UKC

Last Week Ben Bransby wrote the next chapter in the history of the famous gritstone route Parthian Shot at Burbage South, becoming the first person to climb the route after the key 'shipwreck flake' was broken in 2011. 

UKC got in contact with Ben to find out more about his ascent of Parthian Shot. Here's the interview...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=68542

In reply to UKC News:

Very impressive.

In reply to UKC News:

Inspiring!

In reply to UKC News:

Awesome stuff, nice one Ben!

In reply to UKC News:

That's a really bon effort! Nice one Ben.

So am I correct in reading that the gear was "pre-placed" on the actual ascent (though it was placed on lead first time up)? And although it's not officially "bomber" the RPs held two falls from Pete? Good to know for anyone else fancying it...!

In reply to UKC News:
" the floodgates opened and many others repeated the route, all falling onto the flake in the process"
I feel it is worth noting for the sake of historical accuracy that Toru Nakajima repeated Parthian Shot without a fall.

In reply to John Roberts (JR):

Hi JR, kinda and kinda in answer to your questions!

Both me and Caff wanted to try to place the gear on lead on the go we did it - we both tried this on our first goes - I fell off near the top, stripped the gear on abb then Caff went up, placed the same gear and also fell/jumped off. We then left the gear in place, so it was in place for the actual ascent but it wasn't like if you had placed it off abseil where you could put in as much gear as you wanted all equalised etc

The gear took 3 falls - a big one from me first (scaryist part of the day) and then 2 shorter ones from Caff (he dropped off from the shelf just above the gear both times - cold hands...)

The gear feels way less bomber than before - we didn't place cams, belayed with normal (dynamic) belay device not gri gri type. We had a really skinny and stretchy rope on the flake gear to reduce impact, We had a slightly higher side runner on the right (same as in Pete Robins photo in earlier report but on quickdraw not sling) and we had this on a fat less stretchy rope. When we fell off the idea was to try and take in on rh rope so that this gear took some of the load - especially if the flake did rip - don't know how successful this would be from the top - think the gear on the right would simply be too low...

Good effort from Toru not taking a fall and being a shorty, did he just manage the big slap or have to find a shuffly way round it like us?

bb

Great effort Ben!

One slight problem with the uKC report which states
Will Stanhope "luckily avoided serious injury".

The guy broke a vertebrae and completely mushed up a foot. Four months later his blog states 'learning to walk and climb again'. OK so he's not crippled, but I'd consider those injuries serious.

In reply to Dan Arkle:

'Serious' is a relative term, I guess. In the context of falling the whole height of the crag, he got off lightly, which is what they mean, I think.

jcm

In reply to Dan Arkle:


Sorry, my mistake. Now changed.

Alan

In reply to Ben Bransby:

Hello Ben
Toru led the 2nd ascent of the wall below Parthian Shot (Nocturnal Emissions E9 6c?) placing gear on lead, he then carried on straight into Parthian, placing 3 pieces in the flake on lead, he spent ages at the top of the flake before shaking his way to top. I don't remember him slapping.

I'm glad he didn't fall off because he was spectacularly shit at placing gear. I do have some video of him on it somewhere lost in the depths of my hard drive.

Toru's gift to his favourite gritstone crag is still unrepeated - 'Black Out' to the right of Simba's Pride

Cheers
Alex

In reply to Ben Bransby:

Cheers Ben - good to know - I don't fancy my chances being probably 15kg heavier, nor my chances of getting up there anyway!

FWIW - I remember Toby Benham trying it on TR years back and he was doing it via some hideous shuffling and throwing a heal and rocking over from lower down onto the slab rather than using the further pocket (although granted, he didn't lead it in the end, but he could do it that way... just)

See you on Sunday no doubt.

In reply to Alex Ekins:



Looks utterly desperate, it'll be a brave man to repeat that or at least someone with the 'white' stuff

In reply to UKC News:

p.s good effort the Bransby, looking forward to the video

In reply to UKC News:

Great interview and brilliant effort by Ben

Just a small historical note, John Dunne didn't grade this E9 6c, he graded it HXS 7a. The E9 6c tag came later after Seb did it, not sure how it came about.

In reply to teddy:

In Hard Grit, Niall Grimes says (to paraphrase) that the gear holding the fall was the E9, if it hadn't held Seb would have been killed on an E10.

Make what you will of that, but congrats Ben on your ascent and for writing one of the chapters in the history of the route.

In reply to UKC News:

Can't wait to see this on film - the stills look great.