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Big Rons first ascent list

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 string arms 15 Jan 2012
Big Ron has pioneered some amazing quality first ascents. Does he have the most impressive first ascent list of any british rock climber for outstanding quality? (Cave routes, zoolook, body machine, The Prow, masters edge, careless torque, desperate Dan etc etc Can anybody out there think up his definitive list. It would make for some impressive reading.
 J B Oughton 15 Jan 2012
In reply to string arms: just look at the back of his book, Rock Athlete, it has them all down there.
harry spotter 15 Jan 2012
In reply to string arms:
Wasn't that the routes in a day list?
In reply to string arms: Yeah but what hasn't he done on grit
In reply to yesbutnobutyesbut:
> (In reply to string arms) Yeah but what hasn't he done on grit

Like it, like it, li li li li li li li li like it!
 Tom Last 15 Jan 2012
In reply to harry spotter:
> (In reply to string arms)
> Wasn't that the routes in a day list?

Both lists are in there
 HappyTrundler 20 Jan 2012
In reply to string arms:

Interesting debate material 'most impressive first ascent list for outstanding quality'?? I think Pat Littlejohn would be up there somewhere too...
 Monk 20 Jan 2012
In reply to HappyTrundler:
> (In reply to string arms)
>
> Interesting debate material 'most impressive first ascent list for outstanding quality'?? I think Pat Littlejohn would be up there somewhere too...

Joe Brown too
 Dom Whillans 20 Jan 2012
In reply to string arms:
not to mention John Menlove Edwards and Colin Kirkus.
Baz47 20 Jan 2012
In reply to Dom Whillans:
Probably find that Gary Gibson pips them all, unless we're talking just trad.
 Dom Whillans 20 Jan 2012
In reply to Baz47:
I think the OP mentioned the word "quality". gary gibson has given us loads of routes, bless him, but not of the quality of any of the other bods mentioned.
 Pagan 20 Jan 2012
In reply to Dom Whillans:

> but not of the quality of any of the other bods mentioned

Really? Have you read through the Lundy guide lately?
In reply to Pagan:

I have and I can't think of a Gibson route in that which compares with the best of the other climbers mentioned. Which did you have in mind?

jcm
 Pagan 20 Jan 2012
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

A Widespread Ocean of Fear was the first that sprang to mind - not that I've done it, but then I haven't done Zoolook or any of the other routes in the OP either.

I've done a few Kirkus and Brown routes though, and I reckon I'd trade most of them to do AWOoF...
 remus Global Crag Moderator 21 Jan 2012
In reply to johncoxmysteriously: A few that spring to mind on Lundy: Venus Flytrap, Widespread Ocean of Fear, Controlled Burning, Indy 500. Not to mention all the 3 star-but-not-mega-classic lines he put up.

I agree with the general sentiment though, Gary's put up a lot of less than stellar lines. If your looking for someone who's FA list represents 'outstanding quality' you can't just concentrate on the good stuff.
 HappyTrundler 21 Jan 2012
In reply to Dom Whillans:

To be fair he has done some mega quality routes in Pembroke, after lots of top rope practice, however lots of dross too!...
 Offwidth 21 Jan 2012
In reply to Pagan:

It's not just about the quality of the route though is it; its about the significance of the hardest ones. Ron was trying to push back the boundaries and is very modest about it too. This was also on a worldwide scale: some of the earlier heros were arguable catching up with the state of play elsewhere (go look at the difficulty of the leads climbs on Czec sandstone in the 40's).
 Offwidth 21 Jan 2012
In reply to remus:

It's not just about the quality of the route though is it; its about the significance of the hardest ones. Ron was trying to push back the boundaries and is very modest about it too. In trad terms this was also on a worldwide scale: some of the earlier heros were arguable catching up with the state of play elsewhere (go look at the difficulty of the lead climbs on Czec sandstone in the 40's).
 Pagan 21 Jan 2012
In reply to Offwidth:

> It's not just about the quality of the route though is it; its about the significance of the hardest ones.

I don't think there's any disputing that Ron et al's new routes were historically more significant than GGs (bolting issues aside). I was just making the point that contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of GG routes out there that are regarded as national classics with quality climbing, lines etc to match the others - it's just a shame they tend to get forgotten about amongst the endless bolted lines in grotty Peak quarries.
 Dom Whillans 21 Jan 2012
In reply to Pagan:
> (In reply to Offwidth)
>
> [...]
>
> I don't think there's any disputing that Ron et al's new routes were historically more significant than GGs (bolting issues aside). I was just making the point that contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of GG routes out there that are regarded as national classics with quality climbing, lines etc to match the others - it's just a shame they tend to get forgotten about amongst the endless bolted lines in grotty Peak quarries.

I totally agree... i didn't mean to undermine GG's ability to put up a good line and apologise if that's how it came across.

In reply to Pagan:

Yes, fair enough, I'll give you AWOoF. I always forget GG did actually do that properly before he started bolting the routes on this face he couldn't do.

jcm
 Goucho 26 Jan 2012
In reply to remus: Widespread Ocean of Fear is good, but not 'mega' good. Controlled Burning however was brilliant till it fell down.
 Gary Gibson 26 Jan 2012
In reply to Goucho: I just can't agree with that at all. CB was not the best rock in the world but the line was good and AWOF is a magnificent bit of climbing. Great rock, variety, isolation, amongst other things. AWOF is one of the best of its type, if not the best, in the Country, in my humble opinion and I've done a hell of a lot of stuff of its type on all varieties of rock throughout England and Wales.
 Goucho 26 Jan 2012
In reply to Gary Gibson: It's all a matter of personal opinion Gary, and quite understandably, as the first accentionist, you have more of an emotional connection, and an understandable bias.

 Paul Clarke 26 Jan 2012
In reply to string arms:
I am surprised no one has mentioned Pete Livesey. Now there's a climber whose new route list on could envy!

Paul
 Russell Lovett 26 Jan 2012
In reply to Goucho: May or may not be one of the best routes of it,s kind in Britain but it certainly has one of the best route names in the country. Cunjurs up all sorts of images in my head one of my fav route names.
 Goucho 26 Jan 2012
In reply to Russell Lovett: It is a very good route, but when we did it, a wide spread ocean of Lichen would be a more appropriate name - you do feel like you're climbing a narrow strip of rock between two shag pile carpets
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