Last weekend, Pete Whittaker climbed the first ascent of one of Staffordshire Grit's Last Great Problems, the direct start to Headless Horseman, E1 5b, at The Roaches. It is a very bold and technical line, first tried by Simon Nadin, Pete has graded it around E10...
To be fair I think he meant it was helpful in drying out a route that was minging when he arrived. Has an LGP ever been done in widier conditions? I loved the route name too.
nice one pete.
it was awesome to witness the real event.
oh and thanks for spelling my name right.... then say it wrong!!! which isant the first time either.
In reply to UKC News: Great ascent and great name!! And just to put it in context, as it's hard to tell on the film, Pete reckoned it was harder than Walk on By 7c+ at Curbar...which as we all know is pretty flippin' tricky..!!
Very impressive we were at the roaches for about 2hrs that morning waiting for it to dry out, we eventually gave up about hlf 12 and went the stride. I didnt believe John when he txt me and told me this had gone down that same day as the crag had been still gopping wet when we lft.
To be fair every piece of rock at the roaches that day was gopping wet, the 'Sleepy Hollow' arete included, right up to the last hour of sunlight.
The only reason it dried was due to that horrendous wind blowing straight in from over Leek... A time when only the keen and/or crazy go climbing LGP's!
Yes, looks like you nearly had to chuck him a head-torch - but if 40 mph gusts aren't deterring him a bit of dark's not going to put him off! Congrats on your recent project by the way. Probably good to get that one safely in the bank before he started sniffing around that one too!
In reply to Jordan: I am very intrigued...and you would have to say harder than E10...!!
Please spill the beans...?
Earworm21 Dec 2013
In reply to UKC News:
Thank god the days when people thought it was wrong to drive to staffordshire and climb " someone else's " project are over well done Pete
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