should have been the star of last year's film On Sight, but he wasn't.

He has climbed over thirty E7's in the purest style, with no pre-inspection and with no falls.

In this short film we see James 'retro-flashing' the fiercely technical slate groove of Spider Pants (E6 6b/c).

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1886

 Tyler 29 May 2009
In reply to UKC Articles:

Does he really do all his routes in Red Chillis?!

The climbing nerd in me wants to know the names of these thirty E7s he's on-sighted. Actually the climbing nerd in me aslo wants to know all the one's he hasn't as well. Also all the other E7s that have been onsighted in Wales, plus dates, partner's, E6's etc.........
 Owen W-G 29 May 2009
In reply to UKC Articles:

James M was down in Pembroke last year the same long w/e we were there and we ended up at same crags as him a few times. Reading the climbing media, you think that top climbers spend their lives top roping E9s to submission but he proved that wrong. Saw him onsight 5 or 6 routes around E5 standard one after the other without any apparent difficulty, in the same way as me and my mate were doing on our trip (but obviously at a much lower grade!) If anything he was probably more in his comfort zone that we were. He was heading off to Devon/Cornwall the following week, would love to know what he got done. Humble guy too. In pub he said he'd just got back from a trip to Madagasca, done some good routes. Next months Climber had him on cover in Madagasca with 'Hardest Slab in the World' headline!
 Will Goldsmith 29 May 2009
In reply to UKC Articles:

I remember reading on here ages ago that he onsight soloed Souls in pembroke - anyone know if its true?!
 twigulus 29 May 2009
In reply to UKC Articles: that was a good video, props to the man!
 Tom Briggs 29 May 2009
In reply to UKC Articles:

He has climbed over thirty E7's in the purest style, with no pre-inspection and with no falls. Around ten of these are what James might describe in his quiet, understated way as "quite tough".

Yeah come on Jack, the nerds want names!
 Tom Briggs 29 May 2009
In reply to Tyler:
> (In reply to UKC Articles)
>
> Does he really do all his routes in Red Chillis?!

I know, can you imagine what he would be capable of if he climbed in rock shoes?!

 Chris Harris 29 May 2009
In reply to UKC Articles:
I'm a bit ignorant on slate grading. Can someone explain why something with that many bolts on it gets a trad grade?
 Reach>Talent 29 May 2009
In reply to Chris Harris:
Unless there are several routes of the same name then:

Spider Pants E6 87m
A fantastic Girdle of the Central wall....

First and third pitches seem to be partly bolted.
 Jack Geldard 29 May 2009
In reply to Chris Harris: 3 bolts in 28m?!

There are lots of slate routes with bolts in that get E grades. E grades used to be for both sport and trad routes, as we didn't use F grades in the UK back when bolts came in.

Lots of the slate routes are kind of in between - like this one. It's very safe, the hard sections are protected by bolts. However it's not quite a sport route.

I think it goes like this (from memory - this could be wrong and the heights are approximate)

5m Wire
8m Wire
10m 1st bolt
(crux)
14m 2nd bolt
15m Cam
18m Wire
20m 3rd Bolt
28m Top

Jack
 TobyA 30 May 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:
Nice movie.

I've not climbed much on slate, and to outsiders it is an odd ethic having half and half routes. I remember abbing off from the top anchor on one route (Combat Rock I think) and thinking, if they put one bolt in at the top - why not two? (Rather than a team of two trusting just one bolt although I think I backed it up.) So on this route - is there any reason for not bolting it fully beyond the historical one of that is how it was originally done?
 Michael Ryan 31 May 2009
In reply to TobyA:
> (In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC)
> Nice movie.
>
> I've not climbed much on slate, and to outsiders it is an odd ethic having half and half routes.

Depending on your background and values it isn't an odd ethic.

Many climbs around the word rely on a mixture of fixed and hand-placed gear.

It really isn't that unusual, although some would like to make it so.

Mick
 Ed Booth 01 Jun 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: Do you know roughly how many E7's Neil Dickson has on-sighted?
 JezH 01 Jun 2009
In reply to UKC Articles: I've checked out the E7 6b Treacherous Underfoot a couple times because the cliff face it's on is quite literally behind my house and each time it seems more impressive that someone has actually climbed it! I find it's an inspiring route.
 seagull 03 Jun 2009
He made that look about VS. Very impressive.

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