UKC

Alan Cassidy reports in his UKC Logbook and on his blog that he has redpointed Unjustified (F8c) at Malham Cove, North Yorkshire.

Commenting in his UKC Logbook Alan said:

"3rd day. 3rd proper redpoint. Maybe I'm not as out of shape as I thought...."

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=61666

In reply to UKC News: Eh? Not sure I understand the context of this news item? I guess the speed of his redpoint? His blog’s self-depricating comments about feeling “fat and weak” highlights something more ingrained in the ethos of UK climbing... Interesting to see his views on style of ascent too.

In reply to Alex Thompson: It is reported because the route is at Malham and everything that happens at Malham is reported.

In reply to Alex Thompson: I'm sure you'd love a news write up when you climb 8c Alex.

In reply to UKC News:

well done Alan, an awesome looking route.

In reply to Richard Hall: Someone not had their coffee this morning?

In reply to UKC News:

Really quit an interesting blog post. I completely agree with his views on some of the tactics applied to some routes.

And good effort on the route!

In reply to Alex Thompson:

The context as i see it (as a malham regular) is that unjustified has seen quite a few repeats and interest by prospective suitors over the last couple of years. The topic has been raised by people about its grade and whether it is correct/soft. (cannot comment on this as im far from an 8c climber). And Alan being an 8c climber is commenting on this i believe.

However what also is true, is that there are quite a few strong climbers around at the moment and with this there is a lot of beta available which possibly wasnt so readily available prior to recent times.

Additionally you quite often find that good routes being climbed get more popularity as people see the climbing and are inspired by it and having seen and belayed a few people climb the route its definately on my fantasy ticklist as it looks like an awesome line.

Cheers
Tim

In reply to IainWhitehouse:

Ha, ha, no i hadn't when I wrote that actually.

Still, if the route were at Cheddar it probably wouldn't have been reported.

In reply to Richard Hall:

ah, I think that is unfair Rich.

There's only Bristol's got Talent isnt there?
and it hasnt been repeated, so if it was, I imagine someone would be interested in hearing about it. And 8c is rare enough in this country to bother pointing out on the uk website that one had been done.

After all, if we start pointing out all the times it gets done in the uk, then perhaps people will start to realise that it is not all that impossible for a dedicated climber?

In reply to archiecb: No there are 2 actually.

In reply to Richard Hall:

Go and do them then and get your name up in lights.

E

In reply to Enty:
Lovely pair of Bristols!









sorry

In reply to Richard Hall:

If there are 8c ascents being done elsewhere in the country and slipping under the radar then please post them up because I, for one, would love to read about them.

In reply to Tyler: Perhaps they are being done by the same numerous mysterious dark horses alluded to but never named who are also going out and onsighting E7s most weekends.

In reply to Tim Broughtonshaw:

Get on it Tim, I for one fully believe in skipping grades.

In reply to catt:

lol cheers mate

In reply to Tim Broughtonshaw: Thanks for putting some context to this Tim, my question was intended as a comment on the news report rather than Alan's ascent of the route or his blog entry.

In reply to Tyler:

I saw a first ascent of an 8c at cheddar. The route was named, the climber logged it on 8a.nu and there was no mention of it on here apart from a thread that got no replies.

At around the same time there was a news story about someone repeating an 8a on Yorkshire limestone.

Just saying.......

In reply to gazhbo: My point exactly Gaz.

In reply to UKC News: http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=48110

This route perhaps?

In reply to Cassidy: Skills Cass, but more importantly, who repeated an 8a in Yorkshire?

In reply to Cassidy:

No, another one.

In reply to gazhbo: Which one then? I bet if the climber had sent it to the news editor at UKC it would've made the news.

Nice one Alan, you go from strength to strength.

In reply to gazhbo:

Death Star?

Hard The proper finish to the empire strikes back,Total Eliminate route! but worth doing. a project for along long time. no holds were use on the 7c or the corner old left. after the last bolt go direct and finish at the block at the bottom of small groove. then jump off as there is no lower off... yet!! Not as hard as I originally thought. 1 2010-05-03

In reply to Mick Ryan - Senior Editor - UKC: That is the one Gaz is talking about.

In reply to andi turner:


Sorry, I haven't meant to be arsey and I'm certainly not trying to take anything away from Alan. 8c is a phenomenal achievement and something I'm sure I'll never get close to, wherever the route is. Well done Alan. I was just agreeing with Rich that stuff is more likely to get reported if it happens in the north than in the south, and pointing out that stuff like this does slip under the radar.

Also, if I've read the report correctly, Alan didn't contact UKC to make sure the ascent was in the news. It was just picked up on his blog.

Two of the current News items on the Home Page are from Southern Britain.

In reply to gazhbo:

Don't worry Gazhbo I'm not offended just trying to figure out who you were refereing to exactly. You are right though I only wrote about this on my blog and I wouldn't like to be attacked for seeking massie amounts of publicity for climbing another 8c. However personally I would love to know about everyone who is cranking hard routes in the UK. 8b+ and above might be far from world class but this is UKC and such ascents are still pretty uncommon over here and interesting to hear about. Gets me psyched anyway.

In reply to Cassidy:

Exactly. I feed off other peoples Psyche! Keep cranking bud. Maybe I'll get to that level some day.....

In reply to Cassidy: I agree, I would like to hear about 8b+ uk ascents. Am just not too keen on the inconsistency of the reporting.

Perhaps local news pages would be good, where people could put up their own news, then the editors could pick the national news from the best of the local pages.

In reply to Richard Hall: :> Perhaps local news pages would be good, where people could put up their own news, then the editors could pick the national news from the best of the local pages.


As a local there is nothing to stop you posting away to big up local developments and repeats and get the ball rolling. No need to be chippy about a North/South divide though. Its tricky to take an informed view on the quality and difficulty of routes in backwater areas compared to hotspots if good climbers arent visiting to verify things. Bigging the place up might encourage them to do so. Bear in mind that whilst Malham is a national hotspot it in turn is a backwater from a global perspective but with Ondra having not such an easy time on Rainshadow might nudge it into the world climbing consciousness and inspire others to visit. Where is Cheddar BTW? I hear its full of soft touchs

In reply to UKC News:

There isn't anything south of North Wales anyway it's all a myth.

In reply to shark:

Cheddar isnt as much of a backwater as you may think.

From the UKC logbooks (plus a few routes I know are missing off the top of my head, there are certainly more):

900 routes
177 between E4 and E7
180 between 7a and 7c+
25 between 8a and 8c

In reply to Richard Hall: How many of them would class as 'not at all chossy'?

In reply to Arms Cliff: Ha, ha, I actually laughted out loud!

I would say that 90% of the sport routes above 7a are 'not at all chossy'

The odd hold has been known to come off but that is not the same as choss.

In reply to Richard Hall:

How many of them would you class as 'not at all overgraded'?

In reply to Kid Spatula: Why's it called North Wales then :p

In reply to shark: Ha, ha, brilliant.

I would say that there are more soft touches than sandbags, particularly in the low 7 bracket, but that overall the grades are a million miles from being accurate.

If you are concerned about a particular route you can always ask a local for the consensus grade which is sometimes lower than in the current guide and occasionally higher.

In reply to Richard Hall: That should have read "NOT a million miles away from being accurate" !!

In reply to shark:


off topic.. but I'd have to agree. being from the South West I should have got a lot more done at cheddar.. but in my experience from the 3 days I have spent doing doing sport routes there, most I found a bit soft. (compared to what I'm used to now - Gower sport grades)

For example Raw Deal 7a (6c+), Joyride 7a (6c), All hands to the pump 7b (7a), Get that man 7a/+ (6c+), Islands in the City 7a+ (7a).

all fantastic quality though so not much of an issue really.

In reply to Dan_Carroll: As I said, low 7 bracket. I would say:

RD 6c+
JR 6c+
AHtTP 7a+
GtM 7a
IitC 7a/+

In reply to 'anyone interested': I suspect the reason Cheddar grades are soft is that the routes are only very recently being climbed as full sport routes. The grades in the current guidebook are the same as the grades dished out 10, 20, years ago when you had to place your own wires and go for the onsight.