UKC

In this excellent video we see British climber Tim Emmett in action at Helmcken Falls, British Columbia on what could well be the hardest pitch of 'ice' climbing in the world.

Tim, along with Klemen Premrl, completed the super impressive route Spray On ... Top! last winter... but they also added WOLVERINE...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67731

In reply to UKC News: bonkers

In reply to UKC News:
Worth watching right to the end of the credits, I think the camera man may have shat his pants

In reply to UKC News:
Are they having a laugh with the grade? At the moment, as mentioned, ice grades go up to W7, and this for routes that are extremely serious, tenuous and hard/impossible to protect.
Does Emmett really think that a sport route that took each of them a couple of tries to top out is *4 grades* harder than say, Sea of Vapours in a bad year?
I'd like to hear what Raphael thinks about the grade - he looked (typically) bemused by Emmett's gusto.

In reply to Flashman: What grade did Gadd give the first line they did there? Wasn't it WI9 or something? Anyway I thought these were meant to be like M grades, in that they show how physically hard the route is - not really danger/size/commitment; but because the climbing is all on ice - not rock - they put the WI bit back.

In reply to TobyA:

ding, ding... we have a winner...

Oh, and waterfall grades are for when the line is in good/normal conditions.

In reply to TobyA: Thanks for clearing that up. I don't think I could have sustained the kind of outrage I was feeling for very much longer.

In reply to UKC News:

Yep properly mental , as ever Mr Emmett and Co make it look like crazy fun ! Respect due I think . Mega .

In reply to Flashman:

WG is very contactable and open to discussing whats happening there.