UKC

OK, anti-cheating purists can close the thread now; nothing to see here.




For those still here, I bottled this yesterday....and now have that nagging "should have gone for it" feeling.

Aside from the soundness (or otherwise) of the peg, will I get wet/hgurt if I fall off? How good is the gear at the arete? Is it lots of "not quite right" bits or are there a couple of bombers?

I know, I know, it'll blow the onsight...but I don't really want to spend 6 months in traction.

Thanks

John

In reply to JJL:

Are you talking about the one in Stennis Ford Pembroke?

In reply to JJL:

solo up to the arete. poor cam and okish nut on a spike. climb up, good nut. Hard move, bomber RPs and 00 cam. Bit higher and peg and more RPs if you need.

In reply to F Manker:

*thats the E2 at Laurencefield.

In reply to kevin stephens:

Lawrencefield

In reply to JJL: Well mate the gear in the arete is bomber, a rock 5 i think. Then once on the wall some so-so gear (lots of it) of the move to the peg.

In reply to F Manker:

Thanks for that. Is the spike properly attached? I heard that it was loose/cracked. I assume the poor cam is in the flared slot right on the egde - looks shit from the ground to be honest.

I was hoping for something truly solid before the move round and up onto the face.

In reply to Alex Mason:

Is your "so so gear" F Manker's "Bomber RPs"?

In reply to JJL: The climbing to the arete is bold but positive. Bomber nuts at the arete. I mean *bomber*, a mate of mine fell a long way onto these. Useful small friend once on the face. Small wires (Peanuts ideally) below the finger ledges - quite shallow and not entirely reassuring (although I fell on them repeatedly). I had no worries about the peg.

Quite frankly though, if you bottled the bottom then you stood no chance on the crux, a very hard 5c move above the aforementioned micros.

In reply to Alex Mason: Back? Will drop you a line.

In reply to Stig:

I'm pretty comfortable cracking hard (for me) moves if I've good gear. i didn't want to land up on the arete and be forced to do either scoop connection or continue if the gear was bad.

In reply to Stig:

careful with people telling you the gear at the arete is bomber. The crack it is in flexes a little; no problem if you put a big enough nut in, but put one a size too small in and do what my friend did (fall off when clipping the peg) and you will end up in the lake...

In reply to midgets of the world unite:

What about the gear between the arete and the peg? There is plenty of it and although it isn't all good, it should keep you out of the lake I got a couple of bomb-proof offset wires in the crack on the face. Those wild country superlight rocks (pink and green if I recall correctly) fit the placement nicely.

Great route!

In reply to JJL: bomber rock 1 before the crux, I recon its safe once you get to the arete...

In reply to JJL:

Years since I did it but I got what I thought was a bomb-proof Tricam on the face below the peg. Whatever happened to those? Never used one before or since but it seemed good although, happily, I never tested it.

In reply to JJL: I guess so, only bought rps last year so didnt have any.

In reply to Stig: back with a vengeance!

In reply to 1234None:
>Those wild country superlight rocks (pink and green if I recall correctly) fit the placement nicely.

Spot on with the green superlight, half a size one WC cam head wriggles in somewhere too if your desperate.
Sling on the arete with a nut to keep it in.

In reply to kareylarey:
I didn't find a bomber rock one anywhere up there on the main wall bit - maybe i missed something though. I got in two smallish HB/DMM Brass offsets for sure when i did it the other day. I have a feeling the nut slots up there are getting worse. I'd bring some small offsets if you can get your hands on em.

I remember thinking that collectively all the pieces i got in added up to 'definately bomber' (though perhaps not all individually). The move up there's bloody hard!

In reply to stevebarratt:

I think I'd agree with you: plenty of so-so stuff that adds up to something that's overall quite protectable. I don't much like the idea of 'bomber RP's'. The RP or the rock sometimes break when you fall on them. Certainly not the best route to try if you're a bit inexperienced with gear placement. I remember 'jaw dropping' when my mate Tom led it and decided the pockets were too greasy and climbed the crack using only crimps either side. Anyone done the brilliant and unique E3 5b heading left from the arete?