UKC

NEWS: FRI NIGHT VID: Exclusive: Dave MacLeod climbs The Indian Face

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 UKC News 06 Sep 2013
Dave MacLeod climbs The Indian Face, 3 kbAfter the recent interviews regarding The Indian Face here's Dave MacLeod actually climbing it.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=68330
 jas wood 06 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News: Nice to see. Think johnny is correct in stating this route is one that will stand the test of time, you could say it has already ! trouser filler :O)
In reply to UKC News:

Gulp!

Definitely sweaty palms watching that. Could have done without the tilting of the shots though as it looks bizarre like that but I'm not going to ask him to go back and do it again

ALC
 Nic 06 Sep 2013
Blinkin' flip!

Does anyone know what angle IF is? Hard to tell with the various camera angles, but looks a good 80 degrees or so? Academic interest only...
 luke glaister 06 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News: so calm and cool. I top out on some vs' s and screem to the gods a big whhhooooo. He does E9 6c andjust says he's safe. Total respect to you. Amazing ability.
In reply to luke glaister:

I found it strangely moving at the end, when he reflects that there are plenty of things in life where you can't afford to fail. I don't no why, maybe because he is just so modest, and understated.
 luke glaister 06 Sep 2013
In reply to Gordon Stainforth: totally agree. Saying that its like driving a car. In my eyes thats safe.Apart from my mrs driving which is like soloing the hole route blindfold on sight.. haha.
 Kyle Warlow 06 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News:

Amazing footage. Sweaty palms or what?!

A quick query to those more enlightened than myself...

Indian Face gets the same grade as The Walk of Life. I know DB and JP both took big falls on it and lived to tell the tale. A fall on Indian Face is seen as almost certain death, however. Should one of them be graded differently or am I missing something?

K
 Wft 06 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News: the breathing made that for me, especially just before going for the jug
 pec 06 Sep 2013
In reply to Kyle Warlow:

> Indian Face gets the same grade as The Walk of Life. I know DB and JP both took big falls on it and lived to tell the tale. A fall on Indian Face is seen as almost certain death, however. Should one of them be graded differently or am I missing something? >

Presumably the actual climing on that route is harder to justify the grade. The climbing on Indian face is reckoned to be "not that hard for E9".


 Shone 06 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News: Big shout to UKC for all this superb stuff on Indian Face

 saffy 06 Sep 2013
In reply to Shone: +1 I actually look forward to the new news articles
 GDes 06 Sep 2013
In reply to pec: the climbing on WOL is about Fr8a+, whereas IF is reckoned to e about 7b+. So fairly different in terms of difficulty. Plus the first bit of WOL, whilst not being guaranteed death, is pretty serious.
reinmessner 06 Sep 2013
I really enjoyed this, fantastic stuff. Great to watch a video with no music as well.
 Coel Hellier 06 Sep 2013
In reply to Nic:

> Does anyone know what angle IF is? Hard to tell with the various camera angles, but looks a good 80 degrees or so?

For much of that video the camera is tilted and it looks steeper than it is.
 dr_botnik 06 Sep 2013
In reply to Nic:
>
> Does anyone know what angle IF is? Hard to tell with the various camera angles, but looks a good 80 degrees or so? Academic interest only...

In one of Jonny's interviews think he estimates the first section to be 70 degrees and the upper crux section to be 82 degrees

 sarahkaye 06 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News: wow. Watch this before watching Johnny and Dixon in the pub, it makes their slightly beered up pride sound like the understatement of the century. Done in 86 and still pushing the worlds best climbers to their limit, well done Johnny Dawes.
 Hay 06 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News:
The speed in which Dave can headpoint other climbers magna opera is quite amazing. The coolness and control shown in this film is just uncanny. A chop route of almost mythical standing pretty much cruised on camera with his wife belaying.
Is there anyone else operating at this level in the UK? Has there ever been...?
In reply to Hay:

To be fair, I imagine that in 1986 Johnny would have made fairly short work of the testpieces of 1959.

But to answer your question, Caff did it far quicker than Dave M. So I suppose the answer must be yes.

jcm
 Hay 06 Sep 2013
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:
That is interesting John.
Do you think the era differences are still as valid as we taper towards the (im)possible?
In terms of recent quick ascents, I guess there is always a degree of bubble bursting with every successful ascent. Except Neil's which would be enough to put anyone off ... He may never ave fully recovered.
Bruce
 Andy Moles 06 Sep 2013
In reply to Hay:
> Do you think the era differences are still as valid as we taper towards the (im)possible?

Cutting edge in 1959 = E3
Cutting edge in 1986 = E9

The youth of today need to get their act together or they'll never be warming up on Echo Wall and crushing unprotected E17s by 2013...oh wait...
 Hay 06 Sep 2013
In reply to Andy Moles:
And no-one shoots 59 round the Old Course. Loafers.

 sculptor 06 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News: probably just me but...any chance that you guys could post your vids so that they are viewable on an iPhone?

Cheers
 John P 06 Sep 2013
In reply to GuyVg:

Agreed; normally the palms would be sweating buckets watching that, but strangely they were completely dry. The breathing seemed to have a calming effect on viewing.
 Puppythedog 06 Sep 2013
In reply to sculptor: I can view n an iPhone. I have the vimeo app which may help.
 Nic_Sandy 07 Sep 2013
This is the one for that does it for me and probably many armchair E9 lads and lass's. Talk about sweaty palms, I was shitting bricks. Dave Mcleod is the man, watching his films gave me the inspiration to be become sober.
 Martin Davies 07 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News: Awesome video! Really like the mic breathing and no music, almost feel like you're there actually watching the ascent. Psyched!
 Owen W-G 07 Sep 2013
In reply to Martin Davies:

Does Daves ascent get the award for worst conditions? All others were high pressure spells high summer?
 mikekeswick 08 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News: Dave is one hell of a climber/bloke, modest, intelligent and above all seems to be a well rounded chap.
Good on you for coming across as a normal bloke and not some ego raving monster.
Top respect.
 The Pylon King 08 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News:

Great vid.

Proper. Totally gripping

......and no music to ruin it.
 Jon Read 08 Sep 2013
In reply to The Pylon King:
Here here. And it's refreshing to see the cutting edge being proper scared.
 Mick Ward 08 Sep 2013
In reply to nilcanpoop:

> This is the one for that does it for me and probably many armchair E9 lads and lass's. Talk about sweaty palms, I was shitting bricks.

Me too. All the way up, I was thinking, "So this is what it takes." Continuously 'on the edge of panic...' with the resting ledge, 'the loneliest place...'

You felt the slightest miscalculation or change in weather would have resulted in the most horrible consequences. When he finally arrived on the grass ledge, you just thought, "Thank f*ck!"

Mick
 Babika 09 Sep 2013
In reply to Martin Davies:
> (In reply to UKC News) Awesome video! Really like the mic breathing and no music, almost feel like you're there actually watching the ascent. Psyched!



Totally agree - I was just holding my breath with fear the whole time!
Wish they hadn't had so many cut aways though - I'd have preferred to see whole climbing with voiceover to maintain the awesome tension.

Perhaps it was to ensure the audience don't have heart failure.
 Jamie B 09 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News:

Sorry, the camera angle ruins it for me - you just can't get a feel for the true nature of the climbing.
 Fraser 09 Sep 2013
In reply to Jamie B:
> (In reply to UKC News)
>
> Sorry, the camera angle ruins it for me - you just can't get a feel for the true nature of the climbing.

I think they made the best of what they had available. Multiple cameras would have been helpful, but given their undoubted production restrictions I think it's a great video. I managed to sense the intensity, committment and loneliness from the footage they showed, coupled with Dave's commentary and pieces to camera.

 neilh 09 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News:
IMHO you can hear the fear in his breathing.

Most climbers have experienced this- usually at a different technical level - where you keep your breathing under control but you are fearful of the consequences.

Awesome video.
 mal_meech 09 Sep 2013
In reply to neilh: Doesn't fit with his blog from the time:
http://davemacleod.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Indian%20Face

More great route, but business as usual:
"The next bit up to the good hold before the crux went much better. Stood there I tried to feel the aura of the route to tell myself I shouldn’t be there. But after a few minutes I still wasn’t scared and felt I ought to be getting moving on sore feet. I looked down. Claire was yawning. I felt thirsty, and noticed a fly buzz past. Time to go."

 Steve Perry 10 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News: Balls of steel!
Removed User 11 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News:
Very impressive - glad to see that the Cloggy grass at the top is just as reliable as it was in my day.
 James Oswald 17 Sep 2013
In reply to UKC News:
Amazing footage. Claire is obviously a very understanding and supportive wife..!

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