UKC

NEWS: 1st Free Ascent of Birthright for Helliker and Bracey

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 UKC News 14 Jun 2013
Matt Helliker rock climbing on Birthright, Grand Charmoz, 3 kbOn the 7th June, Alpinists Matt Helliker and Jon Bracey made a rare repeat of Birthright, V 6, 4c, A2, 450m on the Grand Charmoz, Chamonix. It is thought to possibly be the 2nd ascent of the line but the 1st Free ascent. Birthright was first climbed 20 years ago by Mark Twight and Scott Backes...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=68128
 pebblespanker 14 Jun 2013
In reply to UKC News:

How can a route described as being A2 be described as 'Free'? or have I misread/missed something?
 Climber_Bill 14 Jun 2013
In reply to pebblespanker:

It was originally graded with an A2 pitch or pitches. However Helliker and Bracey have free climbed the whole route, not having to use any aid.

Awesome effort.
 Epsilon 14 Jun 2013
In reply to UKC News:

Awesome to see a repeat of an old school Backes-Twight route. And I love the photo with a chalk bag on an alpine climb!
 Michael Gordon 14 Jun 2013
In reply to UKC News:

Sounds like a great route, some really nice looking pitches.
 stevepotter 14 Jun 2013
Congrats guys. Fast as usual...
 Jon Bracey 14 Jun 2013
In reply to stevepotter: Thanks Steve, super good conditions. It had looked in all winter, but it wasn't until last week that we finally got our arses up there! Good job too as its falling down fast now summer temps have finally kicked in.
Hope to see you out in the Alps soon, Jon
 tombeasley 15 Jun 2013
In reply to Jon Bracey: Nice one guys!
 Puppythedog 15 Jun 2013
In reply to Jon Bracey: Well done
 TonyM 16 Jun 2013
In reply to UKC News:
Top stuff guys, a great achievement.

Purely out of curiosity, and not because I'm some armchair critic, how does this relate to the route Birthleft? What Damilano described as "the free version of Birthright". He says Birthleft takes a two-pitch variant to finish, so presumably this is above Twight/Backes' bivvy spot. This same top section was obviously climbed very quickly (given overall route time) and the report talks about "gloves off rock climbing on beautiful rock". Maybe an easier and better line was found than the A2 section reported by the first ascensionists, but then how would this trump Kiss's and Pellissier's free ascent of Birthleft? I'm just confused!

Tony

Matt Helliker 16 Jun 2013
In reply to TonyM:
Hi Tony
Birthleft is hard to call a "route" in my opinion, it forks left for 1.5 pitches, 2 pitches below Twights bivi spot and ends under a large roof, 150m or so from the halfway ledges, so its anything but a free version of Birthright! We for sure climbed Twights line but just had drier conditions on the upper pitches, making the climbing more steady!
Matt
 TonyM 16 Jun 2013
In reply to Matt Helliker:
Hi Matt, Thanks for reply. That explains it nicely, and accounts for why Birthleft is 150m shorter than Birthright. Damilano doesn't explain that Birthleft finished in the middle of nowhere!
Tony
 Epsilon 17 Jun 2013
In reply to UKC News:

Matt, is there any possibility of extending Birthright all the way to the summit (or summit ridge, or what have you)?
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