UKC

On a recent trip to the Lake District with James McHaffie, top female climber Emma Twyford made an impressive flash ascent of Bucket Dynasty, E7 6b, at Dove Crag...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=69093

In reply to UKC News:

That's a fine effort

In reply to UKC News:

Surprised this hasn't had many comments. Bold 7c climbing on a really steep and intimidating Lakeland crag. Much harder than Yukan II or other baby E7s (e.g. Deathwish or friendly Pembroke E7s) that have been flashed/on-sighted by women. Stern effort.

In reply to Tom Briggs:

Yes, surprising lack of response. Amazing effort!

In reply to Tom Briggs:

I thought the same, not that I can call any e7 a "baby" but when you compare this to the likes of De Quincy.......

In reply to Tom Briggs:


I'm not really. Disappointed more like. Don't you think the number of readers drops off once the subject gets away from 'which nine routes on Stanage would make the Ten Best Routes in the World list?' Or 'I've done the Frendo Spur. What else is there left in the Alps for me now?'

Thinking back to my own feeble flailings on the easiest of the FF routes up there certainly puts this ascent into perspective for me.

In reply to jon:

+1 to that Jon.

I've not done anything on the North Buttress, I never felt fit enough to give even the easiest routes on there a go. From what others (like Tony Mitchell) have told me they suit climbers with modern limestone fitness - generally good holds but you just need to be able to keep going on terrain that's almost Kilnsey north buttress steep.

I know Karen Magog did Vlad the Impaler a couple of years ago but I'm not sure whether that was on-sight or worked, perhaps Steve Crowe will let us know. Also she (Karen) may have done other North Buttress routes.

In reply to UKC News:

How many E7 onsights is that now for McHaffie?

In reply to Tom Briggs:

Firstly, another great effort from Emma.

You have the benefit of having been to Dove I assume and perhaps even done the route? Most people reading this will have no idea what Dove is like or what the route involves, and that is the slight issue with these sort of reports that aren't backed up by pictures or video.

In reply to Arms Cliff:


Which is exactly what I was getting at.


But there is a photo... oh wait a minute, it's somewhere in Shropshire.

In reply to jon:


No photos on UKC of North Buttress routes.

Awkward place to get good shots, the best I have seen are in the latest FRCC guide.

Well done Emma, I ran out of options ( for me) after seven routes to E5.
I have checked out all the possibilities on NB and there are still at least two lines unclimbed.

Jon, the reason the routes were undergraded (a bit) was that at the time I was not considered A team material ( never was really ).
I gave Fear... E4 so I did not cause any controversy or magazine fodder.
Also the reason no Dove Crag routes in Extreme Rock. I don't/didn't do self promotion.

Happy days.

In reply to Rick Graham:

Ooof E4! I was just mildly teasing when I said 'the Lakes' spiritual home of undergrading'! But E4... perhaps I wasn't!

I was going to say that it's a shame it wasn't included in Extreme Rock... but there again, perhaps it isn't. Keeps that air of almost mystery about it. Perhaps we should try to put some photos on here? I've only got one and it's not really very good at all.

In reply to jon:

At least I only knock 1 off. Ed's (Cleasby ) scale used to be minus 2 !

In reply to Rick Graham:

'Always undergrade. Never be consistent!'
Mark Moorhead.

In reply to jon:

If you think that was bad you should have seen some of the things on Scafell that the Lamb/Botteril team gave E4. Quite a few went several years without a repeat: Caradhras, Cullinan and SOS have just five ascents between them in the UKC logbooks (and two of those are mine), you can add in Ringwraith (with 5 ticks). Grading consensus seems to put them at the E5/6 mark.

Then you've got Sacrificial Crack and Supernatural on Tophet Wall: SC is probably the only one still regarded as E4. Finally also on Tophet Wall is Golden Calf, I don't know anyone who's done it and I seriously doubt that it's E4!

I'll quote Dai Lampard after our day on Scafell: "Can I go back to Wales where the E5s are easier than these E4s?"

In reply to UKC News:

Bucket Dynasty is a powerful, bold and lonely lead, well done Emma. Hard Trad and hard sport. Good effort ticking Unjustified too.

In reply to UKC News:
Incidentally, Dougie Hall also onsighted this route in the early eighties. when it was only given E6.

In reply to gregoritos:

I doubt that very much as the first ascent wasn't until May 1991.

Doug's onsight of this route was done in typical Doug style. 'I think someone has done a new route up here Dave, it looks good, and it looks like there's a slot for a friend in that wall'. 5 mins later and about 50ft up. 'Yes, there is a good friend here'!

The route had no chalk on it. A proper onsight.

In reply to davehinton:

What year was that Dave?

In reply to gregoritos:

About 20+ years ago! Sorry can't be any more accurate than that, I've never kept any log. I would expect it was either the year the route was first done or very close as Doug, didn't know the route's name or the grade when he climbed it. However, it's a super line and good to hear people are rediscovering and enjoying success on these great Lakeland routes.

In reply to davehinton:
Doug's ascent was probably an early repeat then. It was a couple of lakes climbers I met in terradets, Rob and ? - sorry can't remember - that told me Dougie had climbed it.