UKC

The past week has rare repeats of two E9 trad routes, with Saul Calvert and Rory Cummings making the first and second repeat of Ricky Bell's 2015 Fair Head slab solo Long Runs the Fox (E9 6c), and Mat Wright making the first repeat of Dave MacLeod's 2002 The Fugue (E9 6c) at Glen Croe.

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The Fugue is big news - great to see this bold line get a repeat. I'm reminded of MacLeod's comments about the first ascent. Each day on the shunt he was doing one clean link then falling on subsequent tries. Answer - get on the lead first go!  

"On two of these moves you have to sustain momentum or you're off. You can't just pull onto the footholds - you gotta float onto them"

High on a slab solo! That's one of the most terrifying details I've ever heard described.

Ricky's video of long runs the fox is probably my favourite climbing footage. So, so good.  

Awesome efforts all round.

Feel similarly to Paul about that fox footage, goosebumps 

No pads? Good lad. Pads are absolutely cheating on routes.

And so’s headpointing, etc., etc.

The world moves on; better to move with it.

If you track down the video (used to be on Vimeo), you'll see that all the pads in the world would make little difference for LRTF. It's not a 10m grit route; if you fall off the crux, you'll stay fell. Pads or no pads, it is a solo. 

Clearly if someone did decide to use them on this, then by definition that someone must think they could make a difference. But I'd say there would be nothing wrong with that. If gear works, even psychologically, why not feel free to use it.

The FA was done without pads and from what I gather both these repeats have been without them as well. Some routes it makes sense to (e.g. Nosferatu) but I don't think the same applies to this route. You can't fall off it and pads wouldn't save you if you did. From memory, there are a good couple of minutes of climbing before the crux is reached; I don't know the exacts but doubtful you're going to survive a fall off the crux of that. 

There's a video of the full thing now on Saul's Instagram, with chilled music and smiles to make it look like a toddle up Great Slab.

Shows that you would probably need to hire a bouncy castle for any decision about landing management to make a difference.