UKC

Perhaps what makes Nik's triple success most interesting is his sport climbing...

Jennings' previous best sport effort was a quintessentially British solo of Lockless (7c+) at The Nook in Cheedale.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=61950

In reply to UKC News:

Good effort, Nik - think the film-making might need a bit of work, mind...

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

He has also got first ascents of an 8 in each discipline too, pretty impressive.

In reply to UKC News: Always puzzling how these "First Ascents" are pre chalked ? Maybe first led ascent?

In reply to USBRIT: uh...?

In reply to USBRIT: first ascent doesn't neccasarily mean it was flashed (probably did years ago !) but simply means he was the first -known- ascentionist 1st,2nd or 212th go at it.

very impressive- makes you wonder how many dark horses we have in these isles operating at a high level and before asked yes i would classify 8's as high level !

In reply to UKC News: It's worth noting also that the boulder problem Nik's Wall is the second closest hard boulder problem to Sheffield (after Lurcher direct), a really inspiring line, and unrepeated for quite a while now. Make of that what you will.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Thanks John, I'll pass your concerns regarding the footage on to the dog, she was behind the camera so the blame lies squarely with her.

In reply to UKC News: Well Done, Nik. I wonder how many others are in the 8 club? can't be many. I feel a list coming on!

In reply to James Moyle:
This was discussed at some length not that long ago when John Cooke did the triple the final list looked like this:

"45 Definites (but feel free to check that you agree), getting closer to 50

The Definites:

Dave Birkett (E8 onsight)
James Pearson (E8 onsight, Font/sport 8 flash)
Ryan Pasquil (E8 flashes)
Jordan Buys
Ian Vickers
Gaz Parry
Kevin Thaw
Leo Houlding
Ste Dunning
Ste Mac
Jack Geldard
Dave Mac
Malc Smith
John Dunne
Stevie Haston
pete robins
Jerry Moffatt (assuming his finish to Renegade Master makes it E8)
Sam Whittaker
Neil Carson (I assume he's done Font 8A but don't know)
John Welford
Mark Katz
Ben Bransby
Nick Dixon (Assuming Nesscliffe prob is Font 8A?)
Tom Briggs
Robin Barker
Andy Earl
Ali Kennedy
Si Moore
John Gaskins
John Cooke
Stuart Cameron
Neil Dickson
Neil Bentley
James MacHaffie
Rich Simpson (onsighted E9 possibly??)
Keith Bradbury
Liam Halsey
Ben Heason
Pete Hurley
Sean Myles
Miles Gibson
Neil Dyer
Alan Cassidy
Dan Bradley
Tim Rankin (but another Font 8A would be nice)

The Not Sures:

Cubby (Font 8A?)
Dan Varian (What E8? Highballing Superboc with a sea of mats can't count)
Ned Feehally (What E8? Highballing Superboc with a sea of mats can't count)
Stu Littlefair (what E8?)
Stew Watson (What E8?)
Adam Mulholland (dunno anything about this person, sorry)
Tim Emmett (Font 8A?)
Neil Gresham (has he done Font 8A?)
Ron Fawcett (Not done E8, anybody?)
Nic Sellars (Font 8A?)
Andy Swan (E8?)
Niall McNair (dunno anything about him)
Lucy Creamer (Font 8A?)
James Ibbetson (I assume that's Ibbo? Has he done E8?)
Ricky Bell (Font 8A?)
Rupert Davies (E8?)
Adrian Berry (Font 8A? Start of Blind Vision is, I think, 7C+)
Dave Barrans (E8?)
Seb Grieve (fairly sure he hasn't done Font 8A)
Ben Moon (E8?)
John Redhead (fairly sure he hasn't done Font 8A)
Simon Nadin (E8?)
Chris Cubbit (Font 8A?)
Jamie Cassidy (E8?)
Gordon Lennox (Font 8A?))
Ali Coull (I no nothing about this chap)
Pete Oxley (Font 8A?)
Mark Edwards (Font 8A?)
Andi Turner (E8? Probably not?)
Justin Crtchlow (Sport 8a?)
Pete Whittaker"

The whole thread is here:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=382489

However if you start insisting on the E8 been onsight the numbers plummet to Pearson, Birkett, Pasquil (I'll allow him the flashes) and errr.. well me. Unless anyone can add others?
And as far as I know Pearson is the only one to have flashed/onsighted all of three. I guess that's the next target...

In reply to Nik Jennings: Adam Lincoln has done all 3 as well. E8 flash, not sure about the 8a or 8A flash.

ANdy F

In reply to andy farnell:
You are right, I just copy and pasted the list from the previous thread, without checking/updating. I thought he ground upped the E8, I didn't realise he flashed it? Nice one Adam.

Anyway it seems to be somewhere between 50-ish and 80-ish who have ticked trhe triple in any style, a handful who have doned it with the E8 onsight and about 1 who has flashed/onsighted all 3.

In reply to Nik Jennings:

Fascinating stuff thanks (and congrats on your own amazing achievements).

It's quite something that there are no women in the main list and only Lucy C in the not sure list.

In reply to ericinbristol: Do we count americans? Lisa Rands did Gaia, and i'm pretty certain she's managed the other 2.

In reply to @ndyM@rsh@ll:

I would be very interested to see a global list too for sure.

In reply to Nik Jennings:

Niall McNair - 8A (worked), 8a (onsight, 8b redpoint at least) and E7 onsight for definite. Although it's been a while since I've seen him the only reason he hadn't done an E8 then was because he hadn't tried. Maybe he has since.

In reply to andy farnell:

Wasn't a flash Andy, but abbed it to clean then did it ground up (as ground up as that can be!)

In reply to UKC News:

what are the upper and lower ages of this list?

In reply to UKC News: Both me and Pete W have done it - although they're all on cracks (not surprisingly)or are we on crack?

I'm surprised all of yours weren't on slabs Nik....

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:
Did you and Pete onsight the E8 cracks? I pressume you ground-upped them?

The E8's are all essentially slabs, sadly sport and boulder 8 slabs are a bit thin on the ground (and a bit thin...)

In reply to Nik Jennings:

I didn't even ground-up them - more like dogged the hell out of them

I think Pete did Gigantic if you can still count that as an E8 as gound up. Now that so many people have done this triple 8 thingy, we should have special clubs/niches to preserve the exclusivity....! Or in 10 years all aspire for the Triple 9 club. Oh I wish!

I bet plenty have done the Roof Triple 8, but not so many the Slab Triple 8.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Lets make it more interesting and have it as.
E8
8b+
8A+

In reply to Adam Lincoln:
Interesting grades boundaries, I wonder why you chose them... Although Tom seems to be suggesting Gigantic might not be E8

I'm struggling to think of many Font 8 slabs in the UK, Gaskins thing at Stanworth and Snatch at Denham (although that's really pushing the definition of slab into wall territory), and as for slab sport routes in the UK????

In reply to Nik Jennings:

haha, just thinking of ways to make it more exclusive.
Didn't realise Tom had been on/done Gigantic.

In reply to Adam Lincoln:

or maybe:
E8
8a
8A
8000m

In reply to GrahamD:

hopefully there by the end of the year.

In reply to UKC News: Did I read the report wrong? I see "E8 Onsight solo" in the headline but don't see it in the report.

In reply to GrahamD:

Or even more interesting:
E8 on a big mountain crag or sea cliff. That would shorten the list a bit

In reply to GrahamD:

or maybe:
E8
8a
8A
Scottish VIII
8000m


Good luck to Nik in his enterprise. I hope he doesn't mind me saying this, but he described his coaching style to me as:

"... somewhere in the mid-ground between the zen climber approach of XXXXX and the science of improvement of YYYYYYY".

Which seems like a good place to be.

In reply to Nik Jennings: There's a font 8a slab in the western peak, or something around that grade. It just hasn't been done yet. Beautiful slab too.

In reply to Adam Lincoln: I haven't Adam - only passing on Pete's and other's comments. Didn't mean to piss on your parade. Dumbarton will clear that up for you anyway

Franco - unclimbed slab? Bet it's in some shit Willersdiddaletintknarr quarry isn't it?!! I'll put 50p on it.

In reply to Nik Jennings:


The Very big and very small! A few more on slate probably?

In reply to bentley's biceps: Nik, you are a beast. keep it up laddio

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

I owe you 50p. Still, beautiful bit of rock. PM me if you're interested Nik.

In reply to Franco Cookson: Pebble Dash at Ilkley, Font 8a and very much a proper slab! http://www.yorkshiregrit.com/problem.html?id=ilkley__pebble_dash#photo;n=1

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Didn't think Pete normally took a couple of visits to do anything less than E8. Though you are right, Requiem will be a toughie!

In reply to Franco Cookson:
If it's at Tintwistle I've already seen it, albeit about 10 years ago, maybe time for a re-visit?

In reply to TomPR:
Of course The Very Big And The Very Small, I feel suitably silly for forgetting that. I've never climbed on the slate, perhaps I should have a dabble.

In reply to AlistairB:
It's a bit high for a boulder problem in my opinion but good call.

In reply to aln:

Doug has no gear and is always soloed, or was your point that it was only a flash and not an onsight.........

jcm

In reply to aln:

Boldness Through Ignorance is the E8. Just doesn't say the grade. Very very impressive onsight solo.

In reply to UKC News:

Good going Nik but surely a genuine Font 8A flash is just showing off!

jk

Are all three flashed or onsighted? If not then add Rob Fielding to the list

What's this obsession with how many people have done the triple 8. There are a hell of a lot more people who have achieved this than you might think!

In reply to kristian:



Right on ! even that punter Kris whassisname done it

In reply to kristian:

Maybe, so give us a list of people that have onsighted E8, flashed font 8a, and done the first ascents of an E8 and a font 8a/+ and a sport 8a/+.

I bet it's not as many as you may think!

In reply to shark:
Not me. I only get 2 out of 3. Not trad climbed for 10 years and the E8 headpoint is dubious at best.
On-sites at this grade are however far more impressive.