Extremely over-dramatised program about the Ben on Channel 5 just now for anyone interested...
https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/hilltalk/ben_nevis_channel_5_now-683614
Snap!
yes, what a shame, some great footage, much recycled and too much silly music and hype plus no information, like what grade Echo wall is ...............ho hum
Echo wall... It's the hardest climb in the world and if Dave slips out of this knee bar he will die (despite the monster cam he's just placed). Even though it's already the most dangerous thing ever, Dave decides to untie from the rope just to make it more dangerous. Gripping stuff.
The editor has obviously been watching too much Bear Gryls.
To be fair, it was Dave himself who said he’d deck from the knee bar.
> To be fair, it was Dave himself who said he’d deck from the knee bar.
Doesn't say much for his confidence in his gear placement then.
"An imposing 500 foot rock face called The Great Tower".
Anyone lost a zero?
Just because it's a big cam, doesn't mean the placement is any good. I agree that the bit about untying was silly, though the general public might not understand rope drag.
I thought the winter climbing bit was the worst; the tower ridge section was excruciating!
> "An imposing 500 foot rock face called The Great Tower".
> Anyone lost a zero?
Yes, goodness knows where they got that figure from.
Also during the introduction Ben Nevis on Scotland's West Coast!? Or did I mishear that?
Lovely film of pine marten, except when they slipped in film of American martens and hoped we wouldn't notice. Amateurish!!
> I thought the winter climbing bit was the worst; the tower ridge section was excruciating!
Tower Ridge is a superb route, but not usually described as "extremely testing". Though perhaps it would be if you used the displayed red line as your topo!
> Also during the introduction Ben Nevis on Scotland's West Coast!? Or did I mishear that?
yep that's what he said, what's your issue with that ?
And the talk about the north face of Ben Nevis illustrated by someone climbing at Polldubh. And unless I imagined it, by a shot of a frozen Steall Falls?
> And the talk about the north face of Ben Nevis illustrated by someone climbing at Polldubh. And unless I imagined it, by a shot of a frozen Steall Falls?
I noticed the above too!
The program was interesting, though I'm sure BBC could make a more accurate documentary of what life is really like on the north facing cliffs?
Stuart
Sure, the commentary on the program is not how I'd do it, to say the least. But I can tell you that although that is a Camelot 6, it is s**t and usually fell out of the placement by itself with the slightest movement of the rope.
> Sure, the commentary on the program is not how I'd do it, to say the least. But I can tell you that although that is a Camelot 6, it is s**t and usually fell out of the placement by itself with the slightest movement of the rope.
Nice riposte to BoyBand!
Nice climbing on EchoWall, futuristic and out there.
Yeah the Polldubh and frozen Steall Falls footage was my footage. To be fair to them, they did actually initially enquire about filming some climbing on the north face itself, but after discussing the logistics it was pretty clear that they didn't have the resources to do it. Making climbing films on Ben Nevis is not so easy, that's why there aren't many good ones.
BTW, just in case anyone actually thinks I did 'defiantly throw down my ropes'. I didn't, they just weren't long enough for a 75m pitch. It was simpler to solo 10m of severe than deal with the logistics of my climbing partner jugging the meat of the climb.
> Sure, the commentary on the program is not how I'd do it, to say the least.
Just from what was broadcast I don't think anyone would associate you with that commentary.
Echo wall is worth a bit of hype though ....
I enjoyed the footage and history of the Observatory - looked like Scott's and Shackleton's polar expeditions.
Immaculately over-dramatised but some great footage and nice to see some real climbing on the TV.
Think they should've consulted this thread before embarking on Tower Ridge though...
https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rocktalk/classic_benightments_of_the_uk-6...
The female said they were experienced mountaineers who bit off just a bit more than they could chew. Don't think so, Tower Ridge in perfect weather?
Dave, what I was wandering was how did you get your gear out. I mean big cams cost money or is it now in-situ for any second ascentionists?
They even managed to film footage in Saltcoats (waves crashing against railway)!
Stuart
I'm guessing his static line was longer than his lead line(s).
> The female said they were experienced mountaineers who bit off just a bit more than they could chew. Don't think so, Tower Ridge in perfect weather?
Thing is, you can be an experienced mountaineer without actually being able to climb. A lot of winter hillwalkers I'd regard as mountaineers. But unsurprisingly, if they got straight on a grade IV they'd be likely to struggle!
>"that is a Camelot 6, it is s**t"
Dave, that's no way to describe your sponsor's gear!
I expect anyone that is genuinely interested in Ben Nevis climbing has seen your Echo Wall DVD and knows the score. The Channel 5 version was fun though.
I'm still hoping Echo Wall will eventually attract the sort of attention that Rhapsody has seen.
I guess once kids are cranking F10b as a warm-up, E12 might not look so much like death on a stick.
Do you think it ever will see a repeat?
Perhaps the package of danger, difficult & logistics are just too far out there.
Would you prefer to see repeats and to have it's profile raised, or are you happy to have it left unrepeated, becoming an ephemeral part of your legend?
Ephemeral?
Presumably there are exceptions, but I think every FA likes to see their routes repeated, no matter how hard.
My apologies. Ephemeral definitely isn't the correct word.
The word I needed escapes me. In my mind there is something unreal and other worldly about an unrepeated climb. Obviously we have the video and know it happened but until it's a shared experience it somehow seems less tangeable.
extremely delicate and light in a way that seems not to be of this world
>"Presumably there are exceptions..."
I'm thinking that by highlighting the week of snow shovelling and not proposing the grade scale busting E12 tag for other climbers and their sponsors to latch on to, Dave might be exceptional.
One problem with the Tower Ridge piece is that reinforced the idea that you go out into the mountains and if you get into trouble then the mountain rescue and/or helicopter are just a phone call away.
> One problem with the Tower Ridge piece is that reinforced the idea that you go out into the mountains and if you get into trouble then the mountain rescue and/or helicopter are just a phone call away.
I think that actually the Tower Ridge segment might, if anything, give pause for thought to viewers who have been considering climbing it for the first time and for whom it would be likely to be a bit of a stretch. No-one wants to find themselves in that situation of being helplessly out of their depth with, as they saw it, no feasible possibility of self rescue.
I hear where you,re coming from but in my mind they would be winter hill walkers. The term mountaineering somehow means more than winter walking
> I think that actually the Tower Ridge segment might, if anything, give pause for thought to viewers who have been considering climbing it for the first time and for whom it would be likely to be a bit of a stretch. No-one wants to find themselves in that situation of being helplessly out of their depth with, as they saw it, no feasible possibility of self rescue.
If they hadn't been rescued until the following day, then that might give viewers food for thought.
> If they hadn't been rescued until the following day, then that might give viewers food for thought.
A balmy night out on the Ben would've made for better footage, certainly. I vividly remember the beauty of Coire Leis lit by a full moon in February.
anybody care to say what the show was actually called so we can try and find it?
This Winter Conditions page gives a summary of what is being climbed at the moment, what is 'in' nick and what the prospects are...