UKC

The UK's favourite wide-fetish trout-ticklers Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall have returned to Century Crack and climbed it placing the gear on lead.

Here is their full report...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=64870

In reply to UKC News:

Interesting graded list. Makes a bit of a mockery out of the original grades.

In reply to jon:

Interesting indeed. I certainly can't think of anyone better qualified to make the judgement though.
Reading about the boldness of placing the minimally spaced gear on lead and with the possibility of decking up to halfway, I wonder what UK trad grade the 8c would convert to?

In reply to UKC News:

Stevie likes it, too: http://steviehaston.blogspot.com/2011/11/well-done-on-century-by-stevie-goz...

In reply to jon:
Interesting graded list. Makes a bit of a mockery out of the original grades.

A mockery of the grades or just that cracks can be very morpho: Mr Fatfingers won't be able to climb meltdown and you'd find classic jamming cracks like the Crank a lot harder if you had tiny hands and had to teacup your way up?

Maybe we need to send someone up these routes with a ruler so we can get a "fatness factor" for them? So we could have Century crack 5.14d (36, 28, 39)

Woohoo, some got told!

In reply to UKC News: What an inspiration! and thanks for all the technical detail. This should help and inspire others. A really professional approach to climbing.
To the rest of the world: to become a Master of Climbing you need to get a full compliment of technique in all disciplines, not just fingery things.

I am not surprised your ground up placing of pro was an anticlimax. But to be a Master Master Climber you needed to satisfy your critics. In an ideal world not necessary nor even sensible, but then that is trad climbing and what the pundits want. Just don't take too many such risks per year, or statistics will catch up with you.

In reply to johnl: The boldness of their ascent shouldn't really affect it's trad grade. You could protect it every inch with enough cams. They just chose to climb it in a bold way.

Like how ignoring half the protection on a route wouldn't bump up the adjective grade.

In reply to Scarab:

Totally agree.

The naysayers were very boring on this one.

Great stuff.

In reply to conorcussell:

The point is mr. connor that you couldn't carry enough gear to protect it, or carrying enough gear is physically harder, so it would effect the trad grade.

In reply to johnl:

The few E10s that exist are bold and come in at around the F8b grade, so bold F8c probably comes in at around E11.

What a way to put down your critics! Although I think it's sad that they felt pushed into repeating the route.

In reply to Jimbo C: "Although I think it's sad that they felt pushed into repeating the route." yep

In reply to jon:

It certainly is. In my own modest area, Gin Palace easier than Goliath?? Really - suspect that would be a minority opinion.

Good effort - am I a naysayer/hater/grumpy old man, I wonder? I thought it was a brilliant effort before and even more so now - doesn't everybody?

jcm

In reply to franksnb:

Agreed, but of course it's the curse of the professional climber. Along with video footage, witnesses, photos... Great that they did though!

In reply to jon: johncoxmysteriously:



I think they are including this for an ascent of Goliath without laybacking

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Sorry, John , you nearly made me spill my coffee!

In reply to shark:

So am I! Laybacking, my arse. I don't reckon we'd hear half so much about how laybacking it is easier if the people who laybacked it had to get in and clip the sling on the chock(!) and then back out again.

jcm

In reply to Franco Cookson:

I agree. It's a bit more complicated in that it's apparently harder to get past the in situ gear then it is to place it en route, but the need to carry fewer pieces because of weight surely must make the route bolder in practice.

In reply to UKC News:

All very well but surely now attention must be focussed on the first top-rope ascent?

In reply to UKC News:
Great news. But it's not a real ascent unless it's been solo'd in nailed boots.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

In my own modest area am I a naysayer/hater/grumpy old man, I wonder?

In my own modest area am I a naysayer/hater/grumpy old man, I wonder?

In my own modest area am I a naysayer/hater/grumpy old man, I wonder?

In my own modest area am I a naysayer/hater/grumpy old man, I wonder?

In my own modest area am I a naysayer/hater/grumpy old man, I wonder?

In my own modest area am I a naysayer/hater/grumpy old man, I wonder?

Somehow it it fails to loose its effect even when repeated.

In reply to UKC News:
Great stuff. All they have to do now is repeat it without taping up their hands and they can claim the first free ascent

In reply to Bulls Crack: Indeed - a top roped ascent would be substantially bolder than all previous ascents. Come on wideboyz, show us what you're made of.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:> So am I! Laybacking, my arse. I don't reckon we'd hear half so much about how laybacking it is easier if the people who laybacked it had to get in and clip the sling on the chock(!) and then back out again.

Search your memory (and conscience!)are you sure you didnt layback the last two moves above the chock? I know I did. Answer on another thread or postcard !

x

In reply to shark:

I failed horribly trying to second a strong german who's resident in the UK. He got in and out ok but otherwise laybacked. Like most steep well protected offwidths I suspect trad style its slightly easier to lead than second as any tension on the rope tends to keep you in the crack. I've also watched a yank lead it beautifully trad style who was struggling on F6 problems on the boulders below.

In reply to shark:

Quite sure. Indeed I failed miserably when attempting this approach, fell off and bashed my shin rather painfully. I remember this particularly because my second observed crossly that I was dripping blood on to her new bouldering mat, and rather unsupportively moved it out of the way. Thrutching was much easier - I won't say probably only gritstone V Diff really - but definitely easier than laybacking.

jcm

In reply to conorcussell:
If I see you in the Packhorse on Wednesday, Conor, you're getting a slap round the chops for that!

In reply to conorcussell: Should have stuck to writing your essay my friend... your brains clearly been fried!

In reply to Will Hunt:

So if I do London Wall with two runners, do I get E7?

In reply to jonny2vests:
So if I do London Wall with two runners, do I get E7?

Don't be a wally; you'll only get E3 because you are carrying a lightweight rack that doesn't weigh you down, unless you are also carrying a brickies hod and wearing riggers boots in which case I'll let you have the E7 tick.

In reply to UKC News:

Great job. Well done. This is a great achievement. Definitely, one of the ascents of the year.

bravo,

Craig

In reply to Craig Smith:

As an academic point, do you ascend a horizontal crack ?

In reply to GrahamD:

More of a steep traverse really.

In reply to GrahamD: well you do ascend that one right at the end.

In reply to mike kann: i dunno, the belayer could stand on top and just walk along the crack.

In reply to peewee2008: Would that not count as a side runner seeing as the majority of the climb is horizontal?

In reply to mike kann: Depends how fast the belayer runs

In reply to Franco Cookson:

It wouldn't effect the trad grade Mr Cookson. It would in fact, affect it. Having recently read your post which rather strongly criticised the use of the English language, I thought that a dose of your own medicine might be just what you need! Aren't you supposed to be in Innsbruck studying? Not English I hope!

In reply to GrahamD:

Yes Graham as you said 'an academic point'

: )