UKC

I've read it was controversial, when you climbed it at Water Cum Jolly. What was the motivation, and context, Mr Craggs?

Please elucidate. ()

Ta,
Tim

(This is not a dig, please don't turn it into one peeps...)

In reply to Timmd: This could be interesting

In reply to Graeme Alderson:

Posting because I've had to get up to treat a 'hypo', I'm hoping it will be, in a good way.

Since reading about it being freed by John Wellford in High as a teenager and being renamed The B*stard, it's kind of lurked at the back of my mind as something to wonder about.

I thought I'd finally get round to asking about it. At least I'm young enough to claim innocence if it gets out of hand. 'I didn't know the history...' ()

In reply to Timmd:

A brief summary so far (from the mouths of others, so I can't be sued)...

A few years back Niall Grimes posted this on UKB - http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,4655.0.html

"Chris Craggs put up an aid route at Rubicon called Free that you Bastards, as the holds were so small it was impossible to free. Ben Moon quickly did all the moves on it, went away for a bit, and came back to find that an Angry Aid Climber had smashed off all the holds to make it unclimbable. Ben found a line to the left, and climbed it as Zeke the Freak. John Welford, then, in his sport climbing days, later freed the original line as The Bastard, given 8c, and reputedly very hard for the grade, that has only been repeated by Steve McClure."

The same thread also has a quote from Alan James which was originally posted on this forum.

"Zeke is a completely different line. Chris did the aid route, which is roughly where The Bastard now goes. When Ben Moon claimed he had nearly freed the route, Chris went back to take a look. He found lots of chipped holds and chipped them back to what he thought was their natural state. Ben then climbed Zeke to the left."

Bottom line - CC put up a route with a provocative name. When it was close to being climbed CC then chipped the holds off, for reasons which are best described as 'debated'.

CC has now mellowed and lives in a house with Ben Moon and their three cats.

In reply to Graeme Alderson:


In reply to Timmd: This could be interesting


Never mind could! This is very interesting!

In reply to midgets of the world unite:

Has the Bastard had many repeats since Steve McClure?

In reply to midgets of the world unite:
Also, could it have been at the back of Ben Tetler's mind when he put up Highball That You Bastards? (The recent Team America sendfest having been at the front of his mind...)

In reply to Timmd:

I heard they were renaming the 'big Jim' in Pete's Eats to. 'Eat that you Bast@rds'

If someone gets close they'll add more chips...

I'm sorry.

In reply to Tyler:

According to its RockFax entry there is one more...

In reply to BlownAway:



That's rich

In reply to shark: Rich who?

In reply to Arms Cliff: Rich Simpson

In reply to Tyler:

One repeat, by Rich Simpson which is questioned, as many of his ascents are. Steve Mac described trying the Bastard as like "driving out to Rubicon, slamming my fingers in the car door three times, then driving home". It's proved strangely unpopular.

In reply to midgets of the world unite: So that's why it was controversial, very interesting. Thanks.

In reply to midgets of the world unite:

Brilliant!