The lower wall is technical and involves some unusual gear - a hand placed pecker over an old peg stub, which I am told is 'bomber', especially when tied down to a handy sapling.
Nic described the route as "A fairly mellow E8. It feels like an E6 to climb up, get the gear in and climb back to the floor, then climbing the route feels like a fairly safe F8a. It's a brilliant route with ace moves in an amazing position above the valley."
Leo Houlding took a ground fall from the route, snapping the peg, before he succeeded in making the first ascent. The peg was made of stainless steel and although looked to be in excellent condition, sheared under body weight. His initial assessment of E9 was not far off the mark, as the crux gear is so blind, but now the pecker placement has been found the crux wire can be placed in 'relative safety'.
Read an interview with Nic on the Moon Website
View Nic's profile on the DMM Website
Thanks to Tom Briggs for breaking this news in the forums
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