UKC

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: Inspiring, can't wait for "onsight" to be released, looks class

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: Nice one, good effort attempting that Neil. Looks a f*cking ace route!

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:
Very impressive stuff! Great effort. Was Neil on the face for four hours?! Was there a rest ledge somewhere or a downclimb to the ground or something?

In reply to Will Hunt: As far as I know he was on the actual face for about 3 hours, he was up and down for the first hour - but I could be mistaken.

I think that is the case though.

Impressive Neil - well done.

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: I wish he used the logbook on this site, that would be cool to look at!

Great video and an impressive effort. I'm going to buy this video for sure.

It's good to see that on-sight, ground up climbing isn't dead yet and it's good to see people like Neil getting into it at a hard core level.

Cheers, John

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

Brilliant footage and sage words from JR about the value of onsighting stuff.

In reply to John Bachar:

Now THAT is a seal of approval!!! On-Sight will be awesome...

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: I've never bought a climbing film, but I think I will buy this. What an effort, and what awesome pictures.

In reply to Franco Cookson:

The best bit is John R making out like a football manager - 'the boy will have learned from that'. Plus Neil D sounding like an enthusiastic and slightly inarticulate beginner at Stanage. Strangely touching.

One for the Crow has a similar shot of Margins. Beautiful striations higher up the wall. Why isn't Aries famous? How many easy HVSses have positions like that?

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously: I t probably would be famous if it weren't for all of the other cloggy classics around it.

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

This is dynamite, a real coup getting JR involved. His essay on Margins in ...and one for the crow is possibly my favourite piece of climbing writing. I can't help thinking my own meagre contribution to this film will be on the cutting room floor by now. Inspirational stuff, can't wait to see more!

In reply to Adam L:

Yes, must have added a definite resonance to the ascent.

Thought JR was looking pretty limber actually. He reminded me a bit of that famous photo in one of the SW guides of Keith Darbyshire, reclining on an elbow like that.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously: 'He reminded me a bit of that famous photo in one of the SW guides of Keith Darbyshire, reclining on an elbow like that'

A lion couchant I thought, to continue his animal simile.

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: This was really, really good. Very impressive tale really well told and excellent to have on the site. For me, climbing at far from these dizzying levels, this is the most awesome piece of climbing i have heard of in years. Great stuff!

mike

In reply to jonnienomates:

I agree - super-inspirational. I haven't had anything on a web site or in a mag make my palms sweat like that for quite a while. Can't wait to see the film.

Totally agree with comments ref Redhead et al still representing the cutting edge of trad. Headpointing isn't traditional climbing - this sort of endeavour most certainly is.

Wow.

totally agree with this:

People have commented that some of his routes like The Bells, The Bells or indeed even Margins... follow contrived lines. I just don't see this. When you drop a rope down a blank wall and head-point a route, often the most logical thing to do is top rope up in a straight line, ignoring easier possibilities. To me these are the contrived lines. Climbers like John would follow the easiest and most natural lines to climb from the ground and the result is a route that feels like the logical way to go when you're climbing it, not looking at it from a distance.

In reply to Silum: >not looking at it from a distance.

Or more to the point close up with blinkers.

Redhead after all did preinspect and rehearse moves as well just not extensively as has become commonplace (Dawes also) so I am not sure the straightening influence of the top rope per se has as much to do with it as an individuals eye for a line and imagination.

No one could argue that Redhead doesn't have a fervent imagination.

In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

Why has the video gone?

In reply to Silum:

I don't kow what you're saying, but yes, especially when the easier possibilities have already been done as part of other routes or are trivial, then the logical thing to do is to ignore them (I would say after haivng climbed them first).

In reply to Paz: I wasnt saying anything, its a quote from the article. Im saying, if a route wanders its often accused of being contrived (recent arguments on rhapsody come to mind) but really they are just the immagination of the climber following the natural route...the straight up through blank rock for the sake of climbing straight up is imo contrived.

In reply to James Jackson:

i want to see the video as well! why has this clip gone?