Destination Guide My Favourite Route: Pete Whittaker - The Vice (E1 5b), Stanage North
There are some climbs that etch themselves into your memory for the raw, humbling lessons they dish out. For me, that climb is The Vice (E1 5b) at Stanage North.
Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker (known collectively as The Wide Boyz) are no strangers to hard climbing. Between them, the pair have climbed some of the hardest crack climbs in the world and set impressive records for speed ascents and endurance challenges everywhere from the Peak District in the UK to Yosemite National Park in the US. But one area where they hold no records and have absolutely no experience is the realm of winter climbing. In 2018, the pair set out to put that straight and to finally learn the ropes of this dark axe-wielding art. Guided by the tutelage of Scottish winter climbing legend Kev Shields, the Wide Boyz set out on their first winter climb...after a couple of false starts of course.
Comments
OMG - they're not really subtitling Kev are they? I'm only 1.41 in but seriously, they're not really subtitling the one dude with a Scottish accent?!? :-0
They always seem to subtitle Kev. Seems perfectly comprehensible to me, but then I grew up inertia.
So why is your favourite crag not on Arran?
Enjoyed that.
That they were such punters (by their own admission) shows what a different sport it is - what a different world
Arran used to be Argyll & Bute.
Quadrocks inertia. In fact 15 min walk from my mum’s house. But a stretch as anyone’s favourite crag.