UKC

UKC User Sherlock gives us an account of his epic ascent of Orion Direct back in 1982.

"I penduled through the pitch dark, headtorch a feeble strobe. When I stopped it seemed I was rather unexpectedly alive. I reasoned that angels probably wouldn't be using the language that rained down from above. I could make out his headtorch not far above and by a combination of pulling on the ropes and adrenalin, I landed, deranged, on the stance..."

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=3249

In reply to UKC Articles:

What a fantastic read! Very funny and well written and utterly utterly mental.

Really had me laughing in a good couple places

In reply to UKC Articles:

brilliant read, all the ingredients put together well.

Ol

In reply to UKC Articles: ... is why I don't winter climb! Great article, excellent entertainment.

In reply to UKC Articles: Good work. Extremely well written, just the right balance of terror and comedy!

In reply to UKC Articles:

Great read. Thanks.

Very nice. Sums up the winter learning experience.

I've definitely read this before, has it been published elsewhere, or on here in previous years?

In reply to UKC Articles:

Superb! The epic of the century?

In reply to UKC Articles: Brilliant tale - had a good laugh!

In reply to UKC Articles: Great story, well told.....

In reply to Tradtom:

You do realise that you may have just discribed winter climbibg perfectly..Just the right balance of terror and comedy.

In reply to Diccon: Only seventeen hours on the hill (that's not even out all night!) so nowhere near the epic of the century. It is, however, an outstanding tale, worthy of comparison with essays from Games Climbers Play and the most entertaining pieces of recent climbing writing. Well done!

In reply to UKC Articles:

A fine epic, sir! To be savoured in memory, always.

Mick

In reply to UKC Articles:

Excellent stuff..!

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris: i thought i had read that before too, cant think where though..

In reply to Will_Thomas_Harris:

Yes - it appeared in Gravity Magazine about 2006.

In reply to Sherlock:

There is a wonderful coincidence here, the man in the main picture at the beginning of this article is Neil Wilson who has an even bigger Orion epic in his past. In 1991 he took a full rope length (100m) fall onto the belay at the top of the route. His reply to screamed enquiries as to his health was a pure gem. 'I'm alright... I've broken my leg though' In fact he had snapped his femur and had at first thought his leg had come off as it was wrapped behind him. He retreived it by hooking the crampon with his ice axe. It was before mobile phone reception and he had a lengthy wait, losing a lot of blood, before being rescued by a heroic Mick Tighe who was lowered from the summit to get him.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Quality writing, recalling a lost world of shoestring adventure and uncertainty as standard.

Also brought back some memories of the route; I'm glad my partner got 7 pitches up before his crampon fell off, as retreat was by that stage unthinkable.

In reply to UKC Articles:
Brilliant.

In reply to Sherlock:

Excellent Nige, I think anyone who has climbed with Dai has had at least one epic. Speaks volume's

Geoff M

In reply to UKC Articles:

Superb - really enjoyed this. Will there be any more?

In reply to UKC Articles:
Choice. Thank you.