UKC

The Past is Close Behind - VIII,8

© Blair Fyffe
Rob Jarvis - Highmountainguides.com

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Rob Jarvis of Highmountainguides reports on the new Ben Nevis VIII,8 - The Past is Close Behind.

Blair Fyffe foraging for a hook, a hold, some turf, ice, neve....anything...on the tough 3rd pitch of the Past is Close Behind, © Blair Fyffe
Blair Fyffe foraging for a hook, a hold, some turf, ice, neve....anything...on the tough 3rd pitch of the Past is Close Behind,
Rob Jarvis, Feb 2010
© Blair Fyffe

Blair Fyffe on the 3rd pitch of 'The Past is Close Behind' © Blair Fyffe
Blair Fyffe on the 3rd pitch of 'The Past is Close Behind'
Rob Jarvis, Feb 2010
© Blair Fyffe
The strong team of Nevis regulars, Blair Fyffe and Iain Small are no strangers to creating quality, hard new mixed routes on Ben Nevis and they have been at it again.

The Past is Close Behind, 250m VIII,8 (18/2/2010) takes the large wall, until now devoid of routes, between The Shroud and Kellet's North Wall Route on the North Face of Carn Dearg.

In a long day the pair climbed the 6 pitch route finishing the last two hard pitches and topping out on Ledge Route all in the dark. The climbing was high quality and a truly mixed winter line with snowed up rock, verglassed cracks, turf, thinly iced slabs, neve, the lot.

The route name was inspired by the aura and inspiration surrounding the history of creating hard new routes on the Ben, with a little help from the Bob Dylan song, 'Tangled up in Blue'.

Well done guys, further inspiration for us all in the amazing winter of 2010.

PHOTOS: The Past is Close Behind

photo
Blair & Iain relieved to be on Ledge Route after the first ascent of 'The Past is Close Behind'.
Rob Jarvis
© Blair Fyffe
photo
Iain Small straight in to the difficulties of the technical (8) 2nd pitch of 'The Past is Close Behind'
Rob Jarvis, Feb 2010
© Blair Fyffe
Photo Topo for 'The Past is Close Behind', 250m, VIII, 8, Ben Nevis © Rob Jarvis
Photo Topo for 'The Past is Close Behind', 250m, VIII, 8, Ben Nevis
© Rob Jarvis, Feb 2010

This post has been read 8,007 times

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Comments

mlmatt
24 Feb, 2010
I actaully saw them trying this route as I walked in. Looked like one hell of a pitch he was on while he was out on the lead
Tom Last
24 Feb, 2010
Lovely name for a route :-)
French Erick
25 Feb, 2010
Yet again another good effort from a good and very active pair. Mr Small is having a hell of a season, featuring many meaningful repeats...truly an inspiring guy.
Brendan
28 Feb, 2010
Yeah, brilliant.
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