UKC

Nick Bullock climbs a pile of tottering choss in North Wales and survives...

"Nick, known for falling off where he really shouldn't, did just that on this exact route in an attempt a year ago and plummeted 50ft down the crag after snapping a hold. Luckily some terrible gear saved his life..."

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=63923

In reply to UKC News: Well done Nick, makes a great round up for the summer for you by the looks of things. Must be easier than Vulcan then!!

In reply to UKC News:

Nuff respect for getting back on it - very manly.

In reply to UKC News:

Nick's blog has a great write-up by the man himself:
http://nickbullock-climber.co.uk/2011/09/03/what-if-%E2%80%A6/

It sheds some light on why he chose to remove some of the extra pegs he placed...
"We reached the crag and found Stevie hanging half way down Melody. He was not pleased with my pegs and after running from the bottom of the crag to the top in a very quick time, (he was training for a massive endurance running race at the time and could run very quick), he gave me some words of wisdom about my pegs and the line I was taking so we decided it was best to leave the crag and forget about Melody."

Reading between the lines it sounds like Haston gave him a bollocking for placing the pegs and attempting a non-direct finish to his line.

In reply to UKC News: His blog post is a good read.

Quality effort.

In reply to UKC News: Great effort from a man who I think is also pregnant.

In reply to UKC News:

not wanting to take anything away from what is, for sure, a very dangerous ascent but i just don't get why you would want to do a climb with snappy rock - isn't it akin to climbing an alpine route under seracs or playing russian roulette?

i can easily understand soloing hard routes on solid rock where your survival is in your fingertips and in your mental fortitude but really don't see what is justifiable in climbing a 7b+ where death is just a snapped hold away.

i can't get past it being either borderline suicidal or willy-waving.

In reply to Tobias at Home: ps i'm not saying don't do these climbs - just that i don't get the attraction.

In reply to Tobias at Home:

With stonefall and seracs there sometimes little, if anything, you can do to climb safely.

Loose or snappy rock can be assessed and judged, and you can then choose which holds you weight, and in which combinations, to keep the climbing within your risk threshhold. This usually means doing far harder moves compared to if you were prepared to trust everything. Or backing off if you're not convinced it will work.

I've climbed a lot of routes with dodgy rock and very very rarely ever fallen due to pulling off holds. Yet seconds following have often pulled great chunks off and gone flying off into space, because they had the luxury of being able to pull on things without checking them as carefully.

Despite appearances it has almost nothing in common with Russian roulette.

In reply to john arran: you're right - there is a lot of technique in using holds gently and spotting the right ones - maybe i was a bit unfair.

still, the given the choice of soloing a 7b+ on a lump of solid granite or shale i know which i'd choose...



well, apart from the fact i'm in shape to do either at the moment!

In reply to Tobias at Home: I find your lack of understanding most disturbing.....